The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made Him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has given concerning His Son. And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. (1 John 5:10-13 NASB)
In terms of salvation, all of us fall into one of four categories:
* We are saved and we know it.
* We think we are saved, but we're not.
* We don't claim to be saved.
* We're not saved but would like to be. In which category do you find yourself?
Salvation is God's deliverance of the believer—through Jesus Christ—from all the effects of sin. It is God's work in the human heart, and it is accompanied by all the benefits He bestows on us now and forever.
We need to know beyond a shadow of a doubt where we are going to spend eternity. That certainty is available to every one of us. Do you have that kind of assurance? If you are not confident that you have eternal salvation, I urge you to settle this most important decision of your life right now.
First, realize that God desires to save everyone. (1 Timothy 2:4) Not only does He want to save everyone, but He also provided the way to salvation through His Son (John 3:16)—He has told us we must believe in Jesus Christ (Acts 16:31) and we must confess Him before men (Romans 10:10).
Our heavenly Father is faithful to keep His promises. If you trust in Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, He will save you from your sin and and welcome you into His family (John1:12)—without regard to merit or worth on your part. Eternal life will be yours. And He offers this gift freely to all who believe in His Son. Will you receive it?
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Charles Frazier Stanley was born September 25, 1932, in the small town of Dry Fork, Virginia. The only child of Charley and Rebecca Stanley, Charles came into the world during a time when the entire nation felt the grip of the Great Depression. To make matters worse, just nine months later, his father Charley died at the young age of 29.
However, Charles refused to let the Great Depression or the difficulties of his life define him. Instead, like his father and grandfather before him, he clung to God’s Word and took up the mantle to preach the gospel to whoever would listen.
Dr. Stanley’s motivation is best represented by the truth found in Acts 20:24, “Life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness and love.” This is because, as he says, “It is the Word of God and the work of God that changes people’s lives.”
Dr. Stanley’s teachings can be heard weekly at First Baptist Church Atlanta, daily on “In Touch with Dr. Charles Stanley” radio and television broadcasts on more than 2,800 stations around the world, on the Internet at intouch.org, through the In Touch Messenger, and in the monthly, award-winning In Touch magazine.