Doing God's will | Ascension and Pentecost 2024

Every year it’s on the calendar again: ASCENSION DAY AND PENTECOST.

BUT WHAT ARE THESE CHRISTIAN HOLIDAYS ABOUT?

ASCENSION is about Jesus returning to heaven. Jesus is the Son of God who came to earth to save people from sin.

BUT WHAT IS SIN? AND WHY DO YOU NEED TO BE SAVED FROM IT?

Sin is going against God's good will. Sins are the bad things we think, do, and say. Like lying and stealing, but also not keeping your promises or saying hurtful things about others. Because of sin, our relationship with God is broken. And—whether you realize it or not—that is the worst thing there is. Because God is our Creator and He made us in such a way that we can only be truly happy if we know Him and live as He has written in the Bible, His Word. In it, it says that we must love God above all else and our fellow human beings as ourselves. And then you immediately run into a big problem: we simply can't do that anymore. We love ourselves above all (and sometimes at the expense of others...) and often we don't even think about God anymore.

DOES THIS SOUND FAMILIAR?

That is why Jesus came. He came to do God's will. He came from heaven and became—without sin—human to die in the place of sinful people. Death is the punishment for sin. But Jesus, out of love, took that punishment upon Himself. He conquered death and restored the broken relationship with God for all people who (will) believe in Him. After that, He returned to His Father in heaven, the supernatural world of God. That is what we remember on ASCENSION DAY.

Then something else had to happen: Jesus had promised that when He left, the Holy Spirit would come. That is what PENTECOST is about. The Holy Spirit renews people. He opens your eyes so you can see who God is and who you are yourself. He makes sure that you turn away from your wickedness, from your sins, and start following Jesus.

Ascension and Pentecost tell us about God's loving answer to our sins. THIS MESSAGE IS ALSO FOR YOU. Pray that the Holy Spirit will fill your heart and life. Because then, no matter who you are or what circumstances you are in, if you start following Jesus you will experience true joy and peace. Forever.

Would you like to know more about Ascension and Pentecost? Watch the new video.

Would you like to know more about the Christian faith? Order a free Bible, follow one of our free courses at onlinebijbelcursus.nl, or visit one of our locations (during the week, at one of the Sunday gatherings, or an online gathering). You are most welcome!