The World’s Greatest Conflict

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ONE MINUTE SUMMARY, Part II
by Jim Bramlett The World's Greatest Conflict
The World's Greatest Experience
The World's Greatest Hope
The World's Greatest Life
The World's Greatest Obligation
The World's Greatest Privilege

Listen to Jim Bramlett read this summary. RealAudio (R) audio streaming is possible thanks to C. Dale Ficken at SRT Enterprises: dale@thecampus.com.Get the RealAudio player free:
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For more, see Part I

The World's Greatest Conflict
Each individual, who through a spiritual rebirth has been joined to Christ, is now engaged in a war. It is a war against (1) the natural, human nature that is subject to the passions of the material and sensory world pulling one toward self-gratification and away from serving God and others, and (2) actual spirit-beings who inhabit the world of darkness and who, while perhaps giving upon capturing our souls for eternity, try to discourage us an nullify our effectiveness for God.
There is no avoidance of this conflict. Those who reject God’s great sacrifice have capitulated and, whether they realize it or not, are already captives of their natural self and the spiritual forces in conflict with God. Believers in Christ have the privilege of battle-and victory!
God has many wonderful promises for those who overcome. Plus, he has given us the means: His presence and help, and the gift of faith.
"This is the victory that overcomes the world, our faith." And remember all of our previous discussion about the Passover Lamb and His blood? The last book of the Bible speaks of our overcoming and, apparently in retrospect, speaks of how we secured victory over Satan and the things that would otherwise destroy us: "And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death."
The World’s Greatest Experience
Like Abraham, you can "believe the Lord," and it will be "credited" to you as righteousness. Believe what He says about his Son ("believe" means to entrust yourself to Him) and be declared innnocent.
Like Moses and the Israelites during Passover, you can, by faith, apply the blood of the Lamb of God, Jesus, to the doorposts of your heart. God will "pass over" you in dispensing justice and consider you "not guilty." God sees the blood and considers that punishment has already been taken by His Son in an act of substitution, for our sakes. However, if one rejects God’s sacrifice, it denies Him a just (legal) basis for removal of guilt. It must remain.
Like the thief on the cross who acknowledged Jesus’ identity and recognized his own dire need, you also can cry out, "Jesus, remember me." You, too, will join Him in Paradise the day you leave this earth.
About 800 B.C., the prophet Joel said that a time would come when "Everyone who calls upon the name of the LORD will be saved," (literally in Hebrew, "the name of ‘Yahweh,’" God’s actual name). That time is now. Yahweh has appeared in the flesh as salvation with the Hebrew name "Yehoshua" or "Yeshua," (meaning "Yahweh is salvation")-"Jesus" in English. You can call upon His name, and you will be saved. And now, a summary of the incredible and marvelous.
One Minute (or less) Procedure: call upon the name of the Lord (Yeshua, or Jesus), and you will be saved.
Or Alternate Procedure: (Like the jail guard who wanted to know what he had to do, you can…) Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you shall be saved.

The World’s Greatest Hope
Hope is the essence of life. Without hope, life cannot exist, at least in any meaningful way, and sometimes not at all. The greatest horror is hopelessness. The greatest threat to any human is an endless existence of hopelessness, void of any chance to know or experience God. Hopelessness is surely the chief characteristic of a Christless eternity.
Conversely, the greatest hope possible for any human is that which is given in Christ-to see Him and to dwell with Him forever in Paradise!
Total peace, total joy, and total love. Indescribable beauty. Indescribable sounds. No sickness, pain, sorrow, or death. No dishonesty, corruption, or crime. No taxes! No depressing daily newspapers or television network news.
There will be a joyful reunion with loved ones who trusted the Savior. We will meet people of history who lived before us or after us. Such an infinite existence is really beyond our finite imaginations, thus the description:

"What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those how love him."
The World’s Greatest Life
The new life that results from believing in Jesus, the Son of God, and entrusting our lives to Him is not just a turning over of a new leaf or a new resolution to "do better." It is actually a totally new spirit life. The One Minute Experience actually "births" an eternal spiritual existence. It brings the human spirit truly to life for the very first time and joins the person in an actual "union" with God’s own Spirit. While appearing physically the same in a mirror, the individual is now different at the core, at the spirit level and is a dwelling place of the Holy Spirit. "He who is united to the Lord becomes one spirit with him…Your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit." By yielding to God’s presence and guidance, the "new creation" person can actually allow the Creator’s own life to be expressed in the world and thereby accomplish His purposes. This duality of existence, Creator and creature, is referred to in the Bible as both a mystery and a paradox. Nevertheless, it is real: two but one; one but two. "I live; yet not I, but Crhist liveth in me," declares Paul. On the "I" or human side, we can still act selfishly, bringing temporal results and ultimate unhappiness. Or we can "yield" to God’s presence and let Him have His way through us, manifesting His Power and personality, bringing eternal results and happiness for both others and ourselves.
This latter option is a wonderful privilege. And without a doubt, it is "the world’s greatest life!"

The World’s Greatest Obligation
God’s free gift of grace versus our required response-a source of theological debate for centuries. Both are true, but the emphasis is on the former, because we need the help of God’s Spirit, the "Helper," even in our responses. Yet we still must respond. We respond (1) in appreciation for the love He has shown for us, and also (2) out of reverence and awe of who He is.
What does God want from us? What does He want us to do? The New Testament summarizes it this way: "believing" in the Son of God (entrusting ourselves to Him), and "loving one another."
The "entrusting" involves commitment and discipleship, radically changing our former priorities and, if necessary, being willing to sacrifice or suffer for Christ’s sake. The "loving" involves placing the interests of others before ourselves, which summarizes all of the Old Testament law.
In our own human strength, both the above are impossible. We must constantly rely upon God’s Spirit for assistance, and His grace when we fail.
The New Testament exhorts us to do many things to make us more effective instruments for God. This includes helping others, kindness, praying, giving, and serving. It also exhorts us to avoid certain things such as idolatry, immorality, enmity, and covetousness.
A major obligation is for believers to assemble together for joint worship, fellowship, teaching, and mutual service. God has ordained the church for this purpose. Believers should prayerfully pick a church that is Christ-centered and honors the Bible as God’s Word, and carefully avoid the many false cults.

The World’s Greatest Privilege
He’s easier to contact that the mayor of your city, the governor of your state, and certainly the President of the United States. No appointment necessary. No need to go through a secretary. He’s always available, 24 hours a day, and for any length of time, on any subject.
The person? None other than the Creator of the universe-the King of kings and Lord of lords. Such access (prayer) is undoubtedly "the world’s greatest privilege." Prayer (communication) is important for our relationship with our Creator. It opens the channel for His thoughts to guide and comfort us. Further, God has chosen to place limits on His activity on earth based on the prayers of His people. That is because He has chosen not to interfere with our free wills. Our prayers "permit" or justify God to act in human affairs. By His own principle, if we pray according to His will we release Him to act in a situation, making us co-laborers in eternity. There is one principle requirement for access to God. It was first revealed to the Hebrew people and was a strict Jewish practice for hundreds of years: access was only available through the blood atonement. Access is still available only through the blood atonement, but the Old Testatment sacrifices ceased in the first century. They ceased because the Messiah came and provided that blood atonement and access to the Father for all people everywhere.
We can pray anywhere, anytime, in any position, for any duration, on any subject. Prayer should include praise, worship, thanksgiving, and requests. Prayer is an exercise of faith. Such prayer pleases God and brings results.

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