Welcome to The Heart… Oh, I almost forgot - this isn't the welcome address. This letter doubles as the email people receive when they subscribe. But anyways,
Welcome to The Heartbeat Letters 🎉
*rubs hands in excitement*
Alright! I've got something amazing to share with you. But first… I was listening to Nathaniel Bassey's song - Someone's At The Door while writing this letter and I think you should listen to it too as you read (Spotify, Apple Music).
What I'm about to say might not sound like good news to some (but hopefully at the end of this letter it'll be really good news for all). In fact, before I understood what Jesus did for me it was very very bad news.
In secondary school, there was this compulsory chapel service we had to go to every Wednesday, and in one of those services they talked about the rapture!
Now, I was born and bred in the church so I believed (and still do, 1st Thessalonians 4:13-18, Matthew 24:26-31) in it. Today I can tell you that it's really good news but back then… It was far from good.
To a lot of us, it meant that Jesus was returning to judge sin and those who couldn't stop sinning get thrown into hell. That scared the life out of everyone who still had a conscience and I can vividly remember my classmate in tears going around and literally begging everyone in class to forgive her.
As I mentioned the rapture, I know that someone's heart tightened a bit. You got scared and most likely, you want to drop this letter - DON'T. Read it very carefully till the end, I promise it'll be really good news.
What if I told you that Jesus doesn't want you to be afraid of His return?
I've fully experienced what it's like to live in fear of this. Someone would teach about the rapture and in fear I'll try to live holy… we all know that never lasts. Then I tried to pray for forgiveness almost every hour and I quickly failed at that too.
Finally, I wouldn't just care anymore - an obvious lie I told myself. And this cycle would repeat itself again and again, with me constantly in fear. Fast forward to today, there's zero fear and I know where I'll be when he returns.
What made the difference?
Understanding what Jesus did for me!
And to make it easier for you to understand, I want to explain two foundational points.
One, a genuine apology doesn't forgive sins. I know that you are sincere when you pray to God for forgiveness but just because a person says sorry at the court doesn't make their court sentence go away.
Leviticus chapters 4, 5, and 6 are three long chapters on sin and how it requires an offering.
For context, the Israelites (ancient Israel) were God's special people and He gave them laws to follow. Breaking any of these laws counted as sin and for them to be forgiven, they needed an offering.
Then you must bring to the Lord as the penalty for your sin a female from the flock, either a sheep or a goat. This is a sin offering with which the priest will purify you from your sin, making you right with the Lord.
Leviticus 5:6 NLT
Then you must bring a female sheep or goat to me as the price for your sin. A priest will sacrifice the animal, and you will be forgiven.
Leviticus 5:6 CEV
If the Israelites could just pray and they'd be forgiven, don't you think that would have been easier? Exactly! Sin has to be atoned for - just like criminals have to pay their court sentence. Atonement is what you do to right your wrongs - but the atonement for sin isn't an easy one.
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23 NLT
The atonement, the way to clear off your sins, is to die! This leads to the second point…
…Two, God allows for substitution. Instead of us dying, God allows us to use the blood of animals in exchange for ours.
For the life of the body is in its blood. I have given you the blood on the altar to purify you, making you right with the Lord. It is the blood, given in exchange for a life, that makes purification possible.
Leviticus 17:11 NLT
Life is in the blood, and I have given you the blood of animals to sacrifice in place of your own.
Leviticus 17:11 CEV
This is so exciting. What I've just explained is a term called 'Substitutionary Atonement' - someone taking the punishment for another and the actual perpetrator goes scot-free.
Hehe. This reminds me of something that happened in school. Now, I don't know if it actually happened or if it was only a rumor but the story has it that there was this teacher who set a deadline for everyone to complete their notes.
So in this class, the teacher called out everyone who had not completed the note and was about to punish them by caning. He got to a girl and her 'man' showed up to take the lashes for her.
Omoooooo 😂
Everywhere went wild 😂😂
You see ehn, it's this kind of thing that makes me just want to find someone that'll love up on me 😭. The kind of love that'll turn everybody's head upside down. But can I tell you a secret?
I'VE ALREADY FOUND THIS KIND OF LOVE!
I've already found someone (rather He found me) who 'showed up' to take my punishment! He atoned for MY OFFENSES - did the "court sentence" for my sins.
"For this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people. It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many."
Matthew 26:28 NLT
If your Bible has text in red and black, it'll show this verse in red - that means Jesus was the one speaking! Remember that the only way for sins to be forgiven - be atoned for - is through the shedding of blood (Hebrews 9:22).
…So JESUS SHED HIS BLOOD FOR ME!
Remember, it's the blood in exchange for a life that makes forgiveness possible (Leviticus 5:6). He gave His blood in exchange for my (and your) life so that we can be forgiven and stand holy, without blame before God (Galatians 1:4, Colossians 1:19-22, Ephesians 1:4&7, 2nd Corinthians 5:21)!
I'm adding these references so you can read them yourself.
