Complete Surrender: 

Surrendering to God's Plan in Your Life

By Bob Dittrich

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Surrendering to God's plan in our lives gives us a joy and a peace that surpasses all understanding. Trusting God's will for our lives instead of our own will and desires is what living a life of surrender is all about. Unfortunately, it took me many years to learn this. Left to my own desires, I was a total mess. I couldn't get out of my own way. I was constantly making decisions based on the temporary and just continually made bad decision after bad decision. I struggled for many years, asking God to fulfill my dreams and desires. Many people, including myself for years, just treat God as this cosmic genie to fulfill our plans. My thinking most of my life was about myself: how to build up my pride to feel good about myself, trying to remove my insecurities, making as much money as I can so I get the best of things, and make me feel more secure about the future, how many friends I had, and what they thought of me. What can I get out of life! When things went wrong, then I went to God. I wanted God to surrender to my plan, my will. Of course, this only led to despair, depression, hopelessness, never having enough, anxiety, fear, insecurity, and emptiness! Not to mention total frustration!

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Finally, I reached a breaking point. I realized my way was ending in chaos! I started to read the Bible daily with my wife, then to myself. This led to me understanding the things outlined below, and led me to surrendering to God in my life. Once I surrendered to God's will in my life instead of my own, there was a joy and a peace that is just hard to describe. No matter if things were great or if I was going through major adversity, I had peace and joy. Only someone who has surrendered can have a joy and peace through major trials and adversity in their lives. Once a person has surrendered, they are able to say not my will but Yours. They go from trying to please themselves to wanting to be used by God. There is nothing like a Christian man or woman who has devoted themselves to God and wants to be used by God to reach others. Instead of asking God for things in their life to be fixed, they ask for God to use them to reach others. It’s an incredible shift in focus that can only be explained by the power of God in their lives. Once I learned what it means to surrender to God's plan in my life, my desire went from myself to desiring that God use me to reach others for Him. I know now that God will take care of me! God drives the bus; I am the passenger. I don't need to know where He is taking me. I trust wherever He goes. His plan, not mine! These things must be in order to trust God and have complete surrender to Him.

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We must believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, and rose on the third day!

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God cannot tolerate sin, and the only way for our salvation is Christ's death on the cross.

Jesus came to be a living sacrifice for our sins because humans have been corrupted by sin since the moment Adam took that very first bite. Our sinful nature makes us want to do what we want, not what God wants. We are too darkened by our sin to find our way back to God on our own. And God’s justice requires that there be a price for our sin. Yet despite our flaws, God loves us and wants us to be reunited with Him. Jesus, God’s Son, came to earth to make our reconciliation with God possible. Jesus died in our place, as our substitute, to atone for our sins and allow us to enter into a right relationship with a holy God. The death of Christ as our substitute is the heart of the gospel. This was God's plan. Jesus could have easily saved Himself, but He intentionally laid His life down to save all of us from our sins. His death removes our sin and guilt. The guilt of our sin was taken away from us and placed on Him, who discharged it by His death. If Jesus did not die on the cross, nobody would have eternal life since God is perfect and cannot tolerate sin. God said that all who sin will die, both physically and spiritually. But God provided a way out of this dilemma, the shed blood of His perfect Son on the cross. By sacrificing Himself for us on the cross, He took the punishment for all of our sins at once. Hebrews 9:22 says that “without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness,” but through the shedding of blood, redemption is provided.

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Bible Verses on Jesus Dying for Our Sins

1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

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John 3:17 says, “God did not send the Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

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Romans 3:23-24 says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

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1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

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Galatians 2:20 says, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."

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Romans 6:5-6 says, "For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin."

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1 Corinthians 2:2 says, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified."

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Galatians 6:14 says, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world."

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1 Corinthians 1:18 says, "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."

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2 Corinthians 5:14-15 says, "For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again."

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1 Thessalonians 4:14 says, "For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him."

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1 Corinthians 15:3-4 says, "For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

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1 Corinthians 15:21 says, "For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man."

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1 Peter 2:24 says, “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”

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Hebrews 9:28 says, "So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."

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Christ rose from the dead on the third day. This is why we celebrate Easter.

