Take The Time :: By Dennis Huebshman
What we take the time to deal with on a day-by-day basis and where we put the most emphasis pretty much defines us. If we proclaim that we are believers, there are others keeping track of us that we may not even realize. It’s not that they want to become a believer themselves, but they are looking for anything we may do that can be criticized. They are looking for and waiting for us to slip so they can justify their doubts about true Christianity. (ESV – all emphasis mine)
There’s a real problem with this concept, as there was only one person who walked this earth without ever having sinned. That was the Son of the Living God, Jesus the Christ, when He took on human form. His purpose was to come to this earth and be totally human, even though He was still totally God. He submitted His will completely to the Father while He was here (John 6:38; Philippians 2:5-9). He became lower than the angels for our sake (Hebrews 2:7-9; Hebrews 2:16-18). He could have stopped all the pain and suffering that He endured at any moment, but as John 10:18 states, “No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from My Father.”
Jesus willingly suffered and died a most cruel death for sins He never committed. He took your sins, my sins, to that cross and shed His pure, sinless blood so we could receive the Father’s forgiveness. God is all about perfection, and in order to receive and accept any blood sacrifice to be permanent, that blood could never have been stained by any human sin.
Jesus did not have blood that was cursed by the original sin in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3. From the moment that Adam and Eve sinned against their Creator, all humans since then have inherited the sin nature from their blood. Jesus was born without His pure blood ever mixing with Mary, and it did not originate with Joseph. When He died on the cross, all the blood He shed was sin-free.
Our Savior freely took on the task to take upon Himself every sin that ever would be committed on this earth as our pure “Sacrificial Lamb.” That is why it is imperative that if we wish to have a forever Home with Him, we must receive and accept Him as our Lord and only Savior. As long as we’re in these earthly human bodies, we will sin (Romans 3:10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:23).
By following the simple steps in Romans 10:9-13, we must admit that we are sinners; have faith and believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God who was raised from the dead to conquer sin and death for us once and for all; and finally, to call out to Him to forgive us and be our Savior forever.
Once we are finally with our Precious Shepherd, we will have forever immortal and imperishable bodies and a mindset such as He has. We will not be subject to the human sin nature again.
Some pertinent verses for us to consider are 1 Peter 1:3-5; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to His great mercy, He has caused us to be born again to a living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled and unfading, kept in Heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a Salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”
Going further in 1 Peter 1:14-19, “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as He who called you is Holy, you also be Holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be Holy, for I am Holy.’ And if you call on Him as a Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourself with fear throughout the time of your exile, knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb, without blemish or spot.”
In so many words, we are being told to “Take Time to Be Holy.” William D. Longstaff (1822-1894) wrote a hymn with that title around 1882. Just four verses speak volumes.
1.) Take time to be Holy, speak oft with thy Lord. Abide in Him always, and feed on His word. Make friends of God’s children; help those who are weak. Forgetting in nothing, His blessing to seek.
2.) Take time to be Holy; the world rushes on. Spend much time in secret with Jesus alone. Be looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be; thy friends in thy conduct, His likeness shall see.
3.) Take time to be Holy; let Him be thy guide. And run not before Him whatever betide (*). In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord. And looking to Jesus, shall trust in His word.
4.) Take time to be Holy; be calm in thy soul. Each thought and each motive beneath His control. Thus led by His Spirit, to fountains of love; those soon shall be fitted, for service above.
(*Note: I wasn’t sure what “betide” meant, so according to the dictionary, from the old English, it means “happens.”)
Jesus knew that there would be a time when more would turn away from Him than turn to Him (Matthew 7:13-14). We’re seeing that trend today, more and more worldwide. To some, it’s easier to go along with the popular views than to profess being a follower of Jesus. Paul, Peter, James, John, and others warn of this in their epistles.
In 1 John 2:15-17, we’re told, “Do not love the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him, for all that is in the world – the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and the pride of life – is not from the Father, but is from the world. And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides Forever.”
Jesus told of many signs of what would be taking place nearing the end of this age, and in Luke 21:28, He said that when they “begin” to happen, our redemption would be near.
The signs are all here now (Matthew 24 and Luke 21). Their real beginning could be seen as of about a decade ago. Therefore, it stands to reason that each passing day brings us closer to the event known as the Rapture (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17 and 1 Corinthians 15:51-53). The phrase “Any Day Now” definitely applies.
The Father allows us to have a free will choice about our eternal future, and there are only two. Choose Jesus and have eternal life in Heaven, or choose the world and have eternal damnation in hell with Satan and his demons (Matthew 25:41). There are no other options, and God will force no one either way.
Jesus will not turn away anyone who truly calls on Him to forgive them and to come into their hearts as their forever Savior. No one has sinned so greatly that His blood cannot cleanse them. The unforgivable sin is to pass from this earth without having Jesus as your Savior.
Take the Time; think about your forever, not the short time that we are on this earth. Our Heavenly Father loves everyone, but especially all who will call on His Son to save them. John 3:18; 1 John 2:23; 1 John 4:15; 1 John 5:13; Romans 8:1, and numerous other verses tell us if we have the Son, we have the Father. Without the Son is to be without the Father also.
It’s completely up to you. As Joshua 24:15b says, “but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” We would love for you to join us at Home when we’re called.
Ahava Olin! (Love Everlasting!)
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