One Man’s Account of The Week of the Crucifixion

The Third Day

A First-Person Fictional Narrative

Originally Published in 2024

The Via Dolorosa

“And Jesus going up to Jerusalem took the twelve Disciples apart in the way, and said unto them, behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man shall be betrayed unto the Chief Priests and unto the Scribes, and they shall condemn Him to death, and shall deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him: and the third day He shall rise again” (Matthew 20:17-19).

I live in Jerusalem and witnessed the crucifixion of the one that some said was the Messiah. I heard that he told his followers that he would be in the grave for three days and three nights and would rise from the grave on the third day. I don’t know if he actually said that, but those that told me about it were sure that he had. Will he really rise from the dead? It seems impossible! He did say many wonderful things while He was here. And all the healings! I wonder if he really was the Messiah? The one everyone has been waiting for.

There are many here who think he was an imposter, including the religious leadership. I do wonder about their motives though. No one has ever done what this man has done. All those wonderful works! They witnessed it all yet they had Him crucified. Did they actually believe that he was the long-awaited Messiah? Did they feel threatened by Him? Their hatred for Him seemed to be so wrong and their treatment of Him so evil and unfair. Two more days.

I was there at the crucifixion and have never seen anything as awful as that. The man didn’t even look like a man. They had beaten him so badly that he was unrecognizable. Those standing around the scene at the crucifixion fell into one of three groups. There were the mockers telling Him to come down from the Cross if God was with him. And then there were those that just stared with astonishment at what was happening. They had never seen a crucifixion like this! The man was so physically abused! And so hated by the religious leaders of Israel. It was shocking to observe.

There was a third group present and they represented some of his disciples, his followers, and his mother. I cannot even imagine the sorrow they felt and the feeling of helplessness in being unable to stop what was happening. This good man was being crucified for no crime whatsoever and they stood there aghast at the sight. This group believed that he was the promised Messiah.

It’s now Saturday and groups of people are gathering throughout Jerusalem talking about the terrible events that had taken place. They talked about how they had heard that he promised to rise again on the third day. His disciples were nowhere to be found. As I walked down the Via Dolorosa there was great sadness and sorrow among all those walking along that way. It just seemed to hang in the air. Everyone knew that something quite terrible had taken place in Jerusalem. This was the very way that the soldiers had led the man down to his crucifixion. They spoke of him being so weak from the beatings that he was unable to carry his cross. All those that gathered along the way talked about all the good he had done. One more day.

It’s the third day and there is a rumor spreading throughout Jerusalem that the tomb is empty and that he had indeed risen from the dead. Someone said that they had spoken to some of his followers and they said that the rumor was indeed true. There was an account of a woman, who they said had actually seen him and had spoken with him. Incredible news! Amazing things are happening in Jerusalem on this day. It seems that the sadness that hung over the city for the last three days has lifted. It has been replaced with a sense of great wonder.

I remember times in the past when I had journeyed many miles to hear this man speak. His words were like no other man’s. I was in need of healing and the man touched me and I was healed. Just being in his presence was something you would never forget. I have decided that He was in fact the Messiah and I am on my way to join His followers. It’s the third day and he has risen indeed!

“Now upon the first day of the week, very early in the morning, they came unto the sepulcher….and they found the stone rolled away from the sepulcher. And they entered in and found not the body of the Lord Jesus……behold two men stood by them in shining garments. And as they were afraid, and bowed down their faces to the earth, they (the Angels) said unto them, Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen…..” (Luke 24:1-6).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic. Also, Here I Am, Lord is on Telegram.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Scroll down to read past articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2023

Escaping That Which Will Shortly Come to Pass

Watch and Pray

“Watch and pray always, that you may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man” (Luke 21:36).

In this verse, Jesus is teaching on the coming Great Tribulation which will happen in the not to distant future. The Great Tribulation will be God’s final judgment on a world that has rejected Him and His loving offer of Salvation through Calvary. His Mercy and Grace have called out to a lost and dying world from the time of Adam and Eve in the Garden. Most of mankind has rejected the Lord and gone their own way. The Great Tribulation will bring God’s judgment and will result in the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

As Christians, we are admonished to watch and pray. The signs of His soon return are all around us. It seems like the world, in general, has chosen its own way with the inevitable result being the confusion and lawlessness that we see going on around us. Romans Chapter 1 tells us about the downward spiral that comes when people, and nations, do not honor and seek after the Lord and His way. The result is given to us in the twenty-eighth verse.