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Christ triumphed over sin and death by being physically resurrected so that all who trust in him are raised to new life in this world and to everlasting life in the world to come. Jesus' resurrection gives us the power to live the Christian life. “And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit, who lives in you” (Romans 8:11). The resurrection proves that Jesus is the Christ (Messiah) and the Son of God. Everything he said and did was true. The resurrection means Jesus is still with us and is guiding us every day. Christ's perfect work of dying for our sins was complete! After Jesus' statement, it is finished, he willingly gave up His life for us. Christ not only died for our sins, but He was raised on the 3rd day, signifying Christ's complete work and His victory over death. His resurrection from the grave defeated sin and death. It proved death no longer has authority over Him (Romans 6:9). All of us who have been baptized in Jesus' name were baptized into His death, and our sin has no authority over us either (Romans 6:3-7). Believers are justified before God. He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification (Romans 4:25). The resurrection of Jesus shows that He defeated death. Christ has triumphed over death, so we no longer have to fear death. Christ rose from the dead because death could no longer hold Him (Acts 2:24).

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We as believers are united with Christ because of His resurrection. When we believe in Christ, we are united to Him in faith (2 Corinthians 4:14). Union with Christ means that when God looks at us, He does not see our unrighteousness, but the righteousness of Christ. It means that we have died with Him and will also live with Him (Romans 6:8).

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The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.” (Matthew 28:5-6)

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We are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the teachers of the law. They will condemn him to death and will hand him over to the Gentiles to be mocked and flogged and crucified. On the third day he will be raised to life! (Matthew 20:18-19)

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He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ (Luke 24:6-7)

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him.” (Mark 16:6)

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*We must believe that Jesus is who he says he is. He is God in human form. Not just a man, but God.

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Jesus claimed to be God many times and Jesus was no liar. Jesus didn’t just say He was God, but backed it up with many miracles of healing, incredible feats of power over nature, transcendent and unprecedented teaching, divine insights into people, and ultimately with his own resurrection from the dead. So when Jesus claimed to be God, it was not some sort of delusion; rather, it was the absolute truth. He is part of the Godhead trinity. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The God of the Bible has been a unity of three distinct personalities. God comprises the Father, the Son or the Son of God, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore we have a Trinity. Jesus said, "Go therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son (Jesus Christ), and of the Holy Ghost" (Matthew 28:19). Jesus always claimed to be the Son – the Son of God, calling the LORD God His Father. Jesus said: ‘I and my Father are one’ (John 10:30). Also Mt 7:21, Mt 10:32, etc. Jesus’ claim of being the Son of God and part of the Trinity is enough proof of His claim of being God.

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J. Oswald Sanders wrote, “If Jesus is not God, then there is no Christianity, and we who worship Him are nothing more than idolaters. Conversely, if He is God, those who say He was merely a good man, or even the best of men, are blasphemers. More serious still, if He is not God, then He is a blasphemer in the fullest sense of the word. If He is not God, He is not even good.” “The deity of Christ is the key doctrine of the scriptures. Reject it, and the Bible becomes a jumble of words without any unifying theme. Accept it, and the Bible becomes an intelligible and ordered revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ.”

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Billy Graham: “Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, and the story of His life, death, and resurrection is the only Good News the world will ever hear.”

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Bible verses about Jesus' deity:

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John 10:30-33: “I and My Father are one.” Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, “Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?” The Jews answered Him, saying, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.” After Jesus said, ‘I and My Father are one,’ the Jews wanted to stone Him to death. Why? Because they understood well what He meant to say. They understood that Jesus was claiming to be God and equal with God Most High, and they thought He had spoken blasphemy.

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John 5:17-18: But Jesus answered them, “My Father has been working until now, and I have been working.” Therefore the Jews sought all the more to kill Him, because He not only broke the Sabbath but also said that God was His Father, making Himself equal with God.

Right from His time on earth, the people understood that Jesus Christ claimed to be God and equal with God; for which reason the Jewish people counted Him as a blasphemous liar and sought, on several occasions, to end His life by stoning.

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Philippians 2:6-8: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!

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Philippians 2:5-6: “You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.”

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John 1:18: “No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.“

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Colossians 2:9-10: “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily. So you also are complete with your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.“

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John 10:33: “We are not stoning you for any good work,” they replied, “but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claiming to be God.“

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John 5:18: “This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.“

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John 1:14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.“ Jesus is the Word.

