#Jesus death paid for our sins

[thinkingonscripture]

The Value of Jesus’ Death for God and Christians

Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross has both infinite and eternal value for both God the Father as well as those trust in Christ as their Savior. From the divine perspective, Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29), and this because He went to the cross as the Father directed (John 6:68; 12:27; cf., 26:39, 42). Jesus died in our place (Rom 5:8; 1 Cor…

[wecanbeperfect]

THE OLD TESTAMENT

THE VAIL

Exodus 26:33 And thou shalt hang up the vail under the taches, that thou mayest bring in thither within the vail the ark of the testimony: and the vail shall divide unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

THE NEW TESTAMENT

JESUS' DEATH ON THE CROSS

Matthew 27:51 And behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and earth did quake, and the rocks rent;

THE GLORY OF THE LORD

2 Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same vail untaken away in the reading of the old testament; which vail is done away with Christ.

[10yrsyart]

(alternative music only video)

i've been inspired by this song "Knight on the Moon- John Lordwood" recently. there's just something very melancholy about it, but in a mysterious way that builds into these intense moments of battle or rescue or something (the beginning leading up to 2:50 and also 6:27 onward).

this is the story of the Gospel, but i hope it's in a way that makes you see it with fresh eyes. the God of the universe, the vast cosmos, saw our sin and our suffering, and loved us enough to come down Himself. He was born as a human and experienced the joys and sorrows that we experienced. the devil is the temporary ruler on Earth and everyone is born under his rule, whether they know it or not. but Jesus paid the ransom for us, to move us into His own Kingdom. He gave His life so that we could be freed from those chains forever.

every pain you've experienced, every sadness that feels like it will finally swallow you whole; Jesus experienced that personally. He doesn't watch sympathetically from afar, He stands and cries with you, knowing just what you're feeling. He loved you enough to give His very life to give you hope. strength can be found in Him, and freedom, and joy. He is the ONLY way to be saved, not only from the consequences of your sins, but from the doom of living in a fallen world. the fallen world won't last forever though, He will soon remake it new. decide for yourself what kingdom you want to be part of.

"Then, when our dying bodies have been transformed into bodies that will never die, this Scripture will be fulfilled: 'Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' For sin is the thing that results in death, and the law gives sin its power. But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)

[thewordfortheday]

If you only knew the things I have done! How could God ever forgive me? Have you felt this kind of hopelessness and regret?

There is no darkness His light cannot dispel. There is no addiction, no cruelty, and no lust that His power cannot transform. The death of Jesus has paid the penalty for our sin, and He freely offers forgiveness to all who put their trust in Him. Are you ready to receive His grace? Let Him take that mountain of sin that is crushing your hope and joy.  Pour out your heart to Him, repent and receive His forgiveness for your life. 

Ezekiel 36:26– I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you. I will remove the stony heart and give you a heart of flesh.

[kazoosandfannypacks]

In regards to the Hazbin and Simpsons thing I think it's because people find the idea of Heaven being a Christians only club and literally everybody getting horribly tortured forever to be just a bit depressing. Just sayin.

[from this post about how the media tends to portray good actions as what gets you into heaven]

Thanks for the perspective, anon! There's a lot of ways I could answer this ask, but I'm going to trust that this ask comes from a place of confusion rather than malice and respond accordingly, though if it was intended with a different motive I apologize.

Firstly, I just wanna say, the Bible was never intended to be horribly depressing. It's a message of redemption, of salvation and freedom, of hope. Hope is at the center of everything for a Christian, right down to our world "Gospel," the central truth of the Bible, meaning "good news."

But before we can get into the good news, there is bad news. The bad news is that we are separated from God.

The bad news is that we consistently fail God and can't measure up to his standard of goodness. The bad news is that God initially gave us just one rule to follow, and we couldn't even do that, and every day we continue to not follow the rules he made when he created the world that he gave us. The bad news is that, as hard as it is to be separated from God here on earth, someday we'll be separated from God for an eternity in a place without his presence. The bad news is that we can never be "good enough" to earn a right standing before a truly just God.