“And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a reprobate mind, to do those things that are not convenient (not fitting)” (Romans 1:28).

I heard one prophecy teacher say that it seems like recently there was an evil released in this world that has not been here before and that that evil is increasing. I agree! Much of what’s going on today defies logical thinking. This is a sign that things are heading toward the judgment the Lord spoke about regarding the evil that pervades our world, and that which has increased greatly, and that which holds lost souls in bondage. Satan knows his time is short. We must watch and pray.

The Lord Jesus, in our introductory verse, is also speaking of the Rapture of the church when He talked about escaping “all these things that shall come to pass.” The Rapture will happen prior to the Great Tribulation. Christians, alive at the time, will be “caught up” (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17) to be with the Lord. The Lord warned us not to be deceived by false teachings and by what may be going on around us. This is a particularly important warning for the times we live in today. We must pray for discernment and judge everything we hear by the Word of God. The Apostle Paul warned us about the dangerous, evil times, that will come upon the world in the last days.

“This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come…” (The Apostle Paul – 2 Timothy 3:1a).

We are living in the last days. We must heed what the Lord said about being “accounted worthy.” Faith in Christ and Him crucified is the criteria, the only criteria, that will cause the Lord to account us worthy. It is what He accomplished on the Cross, and our faith anchored in His sacrificial death, that will make us ready for the Rapture. The Lord is telling us that the Great Tribulation is a decided future event and that all those that harken to His voice and come His way, will be saved. If death comes prior to the Rapture, we can know that we will immediately come into His presence upon passing, and if we are alive at the time of the Rapture, we will be caught up to be with the Lord prior to the judgment that is coming on a world that has rejected the love He has shown us in the gift of His Son.

“For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

Take With You Words

The Path That Leads to the Lord

“Take with you words, and turn to the Lord: say unto Him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips” (Hosea 14:2).

How do we approach the Lord? What must we do to gain favor with the Lord? We are told in our introductory verse how the Lord wants us to approach Him. It is not by what we do, but by our words. We are to come in repentance and faith. 

“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Salvation is not something that we must strive for our whole life not knowing if we have gained it by the time we pass from this life. Salvation is a free gift offered to us when we come in repentance and faith in Christ’s sacrificial death at Calvary. It cost God greatly in the death of His Son that we might be forgiven and counted among the redeemed. We can know that we are saved. The Apostle John made it clear in his first Epistle.

“These things have I written unto you who believe on the Name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have Eternal Life, and that you may believe on the Name of the Son of God” (1 John 5:13)

The Lord will always forgive, and receive, all those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Our introductory verse comes from the chapter in the book of Hosea that called for Israel to return to the Lord after falling into deep sin, and points to Israel’s restoration at the coming time of the Lord’s Second Coming. All Israel will be saved at that time.

We are to take with us words when we approach the Lord. Our repentance and our confession of faith in Christ crucified opens the way to God and brings us Salvation. We turn to Him in faith and He will “take away all iniquity.” Our sins will be forgiven and forgotten by the Lord.

“As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103:12)

When we come to the Lord with the words that will result in our Salvation, we come away in awe of such a great God. The Lord has been so gracious to us in forgiving us and giving us a blessed future in His presence. His Mercy and Grace in our lives will result in our thankfulness and love for the Lord who loved us and died on the cross that we might be forgiven and brought into relationship with our Redeemer God. We then live the life we have been given with worship, praise, and thankfulness for all the Lord has done for us. Let us offer the “calves of our lips” in praise for all the Lord has done for us. It truly is amazing Grace.

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and into His Courts with praise: be thankful unto Him, and bless His Name” (Psalm 100:4).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

His Strength and His Peace

The Lord Blesses His People

“The Lord will give strength unto His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace”  (Psalm 29:11).

The voice of the Lord comes forth loud and clear throughout the history of mankind. His voice is heard through His Word, the Bible. From the beginning, the Lord has made His voice heard offering strength and peace to all those who will acknowledge Him and harken to the Mercy and Grace He has offered down through the centuries of man’s existence.

