We intentionally make preparations for all kinds of events and appointments in this life (and rightly so). But, lets be honest for the next few moments…have you made preparations for your most important event in life, one which the Bible calls an appointment…your death? Are you prepared to meet your God? (Amos 4:12) A question that many avoid thinking about, yet it’s the most significant question there is. Are you ready?
Why do you need to be ready? Because, “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31) And that is because He, and He alone is holy (morally perfect & completely pure) and worthy to be feared. (Rev. 15:4) (Psalm 24:3,4) “Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart.” Do you have clean hands and a pure heart? This can easily be answered by looking into the mirror of God’s Law…which is a reflection of the holiness of God. The summation of His Law is found in the 10 commandments. Here are just a few…
#7. You shall not commit adultery. In (Matt. 5:28) Jesus said, “Everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” How many times have you looked with, and even been controlled by lust?
#6. You shall not murder. (1 John 3:15) says, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him.” That would include unjust anger, unforgiveness, bitterness, etc.
#10. You shall not covet. This is jealously desiring what other people have. Which shows a lack of contentment and is an insult to God and what He has freely given you.
#1 & 2. You shall have no other gods before Me, & you shall not make for yourself a carved image. We are commanded to put God first, above our family, jobs, money, reputation, even our own selves. We are not to create a false god in our minds, just because we don’t like the God who is revealed in scripture... these are all acts of idolatry, and idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1Cor. 6:9,10)…and of course, God also hates the lying tongue, the arrogant, and abortion, among others. (Prov. 6:17)
Your Own Goodness?
It’s really simple, if you are counting on your own goodness to get you to heaven, you are under a curse (Gal. 3:10), because God demands perfection in thought, word, and deed. Cursed literally means damned to eternal destruction, in hell…forever. (Rev. 14:11) God, by His nature, because He is holy and good, must punish all sin, or else He would be unjust and evil Himself. The bible says in (James 4:17) that even when we know the right thing to do, and fail to do it, we sin.
It’s easy to see that none of us have clean hands or a pure heart. So what must you do? There is nothing that you can do on your own, but there is something that God did for you. The answer is found in the Cross of Jesus Christ! The Father sent the Son, who was God in human flesh and the creator of all things, (John 1:1-3,14) to this earth, to rescue sinners. Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners!” (1Tim 1:15) “God showed His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) He was born of a virgin and named Jesus (Matt. 1:21,23), and although He was 100% God, He was also 100% man. He was tempted in all points as we are, yet without sin. (Heb 4:15) He lived the perfect life that we could not live and died in our place as our substitute, paying the price for our sin.
“For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God.” (1Pet. 3:18)
“For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2Cor. 5:21)
All of the sins of everyone who would ever believe were placed upon Jesus while on the Cross. He bore the full anger and wrath of God because of our sin. For the sinner who will, by faith, trust Christ…God will give him the perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ that he doesn’t deserve! He took the believer’s sin, and they get His righteousness! God’s mercy and grace! “That He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” (Rom. 3:26) God can justify (completely forgive and make right with God) the sinner who puts their faith in Christ. He can also remain just, because their sin was punished…Jesus was punished in their place! What Great news!
Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom. 5:1)
After dying on the cross, Jesus was buried and then rose again on the third day (1Cor. 15:3,4)...showing that He defeated death (1Cor. 15:54-57), proving He was God (Rom. 1:4), and showing that the debt for sin was paid in full !(Col. 1:14) He then appeared to more than 500 brothers at one time (1Cor. 15:6) and after 40 days, He ascended into Heaven where He now sits at the right hand of God reigning with all authority! (1Pet. 3:22)
One day, when the Father chooses, Jesus Christ is coming back physically to this earth as King, Lord, and Judge. (Matt. 24:36; 2Thes. 1:7-10)
How will you respond to Jesus Christ? Jesus said, "Whoever is not with Me is against Me." (Matt. 12:30)
God commands you to repent. (Acts 17:30) Repentance is a complete, radical change of mind about who God is and who you are, (He is holy and you are sinful). This results in a turning away from sin and a complete dependence on Jesus Christ as your only hope of salvation.
It is a U turn on the road of life, “turning from idolatry (living for ourselves) to serve the living and true God.” (1Thes. 1:9) “Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Acts 20:21)
Repentance and faith are always joined together...one can't truly turn to Jesus in faith without turning in the opposite direction of sin. Repentance involves a confession of Jesus as Lord, along with a belief or trust in His death, burial, and resurrection for salvation, (Rom. 10:9). "Lord" simply means master, or boss. We are to humbly submit to His authority over our lives. Jesus said that we will perish if we don't repent. (Luke 13:3,5)
Your Only Hope
Jesus Christ is your only hope and the only way to Heaven. (John 14:6), (Acts 4:12) Eternal life is a free gift of grace, to be received by faith. (Eph 2:8,9) (John 1:12) So, abandon any trust in your “goodness” to get you to heaven (Rom. 3:10…”there are none righteous”)… instead, cast yourself upon the mercy of a loving God who has provided a Savior! “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13)…That needs to be the attitude of your heart. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom 10:13)
Call upon the name of Jesus Christ and ask Him to save you. Confess your sins to Him, and by faith, receive Jesus as Savior and surrender to Him as Lord. Do it today, because you are not promised tomorrow. (Prov. 27:1)
“If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2Cor. 5:17)God gives you a new heart (Ezek. 36:26), with new desires. Your new life will be characterized by a hatred of sin, and a desire to obey God and His Word. (1John 3:6,9) (John14:15) (John 8:31). You will have a love for other Christians. (1 John 3:14) You will have a desire to tell others about Jesus. (John 4:29, 39)
Once you have given your life to Jesus Christ, it's God's will that you be baptized (Matt. 28:19) and be part of a local fellowship of believers (a bible preaching church) (Heb. 10:23-25). Baptism has no saving effect, but is an act of obedience for the believer, publicly identifying yourself as one who has been buried with Christ and raised to walk in newness of life. (Rom. 6:4) Finally, God wants his children to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” (2Pet 3:18)…so that we will not be led astray, and we will be able to rightly explain to others how they can come to know Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. You do this by reading your bible daily and obeying what you read, talking to God daily through prayer, daily confessing your sins to God, and being under the teaching of God’s Word with other believers.
