God's Message for YOU

This section of ChathamGospelHall.com contains regularly updated articles explaining God's message of the gospel from the Bible.

Our Violent World E.R. Higgins (Taken from Truth and Tidings, January 1997) Perhaps it was the frequency with which the bad news kept coming -- the crash of TWA flight 800, the pipe bomb in Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, the shooting of two National Guardsmen -- all seemed to be painful reminders that ours is a violent and troubled world. Added to these news items is the disturbing number of crimes committed every day throughout our nation -- mindless acts of violence often done by young teenagers or children. Ominously, there rarely seems to be any sense of wrong doing on the part of the guilty. Serious minded people wonder what kind of societal problems we will be leaving with which our children must cope. Any concept that life is sacred, that it is a gift from God, has apparently been forgotten. It is hardly surprising that life is treated so cheaply, since the theory of evolution teaches that we are merely animals. Is there a solution to the problems plaguing our world? Can peace be a reality? The Bible answers with a resounding "Yes!" to these questions. One of the titles of the Lord Jesus Christ is "The Prince of Peace." The day is coming when He will bring peace to our troubled world. Violence, natural disasters, famines, disease and war itself will be removed from human society. The peace and security with which He will bless the world when He reigns can be yours today. The Apostle Peter described this God-given message as "...preaching peace by Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all." The glorious "Gospel of Peace" proclaims that all who are saved "have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." If you trust the Lord Jesus as your Savior, you will be brought into a right relationship with God and enjoy that peace today. "Acquaint now thyself with Him and be at peace." "And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven." "And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight" (Col 1:20-22).

God has very clearly communicated His message through His written word, which we call the Holy Bible. Here are some of the things that God has to say concerning: Man's Ruin While we may tend to compare ourselves with others around us as to just how fit we may be for heaven, we must always remember that it is God's heaven and He alone will set the standard for what can enter. He says concerning heaven in Revelation 21:27, "And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie." Romans 3:23 tells us, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." So the Bible clearly tells us that we are all sinners who do not deserve to be in heaven, in fact because of our sin we are completely unfit for heaven. God's Remedy But thankfully God provides a way in which men and women can be saved from their sin and be made fit for heaven. In I Timothy 1:15 it says, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." Romans 5:6 says, "Christ died for the ungodly." So we can see that the death of Christ provides all that sinners need for salvation. Forgiveness of sins is available because Christ has paid for sin by His death on the cross. Man's Responsibility God demands two things from people if they are ever going to come into the good of the salvation that He offers: REPENTANCE and FAITH Repentance Acts 17:30 "And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:" Faith Acts 16:31 "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." This verse explains man's responsibility very clearly: Acts 20:21 "Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."