His promise to those who will hear His voice, and respond, is a message of His strength in their lives through the redemption He offers by way of the Cross. Christ crucified is a clear message to all mankind that we cannot, in ourselves, have the strength needed to lift ourselves up from our fallen nature. Mankind, as a whole, stands defenseless, and unable to better ourselves in any way. The Lord, in His love for us, has offered us a way, the only way, to gain the strength to live a life pleasing to the Lord.

His promise is of “Newness of life” within us to give us victory in the life we have been given. We have an incredible opportunity to be partakers of the divine nature by faith in His Son’s sacrificial death at Calvary. We are lost and undone before a Holy God in our fallen nature. His mercy and Grace offers us a lifeline. He offers forgiveness of our sins and Newness of life in Him. It’s free to all those who take hold of the extended hand He offers. Jesus died that we might live. Our sin put Him on the Cross.

Having come to the Lord in repentance and faith, we have peace with God. Before that we were at enmity with the Lord living a life that was in opposition to the ways of the Lord. His peace is evident to us the moment we come to Him realizing our great need. His voice rings out each day, harkening all those who hear, that they might come to the Father who loves them and has sent His Son as proof of that love and as payment for our sins. We have peace with God all due to Calvary.

“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

Along with having peace with God, He offers us the Peace of God. That peace comes to us as we rest in the finished work of Calvary. Jesus paid the full price for both our sins and this “Newness of Life” He offers. We are saved by placing our faith in Christ crucified, and we are to walk out our lives in the same way. This is the way, the only way, to have the peace of God in our lives. We will not have this peace if we are striving in our own strength to live out our Christian lives. We rest in the Salvation He provides and the Holy Spirit will work in us to make us more Christlike.

“And the peace of God, which passes all understanding, shall keep your hearts and mind through Jesus Christ” (Philippians 4:7).

The Lord in His great love for us has provided everything for our redemption. Our first parents lost their way and fell from their high state of walking with the Lord. The Lord offers to redeem us and bring us into an Eternal close relationship with Him through His strength, the life of God, in our lives which will result in both peace with God, and the peace of God. The Lord blesses His people. We can live in His very Presence knowing that He leads and guides us in all we do and will bring us into an Eternal Life with Him as sons and daughters of God. We have much to be thankful for. The following verse from Jeremiah says it all:

“I (the Lord) have loved you with everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness” (Jeremiah 31:3).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

Where Are You? What Is This That You Have Done?

“And the Lord God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where are you? (Genesis 3:9)

“And the Lord God said unto the woman, What is this that you have done? (Genesis 3:13)

Adam and Eve had disobeyed the Lord and sinned against Him. They both made excuses for their sin. Adam blamed Eve, and Eve blamed the serpent. Actually, they were both blaming the Lord. Adam blaming Him because He had given him Eve, and Eve blamed the Lord for creating the serpent. This is something that most of the world is doing today. Blaming God for their troubles.

It’s interesting, and sad, that both Adam and Eve did not make things right with the Lord in their initial response to the Lord when He confronted them with their sin. They placed blame elsewhere and did not admit their guilt and seek forgiveness from the Lord for disobeying Him and sinning against Him. The Lord, in His love for them, responded to their sin by showing them how they could be forgiven and how fellowship with Him could be restored.

The Lord is asking all those that are alive today the same two questions. The Bible says that “all have sinned.” We have a fallen nature due to the sin of our first parents. The question is, How will we answer the Lord regarding our sin? Will we make excuses as our first parents did? Will we avoid answering the question by staying as far away from the Lord as possible? Many live their lives by not addressing the initial question. Where are you the Lord asks? Adam and Eve hid themselves from the Lord after they sinned. Many are doing just that today. The Bible says the following about this:

“For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed” (John 3:20).

The “light” is Christ, and the message of the Gospel is clear. We must admit to the Lord that we are lost and in need of a Savior – where we are? And we must seek forgiveness for our sins – what is this that you have done? The Lord is gracious and long suffering, but He will also judge this world for their sin. We can hide ourselves from the Lord and the truth, or we can come forward, so to speak, and admit to the Lord where we are and what we have done. We will either answer to Him now, or stand before Him at the Great White Throne Judgment where all those that have not sought His mercy and Grace will be judged for their sin. The choice is ours and we have the time that the Lord has graciously given to us in this life to make that decision.

