The world will let you down, even family will let you down, but God will never let you down if you are a child of His.
These verses are from the New International Version (NIV).
Benefits of being His child:
·
John 1:12-13
12Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God-- 13children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but
born of God.
·
Romans 8:14-17
14because those who are led
by the Spirit of God are sons of God. 15For you did not receive a spirit that
makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by
him we cry, "Abba, Father." 16The Spirit himself testifies with our
spirit that we are God's children. 17Now if we are children, then we are
heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his
sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
·
Galatians 3:26
26You are all sons of God through
faith in Christ Jesus,
God wants you to be one of His children:
·
Matthew 18:12-14
12"What do you think? If a man owns a hundred
sheep, and one of them wanders away, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the
hills and go to look for the one that wandered off? 13And if he finds it, I
tell you the truth, he is happier about that one sheep than about the
ninety-nine that did not wander off. 14In the same way your Father in heaven is
not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
You have two choices:
Choice 1 – ACCEPT
·
Romans 3:22-24
22This righteousness from God comes through faith
in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have
sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his
grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
·
Romans 5:8
8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this:
While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
·
Romans 6:23
23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
·
Romans 7:21-25
21So I find this law at work: When I want to do
good, evil is right there with me. 22For in my inner being I delight in God's
law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war
against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work
within my members. 24What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this
body of death? 25Thanks be to God--through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I
myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the
law of sin.
·
Psalm 51:11
17 The sacrifices of God are a
broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
·
John 14:6
6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth
and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
·
Revelation 3:20
20Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If
anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and
he with me.
·
Romans 10:9-11
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus
is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified,
and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11As the Scripture
says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
Choice 2 – REJECT
·
Luke 13:3
3I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too
will all perish.
·
Luke 16:19-31
19"There was a rich man who was dressed in
purple and fine linen and lived in luxury every day. 20At his gate was laid a
beggar named Lazarus, covered with sores 21and longing to eat what fell from
the rich man's table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. 22"The time
came when the beggar died and the angels carried him to Abraham's side. The
rich man also died and was buried. 23In hell, where he was in torment, he
looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. 24So he called to
him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his
finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25"But
Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good
things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you
are in agony. 26And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been
fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone
cross over from there to us.' 27"He answered, 'Then I beg you, father,
send Lazarus to my father's house, 28for I have five brothers. Let him warn
them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.' 29"Abraham
replied, 'They have Moses and the Prophets; let them listen to them.' 30"
'No, father Abraham,' he said, 'but if someone from the dead goes to them, they
will repent.' 31"He said to him, 'If they do not listen to Moses and the
Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.'
"
Accept God’s gift and receive the promise:
·
John 10:10
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and
destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
·
1 John 5:11-13
11And this is the testimony: God has given us
eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12He who has the Son has life; he
who does not have the Son of God does not have life.
A choice must be made.
Ignoring this is the same as choosing to reject. Here's a letter I wrote to a friend of mine
putting forth my beliefs:
· Beliefs