South Street - Alive!
The Good News
We all like to hear some good news, and there is none better or more
important than this. However good our lives are, deep down there is an
unmet need that lies behind all the conscious and half-conscious
longings of our lives. We are made for God and will not find peace until
we are at peace with Him. He reveals Himself to us all, around us and
within us; so why do we seem so far from Him? Why has the need become so
obscured we often don't even want to admit it's there? In fact the
pursuit of many desires and activities seems intended to obscure this as
though it were profoundly disturbing, which, in fact, it is! We are
all sinful and deeply guilty to an extent that we would rather not
admit let alone talk about; and no matter what we do, our sin is so deep
and powerful that we cannot possibly save ourselves from it and its
condemning guilt. Sin is hateful and offensive to God; and because it
cuts us off from Him, that is how we should stay forever if it were up
to us alone.
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But God created us and loves us, and does not want anyone to be
lost. The eternal, infinite, almighty, holy Creator of everything and of
us, loves us too much just to ignore our sin; so His Son, Jesus Christ,
the perfect and ultimate revelation of God, came into the world to prove
the love of God for us; to pay the price for our sin; and to seek and to
save the lost. Jesus, Himself God, left His eternal glory, with God the
Father and God the Holy Spirit; the Three together one God; and became
also man in this world two thousand years ago. He was conceived by the
power of the Holy Spirit, and born of the Virgin Mary in Bethlehem about
the year 5BC. When He was about 30 years old, He preached His message of
the kingdom of God, pointing clearly to Himself as the divine King of
this kingdom. He healed the sick, raised the dead, forgave sin; revealed
the power, holiness and love of God; and in His death on the Cross, He,
who knew no sin, took every sin of man upon Himself and died in our
place.
As God, death could not hold Jesus and He rose from the dead, and
was seen by many before ascending back to the Father in heaven,
sovereign over every power and manifestly God our Saviour; where He
awaits the submission of every rebellious soul that turns and calls upon
Him. He sent the Holy Spirit into the world to continue what He had
begun: to seek and to save the lost; by showing us our sin and leading
us to Jesus as our Saviour, who shall never cast away any that come to
and accept Him, and who will come again to gather believers to
Himself forever and to execute judgment on the world.
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For forgiveness of one's sins, the gift of the Holy Spirit and the sure
hope of heaven hereafter: First, repent, that is, admit your sinfulness
and need to be saved because you cannot save your self, and second,
turn to the risen Jesus Christ, who longs to forgive every needy
soul, believing what He has done for you in paying for your sins on the
cross. So, tell Him in your own words that you are sorry for your sins;
thank Him for dying in your place to pay for them; and trust Him for
full forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. "For whosoever shall call upon the
name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10.13) and that's a sure
promise. A new life will have now begun.
This new life, the christian life, grows out of the gospel as the
lifelong way of the repentance and faith that began it. From now on keep
praying about everything; He cares for you and wants the best for you.
Resist Satan's attempts to discourage you; he is a defeated enemy. Read
the Bible regularly; the Holy Spirit will open up its meaning to you and
teach you through it. Go to a bible-believing church, where God's word
is faithfully preached and you can learn together with others travelling
the same path.