Dear friend, my future which once seemed dark and ominous has been banished, and now I “smile at the future”, as is said of the “excellent wife” in Proverbs 31: “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come” (Proverbs 31:25).
How does this (laughing at the days to come) happen? It happens directly through an understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel is filled with light (2 Corinthians 4:4) and has the power to vanquish every dark thought, every dark foreboding, every ominous thought of the future.
Today we will explore the first thing on our list of things God has done for us, “God has given us an inheritance.” I have 10 different truths to show you (5 today and 5 tomorrow) about this inheritance that God has given to us. If the Spirit of God applies these truths to your heart you will know that you have a “hope and a future”, be enabled to “laugh at the days to come”, and experience strong relief from depression. This is what God’s Word has done down through the ages and what it can do for you today.
The first truth about our God-given inheritance is:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
“so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:7).
Do you know what is a leading cause of depression? It’s the reality that we are all going to die. Thoughts such as: “No one gets out of here alive” and “we are all on a conveyor belt leading straight to death” are depressing and will bring “dark forebodings” to those who think in this way.
But for those who believe in Jesus, there is a different reality. We are on a conveyor belt headed for eternal life. Take a moment and look with me at the cross where your eternal life was purchased.
See Jesus dying there. See Him loving others, forgiving others, and caring for others in the midst of His suffering. See Him descending into the darkness, becoming sin for us, bearing the sins and sorrows of the world, enduring all the wrath of God against our sin. See Him cry, “It is finished!” and then give up His Spirit and die as our atoning sacrifice.
Oh, friend, God sent His one and only Son Jesus to die your death because He loves you, and desires you to live forever in Heaven with Him. Notice Jesus’ statement to Mary:
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
John 11:25-26 NIV
Do you believe this? Do you believe that Jesus died and rose again and now you will live forever with Him?
Question 2. If you believe that at the cross/resurrection of Jesus, death died and that you will live forever, how does this truth affect your heart? Please explain:
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Carnell writes, "It is definitely a sense of peace, like the dark cloud that was hovering over you has cleared."
Tori writes, "It gives me peace. I had a time when I was very distance from God where I doubted his existence completely and walked away. I remember my thoughts were always filled with a fear of death, of what was next and of not wanting to die. Thank God this phase did not last too long in my life and thank God for the truth of Christ’s resurrection because now I can look forward to eternal life, eternal joy and God’s eternal love and fellowship with me. We have nothing to fear of the future."
Wendy writes, "My heart is greatly comforted with this Truth. Knowing I will spend eternity with Jesus (and Todd) sure does bring a smile to my heart!"