22 January 2023
Two-Minute Features | 29 January 2023 | 15 January 2023

What is Enough for Entrance into Heaven? Part 2 (TMF:2015)

Friday, January 27, 2023
Peace to Live By: What is Enough for Entrance into Heaven? Part 2 (TMF:2015) - Daniel Litton
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       Any person needs to accept the atoning work that Christ accomplished on the cross for him or herself. They need to recognize that the Holy God demands perfection for us to be in his presence. Since we obviously cannot accomplish that, we leave that part to Jesus. So, for any of us to see Mr. Jefferson in the future, he needed to recognize and accept this truth. This is the way a person comes into relationship with God. Do you see, though, that it’s not enough to just believe in God, as James tells us, rather, warns us? Demons, of whom the Bible says are supernatural beings, they believe in God. Some of them saw Jesus firsthand during his earthly ministry. He would have encounters with them from time to time as he went about preaching. They knew who he was. Remember in Luke chapter 4 for instance. he demon said there, “"Ha! What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God"” (Luke 4:34, ESV).

What is Enough for Entrance into Heaven? Part 1 (TMF:2014)

Thursday, January 26, 2023
Peace to Live By: What is Enough for Entrance into Heaven? Part 1 (TMF:2014) - Daniel Litton
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        Back in James, he says, “Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder!” (ESV). Not too long ago I spent some time with Thomas Jefferson. He wasn’t one much interested in the supernatural. He believed that, at least pertains to the earth, everything needs to be able to be explained by science, and that anything that couldn’t be simply wasn’t true. Most of us are aware that he complied a version on the Gospels which excluded any supernatural occurrences and only sought to show the moral teachings of Jesus. He even excluded the resurrection and just made Jesus die, and his disciples bury him. Thomas Jefferson definitely believed in God. He definitely admired Jesus Christ and a lot of what he had to say. He noted that he was the most noble of all the philosophers because of his focus on others instead of just the self (1). The issue is that—while Jefferson believed all of this—while he believed in God and believed Jesus existed—that’s still not enough to gain entrance in to the kingdom of Heaven.

(1) See Thomas Jefferson's 'Syllabus of an Estimate of the Merit of the Doctrines of Jesus.’

Understanding Our Value in God's Eyes, Part 3 (TMF:2013)

Wednesday, January 25, 2023
Peace to Live By: Understanding Our Value in God's Eyes, Part 3 (TMF:2013) - Daniel Litton
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       He did say that those who have been forgiven much, they what? They love much. So, those of us who have been forgiven little, then, in return, don’t love as much. Those who were really bad, then, often are able to help others even more, but again, this doesn’t make them more valuable in God’s eyes. Within our liberty then, within the Law of Liberty (that freedom from God we have as new creations, that which I have defined), it is in that then that we actually choose to practice works, to help others. We help others out of our great compassion that we have found in being free. Since we have a true sense of our value in our correct understanding of who we are as a new creation, as so greatly valued by God, we seek to be an imitator of God’s display of value and therefore value others the same. Of course, we will do this in different ways—in ways that are characteristic of God’s gifting within each one of us. We have the ability to help with basic needs, and even specific needs of our fellow people based on God’s gifting to us. Our gifting helps us to give out of the abundance of our gift to others.

Understanding Our Value in God's Eyes, Part 2 (TMF:2012)

Tuesday, January 24, 2023
Peace to Live By: Understanding Our Value in God's Eyes, Part 2 (TMF:2012) - Daniel Litton
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       We are all valued the same—the price for each one of us is the same. The cost to make each of us right costs the same. How has he purchased us? With the blood of his Son, Jesus. By Christ’s righteousness, we have all been made new creations in God’s sight. It is true that we were valuable before our belief in Jesus. I mean, Jesus died for all of us before we even knew him. Yet, how much more valuable are we now on the other side of the cross, after having believed in God’s provision for our problem? Within our new group, though, we aren’t more valuable than another based on external works. Jesus did say, and this may not be something a lot of people want to hear, he did say that those who have been forgiven much, they what? They love much. So, those of us who have been forgiven little, then, in return, don’t love as much. Those who were really bad, then, often are able to help others even more, but again, this doesn’t make them more valuable in God’s eyes.

Understanding Our Value in God's Eyes, Part 1 (TMF:2011)

Monday, January 23, 2023
Peace to Live By: Understanding Our Value in God's Eyes, Part 1 (TMF:2011) - Daniel Litton
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       Let me demonstrate. Is a person in the Christian community who is famous, say, a famous minister, is that person more valued in God’s eyes? Someone might say, “Well, yes of course. So and so is much more valuable in God’s eyes than me. Look at all the work they do.” I would replay, “You are correct. This person does a lot of work, but that doesn’t make him a more valuable person.” The same person might reply, “How so? They have given lots of sermons, write many books, gone around the country. You’re crazy if you think that this person is not more valuable than us normal folk.” I would then say, “Yes, this person has done a lot of good. He’s spent his whole life and a lot of time doing that good. However, how does this make him more valuable than you or me in God’s eyes?” The reality is, the correct answer is, we are all equal in value in God’s eyes, no matter what we do with our lives. God has purchased us with a price, and yes, it’s the same price for all.