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There is Really only One Gift that matters in the end.

I am turning 45 this month and I want to take the time to express to you what really matters in my life. Some think that life is a mystery and that our questions about hope and about eternity can only really be experienced when this life is over, but I think the opposite is true! There are many ways to get to God or Heaven (you hear) and the best way to get to Heaven when you die is to be a good person they say. Being good and going to Heaven will only work if you know the Lord Jesus now. When I was 21 I had a born again experience, it wasn't just a coming to Jesus moment, (I don't think I have had any of those!) but it was a biblical experience that is talked about in the evangelical world as regeneration.

Around that time, someone asked me after I told them I was born again "What does that mean?" Although I knew God had just forgiven all my sins for all eternity, I didn't know enough about theology to explain to them the doctrine of the new birth, all I could say was "I was religious at one point, then stopped, and now I am religious again." What I was really saying was that at one point I was a nominal Catholic or Christian, and then I experienced a new birth spiritually which has restored or given me a real faith in God. I no longer see faith as secondary in my life I see it as essential to my identity now!

What came to me as a result of receiving the free gift of Salvation was an assurance that I have made my "peace with God." I didn't have to join a new church, or a bible study, what I did was obey the teaching that was being presented to me through an evangelical radio show ministry, and when the gospel was presented to me, I understood it and was set free from my sin. Jesus is not a mystery to me, as there are a lot of books and magazines out there about Jesus, I can say that I personally know who he is through the Holy Spirit, and that He came to forgive me of my sins forever. The moment that I understood who Jesus was, I was ready to commit my entire life to God, as Jesus became my Lord and my Saviour.

I am not perfect, but I realized that Jesus didn't come to save me in my sins but to save me from them. I still understand that I have to work out my part of Salvation with fear and trembling (Philippians 2:12 2Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed-not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence-continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,) And I also understand that we are saved by the grace of God and we co-operate with that grace for our sanctification. Salvation or going to Heaven, is a gift, but it first must be received by faith, and then it must be kept by God in order for us to experience faith. When we have real experiences of faith, it strengthens our hope and we continue to put our trust in Jesus and God, and what Christ did for me on the cross. The moment my faith leaves the cross, my salvation is in jeopardy. Just like sin and the devil set out to destroy my faith, God gives me the experience of faith, so I can continue to have hope in this hopeless world. Heaven can only become our home, if we are currently living in the new covenant and obeying the gospel in our hearts and in our lives. God's standard is perfection, and He is constantly calling us to maturity so that we can enjoy our salvation in the hear and now and also in eternity. One day, we will be surprised if we have trusted Jesus, that he will take us to be with Him in Heaven. This is the meaning of my life, and I hope it will be yours too. This is Mike.

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