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John 5:20: “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life.“

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Romans 10:13: For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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John 8:57-58: “The people said, “You aren’t even fifty years old. How can you say you have seen Abraham?” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”

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John 8:22-24: “This made the Jews ask, “Will he kill himself? Is that why he says, ‘Where I go, you cannot come’?” But he continued, “You are from below; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins; if you do not believe that I am he, you will indeed die in your sins.”

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Isaiah 44:6: “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

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1 Corinthians 8:6 “Yet for us there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.”

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John 20:27-28 “Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.’ Thomas said to him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”

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John 4:25-26 The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

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Revelation 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

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Revelation 22:13 “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.”

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Revelation 1:17 And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he (Jesus) laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, “Fear not; I am the first and the last.”

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John 5:21 “For as the Father raises the dead and gives life to them, even so the Son gives life to whom He will.” By claiming to give life, Jesus Christ claims to be God and makes Himself parallel to the LORD God who once claimed to be the source and giver of life.

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John 5:22 “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son.”

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Philippians 2:5-6 “Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God.”

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John 5:23 “That all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him.”

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John 14:8-11 Philip said to Him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is sufficient for us." Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, 'Show us the Father'? Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves."

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John 17:5 “And now, O Father, glorify Me together with Yourself, with the glory which I had with You before the world was.”

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Colossians 2:9 “For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.”

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John 10:30-33 “‘I and My Father are one.’ Then the Jews took up stones again to stone Him. Jesus answered them, ‘Many good works I have shown you from My Father. For which of those works do you stone Me?’ The Jews answered Him, saying, ‘For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy, and because You, being a Man, make Yourself God.’”

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John 14:1 “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me.”

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Matthew 1:23 “‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’”

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John 8:58 Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM.”

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We must believe that the Bible is 100% true. Both the Old and New Testaments!

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2 Timothy 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”

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Psalm 18:30 “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

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Matthew 4:4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

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Proverbs 30:5 “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

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2 Samuel 22:31 “As for God, his way is perfect: The Lord’s word is flawless; he shields all who take refuge in him.”

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Psalm 119:160 “All your words are true; all your righteous laws are eternal.”

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Hebrews 4:12 “For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

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The Bible's Accuracy

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We can have complete trust in the Bible. The Bible is God’s word. It's 100% true and can be completely trusted. When linguistic experts compared the old scrolls with the new scrolls, there was word-for-word accuracy of +/- 95% after more than 1,000 years of transmission. This is evidence of how accurate the copying process was. Using the science of textual criticism, we know for certain about 99.5 percent of the original contents of the Bible in the original languages, and in the other 0.5 percent, we know what all the options are.

The Dead Sea Scrolls have been recognized for generations as one of the most convincing methods of proof of Jesus' existence, both historically and theologically. Because they date back so closely to the time of Christ, they are all the more solidified as honest records of the Hebrew Bible. Archaeology provides abundant corroborating evidence for Jesus' life and ministry. The archaeological and historical records confirm many of the people, cities, places, and events of Jesus' life.

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The Bible has proven to be more historically and archaeologically accurate than any other ancient book.

In fact, according to biblical scholars Norman Geisler and William Nix, the New Testament has a 99.5% purity rate in terms of accuracy—a better accuracy rate than any other well-known book. When compared to other works of antiquity, the Bible has multitudes of manuscripts. Virtually all scholars of antiquity accept that Jesus was a historical figure, and attempts to deny his historicity have been consistently rejected by the scholarly consensus as a fringe theory.

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Scientifically Perfect!

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The survival of DNA within dinosaur bones is powerful evidence against a millions-of-years age for those fossils. The findings support the view that these dinosaurs lived less than 4,300 years ago and were buried during the global Flood. Thousands of dinosaurs were buried immediately with mass graves out west from north to south. In 2004, a team led by Dr. Mary Schweitzer discovered soft tissue—red blood cells, blood vessels, and collagen—in the femur of a T. Rex. The presence of tissue, cells, and proteins remaining in dinosaur fossils poses a direct biochemical challenge to the standard geologic dating paradigm. To be more exact, it’s impossible to see these and be more than a few thousand years old. Despite a large body of evidence for the authenticity of the dinosaur tissue, there remains a pattern of blind denial within the evolutionist community, and even some naivety with some Christians who believe what their childhood textbooks have told them. It saddens me to see some of the Christian community believe what we were taught in grade school about an earth being millions or even billions of years old. There is more evidence of a worldwide flood around 4,000 years ago than any previous natural disaster in history. Even if you go to the Grand Canyon, you will find perfect sedimentary layers for 4,000 years, then total chaos in the layers of rock 4,000 years ago. The rate of salt build-up in the ocean would make the oceans so salty you could walk from the U.S. east coast to Europe if the earth were millions or billions of years old. There are literally hundreds and hundreds of evidences for an earth that is just over 6,000 years old, and not one ounce of evidence for an older earth. Please do not believe your grade school books that say otherwise. Ken Ham, the maker and founder of the Creation Museum, as well as The Ark Exhibit, has accumulated and documented incredible expert detail and analysis that has put the idea that the earth has been around much longer than some 6,000 years to bed. Genesis and the Bible itself spell out this incredible timeline that matches scientific evidence perfectly.

