THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING
Many would gladly tell us what they think the most important
thing in life is. Some would say that the accumulation of wealth
is the most important thing. Others would tell us that a life of
fun and vacations is the most important thing. Others still
would tell us that the most important thing is to gain power in
life. All of us have an opinion. God tells us the truth! God has
told us in His word the Bible that the most important thing is
to know Him, to have your sins forgiven, and to know that you
are on your way to eternity in Heaven with Him! The most
important thing dear friend is to receive Jesus Christ- God
manifest (shown forth) in the flesh- as Savior and Lord of your
life!
The Bible teaches us clearly that mankind has a problem! That
problem is sin! Sin is disobedience to the revealed will of God.
Because we do not- cannot- live out the revealed will of God, we
find that harm and damage spreads throughout our cultures on
earth! Regardless of the level of civilization enjoyed, or the
education level achieved by the masses, horrible crimes are
committed at all levels of life in all areas of social standing!
All of us see daily the horrors of sin as we read our
newspapers, listen to the news on radio, and experience it
visually as we watch the news on our televisions and the
internet. Mankind has a problem- God says that this problem is
sin. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God"
Romans 3:23. Not one of us have been perfect in holiness which
is the standard of the glory of God; all of us have failed to
reach God's requirements for holy living.
For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction- we
learn this fact from physics. People work for wages. Wages
encourage people to work, wages are the just recompense for
work. God tells us that there are wages to sin! "For the wages
of sin is death..." Romans 6:23. God tells us from the outset of
scripture in Genesis this truth- that the wages of sin is death.
God tells us in Romans 5:12 that "...by one man sin entered the
world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for
that all have sinned." God is Holy. That means that He is set
apart from sin. He has never, could never, will never commit a
wrong in any way- God is Holy. All of us must in honesty admit
that we are not holy. Rather we have lied, and cheated, and
stolen, and hurt others at different times in our lives. We have
hated, talked harmfully, acted inappropriately, and committed
wickedness. God tells us that the wages of these "sins" is
death. There are two types of death. Physical death is the
separation of the soul and the spirit from the body- we have
seen that. Spiritual death is the separation of the soul and
spirit from God. This is the payment for sin- physical and
spiritual death. If we die in our sins we must be separate from
God and the only place of separation from God is in hell- a
place of darkness and suffering. A just God requires a just
payment for our sins.
What then can we do? There is nothing that we can do to save
ourselves! The Bible teaches in the Old Testament that "An high
look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin."
Proverbs 21:24. Even plowing- when done without faith in Christ-
is tainted by the sin within our hearts and minds.Everything we
do is "tainted" with sin, so we that we cannot save ourselves.
Galatians 2:16 teaches us the following: "knowing that a man is
not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus
Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be
justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the
law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified."
There is only one way that we can be saved- and that is through
trusting and believing in Jesus Christ who alone can save from
sin and death and hell!
The Bible teaches the GOOD NEWS- the Gospel- the wonderful
message of salvation! Paul the Apostle reviewed the Gospel in
his first letter to the Corinthian church: "Moreover, brethren,
I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which
also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye
are saved....for I delivered unto you first of all that which
also I received, how that Christ died for our sins according to
the scriptures; and that He was buried, and that He rose again
the third day according to the scriptures; and that He was
seen..." 1 Corinthians 15:1-4. Jesus Christ- God's Son- left
heaven's height and inhabited that body born of the Virgin
Mary to be born into the human race- God manifest in flesh- that
He might live the sinless life pleasing to God the Father which
you nor I have been able to do! He offered that life and His
shed blood as the payment for our sins when He was crucified
many years ago. A just payment for man's sin- His holy life for
our sinful lives! He was buried after His death and three days
later; having conquered sin, death, hell and the grave, Jesus
Christ the Son of God arose from the dead in everlasting life,
risen in Glory! Now, He lives to offer the forgiveness of sins
and life beyond the grave to all who by faith receive Him as
Savior and Lord of their lives! Millions living today attest to
the fact of His salvation and how He helps them live correctly
and joyfully on earth today!
A man asked the Apostle Paul and his helper Silas many years ago
"Sirs, what must I do to
be saved"? He answered the man as follows: "Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Acts 16:31. Listen to
the words of our risen Lord Jesus after His
resurrection: "Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man
hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and sup
with him, and he with me." Revelation 3:20. If you would like to
be saved today and be made ready for heaven, you can do so right
where you are! Right now, as best as you know how and with as
much sincerity as you have, receive Jesus Christ as Your savior
by praying this prayer to Him:
"Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. I have done wrong to
others and before You in my past. Even now my life is not what
it should be. I believe that You came to die for me and rose to
save and justify me from sin. I know that Your shed blood can
wash my sins away. Right now, as best as I know how, as
sincerely as I can, I ask You to save me from my sin and make me
fit for heaven. Please come into my heart and help me to live
the life that I could not live on my own- a life pleasing to
You. In Your Name I pray, amen." If you have prayed that prayer
sincerely you are now a Christian! A child of God by faith in
Christ Jesus! "But as many as received Him, to them gave He
power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on
His Name." John 1:12.
You have just entered the "narrow gate" to salvation by trusting
Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord! Now that you are saved you
should start your path of growth as a new Christian! You can
learn to live for God by following the steps of growth in Christ
through and accrostic on the word GROW:
G: Go to God in prayer daily- tell Him your needs and wants; ask
for His help in living!
R: Read God's word daily- this is how God talks to us and
instructs us!
O: Obey God's word daily- this is how we start reaping His
blessings!
W: Witness to others- be faithful to tell others of God's saving
grace so that they may also come to know Him!
If you have received Christ today through this message- would
you tell us? Simple click the image of the gate above and tell
us about it.
