Power and Responsibilty

John 20:19 On the evening of that first day of the week, when the disciples were together, with the doors locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, "Peace be with you!" 20 After he said this, he showed them his hands and side. The disciples were overjoyed when they saw the Lord. 21 Again Jesus said, "Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you." 22 And with that he breathed on them and said, "Receive the Holy Spirit. 23 If you forgive anyone his sins, they are forgiven; if you do not forgive them, they are not forgiven." (NIV)

 

Jesus risen from the grave showed himself to his disciples. Peace be with you! His disciples were to be sent to do the work of Jesus. He breathed on them and said "receive the Holy Ghost" to do my calling. They were sent to forgive sins or to retain them. They were to share the gospel that in Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, there is the forgiveness of sins. Upon receiving this revelation their sins are forgiven. If they refuse the gospel message, their sins remain.

 

John 5:25  Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
John 5:26  For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself;
John 5:27  And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

As Jesus has life in himself, he has given this life to us through the Holy Ghost. The power of life and death are in the confession of the tongue. We must be obedient to the calling given by our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

Pro 18:21  Death and life are in the power of the tongue...

 

Rom 10:9  That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Rom 10:10  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 

Give out the word of life to a lost and sinful people. Aside from Jesus, we too would perish in our sins, but now we have  eternal life. Let this light shine to bring others to saving faith.The simple message is that Jesus saves us from our sins and the punishment for sin in hell. The Father and Jesus the Son want you to be with them forever. We were created in the image of God to be one with Him.

John 17:21  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.