Someday each of us will meet Jesus Christ face to face: "It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment" (Heb. 9:27). God declares that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). It is impossible for a Holy God to allow an unrepentant sinner into a sinless heaven.

 

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom. 6:23). God the Father loves us so much that He sent His Son Jesus to suffer the punishment for our sins, for everyone who would confess his sin and ask forgiveness there is forgiveness and eternal life. Jesus loves us so much that he came to suffer the pain of dying on the cross so that we could have eternal life. The Father and Son are in agreement.

 

You may say I’m a nice person; I don’t do anything that hurts anyone. Well, have you had sex while not married? Have you ever lusted? Jesus said in Matthew 5: 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. This would go for a woman looking at a man lustfully also. Have you ever stolen anything no matter how small? Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever been dishonest? Have you ever used the Lord’s name in vain? Have you ever used bad language? If you can answer yes to any one of these then you have fallen short, you too are a sinner and need to repent and accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. The fact is that everyone has sinned in the eyes of God.

 

Isaiah 45: 22 "Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.

 

2 Corinthians 5: 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

 

Ephesians 2:1As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. 4But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.

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8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

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Titus 3:3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

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You can see that there is nothing we can do to earn our way into heaven. The fact that Jesus had to become a human and go to such an extreme as to dying such an agonizing and violent death on the cross for us to have eternal life shows that there is nothing we could do on our own, if there was then Jesus’ death was in vain. We all have sinned and fallen short. None of us could become righteous enough to enter into God the Father’s presence.

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But thanks to Jesus we can have his righteousness. Jesus’ sacrifice washes all our sins away.

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In the third chapter of John Jesus sums it all up.

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John 3

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1Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."

 

3In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again."

 

4"How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. "Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb to be born!"

 

5Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7You should not be surprised at my saying, 'You must be born again.' 8The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit."

 

We are born physically into this world but because of Adam and Eve’s sin everyone is born spiritually dead. Jesus said we must be born again, born of the Spirit. The only way to be born spiritually is to believe that God the Father sent his son Jesus; you must believe that Jesus is who he and the other scriptures of the Bible say he is. You must recognize that you are a sinner and repent and accept Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross; then you will receive the free gift of eternal life.

 

9"How can this be?" Nicodemus asked.

10"You are Israel's teacher," said Jesus, "and do you not understand these things? 11I tell you the truth, we speak of what we know, and we testify to what we have seen, but still you people do not accept our testimony. 12I have spoken to you of earthly things and you do not believe; how then will you believe if I speak of heavenly things?

 

13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. 14Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, 15that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

 

While the Israelites were having to wonder in the desert, they began to sin against the Lord so he sent snakes amongst them, whoever was bitten would die so the people asked Moses to pray to God, so God told Moses to make a snake and put it on a tall pole so that if anyone was bitten, if they would look at that snake, he would live. See Numbers chapter 21 verses 6 thru 9. The snake represented sin. This goes back to the Garden of Eden. This was a foreshadowing of Jesus being lifted up on the cross. Jesus bore our sin.

 

The next verse, John 3:16 is probably the most known verse in the Bible, but Jesus’ statement doesn’t stop there.

 

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

 

17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

 

18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son.

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19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

 

Verses 19 and 20 explain why so many don’t want to accept the Bible and Jesus. If a person did then they would have to accept the fact that they are a sinner and are not living the way God wants. You would have to accept that you are not worthy of going to heaven. Most people don’t want to give up their sinful living.

 

At the end of chapter 3 we see John the Baptist testifies about Jesus.

 

John 3:31 "The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 The man who has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

 

1 John 5: Faith in the Son of God

 

1Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. 2This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3This is love for God: to obey his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

 

6This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. 7For there are three that testify: 8the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. 9We accept man's testimony, but God's testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. 10Anyone who believes in the Son of God has this testimony in his heart. Anyone who does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because he has not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. 11And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

 

12He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

 

13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.

 

John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

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1 John 2: 23No one who denies the Son has the Father; whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also.

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The Roman Road to salvation

 

Romans 3: 22This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

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Romans 5: 6You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. 7Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. 8But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

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9Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him! 10For if, when we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life! 11Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

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Romans 6: 23For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

Romans 10:9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.

 

A final word to all

 

The Holy Scriptures declare that the choice regarding eternal salvation is very clear. Who will be the God of your life? Jesus Christ or you?

 

It is your choice. Ultimately, you must choose.

 

If you choose to commit your life to Jesus Christ you will be assured that you will meet Him as your Savoir. If you reject His offer to be the Lord of your life, you will have chosen to meet Him as your final judge at the end of your life. The apostle Paul quoted Isaiah when he said, "Every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God" By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength.' "All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. (Isa. 45:23, 24).

 

So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.

(Rom. 14:11, 12).

 

I have two kids and four grandkids. They are such a blessing to me. If you are a born-again Christian, are you a blessing to the Father, are you a blessing to the Lord Jesus. Are you pleasing to the Lord? Do you do what he asks, commands. Do you obey his word? Is your life an example and a witness for the Lord? Are you honoring him?

 

This doesn’t mean if you’re considered successful by the world’s standards, if you make a lot of money, if you have a lot of material things. You can be the poorest of the poor. You could be living on the street under a bridge and you can still be pleasing to the Lord. He could consider you a blessing. Your life can still be an example and witness to others.

 

It’s your life, the person you are, your attitude, your character, your love for others that makes you a blessing to Jesus. It’s obeying his word.

 

I John 2: 3We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.5 But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

 

I John 3: 4 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5 But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6 No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him.

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7 Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. The one who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8 The one who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work. 9 No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in them; they cannot go on sinning, because they have been born of God. 10This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God’s child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.

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Are you living in a sinful lifestyle, are you in a life of sin? Are you living a life influenced by the devil? If so, just repent. Truly from your heart, just ask Jesus for forgiveness and turn away from the sin in your life. If you truly mean it, he will forgive you.

 

1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

 

1 John 2: 1 My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins,

 

1 John 5: 13 I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

 

If you were to die tonight, how will it be when you stand before Jesus?

 

2 Corinthians 6:2 For God says,  “At just the right time, I heard you.  On the day of salvation, I helped you.”  Indeed, the “right time” is now. Today is the day of salvation. (NLT)

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Jesus is Lord.

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Maranatha, Our Lord Comes.