Since the beginning of time, man has struggled with the question of what will
happen to him when he dies. Searching for the answer to that question has
produced a variety of possibilities born out of wishful thinking and
imagination. Some think there is nothing after this life, while others
think that in the afterlife, everyone will be swept away to a bea
utiful place where happiness exists forever. While I can appreciate the
fact that there may be good reasons why people come up with personal beliefs
which make them comfortable, there is only one true future reality. What
one believes only has significance if it is based on the truth.
Remember, man's search of God's truths must be based on the reality revealed in
the Scriptures and not upon fantasies born out of his imagination. When a
person stands before God, it won't matter how creative his beliefs were; it
will only matter whether or not he believed in God's plan. In the end, it
is only by believing in and acting on that plan that he will gain entrance into
eternity with God.
Principle #1 - God has a plan.
Throughout history the principle of justice has been valued by all
civilizations. Mankind learned at an early age that disobedience has
consequences and requires punishment. When things go wrong, somebody has
to pay. This feeling is so ingrained in society that when a person
disobeys, his conscience causes him to feel guilt over his actions. Man
has so desperately tried to find a way of living apart from God's oversight, he
has sacrificed his own peace of mind in his struggle to live a self-determined
life. Man finds himself striving to get what he wants, only to discover,
once he gets it, that he didn't want what he got. A person who lives life
by making up his own rules is a person who will live life unfulfilled.
The Bible teaches us that God created us with a purpose in mind. In the
Garden of Eden that purpose suffered a tremendous setback. Satan's
deception and lies led man to question and reject God's rulership. In
thinking that he could lead a self-determined life, man's rebellion against God
simply caused him to exchange one ruler for another. When man submitted
himself to Satan, he removed himself from God's loving protection. The
horror of that decision caused a separation that continues to this day.
Man then found himself on one side of a great divide and God on the
other. How could man ever rectify the wrong? What could he do to
pay for the offense?
When mankind in general finally realized that they were the problem, some
turned their guilt into good works in an effort to pay for their actions.
Some responded differently by giving up all hope of ever finding forgiveness
and began living a wild, self-destructive lifestyle. Some, on the other
hand, went into denial and began to blame others. Eventually, however,
all reached the same conclusion: There is nothing a person can do from
his side of the problem to fix the problem. Good works, guilt, blame,
hopelessness or even a self-invented version of life after death all come up
short.
Since there was nothing that could be done from man's side to resolve the sin
problem, the only hope he had was that something could be done from God's side
to adequately address the division between God and man. There is a
perfect example in the Scriptures of this very situation.
In Genesis 22:2-13
Abraham was asked by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. This was Abraham's
son through whom the covenant was to extend to the next generation. As
Abraham made preparation to sacrifice his son, an amazing thing happened.
Just as he was about to plunge the knife into Isaac, a ram appeared, caught in
a thicket nearby. It was this ram that became the sacrifice instead of
Isaac. You see, Isaac's death would have accomplished nothing. Even
though Abraham was willing, the price he was prepared to pay wouldn't have
begun to settle the debt he owed. It was God who supplied the sacrifice.
When
God viewed all the contortions men went through in their feeble attempts to
make peace with Him, He saw that they all fell horribly short of meeting the
requirements. Because God loves us with His eternal love and compassion
and remembers our frame that we are dust (Psalm 103
), He made provision by sending a sacrifice that would meet the requirements
for us.
In the fullness of time, God sent His own Son to be that sacrifice for
us. Jesus Christ was God's own Son who came into this world, born of a
virgin and who lived a sinless life. He was sent to destroy the curse of
sin by allowing Himself to pay the ultimate price. Jesus took upon
Himself the sins of the world and died on a Roman cross. The Bible says
that the just payment for sin is death. By paying the price for our sins,
He satisfied the requirements of restoring our relationship with God.
Once the price was paid, death could not hold Him because He was sinless.
The power of death is sin. Since Jesus died without sin, death could not
keep Him, and He arose from the dead.
What the Bible tells us next is quite remarkable. This Good News is
expressed in the answer Paul gave the Philippian jailer when he asked, "What
must I do to be saved?" Paul said, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and
you shall be saved." What does it mean to believe in Jesus? The
answer is simple, yet profound. Since God provided the complete solution
to our sin problem, what else can we add to His provision? Nothing.
Then what is required on our part? We must believe that what God did
through Jesus' life, death and resurrection was enough to satisfy our spiritual
debt.
Let me give you a practical example. Suppose you had a relative who died,
and you were told he had left you a large sum of money. The attorney told
you that an account had been opened at the local bank in your name and that all
you had to do was present proper identification, and the money was yours.
What would be your response? You would either believe it or you
wouldn't. If you believed what you were told, you would go to the bank
and take out what was yours. If you didn't believe what you were told,
the money would simply sit in the bank until you died. You could be
wealthy and yet live your whole life as a pauper if you never believed the
truth about what you were told.
When Jesus died for us, He really did pay the price for our sins. The sad
news is that most people don't believe it's true. Jesus paid the bill;
yet most people continue to live as if the deposit was never made into their
account. It is heartbreaking to see people trying to pay a debt with
their lives, when that debt has already been paid.
To actually accept God's gift of eternal life requires a leap of faith that is
humbling. We may believe Jesus was a real person who lived over two
thousand years ago. Simply believing He existed, however, isn't life
saving. I believe George Washington existed, but that belief doesn't do
anything for me personally. What we must believe is that Jesus
actually was who He said He was; then we must begin to act on what
we believe. This acting on what we believe is a simple definition
of faith
.
What are you going to put your faith in for your eternity? Our hope is
that you believe the truth about Jesus and take the appropriate action to
accept God's gift of eternal life.
Salvation Plan:
1. Acknowledge to God that you are a sinner. (Romans 3:10, 23)
2. Repent. (Decide to stop living your own way and submit your life to
God.) (Acts 2:38)
3. Ask God's forgiveness for living outside His laws. (Proverbs 21:2)
4. Accept God's gift of eternal life. (John 10:28)
5. Decide to live the rest of your life in a way that pleases God. (John
14:15)
6. Use the Scriptures to determine how God wants you to
live. (2 Timothy 3:16,17)
7. Tell others about your decision. (Matthew 28:19)
What are the benefits of salvation?
(Isaiah 53:3-5)
1. Forgiveness - guilt free living (1 John 1:9)
2. Help in living this life here and now (2 Peter 1:4)
3. Eternal life (Romans 6:23)
Discussion Points:
1. Why does man need a Savior?
2. What does it mean to trust God for your salvation?
3. What are we saved from?
4. What are we saved to?
Memory Verse:
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the
world through Him might be saved.
John 3:16,17
