NAUGHTY AND NICE

NAUGHTY AND NICE!

John 5:24

24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

           Like Santa Claus, God maintains a naughty and nice list but unlike Santa, how your name is applied to the list is very different indeed. Santa’s list is pretty straightforward. If you are good for goodness sake then you make the Nice list and you get what you want for Christmas. If you are on the Naughty list then you get nothing but coal in your stocking.

           We are all on God’s naughty list! That does not mean there is no nice list. We will get to that in a minute. The Bible says in Rom 3:10, As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one. Hearing the Word of the gospel is essential. One must not only hear but understand and accept it as truth.

           Next, one must believe. Jesus Himself said in John 3:18, He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. This belief is not just an acknowledgment of God’s existence but the personal reception of God as Savior. It is at this crucial point that the names are transferred from the naughty list to the nice list. Or, to be more correct, we are passed from death unto life. This was the ministry that was given to Saul who became the Apostle Paul on the Damascus road.

Acts 26:16-18

16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

Dear Lord, Thank you that my name is written down in the Lamb’s book of life. AMEN