I want to tell you something that I believe is a true statement. I then want to get your reaction to that statement. But this is not just an academic exercise; there are rewards or earnings for your decision. There are positives and negatives involved. So, here is the statement and the simple plea for your reaction to it.
The Statement:
God created you. You are, therefore, owned by God. You are given over to his command by right of that creation. There is an eternal penalty for disobedience—the penalty of death. Since you have disobeyed, you are under that penalty. The only way out of that sentence of damnation is for someone else—someone who is like you (human) and who is worthy—to pay the penalty for you. That human substitute has to be absolutely perfect in order to qualify. No one is perfect but God alone. So, if you are to be rescued from the penalty that you rightly owe, God has to become a man, live the perfect life you failed to live, and then die in your place. Jesus, who is God, did that very thing!
All who believe that and who place their hope and trust in Jesus alone as the righteous substitute that he is, will receive the perfect righteousness of Jesus as Jesus received their imperfections and paid for them with his life.
If you will change your lifestyle from whatever it is, if you will turn from your current trajectory in life, if you will turn to Jesus and give your life over to him and place yourself under his command—the command that he rightly owns—as his slave, he will apply the payment of your debt to you, declare you righteous, and rescue you from the penalty of death. You will live your life on this earth with real meaning and purpose and you will then live forever with him.
If you will not believe this statement, if you refuse to give God his rightful claim over you, you will pay the penalty for the debt that you owe.
Your Reaction?
So, today, make a choice. The choice has to be made during this lifetime. As I’m sure you’re aware, you are not promised a single more moment to live on this earth. According to one report 151,600 people die each day; that’s almost 6,317 each hour. I would guess that many of them didn’t see it coming.
So make the choice. Yes or No. For Jesus or against him. The default position is that you pay your own debt, which will mean an eternity of suffering. So if you make no decision at all, you decide against the payment of Jesus.
I beg of you to decide for Jesus and change your life. Call out to him. Pray to him. Tell him that you want his payment to apply to your account. Tell him that you want to live for him now and for eternity. Tell him that you want to be under his command rather than your own. Will you cry out to God today?
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” —Romans 10:13
“Whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” —John 3:36
By the way... 