Jesus Works Without a Doubt

It was decades ago when I was made aware of online coupon codes people could use for discounts or free shipping for online orders.  I have noticed the amount of sites that share these codes have increased dramatically but the value and usefulness of the coupon codes have declined.  Some sites will boast having a code that was "used 25 times today," yet the fact it supposedly worked for others is no guarantee I can redeem it and receive the discount.  More often than not, I find these days the online coupon code option is a mirage of savings that rarely pays dividends.

Yesterday we read Isaiah 55:6-7 at Bible study:  "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. ⁷ Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, and He will have mercy on him; and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon."  Note the absolute confidence the prophet has for all those who turn to the LORD in humble repentance and faith!  The LORD is near to those of a contrite spirit, and God will have mercy and pardon the wicked man who forsakes his wickedness.  Isaiah is not like a coupon code broker site that raves with thumbs up, "Try it!  It might work for you too!"  God has revealed Himself to sinners in truth, that He is inclined to show mercy and save anyone who turns from sin and seeks Him.

If turning to God gave us lost sinners an outside chance of forgiveness and salvation it would be worth doing:  how much more when God invites us to do so with the guarantee of mercy, abundant pardon and eternal life?  The apostle John wrote with all assurance concerning Jesus Christ in John 1:10-13:  "He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. ¹¹ He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. ¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: ¹³ who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God."  See?  As many as received Him by faith--not some who received Him--He gave the right to become children of God, ushered into His glorious eternal kingdom.

Paul wrote that Christians should pray for all people to live a godly and peaceable life in 1 Timothy 2:3-7 because "...this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time, ⁷ for which I was appointed a preacher and an apostle--I am speaking the truth in Christ and not lying--a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth."  God has expressed His desire all people would be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth--that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life.  God gave His only begotten Son Jesus as a ransom for all, Jew and Gentile alike.

I encourage you to turn from sin to Jesus now and receive Him by faith, for without a doubt He will show you mercy, abundantly pardon and grant salvation.