The Problems You Have Solved
When we say you have solved the following problems, please do not misunderstand. Just because you became a Christian does not mean you will not have any problems. There are challenges ahead of you. There will be problems that you will have to face. Jesus never promised a life free from problems, suffering and trials. Also, when we speak of solving the “guilt problem,” for example, that does not mean you will never sin again. The Bible teaches that even though we are Christians that sometimes we stumble and fall (1 John 1:7-10). What it means is that now, as a Christian, you have free access to God’s forgiveness through Jesus Christ. You no longer live under the dark cloud of sin.
SOLVED: The Problem of Guilt
God has forgiven your sins. Your past does not have to burden you now. You can be comforted by the words of the apostle Paul as he wrote in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” When you were baptized, you were baptized “into Christ” (Galatians 3:27). In Him is forgiveness of sins, redemption through His blood (Ephesians 1:7). Revelation 1:5 states that it is by the blood of Christ that you have been washed from your sins. Your baptism into Him caused your sins to be washed away (Acts 22:16) because you were baptized into His death (Romans 6:3) where He shed His blood, laying down His life to save sinful mankind (John 15:13). Being baptized into the likeness of Christ’s death (Romans 6:4), you spiritually contacted His cleansing blood and were freed from the guilt of your sins. Being freed from sin’s guilt, you were also freed from its wages. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin is “death,” eternal separation from God in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8).
SOLVED: The Problem of a Purposeless Life
Now you can know where you are going. You know that your life has meaning and purpose. You are out of the rut of “going nowhere” and are on the road to heaven. Many people struggle to find the meaning of life. They wonder what life is about and why they are living. The Christian has the answers to those questions. He knows that he is to be living his life for God. Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 reveals that one is to “Fear God and keep His commandments, For this is man’s all. For God will bring every work into judgment, Including every secret thing, Whether good or evil.” A person can only find true fulfillment and have genuine success in life by seeking God and the will of God. No matter what else may happen to you in life, if you remain faithful to God and continue living in accordance with His will, you will be successful.
SOLVED: The Problem of Fear
Life’s uncertainties make many people live with fear from day today. On the other hand, while his life is not without problems, the faithful child of God really has nothing to fear. He can live without fear because he has the Lord’s help in all things. In Hebrews 13:5 God tells the Christian, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Thus as a Christian, you can firmly state, “The LORD is my helper; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6). You do not even have to fear death.
SOLVED: The Problem of Loneliness
No matter where you may be, you are never alone. In times of adversity, grief, suffering, and isolation, you will always have a companion with you. As we saw earlier, God has stated in Hebrews 13:5 that He will never forsake you. As long as you are faithful to Him, He will be faithful to you. He will protect you and care for you. James 4:8 instructs you to “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” In addition to the companionship of God, you have the friendship and fellowship of your fellow Christians. God has commanded His children to encourage, strengthen and edify one another: “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works” (Hebrews 10:23-24). Christians are to be a comfort to one another (1 Thessalonians 4:18).
SOLVED: The Problem of Death
Death is common to all (Hebrews 9:27). It is an appointment all must keep. Most people live dreading its approach. For the Christian, though, even death is something that can be faced without fear. You will never have to fear it because Jesus overcame it for you and for all who will follow Him. Jesus “abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10). Hebrews 2:14-15 says that Christ destroyed the one who had power over death: “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power over death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Because Christ was victorious over death, He grants victory over it to His followers (1 Corinthians 15:54-58). As long as you faithfully follow Jesus, you, along with the Psalmist can state, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). As a matter of fact, the Bible states that Christians are actually blessed in death: “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. ‘Yes,’ says the Spirit, ‘that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them.’”