Rich Westerwelle - What So Ever You Do Will Prosper: A Look at the 1st Psalm

Now, if by some slim chance you are reading this and you have not accepted Christ as your Savior, you have not turned your life over to God, what are you waiting for? Run, dont walk to your nearest friend you know is a Christian and have them pray with you. Now! Put the book down and do it now! If you dont know any Christians then I guess I will have to do. This is really important, your entire future holds in the balance, not just the short term future, as the rest of your lives on earth as you know it, but your eternal future.

I want to express to you how important and significant this will be. When you consider your life as you know it, here in this world, what is the purpose of your life? If all we have is a few meager years to live out an existence for the purpose of self gratification or perhaps to enhance or advance mankind in some way along the path, what does that all mean? Unless you are one of those exceptional people who transform the whole of humanity by some great work, or someone who makes such a significant mark on civilization their name in written in the history books for future generations to marvel, what is your life for? True, many people do perform acts which are not news worthy and yet advance mankind. Each of us in some small or large way may contribute to the benefit of the human race. However, even those who do such great things, make their mark, change the course of human events and recognized for their achievements, all of that at some point in time will be destroyed. In reality it is all meaningless.

We are already seeing people today, who have certain agendas in rewriting history for the purpose of their own benefit. Changing the very ideals and vision those who lived before fought so hard to achieve. One example, of this kind of behavior, is how the current liberal politicians view the concept of separation of church and state. This concept was originally designed as a legal principle in the first amendment to the United States Constitution which reads, Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof

During the early days of the colonies many of them were formed by various religious groups and some in fact did establish a formal religion within their colony. It was a great period of intolerance and discord. People were actually not allowed to practice their own faiths or establish a church within certain colonies. Our forefathers saw this as unacceptable and in establishing the Constitution of the United States, they wanted to insure the federal government, as well as the individual states, could not establish a church state, a formal church founded by and approved by the government. In other words they wanted to make sure the government did not interfere with the rights of the people to worship in their own way. However, today many liberals desire to have us read into this phrase, The church has no right to interfere with the government. Any one way of believing, any one faith, any kind of doctrine or belief system should be kept from being a part of the government or having any influence upon it. The bizarre reality of this kind of thinking is, by declaring the church, or any one religious belief should not influence the government, their own religious belief of non belief is influencing the government.

The greatness of mens thinking in the past is already being changed. And so it is and will be with much of the deeds of men on earth. The only real action which will stay true for eternal time is the one you may just take now or the one you have taken, putting your trust in Christ. If you have not and desire to do so now is the time.

If you own a Bible, please go and retrieve it from where ever it resides and find the book of Romans in the New Testament and look at the third chapter.

Rom 3:23

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

(NIV)

The first thing you have to do is admit you are a sinner. You are living a life which is not pleasing to God. Sure you may say you are a good person and you may well be. You have not hurt anyone, you dont steal, or havent killed anyone. You are not an adulterer and you honor your parents. But the Bible, the Word of God, declares that all have sinned, that means you and me. So you have to admit you are a sinner.

I Jn 1:10

10 If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and his Word has no place in our lives.

(NIV)

The Word tells us in many places we are all sinners; we have all lived a life which is not pleasing to the Lord. So we have to admit we are sinners. That is the first step. All you need to do is say to God, Lord, I admit I am a sinner. You do not have to admit your sin to anyone else, just God.

Now turn a few pages to the sixth chapter and find the twenty-third verse.

Rom 6:23

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

(NIV)

The second thing we need to do is recognize just as we work at a job and get paid a wage for our labor, we also get paid a wage for our labor of sin. That wage is death. If we continue to labor in sin we will die or perish. So we need to ask God to forgive us. And, yes every person is going to die. So what is the big deal about this verse telling us if we live a life of sin we will die? Especially in light of the fact everyone who lives for Jesus is going to die as well. The big deal in this verse is talking about the second death, to die eternally, to perish, to cease to exist, to not be in the everlasting presence of the Lord. So, again once we admit being a sinner, we have to come to the conclusion of the results of our behavior.

If you want to follow along reading in the scriptures for yourself, turn farther back in the New Testament to a book or letter titled first John.

I Jn 1:9

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

(NIV)

If we confess our sins, and you need to confess your sin to God and God alone, He will forgive you. This is between you and Him, personally, one on one. If you confess, He will forgive. All you need to say to God is, Lord please, forgive me of my sins. If you would like to name the ones you know, that is ok as well. You could say, Lord forgive me for the anger I have had toward my parents or something of that nature. Believe me when I tell you God already knows all about the various aspects of your life. He already knows which behaviors of yours that you need to ask for forgiveness. He knows every sin in your life, but He desires for you to make that step of asking forgiveness for them. Take some time, if you please, put the book down and spend some time asking God to forgive you.

Now that you have finished asking for His forgiveness, and He has forgiven you, dont you feel as if a big load has been lifted from you? Do you feel a freedom flooding your soul? Is there a feeling of relief within your inner being? Yes, my friend you have been forgiven.

Turn back to the book of Romans once more and go to the tenth chapter

Rom 10:9-10

9 That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

(NIV)

You have confessed with your mouth your sin before God, and confessed Jesus is Lord and now you are saved!

It is that simple, and now dont you feel a lot better? Praise God! Praise God!

Now find a church that preaches the Word. You will be a whole lot better off!

FOR THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN SAVED

I suppose each one of you are reading on and I do not intend that if you have not made that commitment to the Lord you should quite reading. It is only I have just finished sharing the road to salvation for those of you who may have never accepted Gods forgiveness and accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and now I would like to talk to those that have.