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Do I Really Need a Savior?
 Ah, the good life. We have been blessed with
everything that we need to enjoy life: A loving relationship, enough money
so that we don't have to worry about our day to day needs, flexible careers
which include plenty of time for leisure activities, and good health. Is
life meaningful and fulfilling? Who cares. There is plenty of time
for that later.
Needing a Savior is really the last thing from our minds.
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Yes! Jesus brings joy to our
lives.
Is there a difference between happiness and joy?
Things in our lives can bring us happiness: a new car, a vacation, new clothes,
etc. Other people and our relationships can also bring us happiness.
However, is there any permanence to the type of happiness that we get from these
things, or do we just start searching for the next thing to make us happy?
Jesus brings an inner joy that is everlasting.
You have filled my heart
with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
-
Psalm 4:7
Do not store up for yourselves
treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and
steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do
not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your
treasure is, there your heart will be also.
- Matthew 6:19-21
Peace I leave with you; my peace I give
you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled
and do not be afraid.
- John 14:27 |
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God wants us to enjoy life to the full, but this is
only provided through belief in Jesus Christ. In John 10, Jesus refers to
himself as a gate through which salvation, joy, and peace can be found:
I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.
He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and
kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
- John 10:9-10
In fact, God actually has a positive view on wealth and
possessions. In and of themselves, they are not "evil". However, the things in our lives should be thought of as
blessings from God, not as replacements for God.
"The blessing of the LORD brings wealth, and he adds no
trouble to it." - Proverbs 10:22
"Moreover, when God gives any man wealth and
possessions, and enables him to enjoy them, to accept his lot and be happy in
his work—this is a gift of God." - Ecclesiastes 5:19
In the story of the couple in the image above, the
"blessings" in their life have replaced God, and their life is focused on their
possessions and activities rather than being focused on God. Will they
still experience happiness when there is a turn in fortune, such as the loss of
a job, a change in health, or a problem with their relationship? Jesus
gives an inner peace that is present regardless of circumstances.
For more information about accepting
Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, click on one of the links below:
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