This is a concept that is very difficult for us humans. It
is so difficult that God needed to come to earth and die for us so that we
might be forgiven of our sins and cleansed of all unrighteousness. I have been thinking a lot about how sinful I
am and how great a God I have. Maybe you don’t think that way or you don’t know
that God died for you. So what do you
do?
Romans 3:23 reminds us “All have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God.” Perhaps
you are saying, sin? I don’t do that, I am pretty good. As it is written:
“There
is no one righteous, not even one;
there is no one who understands;
there is no one who seeks God.
All
have turned away,
they have together become
worthless;
there
is no one who does good,
not even one.”(Romans 3:10-12).
This is
pretty hard to grasp that there is none, no even one, except God in Christ
Jesus who was the only sinless One. But God wants us back in fellowship with
our Creator. He tells us that “the wages of sin is death but the gift of
God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). So God “showed
His great love for us by sending His Son Christ to die for us while we were
still sinners” (Romans 5:8).
What a gift for all mankind, provided we get it and do something about it.
The something is not being good, because we cannot on our own. It is realizing
this fact. “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your
heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is in
believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by
confessing with your mouth that you are saved” (Romans 10:9-10). In other words as Paul completes this truth
for us, “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans
10:13).
Believing
and confessing is the beginning of a new life, you will be “born again.” Perhaps this scares you or even embarrasses
you. You will be like one of those Bible beaters. Well through this conversion
comes eternal life in heaven. Failing this change means life eternal in
darkness, better know as hell. The choice is yours and mine. I have made this
decision to be changed and follow Christ and it has made all the difference.
What do I mean by that? I have been
changed forever, the old is gone and the new has come. All sins are forgiven, “as
far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from
us” (Psalms 103:12). He has compassion on His children, those who trust
in Him. I feel His compassion. In fact if we go back to the beginning of this
beautiful psalm it reads, “Praise the Lord, O my soul; all my inmost
being praise His holy name. Praise the Lord and forget not all His benefits, who
forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases. Who lifts you life from the
pit and fill you with His love and compassion. Who satisfies the desires of you
heart with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s” (Psalm
103:1-5). This hymn of God’s compassion
speaks of His character. It is a truth lived out through me I can testify. It
was 2001 and I was dying of tick-borne diseases the medical faculty of the
University of Virginia Medical College had informed me. I lay unable to move,
sweating through my bedclothes, pain riddling my body. I prayed the above
verses out loud. Instantly I warm embrace, liken hot oil moved from my head to
my feet. My joint were freed, my fever gone, I was totally healed. God had
healed me in His compassionate grace and mercy.
I don’t
know about you, but I think this is pretty amazing. I have committed my life to
Him and through His Holy Spirit living within me I obey and submit to His awesome
authority in my life. Make your decision now.
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Thanks for sharing your thoughts.