The Bible says that God is holy and that, as He is holy, we are to be holy.
Being a good person is not enough.
Billy Graham wrote, "We have seen that the most terrible, the most
devastating fact in the universe is sin. The cause of all trouble, the
root of all sorrow, the dread of every man lies in this one small word—sin.
It has crippled the nature of man. It has destroyed the inner harmony of
man's life. It has robbed him of his nobility. It has caused man to be
caught in the devil's trap." (Peace With God, p. 69)
What is sin, exactly? Sin is a breaking of God's laws. Do you consider
yourself a good person? Good enough to go to heaven? Let's see how you
compare to God's standard - the Ten Commandments.
The Bible says, "You shall not murder." (Deuteronomy 5:17) You
may say, "I've never murdered anyone." Jesus warned, "whoever
is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment."
(Matthew 5:22, NKJV) God sees hatred in the heart as wicked as murder.
Jesus warned, "You have heard that it was said, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT
ADULTERY'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust
for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. (Matthew
5:27-28) Have you ever looked at another person with lust? The Bible says
that adulterers and fornicators (those who have sex before marriage) will
not enter heaven. (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Have you ever stolen anything—even something small? The value is
not important. If you have ever taken anything that doesn't belong to you,
you are a thief.
Have you ever told a lie? That makes you a liar. The Bible warns that all
liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire. (Revelation 21:8)
Did you admit to breaking the four commandments listed above? If so, you
are a lying thief and an adulterer and murderer at heart. And there are
six more commandments! If God judges you by His standard, will you be guilty
or innocent?
The Bible says, "For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed
the evil thoughts, fornications, thefts, murders, adulteries, deeds of
coveting and wickedness, as well as deceit, sensuality, envy, slander,
pride and foolishness. All these evil things proceed from within and defile
the man. (Mark 7:21-23)
Perhaps you are counting on the fact that God is loving and will overlook
your sin. You should know that your sin has actually angered God. The Bible
describes sinners as "alienated and enemies [of God] in your mind
by wicked works." (Colossians 1:21, NKJV) Until you have forgiveness
of your sins, God's wrath abides on you. (John 3:36)
Look at it this way. Suppose someone was found guilty of rape. The judge
asks if he has anything to say before sentence is passed. The man says,
"Judge, I am basically a good person, and I know you are a good and
righteous judge. Therefore, please let me go."
The judge responds, "You are right about one thing. I am a good and
righteous judge. And, because I am, I must punish your sin."
The very thing that many of us count on - that God is love and will overlook
our sin - is the very thing that will condemn us to hell. The Bible says
that God is holy and that, as He is holy, we are to be holy. Being a good
person is not enough. The Bible also says that God is just. He must punish
sin. The penalty for sin is death and hell.
Of sin and judgment, the Bible says, "all have sinned and fall short
of the glory of God ..." (Romans 3:23) And, "the wages of sin
is death." (Romans 6:23) "For we must all appear before the judgment
seat of Christ, so that each one may be recompensed for his deeds ... whether
good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10, NASB)
Unless we confess our sins and repent (turn away from) our wickedness,
we will perish in hell. "But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant
heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation
of the righteous judgment of God, who WILL RENDER TO EACH PERSON ACCORDING
TO HIS DEEDS." (Romans 2:5-6)
We already live under the judgment of death. "Therefore, just as through
one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death
spread to all men, because all sinned ..." (Romans 5:12) Death is
the ultimate statistic. Everyone dies. As death is a sure thing, so is
God's judgment. "And inasmuch as it is appointed for men to die once
and after this comes judgment ..." (Hebrews 9:27) God is going to
judge each of us individually. Imagine a hidden camera records everything
you think, say and do for a month, and then is played back on a big screen
for everyone to see. No sin is hidden. That is what you will face on Judgment
Day. The Bible says, "the LORD searches all hearts, and understands
every intent of the thoughts." (1 Chronicles 28:9) And, "every
careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in
the day of judgment." (Matthew 12:36)
Sin condemns us before God. By His standard, we are guilty and deserve
hell. Does that concern you? There is good news!
While God must punish sin, the Bible says God "is patient toward you,
not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance."
(2 Peter 3:9)
The Bible also declares, "For God so loved the world, that He gave
His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but
have eternal life." (John 3:16) Read the verse with your name inserted,
like this: "For God so loved your name that he gave his one and only Son, that if your name believes in him your name shall not perish but have eternal life."