But the good news is that we don't have to be good enough. It would be horribly depressing if heaven was a social club for the spiritually elite. It would be horribly depressing if our hope was pinned on our own ability to do good. It would be horribly depressing if salvation was self-serviced. It would be horribly depressing if our entire eternal destiny was our own responsibility.

But it isn't.

God is just, righteous, and good, and a just, righteous, and good ruler doesn't let the wicked go unpunished. But, he is also gracious, merciful, and loving, so he took that punishment upon himself. He paid the price for our sins by dying in our place. His death paid for every time we're not good enough, so that we never have to be good enough.

I know, it sounds horribly depressing to think of Heaven as a "Christians only club," but what sounds even more depressing is that Heaven is a "only the good enough can get in" club. Am I good enough? Can I be good enough? How will I ever know that I'm good enough? While I'm here on earth, can I be sure I'm good enough to go to heaven when I die? How many good things do I have to do to outweigh the bad? What is the standard, and how hard do I have to work in order to reach it?

But Jesus says "you cannot be good enough."

And Jesus says "you do not have to be good enough."

And Jesus says "I have already been good enough in your place."

And Jesus says "you don't need to work to be 'good enough;' all you need to do is believe in me."

I don't know about you guys, but that sounds like good news to me.

[walkswithmyfather]

‭Ephesians 2:4-10 (NLT‬). “[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. [7] So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus. [8] God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. [9] Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. [10] For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.”

“Saved by Grace” By In Touch Ministries: “Jesus suffered and died so that all who believe in Him can live forever as part of God's family.”

“Many people believe that piling up good works can make them right with God. Yet when it comes to sin, death is the only payment that can satisfy divine justice (Romans 6:23). Since we all sin, this leaves us facing an eternity cut off from God. But grace, the expression of divine love and kindness to the undeserving, prompted the solution: Jesus. According to John 6:29, the only “work” we need to do is believe. The Savior’s death brought us:

• New Life. Our spirit is made alive in Christ the moment we acknowledge we’re sinners and believe that His death paid our sin debt in full.

• Freedom. At salvation, sin’s power over us is broken and we are set free from its hold. Now we can exercise our newfound freedom and follow the Lord.

• Security. When we accept that we are sinners and acknowledge our Savior’s sacrifice as payment for all our wrongdoing, we’re permanently adopted into the God’s family. Someday we will be seated in the heavenly realms with Christ to enjoy life everlasting with Him.

God, the One against whom we rebelled, sent His Son to receive the punishment that was rightfully ours. How will you show the Lord gratitude for His saving grace?”

[Photo thanks to Thomas Currier at Unsplash]

[ae-cha08]

Jesus is the Lamb of God who actually takes away our sin. Now we can live with the confidence that all our sins—past, present, and future—have not just been covered, but they have been washed away by the power of His blood and death on the cross.

We have an everlasting release. The price has already been paid, and you are forgiven. Don’t go around feeling guilty, condemned, trying to pay God back for your mistakes. Receive His forgiveness, receive His mercy, receive His love.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

