God does not love you halfheartedly; the crucifixion of Christ for the atonement of the sins of all who believe in Him tells us that. God loves you so much that His only begotten Son, very God of very God, part of the Triune Godhead, died in payment for your sins, and rose again, to act as our Intercessor and High Priest before God- Christ is the advocate of every believer, and He shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
God does not love you halfheartedly, but He does not accept your halfhearted love in return. You cannot claim to believe in Christ, to be saved by the blood of Christ from the consequences of sin, and yet only have a passing interest in God. You cannot be a pew sitting, convenient "Christian" who has time for God when it is good for you, ignore God's people, spread divisiveness and hate and think that you can be assured of Heaven and God's grace when you die.
God is holy; He knows your heart, He is not fooled by the honeyed words you tell others, token good works and false piety. You must love God as best you can, ever be seeking to know Him better, seek to love those around you as best you can, and be truly repentant over your sins and failings- casting all at the foot of the Cross and clinging to Christ for salvation. Only then are you saved.
Yes, you will stumble and fall, but if you keep returning to Christ, if you ever strive to know the Lord better, if you love God and your neighbor as best you can, then you will ever grow in the image of Christ, and God's grace in this life (in the form of peace, contentment and love) and in the next will be yours.
Are you counting on your own works to save you? You are lost then. Are you counting on God thinking you were "better than your neighbor?" You are lost then. Are you counting on God being fooled by false piety, church attendance and token tithes? You are lost.
Only through the Cross, loving God (which manifest as seeking God, and loving your neighbor) and being repentant of your sins will you be saved.
If you died tonight, would you be a joyous child of God when you appear before Him, or would you be facing the throne of judgment?
God's grace be with you,
Fr. Charles
God does not love you halfheartedly, but He does not accept your halfhearted love in return. You cannot claim to believe in Christ, to be saved by the blood of Christ from the consequences of sin, and yet only have a passing interest in God. You cannot be a pew sitting, convenient "Christian" who has time for God when it is good for you, ignore God's people, spread divisiveness and hate and think that you can be assured of Heaven and God's grace when you die.
God is holy; He knows your heart, He is not fooled by the honeyed words you tell others, token good works and false piety. You must love God as best you can, ever be seeking to know Him better, seek to love those around you as best you can, and be truly repentant over your sins and failings- casting all at the foot of the Cross and clinging to Christ for salvation. Only then are you saved.
Yes, you will stumble and fall, but if you keep returning to Christ, if you ever strive to know the Lord better, if you love God and your neighbor as best you can, then you will ever grow in the image of Christ, and God's grace in this life (in the form of peace, contentment and love) and in the next will be yours.
Are you counting on your own works to save you? You are lost then. Are you counting on God thinking you were "better than your neighbor?" You are lost then. Are you counting on God being fooled by false piety, church attendance and token tithes? You are lost.
Only through the Cross, loving God (which manifest as seeking God, and loving your neighbor) and being repentant of your sins will you be saved.
If you died tonight, would you be a joyous child of God when you appear before Him, or would you be facing the throne of judgment?
God's grace be with you,
Fr. Charles
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