Coping with Change!

Life’s usually is a constant cycle of change as we all know only too well. We just seem to get comfortable; find our slot and then things change. As a Christian, I have the assurance that despite the changes in life I have an anchor. My anchor is none other than Jesus Christ – He provides the hope, ‘both sure and steadfast’, ‘which hope we have as an anchor of the soul ^[1]’. An anchor is a heavy object attached to a cable or chain and used to moor a ship to the sea bottom. When life is changing, we need a fixed point of reference, an anchor to keep us steady. I believe that the Bible is the only document known to humanity that can give us stability and the fixed point of reference that we need as we make our journey through life. Within its pages, we will discover the reason we exist, the cause of all the evil and sin in our world and the way that we can know what is eternal i.e. things that are of lasting value. To be confident in this life we need peace, contentment and confidence that our life has real significance. I believe the only way this is possible is to get to know God, the maker of us all. He made us and he knows how we tick.

Changing Values

It is amazing how prices change. Many U.K. readers will remember the old currency of pounds, shillings and pence, when there were 12 pence to the shilling and twenty shillings to the pound. Half a crown (12.5p) would have gone a long way and a big white five-pound note was a king’s ransom! Decimalisation dispensed with that and many would argue, led to a great price increase.

Also the cost of houses, cars and even normal, every day commodities, seems to soar. Trying to keep up with this has engendered in people a great desire for riches and this keeps the gambling industry going. Why the big interest in riches? We are told all our worries would be over. People swallow all this despite the evidence showing the opposite. Many movie and sports stars with their millions of money seem to be unhappy people. With all their riches they leave behind a trail of broken marriages, deserted children and some have a suicidal end. Supposing you won the lottery! What then? A big car, a mansion with a swimming pool, a villa in the sun, a yacht and so on. But what then? Some day it must all be left behind and what then?

There is only one thing that does not change in value and that is the human soul. The Lord Jesus Christ said, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?" Mark 8. 36. Your soul, the real person, is of more value than the entire world. The reason is simple yet most solemn, it will never cease to exist and is your most precious possession. Dear reader, you have a one-way ticket to eternity and you are not coming back. The big question is, "What is after death?"

There are but two places, heaven and hell and you have the choice. I think every sane person would say, "I don’t want to be in hell, I want to be in heaven." But how can I get there and how can I be sure? If my soul is so precious then it will take a tremendous price to buy a place in heaven for all eternity.

There is no possibility of materialistic wealth on earth buying a ‘heavenly plot’. The cost of our redemption is extremely valuable, so much so that it is recorded, "the redemption of their soul is precious" and because of this "None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him," Psalm 49. 7,8. There is only one thing that can equate to the value of the soul and purchase its redemption. Here is what the apostle Peter wrote, "ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold … But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot," 1 Pet. 1. 18,19. Peter is highlighting an illustration that may be found in Exodus chapter 12. The Lamb is identified in John chapter 1 verse 29, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." He, the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, went to the cross of Calvary where He was crucified and He shed His precious blood and died so that we may be saved. The apostle John wrote, "...the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin," 1 John 1. 7.

When those who are saved reach heaven they shall sing one great song. They will not be singing of church, chapel, mission hall, gospel hall; nor will they be boasting of their religion, their good works or their ordinances. What is their song? "And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation," Rev. 5. 9.

It is His blood alone that can redeem us and give us the assurance of a place in heaven. This alone is the vast, mighty, incalculable, price that will atone for our sins. The moment you trust Him with your soul, the value of His precious blood will be put to your account and you can be sure of heaven for all eternity. How rich are you for eternity?

Reproduced by permission of Assembly Testimony publications.





For more information visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

Nothing can change me - that's the way I am! True or False?

TRUTH U CAN TRUST - DIRECT BIBLE QUOTATIONS - TITUS 1:4-16

Please read the bible quote and the comments at the end - thanks.

4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

⁵ For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

⁶ If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

⁷ For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;

⁸ But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

⁹ Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

¹⁰ For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

¹¹ Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

¹² One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

¹³ This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

¹⁴ Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

¹⁵ Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

¹⁶ They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

The caricature of national characteristics does not go down well with the

members of the nation being described. 

To call the Scots mean is not only insulting but untrue. 

To call the Irish stupid is equalling insulting and any brief visit to the Emerald Isle

will reveal that in terms of making money they are far from stupid.  I could go on

but I'd rather have some friends when I have finished writing this piece! 

So what is my point?

In the chapter quoted above the residents of Crete are described as 'liars, violent and

greedy", not guaranteed to endear one to the nationals but one that seems to have been

commonly accepted in the days of the New Testament; I am sure that things have changed

drastically since then. 

The point that the writer is making is that becoming a follower of Jesus Christ (also

described as getting saved or being converted) completely changes a person and

counteracts what we are naturally. 

I whole heartedly recommend turning from your sin and accepting Christ as your Lord and

Saviour. To find out more read some of my previous blogs or visit me on

www.seekthetruth.org.uk.