The Poor Man's Morning Portion

by Robert Hawker

"Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification." – Romans 4:25

My soul, thou must not yet dismiss—no, nor ever dismiss, the sweet and precious subject of thy Lord’s resurrection. One part of it thou hast not yet scarce glanced at; and yet it is such a one as thine everlasting safety, and thy justification before God depends upon. "For," as the Holy Ghost hath said, by the mouth of his servant the apostle," if Christ be not risen, then are believers yet in their sins. "1 Corinthians 15:17. See to it then, my soul, that what this sweet scripture of the morning saith be true, that Jesus was delivered for thine offences, and was raised again for thy justification. While Jesus was on the cross, and when Jesus was taken down and laid in the grave, the payment and the ransom for sin was then discharging. Jesus was then truly delivered for our offences. And when he arose from the dead, then the poor sinner, for whom he was delivered, and for whom he died, was truly justified before God; for thereby proof was made that the debt was paid, the receipt given, and God, in confirmation of it, styled himself by a new name, even the God of Peace, in bringing again from the dead our Lord Jesus Christ, as the great Shepherd of his sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Hence the resurrection of Jesus was like going into the presence of God to cancel the bond, the hand-writing of ordinances, that was against us. It was as if Jesus gave this testimony in his glorious resurrection, that both sin and death had now lost their retaining power; the dominion of both were for ever done away, and all true believers in Christ might join the apostle’s song—"Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God’s elect? It is God that justifieth; who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. "My soul, be sure to keep this in constant view, when, at any time, thou art meditating on the death and resurrection of Jesus: and let both be thy daily meditation. Think how truly blessed, how truly happy, how present and everlastingly secure, must those souls be who are interested in the death and in the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. By the one he hath purchased their pardon, and by the other he hath justified their persons; so that, when law and justice present their charge against them, this is the unanswerable plea—Jesus "was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification. "Oh dearest Lord, grant me daily and hourly to be bringing into all my spiritual enjoyments the sweet sense and consciousness of being thus interested, justified, and se, cared. Give me a present right and title, that I may live upon it; and by and by, when thou shalt call me home,, then, Oh Lord, present me finally and fully, once for all, as made comely in thy comeliness, clothed in thy righteousness, and fully prepared, both in soul and body, for everlasting happiness and glory among them that are sanctified.

[awideplace]

The Gospel

What It Means to Be a Christian

Being a Christian is more than identifying yourself with a particular religion or affirming a certain value system. Being a Christian means you have embraced what the Bible says about God, mankind, and salvation. Consider the following truths found in the Bible.

God Is Sovereign Creator Contemporary thinking says man is the product of evolution. But the Bible says we were created by a personal God to love, serve, and enjoy endless fellowship with Him. The New Testament reveals it was Jesus Himself who created everything (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16). Therefore, He also owns and rules everything (Psalm 103:19). That means He has authority over our lives and we owe Him absolute allegiance, obedience, and worship.

God Is Holy God is absolutely and perfectly holy (Isaiah 6:3); therefore He cannot commit or approve of evil (James 1:13). God requires holiness of us as well. First Peter 1:16 says, You shall be holy, for I am holy.

Mankind Is Sinful According to Scripture, everyone is guilty of sin: There is no man who does not sin (1 Kings 8:46). That doesn't mean we're incapable of performing acts of human kindness. But we're utterly incapable of understanding, loving, or pleasing God on our own (Romans 3:10-12).

Sin Demands a Penalty God's holiness and justice demand that all sin be punished by eternal death (Ezekiel 18:4; Romans 6:23). That's why simply changing our patterns of behavior can't solve our sin problem or eliminate its consequences.

Jesus Is Lord and Savior Romans 10:9 says, If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. Even though God's justice demands death for sin, His love has provided a Savior who paid the penalty and died for sinners (1 Peter 3:18). Christ's death satisfied the demands of God's justice, and Christ's perfect life satisfied the demands of God's holiness (2 Corinthians 5:21), thereby enabling Him to forgive and save those who place their faith in Him (Romans 3:26).

The Character of Saving Faith True faith is always accompanied by repentance from sin. Repentance is agreeing with God that you are sinful, confessing your sins to Him, and making a conscious choice to turn from sin (Luke 13:3, 5; 1 Thessalonians 1:9), pursue Christ (Matthew 11: 28-30; John 17:3), and obey Him (1 John 2:3). It isn't enough to believe certain facts about Christ. Even Satan and his demons believe in the true God (James 2:19), but they don't love and obey Him. True saving faith always responds in obedience (Ephesians 2:10).

Source: https://www.gracechurch.org/about/gospel

[holystormfire]

But isn’t my body my own? Don’t I have the final say in what I do with my body? Let's take a look shall we...

1 Corinthians 6:19-20

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body.

You don’t own your body—God does. He designed it and entrusted it to you even as you were conceived into a sinful world that affected your body in many ways. The outlook for your body changed considerably when you responded to the message that Jesus died for you. God paid for you at a premium price with the death of his own Son, and now he fills your body with his Spirit. Honor his sacrifice with one of your own: Respect the awesomeness of your body by keeping it pure.

