From my study, I found that were an astonishing number of occurences of the following words in the Bible:
1) Hosea 2:23, "And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God." God really wants to be our God, and wants us to be His people. Although we raise our fists in rebellion to Him and rejection of Him, still, it is His heart's desire to allow us to be His people. Please see the topics 'No Pleasure' and 'Pleasure', below for discussion on this matter.
2) Romans 5:8, "But God commendeth (demonstrated) His love unto us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God took the initiative. "He came to me. When I could not go to where He was, He came to me." In our rebellion and rejection, it is extremely unlikely we would have ever sought God. He knew if we were to be given the opportunity to be saved, He would need to come to us.
3) Ours would be a costly salvation. Hebrews 9:22, "and without (the) shedding of blood is no remission." Roman 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death." The cost of our sin of rebellion and rejection would be death. As a substitute for our death, God's only Son, Jesus Christ would voluntarily to pay the penalty for our sins. It was the Just for the unjust. 1 Peter 3:18, "For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened (made alive) by the Spirit." 1 Peter 2:24, "Who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
4) For a vivid account of Jesus' suffering and death for our sins, see Isaiah 53:1-7, Matthew 26:47 (His arrest...) throogh 27:61 (His burial), Mark 14:43 through 15:47. Luke 22:47: through 23:56, Joh 18:1 through 19:42. Why would God allow His only Son, His beloved Son, to face such an agonizing and costly fate? This was God's divine initiative in providing a lost mankind with the only way to be saved.
5) But the story of Christ doesn't stop with His burial! Christianity's hope is in the Living Christ! The Scriptures, the precious Word of God, provides quite a bit of documentation regarding Christ rising from the grave, and the Blessed Hope that this gives those of us who place our faith in Him. I will bring a study on the subject of Christ's Resurrection in the future. For a few accounts of His Resurrection, please see Matthew 28, Mark 16, Luke 24, John 20, Acts 10:34-41, and 1 Corinthians 15:1-8.
6) No Pleasure. God does not delight in sending people to hell. Ezekiel 18:23, "Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God: and not that he should return from his ways, and live?" Ezekiel 18:32, "For I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?"
7) Pleasure. 2 Peter 3:9, "The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness; but is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance." It is not God's will for people to go to hell. 1 Samuel 12:22, "For the Lord will not forsake His people for His great name's sake: because it hath pleased the Lord to make you His people." It brings God great pleasure to make us His sons and daughters. The person who goes to hell must plow through all Heaven to get there, even through the Lord Jesus Christ. He must plow through all the Sunday School teachers, Vacation Bible School teachers, church leaders, visiting evangelists and missionaries, Christian friends, and other witnesses. It is in rejecting these many demonstrations of God's Initiative that a person goes to hell.
8 Hebrews 7:25, "Wherefore He is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them." God is willing to save... save to the uttermost. He is willing to save you and me.
1) Revelation 22:17, "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely."
2) The two basic human needs are those of bread and water. God supplied these needs for the children of Israel when He provided manna (Exodus 16, Numbers 11, Deuteronomy 8) from Heaven and water from the rock (Exodus 17).
3) Jesus instructed us in the Beatitudes; Matthew 5:6, "Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled." He later declared Himself to be the "Living Water" and the "Bread of Life." John 4:13-14, "Jesus answered and said unto her (the woman at the well), Whosoever drinketh of this water (the well water) shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." John 6:35, "And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst." He has come to fill our spiritual hunger and thirst.
4) God wants us to have a life of spiritual abundance, not a life of want and unfulfillment. John 10:10, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Perhaps you are here today, and have a spiritual void, a spiritual hunger and thirst, an emptiness you feel in your heart. Allow me to point you to the only One who can fill that need; the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the Answer to your greatest need, the need of your soul.
5) God will punish those who reject Jesus Christ, but, it is also evident that He prefers the great pleasure which comes in offering sonship. John 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name."
6) And we have a promise; John 6:37, "And whosoever cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." All of the invitations of God hinge upon this type of promise. If we come to Christ, we will be received. Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me, all of you that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Are you heaven laden with sin? Receiving Jesus into your heart will bring the peace you have been searching for. Now see another great promise. Revelation 3:20, "Behold I stand at the door, and knock: in any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." Upon our invitation, Christ will come into our heart.
7) Perhaps you are here today, and have never invited Jesus into your heart. Perhaps you do not have the absolute certainty that He lives in your heart. Well, I've got news for you!! Of the 2440 "comes" found in the Bible, I believe with all my heart one of them is meant for you. He invites you to come to Him today. Have you come to receive Christ? If not, receive the Living Water and the Bread of Life. Receive Jesus Christ. Only Jesus can satisfy your soul.
8) God is willing and would be pleased to receive you. Won't you come? Won't you come today?
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May God speak to your heart! Bob Conar