Proclaim Christ

Acts 8:5 "Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ."

We as Christians make something very simple very complex. We have a story to share with the nations -- our neighbors -- a story of Jesus and His love.

We are born sinners, we inherit this from our parents (all the way back to our first parents) and we are enslaved to sin. We are in bondage to our selves, to our fears, to death, to what others think. This bondage will eventually lead to eternal separation from God -- hell -- instead of heaven, the presence of God.

The Bible story is a story of redemption and love. God, as our Creator, knows our condition, knows that we cannot get out of it by ourselves -- we always fall short in our climb to God (religion). Seeing this, God sent a Savior to us. We don't climb up to God, He came down to us, to rescue us and to set us free from the bondage.

Jesus Christ, the unique God/man, the Son of God, came to the earth and did live a perfect life -- He kept God's laws and ways perfectly (only God in the flesh could). Then, as God planned from all eternity, Jesus went to the cross and died -- why? -- for His own unrighteousness? No; He had none. He paid the penalty of sin, for us sinners. Jesus bore my penalty, for all of my sin, on the cross. Why? So that I may have peace with God, set free to love God and to serve God and my neighbors.

Jesus died. He was buried in a tomb. On the third day He rose again, ascended into heaven and lives forever.

When we recognize our sinfulness and our helpless state, and go to Him for salvation, seeking His forgiveness, turning from our sin and surrendering our lives to Him, He saves us. He makes us His own.

"But to all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God" -- John 1:12.

May we proclaim Him to a dying world; to our family members and friends and neighbors.

They wait.

Read this story as told by Charles H. Spurgeon:

When the great Biblical critic, Bengel, was dying, he sent for a young
theological student, to whom he said, "I am low in spirit; say something good to
cheer me."
"My dear sir," said the student, "I am so insignificant
a person, what can I say to a great man like yourself?"
"But if you are a student of theology, " said Bengel, "you
ought to have a good word to say to a dying man; pray say it without
fear."
"Well, Sir, " said he, "What can I say to you, but that the
blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin?"
Bengel said, "Give me your hand, young man; that is the very
word I wanted."