The seven most important questions you will ever ask... –Ray Comfort<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Cont.4. What has God done for this sinful and dying world?The Bible compares us to lost sheep. We have "gone astray; we have turned, every one, to his own way." We have gone astray and live with our backs to God, but we are then told "and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." What does that mean?When I was about 8 years old I thought nothing of throwing a stone the full length of our street, just to see how far it would go. My problem was that I didn't understand that sometimes actions can have serious consequences.One day I was in a tree-filled empty lot, three doors along from our house. For some reason I threw a stone into the trees. Suddenly I heard the sound of glass breaking, and high-tailed it out of there like a rabbit that had just seen a hungry fox. A few minutes later, the fox was at our back door. Then I heard my mom call my name, and then ask, "Did you just throw a stone through Mr. Prescott's window?" I stepped out of my room and said that I had. I can't remember anything else about the incident, except that my mom has said a number of times how proud she was that I had done the right thing by telling the truth.When it comes to the issue of sin, we don't understand that there are deadly serious consequences. We lie, steal, lust, covet, and blaspheme without too much thought. It's no big deal. But every time we do so, we smash the window of God's Law and that Law demands retribution. Now He's waiting for us to do the right thing and 'fess up. If we refuse to come out in the open we will pay for it ourselves, and there will be Hell to pay. So what are you going to do? We have already seen that you can't justify yourself. Simply do the right thing. Confess your sins to God. He knows all about the broken window, and in His great mercy He has already paid for a new one Himself.God became a Man in the person of Jesus of Nazareth--a morally perfect Man, then He offered Himself as a sacrifice for the sin of the world. When Jesus was on the cross, the Father laid on Him the sin of us all. Think of it this way again. God is a Judge. We are guilty criminals who have violated His Law. Jesus stepped into the courtroom and paid the fine for us. That means, because of the suffering death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God can legally dismiss our case. He can commute our death sentence and allow us to live! Can you understand that? He took the bullet so that you don't have to: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:16-19, NKJV).Do you remember how man-made religions seek justification? Look at what God did through the Savor: "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). This is what makes Christianity unique among other religions. Instead of man seeking justification, in Christ, God justifies the guilty sinner. Everlasting life is a free gift of God, and that brings us to a very important question. 5. How do I approach Him to get the gift?
If I want to speak to a five-star General, I have to go to him on his terms. The importance of His rank demands it. When you and I come to God we have to come on His terms, and His stipulation is that we approach Him through humility and faith. This isn't an intellectual faith that He exists. When the Bible speaks of "faith" in God, it is referring to a "trust" in Him. There's a huge difference between the two.Trust is the basis for many things we do in life. We trust bankers with our money. We trust historians to give us the truth about history, our doctors with the right medicine, and teachers with correct knowledge for an education. We trust that our dentist knows what he's doing when he drills a tooth, and with our mechanics when he fixes our brakes. For a soldier, trust is walking in front of a buddy who has a fixed bayonet, or letting someone you hardly know pack your backup parachute. The 1.5 billion people who travel by air annually trust more than pilots when they fly in a plane. Without too much thought, they trust their precious lives to unseen pilots, unseen air traffic controllers, and aircraft mechanics they will never see nor meet. Trust is the glue that cements friendships. It's what holds a marriage together. If trust goes out the door, so does the relationship. If you don't trust someone, it means you think that they are not worthy of your trust. They are devious. Think of how you would feel if you said, "I love my mother. She is so faithful. She sure keeps her promises," and someone responded with "I don't trust her!" His lack of trust would hopefully anger you, because it would be insulting to your mom. Insulting another human being by a lack of faith is bad enough, so whatever you do, don't insult God through a lack of faith in Him:"But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that comes to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him" (Hebrews 11:6). So with genuine sorrow ("contrition") confess your sins to God, turn from them (repentance) and trust alone in Jesus Christ as your Savior and your Lord. The moment you do that, God will "justify" you and grant you everlasting life. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:1).Even though God is holy and we are sinful, upon God-given repentance and faith in Jesus we can have fellowship with Him, because He is rich in mercy to all that call upon Him. Do you remember Isaiah 57:15: "For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: 'I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" Pray something like this today, because you may not have tomorrow: "Dear God, I have sinned against you by violating your Law. Please forgive me. If you were to judge my many sins I would justly end up in Hell. But because you are rich in mercy and have provided a Savior, I can be forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I surrender my life to Him and trust Him alone for my salvation. In His name I pray. Amen."To be continued...
 
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