This year came in with quite a bang for me. Not the usual kind however. I came home from church this Sunday and proceeded to feel nauseous and downright sick. I was stricken with that stomach virus that was going around. I felt like I could've died and in actuality, it very well could've been my last day on earth. And imagine, there are people who go to a lot of trouble to feel this way the next day all in the name of a good time. We take so much for granted. The good news is that if I had been called home, I would be in the arms of Jesus right now. But what about those who still remain unsaved$%: I wonder what the death toll was this New Year's Eve for unsaved souls who gave the Savior no thought$%: I am writing this in hopes that people will realize that tomorrow is not promised to anyone...not me, not you...no one! We shouldn't put off one year, one day, one hour, one minute or one second. We never know when our time will come.
This leads me right back to the hopes that we have in quitting bad habits without first making a decision to start a good one. In the end, making a decision for Christ is all that will matter. However good our intentions are of succeeding at anything, we all must first be held accountable to something or rather Some One that we can answer to. There must be a strong driving force that keeps us on the straight and narrow. Unless we have something greater to answer to, all our efforts will fall short. Man simply can't boast of his own accomplishements. Unless you believe in God's Word, you may have a problem believing this, but in the end it really doesn't matter. God's Word will always triumph over any false opinions or beliefs anyone may have, including yours or mine. I do not give my personal opinion, I am presenting you with God's Truth. The next step is up to you. Believe it...or not.
The reason it's futile to think we can quit a bad habit on our own is because Christ told us that; 'He is the vine, we are the branches and without Him, WE CAN DO NOTHING.' (Jn. 15:5) He isn't being arrogant, He's telling us the truth. That means either we are His child, or we aren't. There are no gray areas to salvation. If we haven't committed to serving the Lord, then we are serving Satan. We do that just by thinking we can accomplish things on our own. That is just one lie that Satan feeds us unless we know better. When we do know Christ as our Savior then we can say, "I can do ALL things through Christ, which strengthens me." (Phil. 4:13) We give Him all the credit for our accomplishments, and we ask Him for help when we fail. The fact is, we are accountable to Him for our strengths and our weaknesses. Unless we can do this, all our attempts to strive for success will surely fail, as sure as the sun sets somewhere every day.
There is one important thing I want to stress upon, and that is this; unless God has saved you by His grace through your faith, you can not boast of your salvation due to your own good works. Every one is separated from God through sin, no matter how "good" of a person you may be. Believing in anything else is a lie from the "father of lies", Satan himself. Christ was and IS the ONLY ONE who can unite us with His Father. Aside from Him, there is simply no other way to gain entry into heaven. Everyone wants to end up there but aren't willing to heed God's call upon their lives.
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." Eph. 2:8-10
It's not only by God's grace we are saved, but also our faith. We are required to believe in salvation, but even that is a gift from God that we as humans can't acquire on our own. Salvation is God's preeminent grace in every respect. The only thing we can claim is our willingness to obey. With our salvation, God gives us the time in which to redeem ourselves. But He doesn't promise us that time to put it off when we feel we are ready. That is not our decision. We only have to choose to be ready. One day we will all draw our last breath, and unless we know Christ at that moment, we will not be given another chance. So, what good is it to make self improvements without first making the only choice of improving one's self$%: There is no time to waste for a decision as important as this one.
"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, and spend a year there and engage in business and make a profit.' Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away." Jm. 4:13-14
It's not unwise for godly people to plan ahead, but James is saying that it's downright foolish for an unbeliever to think
he can presume that his life awaits him for intentions of profit and gain. Only God knows what time we have left. We are dispensible just like vapor. Our lives can be taken from us in an instant. This calls for a life changing decision on our part. God is telling us beforehand what is to come. We should never think we could ever plead innocent on the day of reckoning, because God knows He gave it all to us while we still had the time. If you want to do this God's way, which is the only way then here is what you need to say;
"If the Lord wills, we will live and also do this or that." Jm. 4:15
A true child of God knows he must submit his plans to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. After all, He is the Captain of this ship we call life. Our safe docking lies in His hands and expertise. But for the arrogant and ignorant person who will not submit, his life will be like those vapors that are gone in an instant, having no second chance to make it right. Further more, if you know this fact and choose to ignore it's warnings then it will be counted against you as sin. Remember, it's sin that separates us all from God in the first place.
"But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. Therefore, to one who knows the right thing to do and does not do it, to him it is sin." Jm. 4:16
In other words, it is a sin to boast of accomplishments that we give ourselves credit for. So, who are we to think we can accomplish even the most minor feat without God's help$%: This is pure and simple folly.
If you are not saved today why not make this the first day of the rest of your life$%: What better way to start the new year$%: I'm sure you may know of someone who passed away unexpectedly. How did that make you feel$%: It's a helpless feeling, but doesn't have to be a hopeless one. Fact is, death waits for no one. The worst part of death is if that soul is not saved. Hell is a very real place and it is one for eternity. It means a place of eternal torment, pain, darkness, lonliness, reliving past hurts and sins and regrets forever day without end. It's a place where there are no vacations or holidays. To simply put it, no rewards for anything. To deny Christ is to deny yourself a place in eternal peace. It has nothing to do with how good you may be here on earth. In God's eyes we have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Humble yourself today, tell God you have sinned and are a sinner. Invite Christ to come into your heart. Tell Him you believe that by the shedding of His blood, you are now washed clean. He died and rose again and sits at His Father's right hand and intercedes for you. Accept Him as Lord and Savior over your life. If you truly believe this, you are born again into the family of Christ Jesus. Happy Birthday and Happy New Year!
In order to gain true success, think less about the power of things over your life and more about the power of Christ in your life!
留言列表
