The Seriousness of Sin and the Bible’s Answer (a reflection from Jamaica)

It is hard to believe that a month ago I was in Jamaica, along with 17 others, for a mission trip. I intended to write this post almost as soon as I returned home, but as usual, life gets busy, and I didn’t make the time to write the post as one of the many reflections I had from my trip.

I’ve now been blessed with the opportunity to go to Jamaica specifically for the purpose of spreading God’s Word three times. Each experience has taught me a lot; not only about myself, my fellow workers, and the Jamaican people, but also, and most importantly, the power of the Gospel. God’s Word is powerful, and does bring salvation to those who are willing to obey it.

Romans 1:16: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ,for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.”

Teaching the Gospel in Jamaica also reminds me of the seriousness of sin and why we need salvation from sin. Sin, transgression of God’s law (1 John 3:4), separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2).  Once we reach an age of understanding, we all sin (Romans 3:23), and because of sin, are worthy of death (Romans 6:23). Our sin separates us from God, and condemns us to a place of everlasting punishment for eternity (Matthew 25:31-46).

Thankfully, God sent His Son, giving us the gift of salvation if we choose to accept it. However, we must realize that there are certain things that God says we must do to accept His gift of salvation - to be washed of our sins so that we are no longer separated from Him. The Bible teaches that to be saved – to come to God - and be cleansed from our sins we must hear and understand God’s Word (John 6:45), believe that Jesus is the Son of God (John 8:24), confess that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 10:10), repent of our sins (Acts 17:30), and be baptized (immersed) (Mark 16:16). One example of conversion recorded for us in the Bible is found in Acts 8:26-40. There we see the account of the Ethiopian eunuch: Philip taught the eunuch about Christ (Acts 8:30-35), the eunuch believed in Christ (Acts 8:37), he repented (Acts 8:36), he confessed Jesus as the Son of God (Acts 8:37), and was baptized (Acts 8:38). Notice that the eunuch’s joy comes after his baptism (Acts 8:39), not before. Sadly, some men have perverted God’s Word teaching that baptism isn’t essential to salvation. Consider some of the things that happen at the point of baptism: we receive remission (forgiveness) of sins (Acts 2:38); our sins are washed away (Acts 22:16); we are saved (1 Peter 3:21); and we are added to the church (Acts 2:47).  If sin separates us from God, how can we be right with Him if our sins have not been washed away?

For further discussion about what God teaches through the Bible about how to receive salvation, I encourage you to listen to this lesson by Brother Dan Winkler about becoming a child of God. As always, I’d love to discuss this further with you as well – you can email me (beingwhatiwanttobe at gmail dot com) or write in the comments below.

Thankful Thursday {Jamaica Edition}

A full (likely long!) post about my mission trip to Jamaica is coming, but for now, a few things I’m thankful for related to the Jamaica trip.

• I’m thankful for my parents, who watched Ella and Troy during the trip. We are so blessed to have family who is always willing to watch our children.
• I’m thankful for the members of the mission team. I’m thankful they chose to spend a tiring week in Jamaica in Christian fellowship and the spreading of the gospel.
• I’m thankful for a renewed focus on spiritual things. I’m thankful for spiritual conversations and mindsets.
• I’m thankful for the studies that caused us to dig deeper in our faith.
• I’m thankful for the power of the gospel (Romans 1:16).
• I’m thankful for the eight souls who put on Christ (Galatians 3:27) and washed away their sins (Acts 22:16).
• I’m thankful for the study and preparation that was put in before the team ever left Texas.
• I’m thankful for the Jamaicans who allowed us onto their front porches, their homes, or even their shops to hear God’s Word.
• I’m thankful for the Jamaican brethren. I’m thankful for the Christian fellowship we enjoyed together. I’m thankful for the Jamaican brethren who walked the streets of Jamaica with us, teaching souls the Bible.
• I’m thankful for the opportunity to sing praises to God, and to hear God’s Word preached throughout the week. I appreciate the opportunity to hear God’s Word preached more than ever now that I have children who do not always allow me to hear the lessons.
• I’m thankful for Christ’s sacrifice that allows all the opportunity to spend eternity in heaven, if you choose to obey His commands.

MIA for Good Reason

I know I've been missing in action for the past week or so, but I had a good reason. This past week, my husband and I, along with 11 other members of our congregation, traveled to St. Ann's Bay, Jamaica for a mission trip.

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During our week, we conducted personal Bible studies, and also invited people to come to the gospel meeting that was held each night. Our group studied with more than 80 individuals, and some we studied with on multiple occasions. Three people obeyed the gospel, being baptized into Christ (Mark 16:16, 1 Peter 3:21, Acts 2:38, and many other passages). Our group grew so much spiritually as we were challenged to answer for our faith.

1 Peter 3:15: "But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear."

Here are a few photos from the week:

And I thought this sign was interesting, especially since I'm constantly reading about car seat stuff.

I'll admit that I greatly missed Ella, and I'm sad for the time I had to miss away from her. But I know that the work we did this past week was incredibly important. I also know that Ella was in great hands with her grandparents and aunt, and we are so immeasurably blessed with the family we have in our lives.

If you are interested in learning more about what the Bible teaches, I'm always open to discussion! Feel free to comment or email me at beingwhatiwanttobe@gmail.com