Category Archives: c) Benefits of Christianity in this Life

Benefits of Christianity in This Life

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The most significant benefit of faith in Jesus Christ simply cannot be adequately expressed here. The joy of forever in heaven instead of the agony of eternity in hell is an abstract concept that cannot truly be grasped. We can hear about it and understand it intellectually, but we cannot in our hearts comprehend what it means. Certainly, it is the salvation of our souls from God’s wrath for our sin, which is the great gift, but I doubt anyone turns to Christ out of the fear of hell. Instead, we are compelled to turn to Christ to address what we know is not right in ourselves, how we live, or even to escape a hell on Earth that has entangled us.  We look to Christ to enjoy his mercy, love, blessing, and security in this life while looking to the future promise of heaven.

The benefits we enjoy as Christians are rooted in our standing as the adopted children of God. Our lives are in our heavenly Father’s hands, and we are assured that he will cause all things to work together for our good. We realize these benefits as we pursue God and strive to live our lives according to his will. Here are some of the principal benefits that we Christians enjoy during our short time here on Earth.

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Peace From God

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If we are living at peace with God, we can then enjoy peace from God. Read Romans 5:1-2 This peace is the absence of turmoil and hostility. It is calmness, lack of anxiety, contentment, clarity, completeness, joy, and the confidence of living in the truth that defies the chaos that hammers us in this world. This peace comes to us in abundance as we live in step with his will. I have found that when I pursue God and stay close to him, his peace permeates my day-to-day life. This provides consistent evidence of his love for me and deepens my faith and reliance on him. When we stay in his word, when we pray to him, when we seek and obey his will, our soul is filled with a depth of peace that can only come from God.

“Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you . . . After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”  1 Peter 5:6-7 & 10

Keep your eyes on things above (Jesus Christ and God’s word), not on worldly things, Read Colossians 3:1-2 and you will find enduring peace. Live again for yourself, pursue your heart’s desires in self-reliant pride, then any peace you find will be fleeting. The apostle Paul tells us to be anxious for nothing, but instead pray about everything!

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus!” Philippians 4:4-7

Jesus gives us this assurance . . .

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.” John 14:27

I saw this on the bumper of a car . . . Know God Know Peace; No God No Peace.

All Things Work Together for Those Who Love God

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We take great comfort knowing that God is in control of our lives, and everything we encounter has gone through his hands. We rest in complete confidence that God ultimately uses all things for our good, though it may not seem that way at the moment. Read Romans 8:28 He will use every event and circumstance (the good, the bad, and the terrible) to accomplish His will for those who belong to him. His will is to mold us to be more like his son, Read Romans 8:29 and there is no better outcome than we could hope for than to be more like Jesus Christ! Even though we may not understand the why, how, and when of what God weaves together, Read Isaiah 55:9-8 we trust him because we are his own possession, and he takes care of us. Read 1 Peter 2:9

This is the comfort that the children of God enjoy. Those who have rejected Jesus are on their own, and all things do not happen for their good.

Meaning and Purpose

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Living for God, with the promised future of eternity in heaven and reaping the benefits of living in obedience, gives us substantial, clear meaning and purpose. Our purpose here is to glorify God. This means to give him weight, to make him substantial, significant, and essential – both to ourselves and to others. It is to honor him in what we say, how we act, and how we think. It is striving to live our lives in loving, grateful obedience. We are to be a testimony to his perfect will and to make Him known to the world. Our meaning and purpose in life come from serving God, a transcendent purpose beyond ourselves, and not the futility of chasing this world’s fleeting pleasure. Live in Christ, doing what you were created for, and your life will have meaning and purpose:

“Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2

It is crystal clear that all the world has to offer dramatically fails to provide fulfillment. Look at the people who had it made, those who had the world by the tail and had hit the pinnacle of celebrity, wealth, and success – then put a rope around their neck and kicked out the stool to find peace – a tragic end to the lost who jump to their eternal conclusion.

Death and Eternal Life

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We are all headed to the same physical fate; both the righteous and the unrighteous will die one day. But happily, Christians need not fear death, though we still do. Those who believe what God says can rest in the assurance of these two truths:

  • Our lives here are in God’s hands, and he alone will determine when our time here on Earth will end. We will not be called home to heaven one second before God wills it so. Read Job 14:5
  • We are headed to an eternity with God in heaven. A much better place than where we are now! Read John 14:2-3 and Luke 23:42-43

As you mature in the faith, your confidence in God’s promises deepens, and the notion of life after death becomes more certain. This confidence provides the Christian with the courage to face their inevitable departure from this life and is wonderful comfort as we say goodbye to our loved ones. Jesus tells us repeatedly that those who believe in him will have eternal life, and we believe what he tells us.

Security in Christ

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The apostle Paul reassures us . . .

“For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:31-39

Trust and believe in Jesus Christ, and you are saved for eternity. We serve a faithful God who will never desert or forsake us! Jesus himself reassures us in this beautiful verse:

“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. I and the Father are one.” John 10:27-30