eurokarma

So for people to be clear, the reason why one needs to be saved is because all people have sinned before God. To die in one’s sin is to face the wrath of God as a sinner. The good news of Jesus Christ is that he made salvation possible by our turning from our sins and choosing to believe in Jesus so as to be rescued from the judgement of our sin.

Here at eurokarma, we stress that you cannot have sin and be condemned to hell while you believe in Jesus any more than you can have Jesus and the reason NOT be it not because you have sinned. The need for Jesus and the forgiveness of sin are one and the same.

For more information on why we need to turn from our sins see the Ten Commandments Pages (regular, backwards).

the man in the wheelbarrow

Suppose you were overlooking an incredible waterfall. There was a tightrope suspended  over the cliff and as you watched a man who held perfect balance took a wheelbarrow across it. He would stop at certain moments on the rope and the crowds on both sides of the rope would gasp. Would the man make it to the other side?

Even more terrifying was that when he got on to the other side, he let a person out of the wheel barrel. Yet it wasn’t even just one, it was two people that you see were inside the wheelbarrow. Next the man comes back across the rope, this time faster as he doesn’t carry anyone back inside the wheelbarrow to have two more volunteers he takes back over the cliff on this third trip across the rope.

There are no nets, no extra rope lines. You watch for hours as the man slowly brings people over the fall across the rope.

Your friends join you and they have missed the amazing feat of the man who took all of those people across the rope and criticize the man as he approaches. So you start to defend the man to your friends as the man comes up to you. He says “would you like a ride across the rope?”

Faith in Jesus Christ now appears so much easier than getting inside the wheelbarrow doesn’t it? Faith in just about anything for a few moments would be easier than faith in the man and his wheelbarrow. Yet to have faith in Christ is to make that trip across the line. We find emotionally that the decision to come to Christ may very well feel just that heavy.

The amazing work of Jesus Christ however is that the trip over the rope with the wheelbarrow was already made for you. The moment with Jesus you are willing to say yes is the second before you are already across the rope. Faith in Christ is really that amazing. One does not need to “do” anything. There is no prayer it is simply a matter of trust and a choice.

Jesus Christ and his Children

When Jesus Christ interacts with Children, he does something that is completely foreign to the ancient world in regards to how children are treated. In fact, the same behavior by Jesus is also found to be counter-cultural in his treatment towards women.

In the ancient world, until a boy became a man there was little to no influence the Father would have on his children. They were to be taken care of by the mother as the Child was treated as a hindrance for not being able to legally make decisions.

When Children approach Jesus, his disciples try to shew the kids away. He refuses their behavior and explains that the treatment of God’s children are the most important thing in his ministry. He tells the disciples that of all the people that are great in the Kingdom of Heaven, it is the Children who are the greatest.

Women who show faith such as the woman and her two mites as well as the woman who anoints Jesus’ feat with her hair also show an amazing feat of faith. They demonstrate to us that it is our own minds and attitudes towards God that in the end are really our demise.

It is when we have pride towards God and really do not worry about our sin. We choose to labor the burden of the weight on our shoulders towards God when we don’t let go of our pride. It is what in the end makes us feel “great” when we are really “less” as people in having faith and trust in God.

Who Is the Greatest?
1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” 2 And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them 3 and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
5 “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me, 6 but whoever causes one of these alittle ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a great millstone fastened around his neck and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.

7 “Woe to the world for temptations to sin! For it is necessary that temptations come, but woe to the one by whom the temptation comes! 8 And if your hand or your foot causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life crippled or lame than with two hands or two feet to be thrown into the eternal fire. 9 And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.

10 “See that you do not despise gone of these little ones. For I tell you that in heaven their angels always see the face of my Father who is in heaven. Matthew 18:1-10 (ESV)

So as Jesus has taught, if you had a child who wished to believe in Jesus, would you stop him? Of course not! No one would ever wish to see a young kid not come to faith in Jesus Christ. The person who would have personal reservations about Jesus yet saw a loving family member who was close to accepting Jesus wouldn’t dare turn such a person away.

If that is the case for a child or loved one, than why again will you not turn your heart to Christ? Perhaps those loved ones are not yet in faith with Christ and they look up to you. Over your limbs Jesus warns that you shouldn’t fail in your effort to come to God and be saved. If that is the case for even one lost soul in this world than how sadder would it be for you to cost both your life and the life of someone else for being a bad example for not turning your heart to Christ?

The child is dependent on his parents are guardians to survive. He trusts them. The relationship cannot be more clear as Jesus refers to God as his father. The choice is clear, accept the relationship you need with God your father.