Slideshow image

Socrates taught for forty years, Plato for fifty, Aristotle for forty, and Jesus Christ for only three; yet those three years infinitely transcend in influence the combined one hundred and thirty years of teaching of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, three of the greatest men of all antiquity.  Jesus painted no picture; yet the paintings of Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci received their inspiration from Him.  Jesus wrote no poetry; but Dante, Milton, and scores of the world’s greatest poets were inspired by Him.  Jesus composed no music; still Haydn, Handel, Beethoven, Bach, and Mendelssohn reached their highest perfection of melody in the hymns, symphonies, and oratorios written in His praise.  Every sphere of human greatness has been greatly enriched by the humble carpenter of Nazareth.

Jesus’ greatest contribution to the human race is the salvation of the soul.  Salvation is not something that philosophy can offer, nor can art, or literature, or music.  Only Jesus Christ can break the power of sin in a person’s life.  Only He can give strength to the strength-less soul.   He is the one who gives us hope, not only for today, but for all eternity.

Regardless of where you are at in your life, or what you may be facing right now, Jesus Christ is the answer.  Inviting Jesus Christ into your life doesn’t mean that everything will be instantly perfect, but it does mean that Jesus will walk with you every step you take.  The Bible states that He will never leave you or forsake you. The benefits of following Jesus Christ are too numerous to mention all of them; however we will look at a few of them today.

One of my favorite portions of the Bible is found in John 10:10 where Jesus states:

“I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

What an incredible statement. Jesus didn’t just come to give us life, He came to give us abundant life. Part of the abundant life that Jesus offers includes something that so many people spend their whole life looking for, which is peace.  There are many things that we may consider important, but without peace we really have nothing.

John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” NIV  

Something else that most of us long for is meaningful deep relationships. One of the benefits of knowing Jesus is that He offers us a deep intimate relationship with our Creator.

Rev 3:20 “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”

The incredible thing about Jesus is that He not only offers us relationship, He offers us the opportunity to become part of His family. 

John 1:12 “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.”  

I am convinced that living with Jesus Christ in your life is the greatest life and adventure that anyone can know.  The benefits of knowing Jesus are truly amazing. I want to share one last Bible verse with you that tells us about the benefit of eternal life.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”  

If you want to know about or experience abundant life, peace, relationship and eternal life, then take the time right now to ask God to come into your life and make Himself real to you.  If you would like to learn more, or talk to someone in person, then take the time to call or attend one of the local Bible teaching churches in your area. If you are from the Tumbler Ridge area, give us a call or join us for our Sunday Worship Service.