Greene Hollowell
If someone would ask how you identify yourself other than by name you might answer by your occupation or where you worked or where you are from. There are a number of choices but in the final analysis, there is one overriding answer and that is you are a Child of God.
God formed you in your mother’s womb, gave you a soul, and breathed in you the breath of life. He brings you into a sinful world. In addition, you were born with a sinful nature that was passed down to you through the ages because of an act of disobedience by ADAM, the first human who was created. There is another negative, there is an evil fallen angel called Satan, the devil who is in charge of this sinful world and who tries to lead you astray. You were born with a strike against you!
Even though you were born a Child of God you still have this sinful nature that causes you to sin and that leads you to be unacceptable to God. But HE has provided a way to remedy this dilemma.
God, the Father has sacrificed His son, Jesus, to pay the penalty for our sins. If we come to Him in faith and ask for forgiveness, repent of our sins and acknowledge Him, we will have the experience of being ‘born-again’, of being saved. This is a new life for us! God pours our sins into Jesus and pours Jesus’ goodness into us. In addition, Jesus sends the Holy Spirit to dwell in us. Now your own body does not belong to you. For God has bought you with a great price. So use every part of your body to give glory back to God, because He owns it.
Traditionally your mother and father are responsible for leading you to have this ‘born-again’ experience at an early age as possible. They bring you to church for instruction and fellowship with other Christians. It’s your responsibility to make your commitment to God and only you can do it.
You move ahead in life asking God to guide you and help you. He is in command of your life now. Yes, there will be times when you sin and you ask for forgiveness and you move back ahead in confidence that your ‘born again’ experience is real.
Many babies who come in the world don’t have the same experience as above. Their parents might not be Christians, they might have parents that have abandoned them. They might be brought up in heathen cultures with different gods. Some so-called Christian churches and pastors have no conception of this born-again necessity. This is also a big strike you must overcome. Life can be very, very hard, particularly if you were born with a handicap or sickness. And oh, there is more.
We all know there is an end to this experience here on earth. The tent is struck and death eventually comes to all. God gives us the good news that we will be with Him in Heaven provided we have stayed true to our commitment to Him. He states that if we deviate and waddle in sin, we will not be with Him in Heaven. He lists certain sins in the Bible that if we continue in them, we will have another designation at death, Hell. The Bible list sexual sins, idol worship, thievery, greed, drunkenness, abuse, and swindling.
