Save Yourself Some Pain

By Ray Comfort.

Becoming a Christian is the most incredible event that will ever take place in your life. You have found peace with your Creator. You have found everlasting life! Be assured--God will never leave you nor forsake you. He has brought you this far, and He will complete the wonderful work He has begun in you. God knows your every thought, your every care, your deepest concerns.

Let's now look at some of those possible concerns. First, and of primary concern—do you have "assurance" of your salvation? The Bible says to "make your calling and election sure " (2 Peter 1:10, italics added), so, let's go through a short “check list” to make sure that you are truly saved:

  1. Are you aware that God became flesh, in the person of Jesus Christ (1 Timothy 3:16, KJV), and that He died for the sins of the world?
  2. Did you come to the Savior because you had sinned?
  3. Did you "repent" and put your faith in Jesus?
  4. Are you convinced that He suffered and died on the cross, and that He rose again on the third day?

God acquits us from the Courtroom of Eternal Justice on the grounds that Jesus Christ paid our fine. We are "justified" (made right with God) by His suffering death. The resurrection of Jesus Christ was God's seal of approval of the fact that His precious blood was sufficient to pay the fine.

Prisoner. Illustration copyrighted. Think of it this way. You have violated the law and face a $50,000 fine. You tell the judge that you are truly sorry for your crime, but he answers, "So you should be—you have broken the law! Now, can you pay this fine?" He can only acquit you if the fine is paid. If someone else pays your fine, then he can let you go, but he must have “grounds” on which to release you.

The reason we need a substitute to pay our moral “fine” (a savior), is because we have broken God's Law. To see how much we have transgressed this Law (the Ten Commandments), we will go through some of them—Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen something? Have you ever lusted after another person? If you answered “Yes” to these questions, you admit that you are a lying, thieving, adulterer at heart, and you have to face God on Judgment Day! If you have used His name in vain, then you are guilty of "blasphemy"—you've substituted God's holy Name for a curse word. Perhaps you've hated someone, then the Bible says that you are a murderer. You have violated God's holy Law, and you're in BIG trouble. On Judgment Day, you will be found guilty, and end up in Hell. That's why you need the Savior. Merely being sorry for your sins, or confessing them to God won't help you. You must turn from sin, and your faith must be in Jesus Christ alone. He is the only “grounds” for God to grant mercy towards you. If you're not sure of your salvation, make Psalm 51 your own prayer.

Let's now look at some more important principles that can save a great deal of pain.
Next…

  1. Bread. Illustration copyrighted.Feeding on the Word—Daily Nutrition

  A healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been “born” of the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite…

  [Read more]
  2. Faith—Elevators Can Let You Down

  …in a world where we are continually let down, we can totally rely on, trust in, count on His promises…He will never, ever, let you down…

  [Read more]
  3. Evangelism—Our Most Sobering Task

  You probably have a limited amount of time after your conversion to impact your unsaved friends and family with the Gospel… Here's some advice that will save you a great deal of grief…

  [Read more]
  4. Prayer—"Wait For A Minute."

  Surveys show that more than 90% of America prays daily…

  Here's how to be heard: [Read more]
  5. Warfare—Praise The Lord and Pass the Ammunition

  When you became a Christian, you stepped right into the heat of an age-old battle. You have a three-fold enemy--the world, the flesh, and the devil… Let's look at these three resistant enemies…

  [Read more]
  6. Fellowship—Flutter by Butterfly

  Pray about where you should fellowship… Don't become a 'spiritual butterfly.' Send your roots down…

  [Read more]
  7. Thanksgiving—Do the Right Thing

  For the Christian, every day should be Thanksgiving Day. We should even be thankful in the midst of problems…

  [Read more]
  8. Water Baptism
  [Read more]
  9. Tithing—The Last Frontier

  It was once said that the wallet is the 'last frontier.' It is the final area to be conquered—the last thing that comes to God in surrender…

  [Read more]
  10. Troubleshooting: Cults, Atheists, Skeptics

  When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God's name to be saved, that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an elder of their church, don't panic. Merely go back to the Instruction Manual…

  [Read more]

10. Troubleshooting: Cults, Atheists, Skeptics

Room Space Heater. Illustration copyrighted.If you know the Lord, nothing will shake your faith. It is true that the man with an experience is not at the mercy of a man with an argument. Take for example a little boy who is looking at a heater. His father warns him that it's hot. The child says, "O.K. I believe it's hot." At that point, he has an intellectual belief that the heater is hot. When his Dad leaves the room, he says, "I wonder if it really is hot?" He then reaches out his little hand and grabs the heater bar with his fingers. The second his flesh burns he stops believing the heater is hot. He now knows it's hot! He has moved out of the realm of “faith” into the realm of “experience.”

In comes a heater expert and says, "Son, I have a B.A. in the study of heat. The heater is definitely not hot. I can prove it to you." The child would probably say, "Mister Expert, I don't care how many B.A.'s you have. I know that heater is hot—I touched it! I'm not in the realm of belief, I'm in the realm of experience. Goodbye."
Troubleshooting

» With so many cults and denominations, how can I decide which are true and which are false? Answer

» What are the differences between Mormonism and Christianity? Answer

» How do Jehovah's Witnesses' teachings about Christ compare with the Scriptures? Answer

» 44 Questions for the Skeptic to Consider Answer

If you have touched the heater bar of God's love and forgiveness, if the Holy Spirit has “born witness” that you are a child of God (Romans 8:16), if you have received the Gospel with "power, the Holy Ghost and much assurance" (1 Thessalonians 1:5), you will never be shaken by a skeptic.

When cults tell you that you must acknowledge God's name to be saved, that you must worship on a certain day that you must be baptized by an elder of their church, don't panic. Merely go back to the Instruction Manual. The Bible has all the answers, and searching them out, will make you grow.

If you feel intimidated by atheists—if you think they are “intellectuals,” read the book, God Doesn't Believe in Atheists. It will show you that they are the opposite. It will also instruct you on how you can prove God's existence, and also prove that the “atheist” doesn't exist.

Finally, the way to prevent sporting injury and pain, is to keep yourself fit. Exercise. The Apostle Paul kept fit through exercise. He said, "Herein do I exercise myself, to always have a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men" (Acts 24:16). Do the same. Listen to the voice of conscience. It's your friend, not your enemy. Remember the words of Solomon:

"Fear God and keep His commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil" (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).

Keep the Day of Judgment before your eyes. On that Day, you will be glad for the cultivations of a tender conscience.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. I hope the principles expounded here have been helpful, and that any knowledge you have gained from it, will some day save you some pain.

Author: Ray Comfort of Living Waters Publications. From the booklet Save Yourself Some Pain. Edited by Eden Communications. Web page Copyright © 2001, Living Waters Publications, All Rights Reserved - except as noted on attached “Usage and Copyright” page.