Tag Archives: trust in jesus

Charles Stanley

Charles Stanley – The Centrality of the Cross

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Charles Stanley

John 19:17-22

In Jesus’ day, crucifixion was used by the Roman government as a method of executing criminals. God transformed the cross into a symbol that unites Christians everywhere. It stands at the heart of what we believe and serves as a central focus of the gospel message. When we consider the cross, we will think about . . .

Jesus and His perfect life. Our Savior left heaven to dwell on earth and become one of us. While here, He obediently accomplished the work His Father had given Him (John 5:19). Because of His perfect life, He alone was qualified to be our substitute and bear God’s judgment for our sins.

Crucifixion. Christ went to the cross in order to reconcile us to God. He suffered a painful death on our behalf, and through His sacrifice, our sin debt has been paid. God’s justice was fully satisfied at Calvary. Nothing else is required for our salvation.

Resurrection and ascension. Three days after Jesus was buried, God raised Him from the dead. The Savior’s sacrifice on the cross was accepted as payment for our sins, and the way to heaven was opened for all who trust in Jesus. Our resurrected Lord, having appeared on earth to many people, ascended to live forever with His Father. Jesus conquered death and made it possible for us to dwell in heaven with Him someday.

Every Sunday I invite people to place their faith in Jesus Christ. Because of the cross and what happened there, such an invitation has great value to the hearer. In fact, the events of Calvary continue to be relevant to Christians of all ages. Take time today to thank the Lord for the cross.

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Charles Stanley – Born Again

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John 3:1-8

Nicodemus was a Pharisee—a learned man of the law and member of the rabbinical council known as the Sanhedrin. People of his day would have assumed that such credentials guaranteed his spiritual well-being. Nevertheless, Jesus told him that the only way to enter the kingdom of God was to be born again.

Many people today are like Nicodemus. They’re religious. They’re moral. They compare themselves to others and, as a result, feel pretty good. They reason, Somehow, ourloving, gracious, wonderful God will make it possible for all of us to end up in heaven. Yet this is absolutely false. The Lord Jesus said, “Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again”’ (John 3:7).

Our sins separate us from God. Being good cannot close the gap, because no matter how well we try to behave, all of us sin. It is our nature to be sinful, and our nature is something we cannot change.

The great self-deception has to do with thinking, I can perform well enough to be acceptable to the Lord. The only way to be acceptable to God is to be born from above, by an act of God. Then the soul and spirit are radically changed forever. When a person places trust in Jesus Christ as Savior, he or she experiences a regeneration—a giving of divine life to the spirit. In other words, at the moment of salvation, we become a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17 NIV).

You may be “performing” well by serving God, reading the Bible, giving, and praying. But has there ever been a radical change in your soul—a time when you came into a personal relationship with God? Do you have a new nature through the work of the Holy Spirit? If you cannot answer yes to these questions, you need to be born again.

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Charles Stanley – Jesus: The Only Way to Heaven

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John 10:1-11

While there are many religions, there is only one way to heaven. Jesus clearly states that “no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). He used several picturesque descriptions to emphasize this point—He called Himself the way (14:6), the door (10:9), the living bread (6:51), and the good shepherd (10:11).

God does not expect you to follow some kind of ritual to make Jesus the Lord of your life—you can use any words that you like. However, some biblical elements are essential when beginning a relationship with Him:

• Confess your sin and admit your need for a Savior (1 John 1:9).

• Place your trust in Jesus Christ as the only possible Savior, acknowledging that He died for your sins, was buried, and rose again three days later (John 3:16; 1 Cor. 15:3-4).

• Believe that your sins are forgiven and your name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life (1 John 5:11-13).

Every person has a choice to make. Death is inevitable, but we can decide whether, on exiting this world, we will enter eternal torment or the everlasting beauty of God’s presence. Let me make this very clear: What a person believes about heaven and hell won’t influence God in the slightest. People will be judged not by their attitudes but by the truth of His Word.

Scripture declares there is but one way to heaven—through faith in Jesus Christ. His gospel is a straight path from the pit of sin to the glory of heaven, with the promise of an abundant life in between. What we must do is go through the Door and follow the Way; then the Living Bread will sustain us.