An uncommon letter

Today I wrote my grandmother a letter. I suppose it's not every day that people write their grandmothers letters about salvation. Anyway, I'm gonna share it with you. (My last few blog posts have lacked in intellectual substance and it's just not like me, so I'm pulling myself together with a real post this time.)

I wrote her a letter because we had a brief conversation on the phone about what her church growing up taught her about salvation. I wanted to know if she had any assurance of going to heaven. Her answer, coming from a very Roman Catholic background, was heartbreaking. She is 77 now, and all she remembers from her younger church years is "do good."

I did not write the letter to chastise her or condemn or judge or criticize her. I realize that the truth of God can convict someone plenty. (Hebrews 4:12 says so). So... here it is. If you think this might be a good letter to send to someone you know, contact me about it. I may let you use it.

(not my own image)

_________________________________________

[I'll keep their names private. No humiliation is intended.],

After talking with you about what your church taught you about salvation, I'd like to tell you how to be saved and show you where in the Bible we learn about it. I won't put all the verses down (there are a lot), but the basic understanding, so that it's not complicated. Having assurance of going to heaven IS possible. And it has nothing to do with "trying to be good enough." I know the Catholic church teaches that, but the Bible teaches that faith is much more important than trying to do good works, and that faith saves us: Not good works. It's really very simple and it's so much easier than trying to follow so many rules and regulations!! Jesus didn't make people go through classes in order to be near Him. He just taught anyone who would listen! So, that's good news, right?! I think so! I can't imagine living a life of "I hope I stand a chance" as opposed to knowing without a shadow of a doubt that I will get to be with God forever. I think we all want that. We all want forgiveness and to see our loved ones in heaven. We all want to be approved by God and found worthy of spending time in His presence. I know I definitely want that for you both. I hope you'll read this and think really hard about it. It's not too late to talk to God, to love Him, and to have salvation. 

We obtain salvation by repenting of our sins and believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God. Here are some Bible verses where we are told that we must repent and believe in the good news of Christ Jesus:

• Luke 5:32 "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to REPENTANCE." 


• Luke 24:47 ...[Jesus said to them] that REPENTANCE and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. 


• Mark 1:15 ..."The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: REPENT ye, AND BELIEVE the gospel."


• Luke 15:3, 5 "Jesus warned, "Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish."  (perish means go to hell)


• Romans 10:9 "If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."  


• Matthew 22:37-40 "Jesus said to him (a lawyer), “‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and great commandment.  And the second is like it:‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” 

When you love the Lord, you do whatever you know He appreciates, just like when you love a person, you make it known. Repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus shows that you love God. Repenting means feeling bad for the sins you've committed, and then not doing them again. (Examples: You are never to take the Lord's name in vain, saying "Oh my God."  Stop doing that. Any time you use God's name for any reason other than to honor Him, it is a sin. If you have ever had sex outside of marriage, it is a sin. Stop doing it. If you have ever dishonored your parents, spoke maliciously against someone, gossiped, etc, you''ve sinned and need to repent. We all have a LOT to repent of. Not just one time. Every day.) If you've ever thought, said, or done ANYTHING that is not something God would do (God can't sin. It's impossible for Him to), it's a sin that needs to be repented of. Sin is anything that is contrary to the character of God (the nature of God, or who God is).

What happens if you don't repent? If you do not repent, you cannot go to heaven. How does God feel toward sin? I'll show you.

• Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities (sins) have separated you from your God."


• Romans 1:18 "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men"


• If you die in your sin you will face the undiluted fury and fierceness of Almighty God. For "He himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smile of their torment ascends forever and ever" Revelation 14:10-11


• Luke 3:7 "Flee from the wrath to come"

God in His love provides the only solution to our son problem. Jesus Christ died in our place to pay for our sins. Good works cannot save you. They are tainted with sin. They good works you may have done are an offense to God. "But we are like an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy as rags" (Isaiah 64:6). Christ died in our place to pay for our penalty, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruise for our iniquities; the chastisement for our peace was upon Him.... the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all!" (Isaiah 53:4-6)

What is true repentance?

