|
You may be wondering why a church would give out a button with the word DEAD followed by a question mark. As the pastor of First Reformed Church of Alexander, I want to assure you that we are not a cult or some wacked out religious group. Our denomination, The Reformed Church in America, is the oldest denomination in the United States with a continuous history and presence. We take the Bible very seriously here at First Reformed Church and believe that Scripture is the final authority in what we believe and how we live.
The Bible teaches that all human beings have a serious problem; They are spiritually dead. This spiritual death is the consequence of our first parents Adam and Eve's disobedience in the Garden of Eden. Their sin resulted in God driving them from His presence. God is holy, righteous, and just. He does not look upon sin lightly. By its very nature, sin always separates us from God, our neighbor, and our highest self. Sadly, this sinful condition has been passed on to us, Adam and Eve's descendants, leaving us also alienated from God. ("Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned ... " Romans 5:12) In this sinful condition of spiritual death, none of us can look forward to going to heaven.
But there is Good News! The good news that sinners like you and I can be born again! Jesus Christ, God's only Begotten Son, was born of the Virgin Mary. He lived a perfect and sinless life. He was killed by being crucified upon a cross. Three days later, on Easter morning, He burst out of the grave, alive and victorious over death! Jesus did all this to pay the penalty which our own sins have earned each of us. The Bible says in Romans 6:23 that "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." That gracious gift, the gift of rebirth unto eternal life, is promised to all who turn to Jesus Christ in repentance and belief.
What about you? Have you experienced that great gift? If not, I urge you to repent of your sins and to begin trusting in Jesus as your Lord and Savior this very day!
Let Today Be Your Day of Victory Over Death Through Jesus Christ!
. |
Lord, Let me see how you bring good out of our tensions.
Right now a tension I am facing personally is____________________.
I turn this situation over to you, knowing you love me and are in control of my days.
Help me to live believing you are constantly working in my behalf. Let me be on the lookout today for evidence of your miracle touch. AMEN.