1 Corinthians 6:12-13

You say, “I am allowed to do anything”—but not everything is good for you. And even though “I am allowed to do anything,” I must not become a slave to anything. You say, “Food was made for the stomach, and the stomach for food.” (This is true, though someday God will do away with both of them.) But you can’t say that our bodies were made for sexual immorality. They were made for the Lord, and the Lord cares about our bodies.

False worldviews in biblical times included perspectives that devalued the body as evil and irredeemable. People who believed this often treated their bodies with disrespect and subjected them to debauchery, arguing that it didn’t matter what they did with their bodies. In today’s world of scientific materialism, which discounts God’s involvement in the world and places our bodies at our disposal, the same outcomes often follow. Once God enters the picture, however, we realize that we are accountable for how we treat everything in the created order, including our own bodies. We must take God’s standards and instructions to heart.

[kemetic-dreams]

Are you scared yet???

When we hear of blood sacrifices what comes to mind?

Devil worshipping, doing something evil

And why and how did our preception of this become so?

Most of our perceptions of blood sacrifices comes from horror movies that are meant to cause over dramatic visuals.

When was the last time you saw a blood sacrifice?

People fear the unknown.

As European colonized the diaspora and Africa.

All aspects of African cultures especially the religion so to speak.

Random taunts of everything Africans did was devil worship and also Native Americans.

European's fear of the unknown, shifted the culture.

The same fault or superstition that was caste on Native Americans and Africans. Europeans are guilty of.

Leviticus 22:17-33 ERV

It might be because of a promise that person made, or it might just be a special sacrifice that person wanted to give to the LORD as a burnt offering.

If the gift is a bull, or a sheep, or a goat, the animal must be a male. And it must not have anything wrong with it. You must not accept any offering that has anything wrong with it. I will not accept that gift. “You might bring a fellowship offering to the LORD. That fellowship offering might be payment for a special promise that you made. Or maybe it is a special gift that you wanted to give to the Lord. It can be a bull or a sheep, but it must be healthy. There must be nothing wrong with that animal. You must not offer to the LORD any animal that is blind, that has broken bones or is crippled, or that has a discharge or a serious skin disease. You must not offer sick animals as a gift to the any animal that is blind, that has broken bones or is crippled, or that has a discharge or a serious skin disease. You must not offer sick animals as a gift to the LORD. You must not put anything like that on his altar. “Sometimes a bull or lamb will have a leg that is too long, or a foot that did not grow right. If you want to give that animal as a special gift to the Lord, it will be accepted. But it will not be accepted as payment for a special promise that you made.

Qurbani means sacrifice. Every year during the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah, Muslims around the world slaughter an animal – a goat, sheep, cow or camel – to reflect the Prophet Ibrahim's willingness to sacrifice his son Ismail, for the sake of God

Human sacrifice???

A foundational doctrine of the Christian faith is that the sacrifice of Jesus Christ paid the penalty for the sins of mankind—that without this act of love by the Son of God, humanity would have no hope of life after death.

In the traditional Yoruba religion and culture, sacrifice is referred to as (Ebo). It connotes offering something to a particular deity or cult in other to be in communion with them or to seek favours.

What is an EBO sacrifice?

Ebo, or sacrifice, is a broad concept including all types of sacrifices and offerings to the Orisha. These can include candles, fruit, candy, and various items or actions that may be appreciated by the Orisha. Ritual sacrifice is an important part of the beliefs and practices of Orisha worshipers.

Various scholars describe Vodou as one of the world's most maligned and misunderstood religions. Its reputation is notorious; in broader Anglophone and Francophone society, it has been widely associated with sorcery, witchcraft, and black magic. In U.S. popular culture, for instance, Haitian Vodou is usually portrayed as destructive and malevolent, attitudes often linked with anti-African racism. Non-practitioners have often depicted Vodou in literature, theater, and film; in many cases, such as the films White Zombie (1932) and London Voodoo (2004), these promote sensationalist views of the religion. The lack of any central Vodou authority has hindered efforts to combat these negative representations.

Since the 1990s, evangelical Protestantism has grown in Haiti, generating tensions with Vodouists; these Protestants regard Vodou as Satanic, and unlike the Roman Catholic authorities have generally refused to compromise with Vodouists

Leviticus 17:11 is the Old Testament’s central statement about the significance of blood in the sacrificial system. God, speaking to Moses, declares: “For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life.”

