Dearest, 03/31/08
With all the admiration and respect of your littlest brother I write you this letter. I love you and look up to you. I read these words below and they helped me a lot. They are my heart, the root of who I am, and who I am becoming. I hope you read them. With love and respect your littlest brother.
Seagood
Ps Please freely pass this on to the rest of the family whosoever will.
John 6: 26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
1Peter 1:1-2:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
In short, there is nothing that sinful man can possibly do to save himself.
It is the recognition of this essential and crucial fact that separates true
Christianity from other so-called "religions." Many people in this world
(Sadly including some Christians) are trying to work their way into heaven.
But God is only impressed by the work of Christ. In His great wisdom and grace,
God found a way to forgive sin justly. His perfect character would not allow sin
to be overlooked, so He found a substitute who was willing to bear the punishment
for all human sin: His Son, Jesus Christ.
Therefore it is only by faith (a simple act of our heart and will,
and completely without merit) in Jesus Christ that we accept
Him and His death on our behalf and are consequently accepted
by God the Father. So the phrase in verse 2, “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood”, refers to this
acceptance on our part of the work of Christ on the cross where
He bore our sins (Is.53:1-12); and the phrase “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood”,
refers to the forgiveness of our sins which forgiveness we receive when we believe. (1John 3:23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.)
The obedience God requires of all men is, first and foremost, that they believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and accept the sacrifice He made for them. The sprinkling
(forgiveness of sins through redemption) is indivisibly connected
in 1Peter1:2 to faith. Without faith in Christ, there is no forgiveness of sins, but with faith in Christ, forgiveness of sins follows immediately. Again Jesus words in John 6: 26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
When we finally come to the end of all self efficiency and place all our hope and confidence in Jesus Christ alone the only one who is able to secure us firmly with eternal life; we can move forward in the operations of the Holy Spirit within; revealed in our day to day lives. Today right now decide to believe in God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and accept the sacrifice He made for you.
With all the admiration and respect of your littlest brother I write you this letter. I love you and look up to you. I read these words below and they helped me a lot. They are my heart, the root of who I am, and who I am becoming. I hope you read them. With love and respect your littlest brother.
Seagood
Ps Please freely pass this on to the rest of the family whosoever will.
John 6: 26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
1Peter 1:1-2:
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To God's elect, strangers in the world, scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia and Bithynia, 2who have been chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.
In short, there is nothing that sinful man can possibly do to save himself.
It is the recognition of this essential and crucial fact that separates true
Christianity from other so-called "religions." Many people in this world
(Sadly including some Christians) are trying to work their way into heaven.
But God is only impressed by the work of Christ. In His great wisdom and grace,
God found a way to forgive sin justly. His perfect character would not allow sin
to be overlooked, so He found a substitute who was willing to bear the punishment
for all human sin: His Son, Jesus Christ.
Therefore it is only by faith (a simple act of our heart and will,
and completely without merit) in Jesus Christ that we accept
Him and His death on our behalf and are consequently accepted
by God the Father. So the phrase in verse 2, “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood”, refers to this
acceptance on our part of the work of Christ on the cross where
He bore our sins (Is.53:1-12); and the phrase “chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through the sanctifying work of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by his blood”,
refers to the forgiveness of our sins which forgiveness we receive when we believe. (1John 3:23And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.)
The obedience God requires of all men is, first and foremost, that they believe in His Son, Jesus Christ, and accept the sacrifice He made for them. The sprinkling
(forgiveness of sins through redemption) is indivisibly connected
in 1Peter1:2 to faith. Without faith in Christ, there is no forgiveness of sins, but with faith in Christ, forgiveness of sins follows immediately. Again Jesus words in John 6: 26Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill. 27Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. On him God the Father has placed his seal of approval." 28Then they asked him, "What must we do to do the works God requires?" 29Jesus answered, "The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."
When we finally come to the end of all self efficiency and place all our hope and confidence in Jesus Christ alone the only one who is able to secure us firmly with eternal life; we can move forward in the operations of the Holy Spirit within; revealed in our day to day lives. Today right now decide to believe in God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, and accept the sacrifice He made for you.