Let's go back to the courtroom. You have just been found guilty and have
been sentenced to a million dollar fine or prison. You can't pay the fine,
so the judge sentences you to prison. As the guard is about to take you
away, someone you don't know enters the courtroom and demonstrates his
love for you by paying your fine. Justice has been served ... you are free
to go. That is what God did for you 2000 years ago.
The Bible says that God became a man (Jesus Christ), suffered and died
on a cross for our sins so that we could be set free. "God demonstrates
His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died
for us." (Romans 5:8) We broke the Law, and Jesus paid our fine -
it's as simple as that! "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the
Law, having become a curse for us ..." (Galatians 3:13)
Billy Graham said, "You will never understand the Bible, you will
never understand the death of Christ on the cross, until you understand
that God is a holy and righteous and pure God. He cannot even look upon
evil. In that terrible time of the agony of the Lord Jesus Christ on the
cross, a shadow came between God the Father and God the Son. God cannot
look upon sin, and in that moment He was laying your sins and mine on Christ.
"He who knew no sin was made to be sin for us (2 Corinthians 5:21).
That means that He had never known sin, never had an evil thought. But
all of the filth and dirt from your life and my life descended on Him.
None of us will ever understand the mystery of that moment. It was God's
great love for each of us that allowed His Son to take that suffering ..."
When we surrender to Jesus as our Lord and Savior, God in his justice declares
our penalty has been paid. Justice has been served. God's wrath is removed
from us.
Yes, Jesus is our Hope! The Bible declares, "And there is salvation
in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given
among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12) Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father
but through Me." (John 14:6)
If you are not sure your sins are forgiven—if you are facing the
judgment of eternal hell—repent and put your faith in Jesus Christ
today! Please don't put it off. When you die, it is too late. There is
no purgatory - no second chance. The Bible says, "Behold, now is 'THE
ACCEPTABLE TIME,' behold, now is 'THE DAY OF SALVATION'" (2 Corinthians
6:2) Repentance is turning away from your sins and turning to God. Putting
your faith in Jesus means to personally trust him.
Imagine you are on an airplane. The stewardess hands you a parachute and
tells you that the plane is going to crash - you will have to jump out
of the plane at 25,000 feet! You're not going to just believe in the parachute. You are going to put it on! The Bible commands us to
"put on the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 13:14) Many people believe
that Jesus exists, but they have not put on the Savior. There is a BIG
difference! When you jump through the door of death, the difference will
be obvious.
Jesus not only died for your sins, He also arose from the grave and defeated
death and hell to be our Lord. Jesus is alive in heaven today. "...
'DEATH IS SWALLOWED UP in victory. O DEATH, WHERE IS YOUR VICTORY? O DEATH,
WHERE IS YOUR STING?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is
the law; but thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ." (1 Corinthians 15:54-57)
Will you surrender your life to Jesus today?
"For God so loved your name that he gave his one and only Son, that if your name believes in him your name shall not perish but have eternal life." — John 3:16 (paraphrased)
"In 1829, George Wilson was adjudicated guilty and given the death
sentence for murder. But, Wilson had some friends who petitioned President
Andrew Jackson for a pardon. Jackson granted the pardon and it was brought
to prison and given to Wilson. To everyone's surprise, Wilson said, 'I
am going to hang.' There had never been a refusal to a pardon, so the courts
didn't know what to do. Discussion went all the way to the Supreme Court
and Justice John Marshall gave this ruling: 'A pardon is a piece of paper,
the value of which depends upon the acceptance by the person implicated.
If he does not accept the pardon, then he must be executed.' God loves
you and wants to pardon you, but if you refuse Him, you will die and go
to hell. Cast yourself upon Him completely, and receive the free gift of
His forgiveness today.
"Have you repented of your sin and believed upon the atoning work
of Christ's blood on the cross? Being good doesn't get you to heaven. It
is only Jesus."
How to surrender your life to Christ:
Admit your need (I am a sinner). Confess your sins by name to God.
Be willing to turn from your sins and turn to God (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you on the cross and rose from the grave.
Through prayer, surrender your life to Jesus Christ, and trust Jesus as
your Lord and Savior.
An example prayer:
Dear God,
I admit I am a sinner. I am deserving of judgment and hell. I believe Jesus
died on the cross in my place, to pay the penalty for my sin. I want to
repent of my sinful nature. I surrender my life to you, Jesus, and I trust
you as my Lord and Savior.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
Your Next Step:
Read the Bible daily and obey what you read.
Pray (talk) to God daily.
Join a church that honors God, magnifies Jesus, and faithfully teaches
the Bible.
Tell others about Jesus.
If you have just surrendered your life to Christ, please let us know. We would like to pray for you and send you some material to help you
grow in your faith.
