Amazing! It is amazing to me that God would love me!  I have to admit that there have been many times in my life when I have taken His love for granted.  A couple of weeks ago, I was sharing with a friend about the love of God and I took a few minutes to walk with them down what we church folks like to call the “Romans Road”.  And so I thought I would walk down that road today, so that we can all get a good reminder of God’s awesome love for us!

Everyone Is A Sinner! Romans 3:23  “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We are all sinners!  Everyone of us, no matter how good we think we are – have done things that we should not do and failed to do things that we should.  These things are sin that get in the way of our having a relationship with our Holy and Perfect Creator God!

We Deserve Punishment! Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is everlasting life in Christ Jesus my Lord.” Because of our sin, we deserve death.  We deserve to be separated from God and His blessing forever and for always.  But God offers us a gift – everlasting life and the blessing of living in relationship with Him and His blessings.  God offers us the gift.  He does not force us to take it.  It is up to us!

God’s Great Love! Romans 5:8  “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Out of His great love for us – God gave us the most precious gift that could ever be given.  God did not wait for us to become perfect, but while we were still sinners – He sacrificed His Son for us.  Jesus came to do for us, what we could not do for ourselves!

Believe And Confess! Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is how we receive the gift of Jesus and enter into relationship with God.  We believe in our heart that God did this for us and that Jesus paid the price that we could not pay.  If we believe it in our hearts, then we will confess it with our mouths and the actions and reactions of our lives!

Amazing Love! John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” What an amazing love and what an amazing gift.  May we all live in the power of right relationship with our Creator and Sustainer God!  And if I can help you in any way to grow in this relationship, then please feel free to call on me!

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Discouraged And Depressed? Do you ever get discouraged or depressed?  I think that all of us, if we are honest, have those times when life just gets to big for us to handle.  Those times when we are not sure if we are going to be able to make the next step or not.  None of us really like these times, but most all of us have been in and through them and have come out on the other side okay, in fact, sometimes even better than when we entered in.

What’s Your Instinct? In my life, when I am discourage or depressed, I find that my instinct is to go running as fast as I can to the Lord.  When I go running to Him, He always reminds me that I am a “NEW CREATION” in Him.  He reminds me that the old has passed away and is dead and should be buried and left buried and the new has come to life and should be enjoyed and shared.

Take A Moment! Whenever you get discouraged or depressed – take a few moments to let God remind you that in Him – YOU ARE A NEW CREATION!  God is always working on and through us.  He has not given up on us and neither should we!

Do you ever have a problem with temptation? You know the same temptation; and the same giving in; and the same sin; and the same guilt over and over and over!  You finally get to the place where you start to think:  “If I can’t beat it, then I am just going to give up and give in.”  Which is exactly what you do, but you still never feel quiet right.  Some where in your heart you know that there is something that is just not right, but you convince yourself that you can live with it.

Why Do We Give In? Today I want to share with you what I believe is the main reason that we give into temptation.  And hopefully provide away of escape!  Now hang with me – okay?

Think about this: When temptation comes a knocking what are you doing?  I have discovered that temptation often comes for me when I am idle.  As long as I am busy doing what God has called and created me for, then temptation is usually not a big deal for me.  But the very moment that I slow down, then I had better watch out, because temptation is going to come a knocking and if I’ve got nothing else to do, then I will probably open the door.

What is the secret to winning over temptation? Staying busy in our thinking, working and serving to fulfill the calling of the Lord.  Have you ever noticed how the people in church that are always stirring up trouble seem are the very people who don’t do anything?  I mean they show up, but that is about it.  If we were all busy doing what God has called us to do, then we would not have time to get distracted by the often petty little things that we blow up into something bigger than it should be.

The Bottom Line: If you are a Christian, then stay busy doing what a Christian is supposed to do – Make disciples And Give God Glory!  If we stay busy with the tasks that God has given us, then we won’t have the time to get in on the stuff that the devil sends to mess us up!  What is it that God has for you to do?  Get busy and enjoy the victory!