Thoughts
on Michael Wells’ teachings in My Weakness for His Strength - # 178
Michael’s book is
available through:
Abiding Life Ministries
International
Littleton, Colorado
Notice: this email is part of a
BLOG, called Living Life With a Capital “C”. Why a
blog? So that many can receive these thoughts
in an easy manner.
This
is one of the most interesting writings in Michael’s books…why?...because so
many Christians act like they don’t know this truth, and all non-Christians
cannot know this truth.
DAY 247
Sin Will Not Send You To Hell
For while we were
still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. --Romans 5:6
But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. --Romans 5:8
And He
Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but
also for those of the whole world. --I John 2:2
I cannot walk up to an unbeliever and proclaim that
because he sins he will go to hell. No one is going to
hell because of sin. The
sin issue concerning the human race has already been dealt with at the cross.
Jesus died for the ungodly! Man is not doomed because of sin; rather, man is doomed because of
pride; it is pride that sends man to hell. It was pride that caused the
initial fall in response to temptation. God prioritizes what is considered bad by listing pride
first, unbelief second, and sin third. Somehow we have reversed the order.
When the resurrected
Christ appeared to the disciples, they did not recognize Him. To prove Who He
was, He showed them the marks of crucifixion, the same marks that kept the
disciples from recognizing Him. Before a crucifixion the Romans would take a
whip made of twelve strands of leather (glass embedded on each side with a hook
on the end) and strike the victim 39 times across the back and once across the
face, completely disfiguring him. Jesus was marred beyond recognition, and for
all of eternity He will bear those marks. At the right hand of the Father sits
the marred Jesus. We will never fully understand the price that the Word of God
paid to become a man; however, we know that it was great, for He is still a man
in heaven. Is it any wonder that we will see Him in heaven as the Lamb that was
slain and fall down in worship?
Because the sin issue
has been dealt with, all that
God requires is our belief in and receiving of the marred Jesus that sits at
His right hand. Unbelievers will not perish because of sin but because
of the pride they hold dear that denies the Son of God who made the supreme sacrifice.
Yellow – VIP, Very Important Point Green
– IT, Incredible Truth
Red – GP, Greatest Promises
Turquoise – UR, Unfathomable Riches Pink
– PV, Priceless Victory
Michael points out that it is pride, not sin, which determines a person’s
spending eternity in hell. How many
Christians really remember this? Why is
it that so many Christians focus on “sin” instead of “pride”?
As a pastor I often hear: “I thought _???__ became a Christian,
but they still ___????????__.”
That person speaking mentions one or more of the “top 10 list of sins”
Christians so often espouse as a sin (or sins) that God will not forgive…at
least not so the “sinner” can go to Heaven when they die. Egads!
What is going on in that Christian’s mind?!? (we don’t have time,
nor space…and it is not my aim to delve into such things in this venue…to think
of all my thoughts about those who make such comments)
What is important is
just what Michael stresses…focus on what God requires of a sinner for salvation
(“our belief in, and receiving of, the marred Jesus that sits at God’s right
hand”). Denying the Son of God and a
trust in Him and His death on the Cross as God’s supreme sacrifice IS the
ultimate PRIDE issue.
I pray that Michael has
awakened many to think about the truths of the scriptures he presents, and the
truth of God’s priorities of “badness”: “pride first, unbelief second, and sin
third.”
Oh, by the way, if you
are wondering why I said in the opening: “all non-Christians cannot know this
truth”…read 2 Corinthians 4:3-4 (“The Lost Don’t Know
They Are Lost”) and 1 Corinthians 1:18-23; 2:6-14 (“The
Lost Cannot “Receive” God’s Truth”). All of that is staggering TRUTH! Well, amen.
To access ALL past weekly
blogs, go to Living Life With a Capital
“C” by logging onto www.leemccm.blogspot.com
NOTICE: another blog on
Michael Wells’ book, Sidetracked In The Wilderness, called Getting Out of the
Wilderness. You can access by logging onto
www.leemcchristianministries.blogspot.com
Lee McDowell Christian Ministries
P.O. Box 633244 Nacogdoches, Tx 75963 936-559-5696
You have put proper emphasizes! I am very thankful for the highlighted passages I needed so much! It will be a great inspiration for the upcoming day! Thanks a million!
ReplyDelete