Why Easter Is So Important To Us All? by:Robert Edward Wilkinson
Without Jesus there is absolutely no way for us to get into Heaven and unfortunately there is only one alternative; Hell.
There is a life after this one here on earth and IT IS ETERNAL. So you WILL live forever no matter what. Do you know, without a doubt, where you will spend YOUR ETERNITY?
As Jesus tells us in no uncertain terms in the Gospel of John 14:6 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
So, what is Easter all about then?
Well, before Jesus lived amongst us, the only way to be forgiven of your sins (things that are against God's written laws, 613 of them, given in the early books of the Old Testament) was to make a sacrifice to God of an animal. As Paul later succinctly told the Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death". Something had to die for those sins, it was either the animal, or eventually, you.
Jesus came to change all that. Jesus came to earth to be the one perfect sacrifice to God and the only one, that would ever be needed to cover the sins of everyone, once and for all time.
When Jesus was crucified, His final words were recorded in the Gospel of John 19:30 "It is finished." The Greek word that John used for this was "Tetelesti" which translates as "PAID IN FULL" and was the word the jailers in Jesus' day would stamp across the list of offences of a prisoner when he had completed his sentence. They did this so that the ex-prisoner had an official document to show that his offences (sins in our case) had been "PAID IN FULL", so that he could not be tried for them again.
Jesus came to take all of OUR sins to the cross with Him, to be punished for OUR sins and to take the ultimate punishment for OUR sins, death "....even death on a cross" Philippians 2:8
On the third day, Jesus was raised to life by the power of God's Holy Spirit.
Jesus appeared to well over 500 people over a period of forty days as resurrected from the dead and then, in front of His apostles He ascended into Heaven right in front of their eyes.
Jesus' resurrection is what we celebrate on Easter Sunday. We have proof from well over 500 historical witnesses that Jesus was raised from the dead. We can have faith that we too will have eternal life.
In the Book of Revelation 1:17-18 the apostle John recorded Jesus as saying "Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades." For Hades, think Hell.
Now if Jesus holds the keys to both of these and as we have read Jesus tell us (above) "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." It makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is the answer to all of our questions about our eternal life.
Eternal life in Heaven: Unless you go through Jesus, you are NOT getting in.
Eternal life in Hell: That's where everyone else ends up, forever.
What a perfect time "Right Now" would be to get yourself saved through our Lord Jesus.
As Paul informed the Ephesians 2:8-9 "For it by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast."
Jesus has already done it all. There is nothing that you could have done, can do now, or could try to do in the future that will get you into Heaven, "not by works" says Paul. Jesus has already done it all for you. All you have to do is believe that Jesus has already done it all for you and accept this in faith.
Jesus has already died for all of your sins no matter what they have been or will be. You need to realise you are, just like the rest of us, a sinner. "For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God," Romans 3:23, and therefore you have to have a Saviour. God has provided you with the only one there is: Jesus.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life" John 3:16. Jesus Himself said those words.
So,
REALISE you are a sinner in need of a Saviour.
REALISE that Jesus is your Saviour that God, by His Grace, has provided for you. (You did nothing for it - NOT BY WORKS - It is by the Grace of God).
BELIEVE that Jesus died for all of your sins, once and for all time and that this is perfectly acceptable, on your behalf, in God's eyes.
BELIEVE that Jesus was raised from the dead by the power of God's Holy Spirit and has eternal life and that you can share in that eternal life with Jesus; Because of Jesus.
ASK God to forgive you of your sins and
ASK Jesus to enter your life from this point on.
ASK God to save you "in Jesus' name".
You are saved.
Now look at how Paul explains to the Ephesians 1:13-14 what has happened to them the moment they are saved. "And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession - to the praise of His glory."
".......a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance" HOW WONDERFUL IS THAT !!!
Imagine going to sleep tonight knowing that you are saved into an eternal and blissful life in Heaven forever. Imagine waking up in the morning and starting your day with that belief about your future.
Believe me, it will change your life forever. DO IT NOW.
God Bless You. Robert.
About the author
Robert Edward Wilkinson is a Christian, Author and Life Coach who is passionate about getting people to realise the single and most important thing that they need to do in their entire lifetime; to accept God's free offer of forgiveness and salvation that is open to all who ask for it. This will change your life, right now and forever.
http://www.getyourselfsaved.com
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