We will never regret choosing to make the Lord our Savior. If you ask all those that have come to the Lord about this, they would say that their only regret is that they did not come to the Lord sooner. Where are we before we acknowledge the Lord as He calls out to us asking “Where are you” and “What is this that you have done?” We are all lost sinners in need of a Savior. As has been said, we can either answer to the Lord now, or stand before Him to be judged in our own righteousness when we die. The latter will result in eternal separation from the Lord.

Just as the Lord reached down to Adam and Eve to offer forgiveness and restoration to them, He reaches down to all of us in His Mercy and Grace today. All of us who have received of the Lord could say the following:

I was lost and undone, without God or His Son, when He reached down His hand for me. (When the Savior Reached Down For Me – G.E. Wright 1921)

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

Safe in the Arms of God

Sealed With the Holy Spirit

“But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, Brethren beloved of the Lord, because God has from the beginning chosen you to Salvation through Sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the Truth” (2 Thessalonians 2:13).

Salvation is God’s gift to whosoever will come to the “Truth” of the Gospel. Both Salvation and Sanctification are superintended by the Holy Spirit as we continue to place our faith in Christ and Him crucified. Upon coming to faith, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit.

We are the “beloved of the Lord” because we acknowledge His gift to us of His Son. A gift that cost the Lord greatly and resulted in His sacrificial death on the Cross. He did it all for us to pay the sin debt owed to God. A debt we had no way of paying. He came to rescue us from our hopeless state and to open up a way whereby we could fellowship with our creator.

At Salvation, we were given “Newness of Life” which is God’s life in us through the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit will lead us and make us more Christlike as we acknowledge the source of this new life. The source is Christ and the means is the Cross. Once we truly understand this, we see how foolish it is to try and “help” God in our Sanctification. That is, our daily Christian walk. We are just as incapable of this as we are of saving ourselves. Truly understanding this brings a freedom to our lives where we can truly say that this life in us is “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”

“Whereunto He (God) called you by our Gospel (Jesus Christ and Him crucified), to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ (this pertains to the wonder that comes with Salvation, and all because of what Christ did at the Cross)” (2 Thessalonians 2:14 w/ ESB commentary).

We marvel at all the Lord has for us and all He promises to do in us. Thanksgiving should abound in our lives toward the One Who loved us unto death. We are His, and He dwells within us. Our victory comes by faith through the power of the Holy Spirit. We walk out this life in the care of our great God who has proven His love for us and will return for us should we tarry until His return. We have an eternity before us – an eternity of being in the very Presence of the Lord forever. We are safe in the arms of God.

“In Whom (Christ) you also trusted, after that you heard the Word of Truth, the Gospel of your Salvation: in Whom (Christ) also after that you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit” (Ephesians 1:13).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Scroll down to read past articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2025

This Poor Man Cried

Blessed Are the Poor in Spirit

“This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles” (Psalm 34:6).

Salvation is personal. Those who realize their need cry out to the Lord, and He answers their cry. The problem is that many do not consider themselves “poor.” Pride keeps many from coming to the Lord. The criteria for Salvation is that we must come to the place where we realize that, in ourselves, dwells no good thing. Many would take exception to that statement, but that is our condition without the Lord. And that is the roadblock many cannot seem to get by. The Word of God makes it clear that Salvation can be found only by admitting our desperate need for the Lord.

To the natural man, the things of God don’t make sense and are only for the simple, the unlearned, who lean on “religion” as a crutch in their life. What they don’t realize is that this “simple” way  is not religion, but relationship with the Lord, and it is the only way to fill the void in our hearts that can only be filled by knowing and serving the Lord. The things of the Lord can only be known by realizing our great need and being born spiritually.

“But the natural man receives not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

We must become the “poor man” to see the Kingdom of God. The natural man is unable to see and appreciate all the Lord has provided for those that humble themselves before Him and come His way. The Father sent His Son to die on a cruel Cross to pay the sin debt and to open the way into His very Presence. It is a narrow way to all the blessings of God, and the Bible tells us that few find this way.

“Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it” (Matthew 7:14).

The “strait gate” and the “narrow way” is the Cross of Calvary. Our need was so great that the Lord had to die a sacrificial death to pay the sin debt owed to God. By His death at Calvary, all who come by faith in His sacrificial death there, are born spiritually and come into all the blessings of God. It is a narrow way; we must admit that we are indeed “poor” and in need of the only way that leads to life – to the life of God within us. Missionary Jim Elliot when facing martyrdom made the following entry in his journal:

“He is no fool to give what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

Jim Elliot chose to give his life as a martyr for the cause of the Gospel. He faced certain death. We face natural death at some point in our lives. This natural life ends at some point. When we choose the life of God to dwell within us, we have traded that which we cannot keep for that which will last through eternity.

