“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us.”- Ephesians 1:7-8 (NIV)
Hell or Hades defined: “The Greek word hades of the New Testament has the same scope of signification as sheol of the Old Testament. It is a prison (1 Pet. 3:19), with gates and bars and locks (Matt. 16:18; Rev. 1:18), and it is downward (Matt. 11:23; Luke 10:15). In Greek Mythology, Hades is the god of the netherworld. We are taught that hell is a place of evil, misery, discord, or destruction; a place of eternal torment and anguish; a state of separation from God; an exclusion from God’s presence.” (1)
With Ephesians 1:7-8 emblazoned upon the top of this entry, why define hell? Because we need to understand what we, as believers, were saved from. We also need to understand that this is where unregenerate souls go if they never receive the gift God has for everyone … His grace.
Grace defined: “the free and unmerited favor of God shown towards man; the divine assistance and power given to man in spiritual rebirth and sanctification; the condition of being favored or sanctified by God.” (2)
Lavish defined: “To give or bestow in abundance; shower.” (2)
We need, as believers in Christ, to understand what was done for us. We need to understand that we did nothing to deserve such a monumental and gracious gift. We need to understand that we were bound for an everlasting and infinite stint in hell, separated from God, with no hope of parole. If you don’t believe in such things, are you willing to bet your eternal soul on it?
Are we living our lives only for ourselves or are we living for God first. You see, God doesn’t want you to live for Him to the exclusion of your family … no. He wants you to be a better husband, father, and provider for them through Him. It is only through the Holy Spirit of God that we can be all we CAN be. It’s the only way we can grow spiritually and be a proper Godly leader in our families. And I am not forgetting about women ... wives/mothers are a key component in a family, so what I say applies to them as well, for god loves them just the same. No one gender is more important than the other in God’s economy. Remember, Christ Himself said, “I am the vine, you are the branches; without Me you can do nothing.” (3) The gospels also declare: Unless the Lord builds the house, they labor in vain who try to build something not according to His call. [paraphrase]
Don’t let God’s grace become a cheap thing to you, like a withered piece of fruit on the vine. Let Him be both Savior AND Lord of everything you have and everything you are. Until next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
In His Name & for His Glory,
Rich Keller
Bread of Life Ministries
(1) Bible Dictionary; www.biblegateway.com
(2) www.thefreedictionary.com
(3) John 15:5 (NIV)
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