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The Bible's Incredible Predictions of Future Events!

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One of the many incredible things about the Bible that proves its complete legitimacy are the incredible predictions many hundreds of years and even thousands of years before they happened. These predictions are impossible outside of the Bible, and only God knows the future. I can’t even tell you what is going to happen next year, next month, next week, or even tomorrow. These prophecies alone should bring you to your knees and convince you that the Bible and God are 100% true and correct and that the Bible is the word of God.

596 of the 735 predictions in the Bible have occurred already. 81% of all Bible prophecies have already come true. Every prediction that could have been fulfilled by now has happened. Only God is 100% correct all the time! Most of the remaining concerns with the return of Jesus. Only 20 predictions are left before Jesus’ return. How incredible is that! We can’t even predict what will happen in a few dozen years, let alone thousands of years ago. The Bible is the best-preserved text of all ancient history. Every prediction that could have been fulfilled by now has happened!

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The world tries to understand scripture so they can believe it. If we believe scripture to be true, that is how we are able to understand it. That is why I can read scripture many times over, then suddenly I understand it. Reading and believing all the verses surrounding scripture or hundreds of related scriptures ensures our ability to understand that verse. The more we read the Bible the more we understand that it’s impossible that the Bible isn’t 100% true. It not only connects perfectly together, but everything it says has also proved to be true, whether historical, scientific, or spiritual. Even our own miraculous experiences of the individual's life, before and after we are saved is so incredible that the Christian is a new person, and their behavior and desires are changed forever. Unless you read the Bible, and have a personal relationship with God and experience God’s amazing truth and love, then you won’t understand it, and many times believe it. You will not live in the light, but live in the dark. Truth is constant, not changeable. Truth doesn’t stop being truth because we don’t believe it. So many people want to make up their own truth or define truth. Only God, the creator of the universe, can define truth and love.

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Websites showing the bible’s accuracy. 

 

https://g3min.org/biblical-apologetics-study/lesson-4-the-reliability-of-the-bible/

 

https://evidencetobelieve.com/reliability-of-the-bible/

 

https://www.gotquestions.org/Bible-reliable.html

 

https://www.esv.org/resources/esv-global-study-bible/the-reliability-and-authority-of-the-bible/

 

https://www.thetrumpet.com/1912-archaeology-proves-bible-history-accurate

 

https://research.lifeway.com/2018/09/07/3-reasons-why-the-bible-can-be-trusted/

 

Websites showing Bible prophesy’s.

 

https://scottsdalebible.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/Messianic-Prophecies-Fulfilled-CHART.pdf

 

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.biblestudytools.com/bible-study/topical-studies/the-old-testament-is-filled-with-fulfilled-prophecy-11652232.html%3Famp

 

https://www.newtestamentchristians.com/bible-study-resources/351-old-testament-prophecies-fulfilled-in-jesus-christ/

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We must read His Word daily.

 

You cannot just believe part of the bible.  You must believe the whole thing. Because its true!  I read many Christian books from my hero’s like John MacArthur, Charles Stanley, Billy Graham and others.  There are great benefits reading books from these amazing Godly men, but it wasn’t until I read the bible daily, that my faith exponentially grew.  I started reading about 50 to 80 verses every night from www.dailyverses.net to myself and my wife, then later to myself.  Even if I had every excuse not to.  My life has totally changed ever since. God became my focus, and not myself and the world.  The bible teaches us how to pray, live, trust, witness, endure trials, love, have peace, gain understanding, wisdom, be optimistic, be joyous, tell others about Jesus, and so much more.  We learn how to completely surrender to Gods will instead of ours.  Reading the bible daily is the most important thing a person can do, to be able to surrender to God, understand the bible, understand Gods perfect love, grace, forgiveness, patience, His plan for our lives, what it means for Jesus to die on the cross for us, how to love others, how to pray, and so much more! 