Now, someone might be thinking - if God told the Israelites they could sacrifice animals, why then did Jesus have to sacrifice Himself? I mean… wouldn't that make Jesus' sacrifice pointless since animal sacrifices could get the job done?
It's an interesting question, and the answer to that is a plot twist -
For it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.
Hebrews 10:4 NLT
Listen. The Old Testament and all its sacrifices are like a shadow of the New Testament. You know how shadows can show you the shape of a thing but it really isn't that thing? That's how it is here (Hebrews 9:23).
So the sacrifice of animals was a shadow - it wasn't the real sacrifice but the shape of the real sacrifice! God never desired animal sacrifices as an atonement for sin. He never wanted those sin offerings they offered.
That is why, when Christ came into the world, he said to God, “You did not want animal sacrifices or sin offerings. But you have given me a body to offer. You were not pleased with burnt offerings or other offerings for sin. Then I said, ‘Look, I have come to do your will, O God— as is written about me in the Scriptures.’”
Hebrews 10:5-7 NLT
All the while, God had His own will. He had His own plan but for us to understand and accept it, He explained with 'shadows'. His plan was always for Jesus to be the perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10, Ephesians 1:5).
And Jesus was truly our perfect sacrifice!
By His resurrection, He proved that He is who He claimed to be - God in the flesh who would take away the sins of the world (John 1:1-34, 14). Because Jesus rose from the grave, there is confidence that we can have a right standing with God (Romans 5:9-10).
He was handed over to die because of our sins, and he was raised to life to make us right with God.
Romans 4:25 NLT
Jesus rose from the dead - and He never died again! (Matthew 28:1-10, Mark 16, Luke 24:1-12, John 20). He was caught up in the clouds into heaven and there He lives till today (1st Thessalonians 4:14, Mark 16:19, Acts 1:9-11, 1st Corinthians 15:3-7).
Look at me.
This is what Jesus did for you.
Isaiah 53 captures it so well. It's quite a long read but take it slowly.
4. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins!
5. But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed.
6. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.
9. He had done no wrong and had never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a criminal; he was put in a rich man’s grave.
10. But it was the Lord’s good plan to crush him and cause him grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have many descendants. He will enjoy a long life, and the Lord’s good plan will prosper in his hands.
11. When he sees all that is accomplished by his anguish, he will be satisfied. And because of his experience, my righteous servant will make it possible for many to be counted righteous, for he will bear all their sins.
Isaiah 53:4 - 11 NLT
This is the Good News - we don't need to do anything to be made right with God, Jesus did it all for us! And when we believe this, we are saved (Galatians 2:16, Ephesians 2:8-9, Romans 3:22-25, Romans 10:9-10, John 20:31, John 3:14-15).
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NLT
I've heard of people who have some beef with God because of how 'he sends people to hell'. I need you to know that God doesn't want anybody to go to hell.
This is good and pleases God our Savior, who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth.
1 Timothy 2:3-4 NLT
He wants ALL MEN SAVED! But, there is only one way to be saved - by believing in all that Jesus has done as being enough to forgive you of all your sins.
You can't do enough good things to be saved. You can't live holy enough to be saved. Salvation is not a reward for the good things you have done.
God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Ephesians 2:8-9 NLT
Salvation - being saved from sin and its consequences - is a gift. God doesn't want anyone to go to hell, so he provides the solution. But each person has the responsibility of accepting this solution (Jesus) by faith.
Think about this. You're sick, you get the medicine and leave it on your bedside table. Will you get better that way? Of course not! Even though the drug is available, it won't do you any good unless you use it!
In the same way, God has provided the "cure" for sin (Jesus). But you still have to "use" this cure. Not using the cure is what leads people to hell - not God.
The Bible calls salvation a gift. Everything Jesus did to make you right with God is a gift from Him. But He won't force the gift on you, you have to receive it yourself by simple faith.
And "faith" isn't some high-sounding technical word. It's you looking at the cross and everything Jesus did then accepting in your heart that it is truly enough to save you from your sins.
22. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
25. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood.
Romans 3:22 & 25 NLT
Whooshhhhh 🦅
Here's the good news I promised, you don't have to live in fear of hell because God has made a way out of there. This way is not based on how well you behave cuz you can't act perfect all the time, and it's not based on how quickly you can pray for forgiveness before you die either.
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 NLT
There are no ifs, no buts, no maybes. This is the good news - believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved.
~
This has been one exciting letter but I don't want you to stop here. There are many bible references and I want you to go over them carefully. Read the verses and see by yourself what Jesus has done for you! Think about what you read, let it make you totally convinced that this is real.
The next most important thing to do when you believe is to find yourself a good church or community where you can meet with other believers and grow in your faith. I'd also love to know you, so please send me a mail here.
Finally, in Jude's words, I commit you to God who is able to keep you from falling and bring you with great joy into His presence without a single fault.
Till infinity, let your heart beat for Jesus 🌹
Forever going deeper.
This has been really lovely!
Understanding who you are in Christ is what everyone needs to know!