Tag: Romans 6:23

It’s Your Choice

On March 5, 2025

In Devotionals, Thoughts and Meditations

~Genesis 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

~Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

~Genesis 3:22 And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:

Man was created in the “likeness” of God. From the beginning, man had the choice between good and evil. However, since man was not God, or a god (as some religions teach), he was not able to say no to sin when given that choice.

God gave Adam and Eve the awesome privilege of living sin free as long as they obeyed one rule: not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. At this point, Adam and Eve only knew “good.” They lived in a perfect place where God would walk with them in the Garden! You would think that they would understand how great their life was, and they wouldn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that life. However, they were easily deceived by Satan. He cast a shadow of doubt on God’s words. In Genesis 3:1, Satan said, “hath God said”? It caused Eve to question what God had told them. It further caused her to add to God’s words with ” neither shall ye touch it”. God didn’t say not to touch the tree but merely not to eat of it.

So from the beginning of man, it has been man’s choice to disobey God. Initially, Hell was created for the devil and his angels, not man. Hell was there before Adam and Eve came along.

~Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

However, because man has chosen to sin, man has also chosen to go to Hell. God doesn’t choose to send people to Hell, man chooses it.

~Ezekiel 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

~Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

~Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin [is] death; but the gift of God [is] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

God created man for fellowship, as we see in Genesis 3:8. God knew that man would choose sin over God. So from the beginning, God provided a way for man to go to Heaven, but again, it is man’s choice – as it always has been. We do have a loving God. Sending people to Hell isn’t what He wanted. He gave man a choice from the beginning. God’s choice is for man to live a wonderful, sin-free life, just as Adam and Eve had the opportunity to have!

Why would God create man if all He wanted were robots who always did what they were told, without a choice? It’s evident that God wants us to love Him by choice, not because we have to. God gives us every opportunity to be saved from the choices we make that will lead us to Hell. However, it is the hardened heart that refuses God’s love and His Heaven.

~Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

It is man’s natural instinct to blame someone else for his undoing. Adam blamed, Eve. Eve blamed the serpent. Today, man blames God for sending people to Hell rather than praise God for providing a way to Heaven through Jesus Christ! It’s man’s choice to sin that takes him to Hell, not God.

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Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled by Jesus – Day 40

By Kate Plourde

On November 11, 2022

In Devotionals, Messianic Prophecies Fulfilled By Jesus

Prophecy of Messiah:

Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

Good morning, dear reader! If there are any verses that, in my opinion, separate the doubters from those who confirm Christ as Messiah, these are the verses. The word “gift(s)” referring to the Lord in the New Testament are such a blessing. If only people understood what a true and blessed Gift the Lord Jesus Christ really is! Please, take a moment to read the following verses so you can be blessed:

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 4:10 Jesus answered and said unto her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink; thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.

Acts 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
Romans 5:15-16 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many. (16) And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift: for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many offences unto justification.
Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
2 Corinthians 9:15 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should boast.

I realize that to some this “free gift” may sound like old news and not really taken to heart. But once you understand what it actually means, it makes more sense. As you know, a gift is given to a person and the giver does not expect anything in return, except maybe gratitude and thankfulness. The receiver doesn’t need to pay for the gift; if he did, the gift would not be a gift at all, but would now be a purchase, right? Today’s prophetic verse of Christ being the true Messiah is probably one that stands out the most to me. No other man on earth can say that their death brought salvation to mankind. Psalm 68:18 Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive: thou hast received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them. Notice the end of the verse says “yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.” John 3:16 tells us that God loved the world! Israel rejected their Messiah and God gave the Gentiles, you and I, the blessed opportunity to receive salvation! Praise the Lord! 🙌 What if Israel had accepted Jesus Christ as their Messiah? Think about it!

Today’s verse speaks of the Messiah’s ascension into Heaven and how Jesus fulfilled that. How many “gods” do you know did that? Surely Buddha didn’t, nor Allah! Only Jesus Christ can claim this! Hallelujah! 🙌 Without Christ’s resurrection and ascension, He would be in the ground and just another prophet. However, Jesus did indeed rise from the dead and He did indeed go back to Heaven to reclaim His rightful throne!

Prophecy of Messiah Fulfilled:

Luke 24:51 And it came to pass, while he blessed them, he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.

Acts 1:9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.

Do you know Him personally or do you only know of Him? I want to be sure that anyone who reads the posts on this blog can know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they are going to Heaven. Have you received Christ as your Saviour? If no, your sins are not covered by His sacrificial offering of Himself. You have not been redeemed by His blood. It is no coincidence that God has placed you here for such a time as this so that you may be saved if you are not already. Please click here and the link will open up in a separate tab to You Can Be Born Again and Know It!