 

2 Timothy 3:16  “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” 

 

Proverbs 30:5  “Every word of God proves true; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.” 

 

Psalm 119:9-10  “How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word.

 

Psalm 119:11  “I have thought much about your words and stored them in my heart so that they would hold me back from sin.” 

 

1 Peter 2:2-3  “Desire God’s pure word as newborn babies desire milk. Then you will grow in your salvation. 3 Certainly you have tasted that the Lord is good!”

 

Hebrews 4:12   God's Word is the only thing that can transform our spirit, soul, and body. The Word of God is living, life-changing, and dynamic as it works in us.

 

We must repent of our sins.

 

So many people claim to be Christians today and think they are Christian’s, but have not repented of their sins and lead very sinful and self focused lives.  The bible clearly states that there must be a repentance after a declaration to follow Christ and an understanding that Christ died on the Cross for our sins.  If there is not repentance in conjunction with a lifestyle change, I would be very concerned about my salvation.  God makes it extremely clear in dozens of verses in the bible that there needs to be and must be repentance of sins.  With this repentance, there is always a huge lifestyle change, followed by fruit that is evident.  If you claim to be a Christian, but you are still living a lifestyle of sin, that could be major problem for your salvation.  Repentance does not mean that we will never sin again, but there should be a complete change in the person.  Many people believe they are Christian, but have not repented.  They continue to think, act, speak and behave more or less the same way as they did before.  Premarital sex, homosexual relationships, racism, watching porn, lying, cheating, stealing, using Gods name in vain, and so much more.  Many people these days, and especially I see it in the younger adults, believe that they can live their lives and do anything they want, because God will forgive them. (Romans 6:1-2)  What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?

    

One of the most hated and ignored verses in the bible is 1 Corinthians 6: 9-10!  Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the kingdom of God?  Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor male prostitutes, nor homosexual offenders, 10nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God.  For those who have not repented, it’s a verse that convicts and makes many people feel very uncomfortable. How you feel about this verse will say a lot about who you are in Christ and if you believe in the God of the bible.

 

Verses about Repentance

 

Hebrews 10:26 says- For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remained no more sacrifice for sins.

 

 2 Corinthians 7:10  Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. 

 

Acts 3:19  Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord..

 

2 Peter 3:9  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

 

Acts 3:19  Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord. 

 

Luke 15:7  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

 

1 John 1:6  If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth.

 

1 John 1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 

 

Ephesians 5:3  But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. 

 

James 4:8  Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.

 

Galatians 5:24  Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 

 

Galatians 5:16   This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

 

Colossians 3:5  Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.

 

Psalm 119:133  Direct my footsteps according to your word; let no sin rule over me.

 

Acts 2:38   Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

 

Luke 5:32  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.  

 

James 4:7  Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  

 

2 Chronicles 7:14  If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

 

Luke 15:7  I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.

 

Romans 6:5-6  For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body ruled by sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin.  

 

1 John 3:8  The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

 

Ezekiel 18:32  For I take no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Sovereign Lord.  Repent and live!  

 

Acts 17:30  In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 

 

Mark 1:15  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near.  Repent and believe the good news!” 

 

Ezekiel 18:30  Repent! Turn away from all your offenses; then sin will not be your downfall. 

 

  So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 

 

Romans 6:13  Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.   

 

Hebrews 12:1  Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 

 

Proverbs 28:13  Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy. 

 

Revelation 3:19  Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent.

 

We must understand what are the most important things in life and what the bible says about that.  

 

For a Christian family, there is a Biblical order of man’s priorities. Our relationship priorities are God, spouse, children, parents, church, and the world.

If this list is out of order, your life will be out of whack and you will have major problems.  No where in this list is your job, money, and popularity.

 

Colossians 3:18-22  There can be no doubt that the scriptural order of priorities is God, spouse, children, parents, extended family, brothers and sisters in Christ, and then the rest of the world. 

 

God must be the number one focus in your life!   

