Christianity is not an affiliation or a club. It is not an ethnicity or a cultural
background. Christianity is something that happens to you and makes you someone
brand new. It is never an accessory to your life. It either marks the ending of
your old life and the beginning of something new, or you don't have it.
That's bad news for those who aren't ready. If you're perfectly happy with the person
you've become apart from Jesus Christ, then you aren't ready. If you wish that you
could re-live your same life up to this point over and over again forever, then
you aren't ready. But if you'd give anything for a new start in life—for a
blank slate and a chance to cut loose from the baggage of bad choices made in your
life—then you may be ready for the new start available in Jesus.
Americans know about debt. The average American household carries more than $8,000
of revolving debt (not including auto and home loans). Mortgages have been issued
in America encouraging people to purchase homes that they really couldn't afford.
But eventually debts have to be paid, and the results can be devastating when people
can't pay the debts that they've run up.
Spending is fun, but paying is not (and paying comes after spending like night comes
after day).
You and I, when we sin, aren't punished by God right away. We're incurring a spiritual
debt for later, and we are all in over our heads, indebted to sin and enslaved to
it for life. The price is more than we can pay.
Jesus paid our debt. Freely He gives to all who surrender their lives to Him the gift of
entire freedom from our previous debts—PAID IN FULL! Our punishment fulfilled; our
debts paid; our old lives ended. Everything is new! Jesus wasn't overstating the case at
all when He described becoming a Christian as being "born again."
First Baptist Church of Farmersville, like every real church in the New Testament model,
consists only of people who testify that they have been born again. You can't belong to
the church until you belong to Jesus. Fortunately, it is God's will for everybody to be
born again. Today is a great day for a spiritual birthday!
Want to know more? One of our pastors will be delighted to speak with you. Just give the
church a phone call and set up a time to ask your questions and enter a dialogue about
the gospel of Jesus Christ.