Do You Believe Christ Or Not?

“For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth”  Matthew 12:40

The whole issue is about ONE THING: Did Christ tell the truth, or did He lie? Did He bear false witness? There would have been no reason for Christ to say He would be IN THE TOMB three days and three nights if it were not so. To me, the situation is this: are we going to accept the witness of Christ, or are we going to let man deny the witness of Christ by what man says?

In giving a sign, one is setting forth that which indicates fact, not a misnomer. Had someone in “that evil and adulterous generation” (Matthew 12:39) began to rethink what Christ said, and believed Christ’s sign, the one and only sign, that Christ would BE IN the heart of the earth three days and three nights, when would he start looking for Christ’s resurrection, after Christ was placed in the tomb? One day and two nights later, etc.?

If Christ was crucified on Friday, and if a religionist of that day was to repent and believe Christ, he would expect Christ to resurrect three days and three nights after He was placed in the tomb, JUST AS HE SAID! So, when would he expect Christ’s resurrection? He certainly would not be looking for Christ’s resurrection early Sunday morning, because at best, that would be half or less of the time that Christ said He would be in the tomb.

Christ said the three days and three nights were the time period he would be IN the heart of the earth. So to believe Christ, rather than some religionist, we accept the fact that the three days and three nights was the period of time Christ’s body was in the tomb, rather than just a range of time that religionists can make out of it what they want to.

To let Christ be true and every man a liar, (Romans 3:4) we accept the fact that He was in the tomb (in the heart of the earth) three days and three nights, just as He said. Should Christ have been crucified on Friday, and was risen before the Christians came to the tomb early Sunday morning, His sign that He gave, His Word that He spoke, His testimony that He gave that He would be “in the heart of the earth three days and three nights” would be false, yes, a lie!

This whole issue can only be resolved by simply believing Christ! If a person is disposed for any reason not to believe the TRUTH that Jesus Himself spoke, certainly there is no grounds or reason to think they will be otherwise persuaded.

All false religion, and all deceit depends on people being willing to follow another line of reasoning other than just go with what God’s Word says. This is how the fall occurred in the Garden of Eden.

The QUESTION to ask and answer is, DO YOU BELIEVE CHRIST, OR NOT?

SHARING

The Infinitude of God

“Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them:  and the hills did tremble, and their carcases were torn in the midst of the streets.  For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.”  Isaiah 5:25

God warns sinful mankind to flee the wrath to come.  He does this by asserting His righteous judgment against all unrighteousness, while at the same time proclaiming salvation through repentance and faith.

Some interpret God’s will to save sinners as meaning God loves sinners just as they are.  HOW ABSURD!  If God loved sinners just as they are, then they would not need salvation from their sin.  But God’s love is all about saving sinners from what they are, lest they perish.

Apart from coming to God’s salvation, sinners are under condemnation before God due to Adam’s transgression – Romans 5:18.  All unsaved sinners still have the wrath of God abiding on them – John 3:36.  “God is angry with the wicked every day.”  Psalm 7:11 God cannot and will not tolerate sin, even though He is longsuffering towards sinners:  “Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil, and canst not look on iniquity.” Habakkuk 1:13

There are two grave errors that man’s thinking can lead to.  First, the thinking that a God of love would not send anyone to hell; that a God of love would not discriminate against any because of their lifestyle; that God’s love only allows our sins to make Him sad, but that His love for man is unconditional.  But Isaiah 5:25 describes God’s response to the sin of His people:  “Therefore is the anger of the Lord kindled against his people, and he hath stretched forth his hand against them and hath smitten them.” Make no mistake about it, God will not give sin a free pass!

The second error, is thinking that since God judges sin, that once one has messed their life up in sin, that there is no hope.  But with God, “For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still.”  Isaiah 5:25f Even though His anger is not turned away, even though judgment is on the horizon, yet His hand is stretched out still, not willing that the sinner perish, but rather they come to repentance.  This is God’s amazing grace, that lies beyond human comprehension.  The reason God can have His hand stretched out to those He is bringing judgment against, is that Christ died for all our sins.  For all who repent and turn to Christ, the wrath of God is stayed, through the atoning power of Jesus’ shed blood.

Don’t let Satan convince you not to concern yourself with your sin.  Nor, don’t let Satan depress you into thinking there is no hope for you because of sin.  Believe God.  Repent, return to the Lord, and He will have mercy – Isaiah 55:7.

SHARING

Food for Thought…

How is your spiritual economy?  Are you in a recession?  A depression?

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground:  for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you.”  Hosea 10:12

SHARING