What follows does not apply to everyone of course, but let us take the opportunity to examine ourselves to see if it applies to us.

Let’s start with children, and realizing that many children don’t have the luxury of living in a ‘normal’ family household.

Materially, the parents provide clothing, schooling, transportation, meals, medical needs, a place to sleep, a clean house, laundry services, and much more. They also provide the most important things of all; love, loving discipline and security.

The expected response the parents would appreciate is gratitude; shown by love, obedience and respect. (Notice I said “expected response” for those of you who are not parents.) This does happen, but … as the child grows something happens in many households … rebellion. It has also been called “growing pains.” They begin biting the hand that feeds them. Now this attitude can be anything from mild to very severe, but it does happen.

The parents ask, “Why don’t they appreciate what we do for them?” The answer I suppose is that they don’t see it. They have become so accustomed to everything being furnished for them, it is expected.

In marriages, adults can be the same way. After a while what is provided by one spouse can be taken for granted by the other.

It would make a healthier marriage if both husband and wife would occasionally really consider all the little things their spouse provides for them. However, how often do we not see the blessings because we have grown accustomed to them?

Now let us consider the following passage.

“For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” (Romans 1:20 NLT)

Children spend many years in the household of their parents and become very familiar with all that is provided, even to the point of having eyes but not seeing.

The same is true with adults. As has already been mentioned, how often we get so used to our relationship; we fail to see the blessings provided by the one who loves us.

Is it possible we may be guilty of taking all the blessings that God has provided us for granted?

Concerning our own body God provides us; eyes to see, ears to hear, a nose to smell, the sense of touch, a mind to think, legs and feet to carry us, arms to hug, and that’s just a few things to think about among so much more.

In our home life He provides a spouse to compliment us, children to brag about and emulate us, grandchildren to spoil, a roof over our head, food for our belly, transportation, a job to support us, and much more.

He has given us the beauty of flowers to behold and smell, trees for oxygen, water to quench our thirst, the moon for romance, the sun to keep us warm, a universe that doesn’t explode or implode, and this is only the beginning.

The greatest gift of all is God’s grace He freely gives. We all rebelled in the Garden of Eden. Along with Adam and Eve, we died spiritually. We are all born with what is called, “an old sin nature.” We deserve nothing but eternal death.

“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;” (Romans 3:23)

“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)

Have you ever been in a situation where someone you love was in serious trouble? Maybe you’re thinking of your child. Perhaps someone you love with all your heart was suffering physically. You have said, “If only I could go through that for them. If only I could take it away.”

But then there is God’s grace.

Even though we are born a sinful people; rebellious and unappreciative, God chose to take our place. Probably all of us at one time or another has desired to take the place of our loved one who is suffering. We can’t do that because we’re tainted with sin. God can, because only He is holy and without sin. Therefore, He did.

God came into this world, born of a virgin, truly God and truly man. On a Roman cross He bore all our sins. Then three days later He rose from the tomb where they buried Him.

Through this act of infinite love God has taken our judgment upon Himself. All He requires of us is to believe it and accept it. He says,

“Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18) and,

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

That is God’s grace.

There is nothing we can do to save ourselves. We can’t take the hurt away. We can’t take the judgment away. But God can, when we put our trust in His Son, Jesus Christ.

Even though God’s grace is available to all, many continue to ignore all that He has done to provide us all we need. He has provided us everything we need materially, and spiritually, and it is all through His Son.

Going back to our first verse in Romans 1:20, if we take the blinders off and look around us the “individual qualities,” “eternal power,” and “divine nature” of God is self-evident.

Now we must ask, “Do I see now all that He has provided?”

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html

 

I’ve heard others make that same statement, and it is true. Have you ever really thought about that phrase though, “God has no grandchildren?”

Maybe we haven’t thought enough about it, because there are a number of people who obviously believe God does have grandchildren. By this we simply mean that many think they will be “grandfathered” into the kingdom of God because they had a saintly mother or father, for example.

Thank God for saintly parents, but we each have to make our own decision concerning what we are going to do about Jesus Christ.

Even many parents think that because they are a Christian, God would never reject their child or children. The truth is our children and grandchildren must choose for themselves what they are going to do about Jesus.

People today often think there are many ways to get to Heaven. “I belong to the church. I go to church. I’m a decent person. I pay my bills, and love my family. I don’t break the laws of the land. I’m a moral person and was even baptized.” I could keep going, but you get the point. (It’s all about “I” instead of “Jesus.”)

We cannot ride into Heaven on the coattails of someone else, nor our own ‘good’ deeds.

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15)

This is a very personal Scripture passage. Each person has to decide for himself/herself who he/she will serve. Who do you put your faith in regarding where you will reside in eternity? Maybe you believe we just die, like an animal, and that’s the end of it.

“Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.” (Hebrews 9:27-28 NIV)

God says that we are destined to die and after that is judgment. I and millions of others will not face judgment when we die, because Jesus took away our sins when we believed in Him and asked Him to save us. All those who have failed to do this will face Him in judgment.

“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” (Romans 8:1)

Each of us has to decide who we believe, God or man. Is God’s Word, the Bible, true or is it not? Was Jesus born by virgin birth? Was he sinless? Was Jesus really God? Did He die on the cross and rise the third day? Is He really going to return for His own? These are all personal decisions.

A growing number of people today believe little to nothing contained in the previous paragraph. I don’t know the statistics, but most probably believe nothing is required of them because their good works will outweigh their bad works and everything will work out in the end. However, not asking Jesus to save us is the equivalent of saying, “No, I don’t need Jesus. I can handle it myself.”

However, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV) There are no optional choices. The only way to Heaven, to God the Father, is through Jesus Christ.

There are many others who don’t believe there is a God and consider the Bible to be a compilation of fairy tales. Again, by their unbelief, they stand condemned.

“He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.” (John 3:18-21)

As clearly as this has been stated, millions will make a personal decision to not accept it. They prefer the lies of Satan over the Truth of God. On judgment day, at the Great White Throne Judgment, they will stand to be judged prior to being cast into the lake of fire to spend eternity in torment, because they will have no excuse. They did not choose Jesus, the only way to the Father, which resulted in a very bad personal decision with eternal consequences.

Now you must ask yourself, “What am I going to do about this?”

Grant Phillips

Email: grantphillips@windstream.net

Pre-Rapture Commentary: http://grant-phillips.blogspot.com

Rapture Ready: https://www.raptureready.com/featured/phillips/phillips.html