Over the last nine years, I have had the privilege to share many thoughts and truths from God’s word in the Optimist.
I hope that in some way, it has influenced you and informed you to know that God’s love for you is unconditional. Salvation is not based on your performance or ability to do good things. Your good deeds are welcomed and appreciated, but not needed for Salvation.
This is what makes Christianity different from other religions. The “Do Good - Get Good” mentality is in every other religion in the world, but not ours. Our faith is based not on what we have done or will do, but rather our faith is based on what Jesus Christ has done for us. He has paid for our sins, our mistakes, our moral failures, our wrong decisions, and everything in between. God welcomes you just as you are, and no behavior modification is needed before you attend church.
Being a Christian does not mean you are perfect, on the contrary, it means you recognize that you will never be perfect and perfection is a requirement for eternity in heaven. Therefore we put our faith and trust in the one who is perfect and we accept Him as our savior and payment for our sins.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9.
This will be my last column in the Optimist as I am moving to Oklahoma in the summer. My prayers and thoughts will always be with the amazing people of Delta.
Pastor Bish is taking over at Life Church. God has given this community a gift by appointing a man that loves God, loves people, and loves life.
