GOSPEL NUGGET #463

Saved By The Death Penalty Of Another

The principle of the death penalty, that is, life for life, is manifestly at work in the salvation of a sinner. We are all sinners, spiritual criminals, with the death penalty of God's justice hanging over us. The penalty for sin, any kind of sin, is death. Yes, we are all on death row, spiritually speaking. We await our execution.

But the Lord Jesus took our place. He went to the cross and was executed there for us. On the cross, He made available a provisionary payment for our crimes.

Now, God comes to us and offers the pardon procured at the cross. The question is---Will you be saved by the death penalty of Another? Will you be vicariously executed in Christ or will you be personally executed in hell? Will you trust in Him and what He did on the cross for your salvation? Will you accept the pardon?

GOSPEL NUGGET #462

Job 16:21 Oh, that one might plead for a man with God, As a man pleads for his neighbor!

This was Job yearning for a mediator, a go-between between God and man. Job's longing is answered in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ. He came and became the middle person for man to be reconciled to God.

The Lord Jesus became our neighbor when He became Man 2000 years ago. He is our fellow, our kin, one like us, in a sense, our neighbor, who lives at Humanity Street like we do. And there on the cross He died for our sins and rose from the dead.

We can commit our case, our soul's salvation to Him, and be assured that God will hear Him. For our neighbor is also God's neighbor, in fact, God's own unique Son.

GOSPEL NUGGET #461

Change Is Coming

The Philippine presidential elections of 2016 went to Rodrigo Duterte as the landslide winner after the smoke cleared. People bought into the promise of a coming change if Duterte should be installed into office. "Change is coming" is the banner slogan of the Duterte campaign.

Whatever change people are expecting would only be skin deep. A makeover at best. Real and genuine change comes from within. Moving to a different house with a new administrator may reform but it surely will not and cannot transform.

It may treat the symptoms but it can never address the cause. The fundamental problem does not lie primarily without. No, it lies deep within out of reach for any of us to deal with. What we see through our windows is a reflection of who we see on our mirrors. Before we seek to solve our country we must first find a solution to ourselves.

Change can only come through Christ and in Christ. He alone is able to reach down to the bottomless depths of the human heart and effect change from there---where it matters and solves the problem.

You want change? You want transformation? Come to Christ!