1. Turning from sin to serve: "You turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for His Son from heaven" (1 Thessalonians 1:9-10) Turn from sin to faith in Christ. True repentance is a total turning of the total person from all sin, to submission to God. "Repent and be converted that your sins may be blotted out." (Acts 3:19)

2. Turning in one's mind: "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before You" (Luke 15:18) True repentance agreed with God that sin is sin and that God is the true God. The more a person learns about God and sin the more that person can genuinely repent. A person has not repented who merely quits a sin because if is unhealthy, while not confessing that thing as sin. (1 John 1:9) "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the Lord, and He will have mercy on on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon" (Isaiah 55:7)

3. A turning of emotion: "Blessed are you who mourn (weep and grieve over sin)" (Matthew 5:4). Unsaved people enjoy their "guilty pleasures" - sin. Repentant people are grieved by sin. We hate it and are repulsed by it; "put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done" (Ezekiel 9:4). True, in our sinful nature we are still tempted by the deceitful pleasure of sin, but the new man is grieved over any kind of attraction to sin. We hate the fact that we still desire to sin!The Spirit of God brings powerful conviction (great blame and shame) upon the Christian who falls into sin (John 16:8). We are ashamed of sin (Isaiah 44:9) and we love God (1 John 4:19; 5:3).

4. A turning of the will: True repentance wants to stop sinning and start serving God. A criminal may be forced to stop certain crimes like theft but does not want to stop. The reality of a jail cell forces him to stop. A truly repentant person cries out to God for deliverance and victory over sin, and fully intends upon turning from sin to serve God (Romans 7:18, 21).

5. A turning of actions: "They should repent, turn to God, and prove their repentance by their deeds" (Acts 26:20). True repentance is proven by a radically changed life. "Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance." (Matthew 3:8). If there is no change, there has been no repentance. "Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire" (Matthew 3:10). Zacchaeus the tax collector said to Jesus, "Look Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone be false accusation, I restore fourfold.' And Jesus said to him, 'Today salvation has come to this house." (Luke 19:8-9)

6. A turning in faith: Repentance is a turning away from sin to saving faith in Christ "testifying .... repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ" (Acts 20:21). Those who trust their good works for salvation have not yet repented.

• Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is thegift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."


• Romans 4:1-4 "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt."


• Acts 16:30-31 "And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
  So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household.”


• Acts 4:12 "Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Jesus said to multiple people in the Bible that "Your faith has saved you." Jesus never once said "Your good deeds have saved you."

I know this is long, but I really wanted you to understand what the Bible says about salvation. It is my prayer that you would come to a saving knowledge about Jesus and what He's done for you. I pray that God would help you in the areas you struggle in, and that you would accept His love and see Him in a totally different way than you ever did before. I pray that after reading this, you will pray to God and ask Him to forgive your sins, and confess that you believe Jesus rose from the dead and that He is your Savior and Lord. I pray that this is just the beginning of the best parts of your life, and that you will see that God is incredible. I pray that the Holy Spirit surrounds you and gives you more joy and peace than you've ever had before. The world mocks people who believe in Jesus and really have faith in Him, but God rewards those who endure to the end with all the riches of heaven. I know that God wants you to go to heaven. I have been praying for the whole family to accept Jesus as their Savior, and I won't stop praying. I also pray that you will want to read the Bible and really find out who God is, and that you will desire to go to a church. Not a Catholic church. Why? They don't teach the truth. It's horrible. I pray that both of you receive Christ Jesus together and that God uses you for His glory. You both mean a lot to me.

I love you and I hope you have a wonderful day.

Love,

Nicole

Source: http://marinewifeunplugged.blogspot.com/2010/08/uncommon-letter.html