A “sacrifice” is defined as the offering up of something precious for a cause or a reason. Making atonement is satisfying someone or something for an offense committed. The Leviticus verse can be read more clearly now: God said, “I have given it to you (the creature’s life, which is in its blood) to make atonement for yourselves (covering the offense you have committed against Me).” In other words, those who are covered by the blood sacrifice are set free from the consequences of sin.

Ancient Egypt was at the forefront of domestication, and some of the earliest archeological evidence suggesting animal sacrifice comes from Egypt. However, animal sacrifice was not a central practice of Egyptian religion, but was rather a peripherical occurrence that happened away from worshippers. The oldest Egyptian burial sites containing animal remains originate from the Badari culture of Upper Egypt, which flourished between 4400 and 4000 BCE. Sheep and goats were found buried in their own graves at one site, while at another site gazelles were found at the feet of several human burials. At a cemetery uncovered at Hierakonpolis and dated to 3000 BCE, the remains of a much wider variety of animals were found, including non-domestic species such as baboons and hippopotami, which may have been sacrificed in honor of powerful former citizens or buried near their former owners. According to Herodotus, later Dynastic Egyptian animal sacrifice became restricted to livestock – sheep, cattle, swine and geese – with sets of rituals and rules to describe each type of sacrifice

Worship in ancient Greek religion typically consisted of sacrificing domestic animals at the altar with hymn and prayer. The altar was outside any temple building, and might not be associated with a temple at all. The animal, which should be perfect of its kind, is decorated with garlands and the like, and led in procession to the altar, a girl with a basket on her head containing the concealed knife leading the way. After various rituals the animal is slaughtered over the altar, as it falls all the women present "must cry out in high, shrill tones". Its blood is collected and poured over the altar. It is butchered on the spot and various internal organs, bones and other inedible parts burnt as the deity's portion of the offering, while the meat is removed to be prepared for the participants to eat; the leading figures tasting it on the spot. The temple usually kept the skin, to sell to tanners. The fact that the humans got more use from the sacrifice than the deity had not escaped the Greeks, and is often the subject of humour in Greek comedy

Practices of Hindu animal sacrifice are mostly associated with Shaktism, Shaiva Agamas and in currents of folk Hinduism called Kulamarga strongly rooted in local tribal traditions. Animal sacrifices were carried out in ancient times in India. Some later minor Puranas forbid animal sacrifice though the upapurana, Kalika Purana, describes it in detail.

Shaktism traditions

A male buffalo calf about to be sacrificed by a priest in the Durga Puja festival. The buffalo sacrifice practice, however, is rare in contemporary India.

Animal sacrifices are performed mainly at temples following the Shakti school of Hinduism where the female nature of Brahman is worshipped in the form of Kali and Durga. These traditions are followed in parts of eastern states of India at Hindu temples in Assam and West Bengal India and Nepal where goats, chickens and sometimes water buffalos are sacrificed.

Sacrifice of Animals has less to do with worshipping of Satan or being evil.

Sacrifices are not all blood some are symbolic, fruits, money, clothes, aspects of life.

Kobe Byrant had to sacrifice friends and family to become who he is.

We all make some type of symbolic sacrifice that can be time or if you are a Celebrity, you sacrifice your privacy.

Abrahamic Cultures and Europeans superstition towards non-European cultures tend to cause our consciousness of Sacrifices.

[lightfromthelighthouse]

Good Morning!☀

And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; Colossians 2:13-14

Grace. God's unmerited favor. Favor such that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. God's love was extended to us.

God's grace is seen in God's math:

1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given

Christ, the perfect lamb of God, having done no wrong to God or man, was nailed to the cross and with him the burden of the law and the weight of sin. In laying down his life, he wrought our salvation and reconciliation with God. Now our sins no longer need to come between us and God.

When we accept Jesus as the risen Savior, it is as if our sins are nailed to the cross, forgiven forever. The demands of the law were fulfilled when Jesus died on the cross. The price for our sins was paid when Jesus died on the cross. The victory over death was won when Jesus rose again.

