Memorize: He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mark 16:16
Read: Mark 16:15-18, 15 And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
16 He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.
17 And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues;
18 They
shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall
not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.
Bible in one year: 1st Samuel 6:1-8:18, Proverbs 3:28-4:9
Eternal
damnation is the worst thing that can happen to anyone, it is damnation
for a lifetime here on earth and in eternity. Our Lord Jesus Christ
said:
“And
I say unto you my friends, Be not afraid of them that kill the body,
and after that have no more that they can do. But I will forewarn whom
ye shall fear: Fear him, which after he hath killed hath power to cast
into hell; yea, I say unto you, Fear him.”
Luke 12:4-5
Jesus
Christ in the above passage is taking about eternal damnation for
sinners and the ungodly. Many people choose eternal damnation indirectly
by escaping the cost that godly living posses to them. in the midst of
trials and tribulations, some children of God deny their Lord. Jesus
Christ in Matthew 6:25-34 said we should not be anxious for what to eat
or drink because our Father in heaven knows we will need them and so
will provide them for us. We should not bow to the enticement of the
devil. Rather, we should heed the Words of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, even if this exposes us to some challenges that are, as a matter
of fact, temporary. This is the reason Jesus admonished His disciples
saying:
“These
things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace in the
world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome
the world.”
John 16:33
To
escape eternal damnation, therefore, we must accept the gospel of Jesus
Christ wholeheartedly. It is unfortunate that there are many people in
the Church today who do not believe the gospel. Some see the gospel as
outdated; they believe that Christ came to redeem man from eternal
damnation but they refused to keep to the terms and conditions of
salvation. According to the text of our reading for today, accepting the
gospel entails accepting the Lordship of Jesus Christ over our lives.
We cannot do what pleases us anymore; we cannot afford to follow the
whims and caprices of the world anymore (1st John 2:15-17).
Moreover, we must learn His ways and imbibe His ideals (Matthew
11:28-30). Failure to keep to these principles of Christian living makes
our profession of Christianity a mere exercise. Jesus Christ asked His
audience:
“And why call ye me, Lord Lord, and do not the things which I say?”
Luke 6:46
May the Lord give us hearing ears and obedient hearts to do according to His perfect will.
Prayer Point
Father, drench me with new anointing, and remove every hindrance to its flow in my life in Jesus’ name.