If you do not know the Lord today, know this, He loves you and died on the Cross as proof of that love. I urge you to become this “poor man” today realizing that, in ourselves, we cannot live a life pleasing to the Lord. Our need was great, but His provision is greater. He calls out to all those that have heard His call and desire to come His way. Know Him today and be blessed. He stands at the door of your heart. Won’t you open the door!

“Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me” (Revelation 3:20).

The A,B,C,’s of Salvation

The Sinner’s Prayer

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

My Hiding Place

Preserving Me From Trouble

” You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall compass me about with songs of deliverance. Selah” (Psalm 32:7).

The Psalmist, in this case David, chose to make the Most High his hiding place. This is an important distinction because we can be born again, knowing the Lord, and choose to go our own way in our Christian walk. How can this be? It happens when we choose to add anything to the Gospel of Grace. The world, the flesh, and the Devil are our enemies and present a constant temptation to go the the way of the world, the way of the flesh, and to give in to the temptations of the Devil.

We overcome these enemies by faith. We are to make the Lord our hiding place by faith in the provision the Lord has given us to do just that. It is our faith in the Cross, what Jesus accomplished there, that brings us the victory. We hide ourselves in Him, and the power of the Most High will not only protect us, but lead us through this life we have been given.

“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress” (Psalm 91:1,2).

Again, notice that this is a choice that the believer must make to dwell in the shelter (hiding place) of the Lord. We must make Him our “refuge and fortress.” We receive our Salvation by coming to the Lord in repentance and faith and placing our faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary. We are saved by faith – faith in the finished work of Christ. This finished work includes our daily walk with the Lord. There are many today who have come in by faith, but have chosen to walk out this life by some combination of faith and works.

We must come to the realization that the only place of safety is a total reliance on the Lord at all times. He is our hiding place and we are to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. We cannot, in ourselves, live a life of victory – a life pleasing to the Lord. Many today are trying to please the Lord by what they do. We can only please the Lord by placing, and keeping, our faith in Christ crucified, which is our place of safety and protection. Our victory comes as a result of what the Holy Spirit works in us when we come into our “hiding place” in the Lord Jesus. Our works should be the result of having our faith placed in Christ. When we walk out this life in total dependence on the Lord and His finished work at Calvary, the Holy Spirit will bring us the victory we seek. We can all say that the Lord is our hiding place. He is our place of rest in total reliance on His protection and provision.

We face the world, the flesh, and the Devil in our walk as Christians. These are formidable adversaries, but our victory over them is assured as we hide ourselves in the shelter that the Lord provides. Our introductory verse shows us that in making the Lord our “hiding place,” the Lord will keep us from trouble and bring deliverance from the spiritual forces that come against us. It is a Christian’s safe place – the one and only safe place. Our “Shelter.” I want to close with the very next verse in Psalm 32, in which, the Lord tells us that He will lead us and guide us through any troubles we may face when we make Him our hiding place.

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you shall go: I will guide you with My eye” (Psalm 32:8).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

Another Gospel

A Stern Warning Against Any False Way

“But though we, or an Angel from Heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed” (Galatians 1:8).

Wow! Pretty strong words from the Apostle Paul. Just what provoked Paul to write such a strong warning to the Galatian church? The Galatians had been saved under Paul’s ministry. They had placed their faith in Christ and His sacrificial death at Calvary and had been born again. So what had happened that caused such a strong rebuke from Paul?

Having begun in the Spirit by trusting Christ and believing that Salvation came by faith alone in His sacrificial death at Calvary,  they now were tempted to add Law to the faith that had saved them. Paul knew that this would destroy their walk with the Lord, and cause them to fall from Grace. The Lord’s Grace comes to us by faith in Christ crucified. Adding Law, any law or work, will cause us to lose our way. Christ will become of no effect unto us (Gal. 5:4). This means that our attempts to walk out our Christian life by some combination of faith plus works will cause us to lose our way.

