Sunday, December 27, 2009

I got sick.

I wrote this article for an atheist site some friends of mine do.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Forgive me for writing to you in English. I realize that God has gifted many Romanians with an aptitude for languages, and many of you understand English well. For the rest of you I offer my apologies. There are many wonderful articles on this site written in Romanian.

I’d like to write this article as a testimony of the Living and Powerful God, of whom it is written: “God is love”. I’d like to tell you of His power of love, manifested in His children, as they love one another.

I was recently taken by a virus and very sick. After three days I could take it no more, and we called an ambulance. The hospital is around 10 minutes from where I live, and yet after waiting for the ambulance 3 hours, a Christian friend sacrificed his time and money, to bring me and my wife to the hospital with a taxi. Another Christian friend brought my mother-in-law to baby-sit our daughter. After arriving at the hospital, I was quarantined for 2 nights and 1.5 days. There’s not a lot to do when you’re in quarantine. However, I had much less pain and really enjoyed the rest and quiet.

After my wife’s experience of giving birth here in Bucharest, I have very low expectations of hospitals. I did however have a very comfortable bed. It was interesting and important to note that the bed, and the other beds in the room, were donated by world vision, which is a Christian organization. It was not donated by and atheist charity organization. Without God you do not have true love. Or much of a basis for understanding it for that matter.

When it was time to go home, a Christian woman stayed with our baby, so that my wife could assist me home from the hospital. Upon arriving home, my Christian wife, served and cared for me, even though she is pregnant and has our daughter, therefore making her quite tired.

Many Christians prayed for us and gave us money and medicines. So many asked if there was anything they could do to help. It was very cold and my wife was exhausted, so I asked a brother to do some shopping for us, as I needed some special food in my poor state of health. He traveled from another side of the city, far away, and did the shopping for us. When he entered our door, I saw what bad health he was in. He had a bad cough and should not have risked his life for me like that.

So many Christians called or wrote notes, expressing their love and concern, as well and offers to help, and assurance of their prayers for us. Real Christians do love one another.

What is my point in telling you all this? Here it is: the greatest commandments are to love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength, and your neighbor as yourself. Failure to do so is sin and deserves God’s wrath, which will be poured out upon the unloving in hell. Before I was a Christian, I used to tell my girlfriend “I love you” and stuff like that. But what I really meant was I love ME, I want you. It was selfishness pure and simple. You may say, “I know really nice people who are not Christians”. You may, but do you know people who have loved God above all else, and then their neighbor as themselves? People who are ‘loving to others’ are only doing what they are supposed to. This won’t get anyone to heaven. God tells us in the Bible that if we know to do good (ex. Loving others) and don’t do it, it is sin. So when you stand before God on the day of judgment, you will not only be accountable for your transgressions, but for your omissions (stuff you neglected to do). Let’s see if you have any transgressions.

Have you ever….

Lied?

Stolen (regardless of the value and including illegal software etc.)?

Used God’s name (the God who gave you life) in vain?

Had sex outside of marriage? (Jesus said that whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart.)

Hated anyone?

Been selfish?

Unthankful?

Had or supported an abortion and therefore committed murder?

Let’s look at your omissions or negligence. Have you always

Loved God above all else?

Loved your neighbor as much as you love yourself?

Done the good that you should have?

Been thankful?

Been honoring to your parents?

This isn’t a balance system where you put your “good” on one side and your bad on the other. Good, is just doing what you’re supposed to, it doesn’t merit you eternal life. Now here is God’s love towards us. We have transgressed and neglected God’s law. We have not loved as we should. We have a conscience and know better. God can therefore judge us and punish us eternally in Hell. That would be good and just of Him. Yet God in love, demonstrated that love, in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. We broke and neglected God’s law, Jesus paid our fine. God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He always loved God first, and loved His neighbor as He ought. Then He was crucified in our place on the cross. Three days later He rose from the dead. And now lives forever, soon to return.

Based on Christ’s death in our place, you can be justified (Made righteous in the sight of God in a legal way.) God commands you to repent (turn from your sin) and trust in Christ’s blood. Believe the gospel (good news). Believe the love of God towards you. God will give you a new heart that loves Him, and others.

Eze 36:25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.

Eze 36:26 A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.

Eze 36:27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.

Look at the beuty of these verse:

1Jn 3:13 Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.

1Jn 3:14 We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

1Jn 3:15 Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

1Jn 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

I had the joy of seeing many people who trust in Christ and are able to have confidence that they have passed from death to life, because God has worked in them, and now they love the brethren (other Christians). May that soon be you too.
With much love,

Jonathan DeSeno 1 John 2:5, 1 John 3:1