God, the Creator of heaven and earth (Gen. 1:1), sent His beloved Son (Matt. 3:17) through whom all things were made (Jn 1:3) into the world when the time was right (Gal. 4:4) to manifest a new truth through Him (Heb. 1-2). This truth we would receive from the Word (Rom. 10:17), which is the very utterances of God (I Pet. 4:11), who cannot lie (Tit. 1:2). God did that because He loved us (1 Jn. 4:19), whom He knew in our mother’s womb (Jer. 1:5; Ps. 139:13). He would give his only Son (Jn. 3:16), who was with Him at the beginning of time (Gen. 1:26; Jn. 1:1), while we were yet sinners (Rom. 5:8) and worthy of death (Rom. 6:23a), to die for us. Jesus did this by becoming the propitiation for our sins (Rom. 3:25), suffering and dying on a cross, and bearing our sins for us so that we may live in righteousness (I Pet. 2:24).
In turn, it allowed us to be justified through faith in Christ (Gal. 2:16) as a gift (Rom. 3:24). Because of that, have the hope to live eternally (Rom. 6:23b) in heaven, a place of such beauty that it defies understanding (1 Cor. 2:9).To receive the blessing of His work on the cross, we need to hear the word (Rom. 10:17), believe it to be so (Mk. 16:19; Rom. 10:14), repent of our sins (Acts 3:19), and confess that Christ, our Lord, and Savior, is the Son of the One True God and Creator, (Rom. 10:9-10), truly knowing that He is the way, the truth and the life (Jn. 14:6,7) and that there is salvation in no other name under heaven (Acts 4:12), and then be buried with Him in Baptism (Col. 2:12; Rom. 6:4) in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Mat. 28:19), not by sprinkling, but by immersion (Acts 8:38) in order to receive remission of our sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-9), who will then dwell in us (2 Tim. 1:14; Rom. 8:9) and intercede for us (Rom. 8:26), as Christ Himself does (Rom. 8:34).
From that day on, we should strive to obey (Rom. 6:17), putting away all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, slander, and malice (Eph. 4:31), knowing that we were saved by His grace and not by anything we did or could do (Eph. 2:8-9), admitting that we will falter at times (1 Jn. 1:8), but will receive His forgiveness (I Jn. 1:9) if we repent (Acts 8:22), but also understanding that to receive that forgiveness, we too need to forgive as well. (Col. 3:13; Mat. 6:14-15), and never return evil for evil (Rom. 12:17), loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind (Matt. 22:37), and our neighbors as ourselves (Mk. 12:31) while thanking him for our blessings (Eph. 5:20; 1 Th. 5:18).
In doing so, we should go to church and encourage one another (Heb. 10:25), sing psalms and hymns (Eph. 5:19; Col. 3:16), and remember our Savior by partaking in Communion (Lk. 22:19-20) once weekly (Acts 20:7). As men, we need to be dignified, respectful, and temperate (Titus 2:2) and love our wives as Christ Himself loved the church (Eph. 5:25). And women should submit to their husbands, as to the Lord (Eph. 5:22). We should not provoke our children but discipline and instruct them in the Lord (Col. 3:21, Eph. 6:4) so that they do not depart from the word (Pro. 22:6). Children of all ages should love and respect their parents (Mat. 19:19; Eph. 6:2-3) as we are commanded to do (Eph. 6:2-3).
We should be examples to the people in the world, and our light should shine before us to bring glory to our Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16), and we should make disciples of all nations and teach them the things concerning God (Mat. 28:20). We should strive to be like Christ at all times (I Cor. 11:1; Eph. 5:1-2), knowing that if we do so to the end of our lives if we run the race with endurance that is set before us (Heb. 12:1), we will be judged accordingly (Acts 17:31; Rom. 2:6) and receive the crown of life (Jam. 1:12; II Tim. 4:8), and a room in that mansion (Jn. 14:2).
All this can only be achieved, however, if Christ is our cornerstone (Eph. 2:20), we meditate on the Word day and night (Josh. 1:8), and we learn to pray for what we want unceasingly (I Thess. 5:17), knowing that we will receive it (Mk. 11:24), believing that all things work together for the good of those who love the Lord (Rom. 8:28), and then putting our belief into action (Jam. 1:22) and cultivate the fruits of the spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Gal. 5:22-23), all the while crucifying flesh with all its passions and desires (Gal. 5:24).
Now, tell me the Bible is not a blueprint for life.
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