ABC’s OF GOD’S WAY OF LIFE
Many of us learned our ABC’s when we were children to help us deal with life and its problems. But not everyone has learned how to cope with the difficulties of sin in this world. However, the written words of God teaches us the ABC’s of how to overcome sin, and effectively live God’s way of life by knowing his Son Jesus Christ (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
A. NEED TO KNOW JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR AND LORD
The Bible says, all have sinned and come short of glorifying God (Romans 3:23); and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ’s atoning death (Rom. 6:23). The need to know Jesus Christ as the Son of God as Savior can be seen in a conversation between him a religious leader (John 3:1-18).
A Pharisee named Nicodemus came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.”
Jesus replied, “No one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.”
“How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!”
Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit…Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
THE BIBLE SAYS, all have sinned and come short of glorifying God (Romans 3:23); and the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ’s atoning death (Rom. 6:23).
“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. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son” (John 3:16-18).B GROW TO
B. BE MORE LIKE JESUS
- God has purposed that all who accept Jesus should grow in being conformed to his likeness (Romans 8:29; Ephesians 4:13).
- To grow into the likeness of the Lord, we should learn and live by the inspired words of God (John 5:39; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Matthews 4:4;).
- We need to continually commune with God in prayer, for without him can do nothing (1Thessalonians 5:17; John 15:5).
- And we need the help of the Spirit to become like Christ (John 14:16; 26). The Spirit of God works in us to makes us who are born-again to grow into the full likeness of Jesus Christ (Philippians 2:13; Ephesians 4;13)
C. TELL OTHERS ABOUT THE LORD
- Jesus opened the eyes of his disciples who followed him, so they could see how he fulfilled “Everything… that is written about [him] in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms…He opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.” Luke 24:44-48).
- Jesus told his disciples, who were filled with the Holy Spirit, to go into all the world an tell others the good news about the Lord, that they might repent, believe and be saved; and be filled with the Holy Spirit (Mark 16:15-16; Acts 1:8; 2:38).
By learning and applying the ABC’s of God’s way of life we get to know Jesus Christ, God’s Son as our Savior; to glorify him as our Lord; and to become increasingly more like him. This put us in a position to tells others how he can also be their Savior and Lord. And everyone who lives by the ABC’s of God’s way of life will be ready to graduate to heaven when the Lord returns (John 14:3-6).