 

This is not even close. God is 99%, the rest below is 1%. Once you make God #1, all others below fall into place. We must realize that we are only on this earth for a short amount of time.  He is everything!  He created everything, He created each of us, and wants us to put Him first above everything else.  Not because He is an insecure God, but because He knows that we need Him, and He loves unconditionally!  When we put God first we give Him priority over everything else. He is the principal figure in our lives and central to all we do and think.  Jesus taught us to “seek the Kingdom of God above all else”

 

Deuteronomy 6:5 says, “ Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Loving God is the first priority. 

 

Matthew 22:35-39   One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and greatest commandment.  

 

Matthew 6:33  That is, we are to seek the things of God over the things of the world.  We are to seek the salvation that is inherent in the kingdom of God, considering that of greater value than anything else in the world. Matthew 13:44-46

 

Spouse

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A very distant 2nd place in the list of priorities is our spouse.  Still extremely important.  A married man is to love his wife as Christ loved the church. (Ephesians 5:25). Christ’s first priority—after obeying and glorifying the Father—was the church.  And wives are to submit to their husbands “as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22).

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A woman’s husband is second only to God in her priorities. The submission asked of the wife is of the type that can be given only between equals.  It is not forced obedience, but a voluntary submission in the respects in which the man was qualified by his Maker to be the head (Genesis 3:16). 

 

“But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.  For man is not from woman, but woman from man.  Nor was man created for the woman, but woman for the man” (1 Corinthians 11:3, 8,9).

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“Wives submit to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord” (Colossians 3:18).

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Ephesians 5:25-29  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church.

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Colossians 3:19  Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.

 

Ephesians 5:25  Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.

 

Children 

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Children should be the next priority. Parents are to raise godly children who will be the next generation of those who love the Lord with all their hearts. It is our main duty as parents to teach our children about the Lord, and read the bible to them, as well as teach them how to pray by example. If parents or guardians do not teach their children truth, someone else will teach them error. This is the most important role of parents.

 

The Word of God teaches, “fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). The word “fathers” may be used to include both fathers and mothers.

 

The Lord’s instruction and discipline to His children are an indication of His love (Revelation 3:19), and so should be those of the parents. Solomon wrote, “Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it” (Proverbs 22:6). Parents are to “direct, educate, and develop,” their children in the way of the Lord.

 

Parents  

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Parents are next in the list. The fifth commandment states, “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Paul admonishes, “Children, obey your parents in the Lord” (Ephesians 6:1). To “obey in the Lord” is to give the kind of obedience that springs from being “in Christ” (Ephesian 1:1). On the other hand, parental requests should be in harmony with the will of God (Acts 5:29).

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After parents comes the rest of one’s family or relatives. The Bible teaches, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever” (1 Timothy 5:8). The Bible teaches a person’s responsibility toward not just his parents, but to all other relatives who are close of kin and need help, especially widows. Christ set an example for every believer when He provided for His mother’s care at the time of His crucifixion (John 19:25–27).

 

Extended Family 

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Our extended family is important and not only should our lives be an example to them, but our Christian witness be evident to them and others.

 

Church  

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The next priority down the list is towards the believers in the church. In the book of 1 Corinthians, Paul tells us how the church members should live together in harmony and love one another. They are to “serve one another in love” (Galatians 5:13); “be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32); “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11); and assist “one another on toward love and good deeds” (Hebrews 10:24).

 

Sincere concern for the worldly and eternal well-being of others is the standard by which Heaven decides the sincerity of a person’s claim to love God. John wrote, “He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. But he who hates his brother is in darkness and walks in darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes” (1 John 2:9–11 also 3:10, 14). Love is action. And it should be expressed in acts of kindness and mercy.

 

World  

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The final priority is to the rest of the world. Jesus Christ instructed that we should love and reach out with the good news of God’s salvation to all the people in the world. He said, “And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice; and there will be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16).

 

Jesus declared Himself to be that light (Matthew 12:16–21). He was the light not of the Jewish nation only but of the whole world (John 8:12). “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). God loves both Jews and Gentiles.

We are to share Christ’s goodness and teach that the Kingdom of God is at Hand.  Jesus commissioned His followers: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19). Christ’s gospel commission effectively erases man’s national boundaries. And citizens of all nations find themselves part of one great brotherhood in which “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female,” for all are “one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28; Colossians 3:11).