Lima St

Church of God

The Good News

God offers a down payment on heaven for you while you are in this world. The payment comes in the form of salvation, which involves forgiveness and the presence of God in you.

You Can Be Reborn

"You must be born again" ... Jesus (John 3.7)

God offers a born again experience to those who want to follow Christ. This experience is obtained through repentance. God forgives us of our sins, and he gives us a new heart.

A NEW HEART

Ezekiel prophesied of a phenomenal heart change in the new covenant.

Ezekiel 36.26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh.

Thank the Lord, he gives us a completely new heart. The entire old heart is removed, and we are given a new one.

This lines up with the Apostle Paul's teaching in the New Testament: Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5.17)

Because of this new heart and new spirit, we are partakers of the divine nature, and we are enabled to walk in newness of life.

FORGIVENESS

The Bible teaches that all have sinned against God (Romans 3.23). The good news is that God offers forgiveness through faith in Jesus.

God loved us enough to send his son to be a sacrifice for our sins. Our sins were laid on him. By believing in him, we obtain eternal life (John 3.16).

God redeems us and forgives our sins through our faith in the blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1.7).

The bible refers to this forgiveness as justification, or being made clear before God. We cannot work our way into God's forgiveness and justification. It is a free gift (Romans 5.15-18).

POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

Acts 1.8 But you shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you...

New Testament salvation begins with the infilling of the Holy Spirit, which is the new birth. When we are filled with the Spirit, we are filled with power to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus.

You Can Grow

Upon obtaining the new birth, Christians grow into a perfect man (Ephesians 4.13). This perfection means maturity. It is like a baby growing to adulthood.

PERSONAL GROWTH

You can grow in your faith, knowledge, and Christ-likeness!

The first three parables in Matthew chapter 13 teach us that there is growth in the kingdom of God. You can grow as an individual by the leadership of the word of God and the Holy Spirit in your life.

In 2 Thessalonians 1.3, Paul thanked God for the Thessalonians because their faith grew exceedingly. Faith is an area of our lives where we experience personal growth. Growing in faith enables us to draw more of heaven's grace, and it allows us to encourage and inspire others. Jesus rebuked his disciples many times for their lack of faith for God's miracles. Part of their discipleship training was learning to have faith in God for physical and spiritual needs.

In 2 Peter 3.18, Peter admonishes us to grow in grace and knowledge. He had just given a warning about falling from our own steadfastness. Through our connection with Jesus, we can grow in grace and knowledge rather than drifting farther from God. We all need growth in the ability to help others gracefully.

The result of our growth in different areas of our walk with God is that we come to the fullness of the stature of Jesus (Ephesians 4.13).

LIVING WHOLLY SANCTIFIED

1Thessalonians 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus.

Our sanctification is whole. There are no breaches in it. Spirit, soul, and body are all wholly sanctified. Nothing is unsanctified.

Paul prayed that the Christian would be preserved blameless until Jesus comes again. God requires Christians to live lives that are wholly consecrated to him. As we grow in the knowledge of God and his Word, we are enabled to live like Jesus in every area of life.

Lima St Church of God