We are to walk after the Spirit. Our continued faith in Christ, and Him alone, allows the Holy Spirit to work in our lives and bring us victory. Spiritually, we have been crucified with Christ, buried with Him, and raised in “Newness of Life.” The Christian life is not about self improvement, its about the Life of God within us that changes us. As the Apostle Peter says, we are “partakers of the Divine Nature.” This is the source of this new Life we have in Christ.

Paul saw the great danger the Galatians were facing. They were turning from the true Gospel to a false way and it would destroy their faith. There are many today that have chosen to walk the way of the Galatian church. Just as the Galatians were deceived and did not realize the danger they were in, many today have chosen to walk out their Christian life in a way that includes a mixture of faith plus works.

Paul’s strong words to the Galatians should give us pause. Is our faith in Christ and Him crucified alone for Salvation and for our daily walk, or are we walking in some combination of faith, laws we make up, and works, to gain the approval of the Lord. Any other gospel is false and will result in the adherents being accursed. Strong words, yes, but words that must be acknowledged. Paul loved the Galatians and sought their best. The Lord loves us and has shown us the way to the “Newness of Life” He has given us at great cost in the gift of His Son. His Mercy and Grace are there for all those who come His way. The Christian life  is by faith from first to last. His Grace is sufficient!!

“Grace be to you and Peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ” (Galatians 1:3).

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026

Will I Go to Heaven?

The Way to All the Blessings of God

“Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Romans 8:9b).

Jesus told Nicodemus, a Pharisee and spiritual leader in Israel, that he must be born again. The Lord was talking about a spiritual birth without which we are dead in our fallen nature. The spiritual birth is of God and comes to us through the realization that we are lost and in need of a Savior. So, why do we need to be born again; it is because of sin. Jesus makes this clear in the following verse:

I said therefore unto you, that you will die in your sins: for if you believe not that I am He, you shall die in your sins” (John 8:24).

Jesus was speaking to the spiritual leadership in Israel. They had rejected Him and he was telling them that if they persisted in this rejection of Him, they would die in their sins. There are many today who have heard the Gospel and not come to the Lord in repentance and faith. They have rejected the Lord. If they continue in their unbelief, they will die in their sins. Everyone must be born again, or born spiritually! There is no other way. The Lord offers this freely by His Grace to all those that believe that He is their Savior – the Savior of all mankind. As the Apostle John tells us in the following verse, the line is drawn:

“…Every spirit that confesses not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God” (1 John 4:3a).

We confess that Jesus has come in the flesh by acknowledging Who He is and the Salvation that He offers to all who believe in His Coming. There are many today that believe that living a good life is enough to gain Heaven. They are deceived by the spirit of this world that is opposed to God and charts its own course to its inevitable destruction. If they persist in going their own way they will die in their sins. Unfortunately, most of the world has gone this way and have ended up in Hell. It is so sad because the Grace of God is given freely to all those who realize their great need, which is, that you must be born again. The Bible warns us of the coming judgment of God on a world that has rejected Him and His great Salvation. The following verse tells us why judgment is coming:

“That they all might be damned who believe not the Truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness” (2 Thessalonians 2:12).

This verse is speaking of the judgment of all those that reject the Lord Jesus and His sacrificial death at Calvary. He paid the price owed to God for our sin debt. He told us that the only way to the Father is through His Son. He loves us and it is not His will that any should  perish. If you do not know Him today, I urge you come to Him in repentance and faith and place your faith in Christ and Him crucified. Doing this, you will be born again, become a child of God, and be saved from the wrath to come.

Will I go to Heaven? Faith in Christ and Him crucified is the means to gain Heaven. It is the only way. The Lord extends the offer of His Mercy and Grace to all those who believe in His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. This offer is good to all this side of life. Once death comes our fate is sealed forever – today is the day of Salvation. All the blessings of the Lord are there for all those who love Him and come His way. The Lord patiently waits for whosoever will harken to His Voice and will open the door of their heart. The love He has for the sinner is clearly seen at the Cross.

“But God shows His Love for us, in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us”  (Romans 5:8)

Always Remember,

God Loves You!

Find podcasts of this article, and all the articles on this website on the “Here I Am Lord” podcast on Spotify for Creators, Google Podcasts, Breaker, Pocket Casts, and RadioPublic.

Follow to receive email notifications regarding new articles

Here I Am, Lord – Tom Quinn Ministries – tqministries.com 2026