Time Out for God Devotional Ministry
By Danna Appleby
Never Separated from God’s Love
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (Romans 8:35)
Recently, our youngest grandson graduated with honors from the fifth grade. We were very happy and wanted to do something special so we presented him with his very own grown-up Bible complete with his name engraved on the front. It was a token of our love and something we knew he could use throughout his life. The Bible will sustain our grandson during good times, sad times, difficult times, times of sorrow, or, anytime, day or night.
I asked our family to send their favorite Scriptures and I compiled them into a chart so they could be placed inside our grandson’s Bible. It may take years for him to recognize the value in any of this, but I’m hopeful that one day he will. I believe in using every opportunity to shine the light on the truths found in God’s Word.
One thing I want our little one to learn while he’s young and impressionable is that God loves him unconditionally. This has been a treasure I have hidden in my heart and now want him to cherish, as well. I also want him to know that there is nothing he could ever do that will cause God to love him less and there is absolutely no width, depth, or height to God’s love, because it is truly endless.
. . . And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge – that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. (Eph. 3:17-19)
Many times people begin to believe the enemy’s lies that God no longer cares about them. I was one of those people and don’t want that for my grandson or anyone else. But the Word tells us that “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” Once we give our hearts and lives to the Savior, there is no one who can snatch us out of the hand of the Father.
And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. (John 10:28)
Oh how He truly loves us! As I was writing this, the lyrics to an old song came to mind: “Oh how He loves you and me. Oh how He loves you and me. He gave His life what more could He give? Oh how he loves you. Oh how he loves me. Oh how he loves you and me.”
Yes, God loves each of us with an undying love and that love surrounds each of us like a shield. Nothing can possibly separate us from His love!
Another vital piece of information I want my grandson to realize is that he will need to work out his salvation with fear and trembling. He accepted Christ when he was very young and his salvation must be cherished and handled with care. He will need to work on it daily as he grows and matures in the faith so that his passion for Christ will stay alive and thriving. I advised him to never let his faith in God waiver for we will give an account for everything we do or say when we stand before God. (1 Peter 4:5)
Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. (Philippians 2:12)
You may be wondering how we are to work out our salvation. Of course, the very first step is to come to Christ just as our grandson did asking Him for forgiveness of sin. The Scripture tells us that if we confess our sins, He will be faithful and just and will forgive us from all unrighteousness. (I John 1:9)
The second simple step is to believe in Jesus and that He died on the cross and arose from the dead:
That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
The next step is to be baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. (Acts 2:28)
People have a lot of misconceived ideas about salvation. Some believe they’re all right with God when really all they’ve done is sign a card at a church or attended faithfully for years. The problem is a change of heart never came into the picture. It takes more than signing a card, shaking a minister’s hand, or church attendance to be “all right with God,” but it takes a change of heart. It takes being born again as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:1-21. We must take a good look at ourselves and then allow God to make things right once we confess our sins. We cannot do it on our own.
Below is a salvation prayer you can pray if you want to make sure your heart is right with the Lord. Don’t delay because we’re not guaranteed another day on this earth. Any one of us could pass from this life at any moment so we need to be ready to meet the Lord should He call our name.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for my sins. I confess my sins and ask Jesus to come into my heart. I believe He is the Son of the Living God. I believe He died on the cross for my sins and that He arose from the dead on the third day. Make my heart brand new. Make me clean inside. Wash away all of my sins. I give my life to you. Thank you for forgiveness. From this point on and for the rest of my life I will live for you. One day we will spend all eternity together because you promised me eternal life. Thank you that I will never be separated from the love of Christ. Amen.
If you have prayed that prayer and mean it sincerely, then welcome to the family of God! Another thing I would suggest is that you find a good church to attend. It may take awhile to find just the right one, but search until you find one where the pastor teaches the truths found in God’s Word. Find one where the pastor is a good shepherd to his people and doesn’t think of his position as an occupation but a calling. Find one where the parishioners help to encourage you and where you will feel welcomed and the love of Christ is felt every time you go through the doors. May the Lord bless you immensely. You can now be sure that you will never be separated from the love of Christ.
Feel free to forward this message. Thank you! |
||||