Christ In Me- My Hope!

         I deserve eternal death. You know, the second death, the permanent death that will make me non-existent eternally, such as I never existed at all. Yes, that's the death I deserve. Why? Because I'm such a sinful human being. I am. People see me, know me and think I'm not a filthy, disgusting sinner. I am. People have even said to me that 'God likes me', that I have an 'in with God'. I've been told by people they look up to me as the example of someone who loves and lives for God. 

          But I'm a filthy, disgusting, awful sinner! I am! And nothing anyone would ever tell me would make me believe differently. I'm going to even say, I'm the chief of all sinners, who else claimed such a title? 

          1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 

          Paul. But even Paul claimed he sinned out of unbelief. I'm even more of a sinner than Paul because I've believed in Jesus Christ as my Savior for many, many years, and most of those years are filled with grievous sins.

          I deserve to die eternally and nothing will ever change that fact.

          Read the following verses about being filthy, such as I am…

Job_15:16  How much more abominable and filthy is man, which drinketh iniquity like water?

Psa_14:3  They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Psa_53:3  Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Isa_64:6  But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…

Zec_3:3  Now Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood before the angel.

Zec_3:4  And he answered and spake unto those that stood before him, saying, Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said, Behold, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and I will clothe thee with change of raiment.

Col_3:8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth.

Rev_22:11  He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

          I'm filthy. Believe it or not, I am.  My sins are too numerous to count, my shame greater than any can imagine. I'm covered in filthy rags of unrighteousness.

           1Jn 1:8  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 

           We are all sinners deserving of eternal death. 

           We ask ourselves how can a murderer be forgiven? It angers some people when they hear a murderer can be saved from eternal death. We equate murder as one of the most vile sins in existence, as if there is a ranking system.  1. Murder  2. Adultery… wait, society has accepted that one so it's been moved down a few ranks. 2. Hurting children Mat_18:6  

           Let's stop there at those  2 despicable sins.  Everything inside us screams, no they don't deserve eternal life, not after what they did! How can the worst of the sinners get eternal life just like the least of the sinners? 

            How can I say I'm the worst sinner if I've never murdered anyone? If wishing someone were dead, sadly, I am guilty.  Some people might laugh and say a lot of people will be guilty as murderers if just wishing it were a sin. They'd be right. A lot of people are guilty. 

            There are sins of such atrocities I can't even write them down. And there are sins which are common to us, so much so we take it for granted that everyone lies (white lies included), everyone covets their neighbors goods, a lot of people commit adultery and if you're using this list to check off the ones you haven't committed, let me remind you that Jesus Himself said if you so much as LOOK upon another to LUST after them in your thoughts… guess what? You're guilty of adultery. So, just because you haven't physically consummated the act of adultery, you're just as guilty.  When we see someone in need and refuse to help them…  guilty.  Those uncharitable thoughts you keep to yourself about even strangers…guilty.

    Sins fill our lives and we are ALL deserving of eternal death.

To say we don't deserve to die eternally is to make God a liar.

            There is no good thing in us--

            Psa_53:3  … there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

           The most disgusting sinner is worthy of eternal death and so is the least of all sinners whoever that may be.

            I am no BETTER than a single other person in existence. We all wear filthy rags equally. 

            What I do know is that if I confess my sins that Jesus is faithful and just to forgive me my sin.  And guess what, I'm sad to say, I sin daily. It's a constant war, a never ending battle to love God and love others, and to give up the idol that is me, of putting myself first. It's a war against principalities and powers, and wickedness in high place. It's fighting against the devil because he's going about like a roaring lion seeking to devour me. It's the uncharitable thought, it's the sins of the past that the devil brings back up to my remembrance, it's that heavy guilt of failure to be as God would have me be, and the war against despairing of my deserving eternal death. 

              I do deserve it! But …

             CHRIST DIED FOR ME SO I DON'T HAVE TO DIE THAT ETERNAL DEATH I DESERVE. 

             Christ let himself be tortured and hung on a cross in MY PLACE!

             If I but confess my sins… HE IS FAITHFUL AND JUST TO FORGIVE ME MY SINS AND HE WILL CLEANSE ME FROM ALL UNRIGHTEOUSNESS. 

             All of us sinners, from what we imagine is the worst of sinners to the least of sinners, must do this… confess to JESUS! 

            Confess your sins daily, hourly, minutely whenever you recognize the sin in yourself confess it! Recognize your desperate need of a SAVIOR all the time! 

             I don't want people who know me to think I'm anything but a forgiven sinner, because that is ALL I am! Christ is everything, and if anything at all whatsoever seems to be good in me, it's NOT by anything I have done at all, it's not ME, but Christ in me my hope of glory!

Col 1:27  To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory

1Jn_1:9  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Psa 32:5  I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin…

Rom 7:24  O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the     body of this death? Rom 7:25  I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord

Rom_10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Eph 2:8  For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 

Eph 2:9  Not of works, lest any man should boast. 

Eph 2:10  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.