1 cross + 3 nails = 4 given. Hallelujah!

[into-the-very-fires-of-mordor]

Good Friday

Today marks the day that, over 2,000 years ago, Jesus deliberately chose to bear all the weight, pain, shame, despair, guilt, and sin that all of humanity has ever and will ever produce. He took all of our evil and all of our shortcomings and all of our punishment for that wrongdoing onto His own perfect shoulders, and He died via one of the most excruciating death methods of all time. He chose to do this not because we owe Him anything, but simply because He carries the deepest, purest, and truest love in the universe for US! His funky lil creations that He cherishes, heart, mind, body, and soul, just for existing. He loves us, and He yearns for us to love Him in return.

Today, we honor Jesus for His ultimate and everlasting sacrifice so that we can receive the blessing of eternal life in Heaven with Jesus, where there is no sorrow, grief, pain, and suffering, and we will live in joy and bliss with Jesus forever. Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and through Him and through choosing to love and embrace Jesus with our hearts, and through marking that promise with the symbolic act of baptism, we can choose to receive the beautiful gift Jesus paid the ultimate price for.

To Jesus! His selflessness, His open and everlasting heart, and His true love for all of us, for every human on the planet! Thank you for choosing us when you could have easily just chosen Yourself. But that is not Your way, O Lord. You are the God who saves, the God who loves, and the God who redeems.

I love you, Lord! ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Thank You for loving me. 🥰

[thewordfortheday]

Jesus died that we might live. Before Jesus came to earth, people throughout the ages looked for Him. They longed for the Lord to redeem their souls. Their sins were too heavy and they needed a redeemer, a saviour. We are so blessed to have the knowledge that Jesus did come. All of our sins have been paid in full. It doesn’t matter what kind of life we once lived. As long as we give ourselves over to God, His mercy will be upon us. All our sins will be forgiven once we accept Him as our Lord and Saviour. Everything He did was for us. Seek Him in all that you do. Trust in Him. His hands are continually stretched out towards us. Come to Him! He is the only path to salvation. Only by following Him can we find true happiness and peace.

He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification. Romans 4:25

[angeltreasure]

I wanted to thank you for this blog. It isn't easy being exposed to so much pain, but you're doing God's work <3 God Bless

It might be very hard for some, but there is One greater than me, who took upon Himself death on the cross in our place. We sinful ones deserve hell, but Jesus Christ paid the penalty of our sins and rose again. Jesus Christ is alive and it is He who gives me the grace to receive these messages. Perhaps it’s the way He created me, but my heart feels a great need to pray for the whole world. I recognize the pain all of my brothers and sisters are in, no matter what age, what religion, where they are, or where they come from. Someone needs to pray for those people and especially for ones who can’t pray for themselves. This blog helps me to reach out of my town to all corners of the world, all are welcome to send in prayer requests here. I created this blog for the sole purpose of praying for others by placing all these requests at the foot of the cross (and I try to share the faith, with small glimpses into my life offline). Thank you so much. May God bless you!

[novelmonger]

https://www.tumblr.com/yesornopolls/760573799862288384/regardless-of-whether-you-believe-in-an-afterlife

Hello, anonymous rando swanning in from out of the blue! I have no idea why you're sending me this link!

But yes, I deserve to go to hell, and so do you, and so does everyone who voted no on that poll, and so does everyone on this site, and so does everyone in the world, no matter how good they or anyone else thinks they are. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God," and Romans 6:23 says, "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Man, what is it about 23rd verses in Romans?)

I deserve to go to hell because I have been full of sin from the day I was born. A single tiny sin is enough to make me unworthy of the complete holiness and perfection that is God, and not a day goes by that I don't add more sins onto the pile.

But I'm not getting the punishment I deserve, because God has shown mercy. Jesus has already paid the penalty for my sins. Colossians 1:13-14 - "He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

And this grace is extended to you as well, whoever you are. All you have to do is accept it. If you ask me, that's much better than sticking your head in the sand and telling yourself you don't deserve to go to hell.