On August 3, 2001 Garry Turner set a world record by clipping 133 ordinary wooden clothes pins on his face at the offices
of Guinness World Records in London.
When my wife and I first began dating, we went on a picnic to Dave’s Falls in Amberg, Wisconsin. We were attempting to cross the river by hopping from stone to stone. As I was trying to impress my future wife, I slipped off a stone and fell into the water. Needless to say, I wasn’t very impressive. My wife still laughs about my fall every time we have a picnic at the park.
As I think of that experience, It reminds me of the many people who are trying to impress God with their works. They think that they can impress God with all the good things that they do and that their works will get them into heaven. What we as humans often fail to realize is that nothing we can do impresses God. In Isaiah 64:6, the Bible tells us:
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
I don’t know about you, but I have never been extremely impressed when I see a dirty rag. In fact, most of us tend not to touch dirty rags. Why do we then try to impress God with our works when they do nothing to impress Him. God is the one who has made us and He wrote this about all humans:
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. - Romans 7:18
No matter how good we try to be or want to be, none of our works will impress God. This is because we are born sinners. We naturally want to do things our own way. We sin when we choose to go against what God tells us in His Word. David, who was one of the great men of the Bible, wrote this in Psalms 51:5:
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Paul, who was also a great man of the Bible, wrote this about men in Ephesians 2:1-3:
You were dead in trespasses and sins; 2 Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience: 3 Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
The Bible clearly teaches that nothing we can do impresses God. We are born sinners and that sin separates us from a Holy God. Romans 3:23 tells us:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.
“Is sin such a bad thing in our lives?” “Everyone is a sinner, so we are all in the same boat together.” “God wouldn’t send everyone to hell. He is too loving and caring.” These are statements that many people make and want to believe. The problem is that they are contrary to what the Word of God tells us. Romans 6:23 states:
For the wages of sin is death.
Every year American workers receive W-2 forms on which are reported all their wages, tips and salary for the previous year. The wages that workers receive is a payment for what they have done. When we sin, the payment that we receive is death, but what does that word “death” mean. Every man who has ever lived has died. Does this mean we will all go to the same place? Let Hebrews 9:27 help answer that question.
And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:
The Bible describes two deaths. The first is the one we all face as we depart from our earthly bodies, but there is another death that sin has doomed us to. Revelation 20:14 gives us insight as to what the payment for sin is.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
The conclusion that we must come to is that all men are sinners and that all men are headed to hell and eternity away from God. If you were to stop reading here, it would be a tragic mistake because there is hope. If we all went to the same place, standing before the judgment of God wouldn’t mean anything. What will we be judged by? If our works don’t make the difference between heaven and hell, what does? Romans 5:8 tells us.
But God commendeth (displayed) his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 also tells us.
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.
The difference between a person going to heaven or going to hell doesn’t rely on what that person has done, but it relies on their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:8-10 says:
For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: 9 Not of works, lest any man should boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
The Bible describes how Jesus Christ, who was not only the son of God but was God (John 1:1), came down to this earth and lived a sinless life. He then became the sacrifice for our sin and became our substitute as described in I John 4:10 & I Peter 2:24.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation (substitute) for our sins.
Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.
Jesus was falsely accused by evil men, though they claimed to be religious. Though these men had him wrongly convicted and sentenced to die, Jesus wasn’t forced to die for our sins. As God, He could have stopped the whole process in an instance, but He willingly chose to suffer the punishment of the cross and the weight of our sin because He loved us. The difference between Jesus and others who claim to be God is that Jesus didn’t just die, but He rose from the dead. He conquered sin and the death that sin brings by raising Himself from the dead. Because He was victorious over death, He can give us that same victory. This is explained in Romans 6:23
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Jesus Christ offers us the gift of salvation. He has called us to follow Him and make the choice to be saved from eternal damnation. A choice is not a work that we do to help earn our salvation, but it is a decision we make in our heart. To receive the gift of salvation, we must choose to accept God’s plan of salvation.
To accept this plan, we must be willing to repent of our sins. Without a willingness to repent or turn from your sin, you can’t be saved. It is your sin that Jesus Christ died for and it is your sin that will send you to hell. You must be willing to turn from your sin towards God in order to be saved. This is clearly expressed by Jesus told in Luke 13:3 and also by the Apostle Peter in Acts 3:19.
. . . except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.
Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
Not only do we need to repent of our sin, but we also need to choose to follow Christ. This isn’t an easy choice because in choosing to follow Him, we are choosing to give up our selfish desires and goals. We are giving up ownership of our lives and are giving it over to Him. This is what Jesus asks us to do in Luke 9:23:
If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
Giving up our selfish desires is not a bad thing. In fact, it is the best thing that we can do. The benefits for giving your life to Christ far outweigh the pain, misery and destruction that sin brings into a life. In Matthew 19:29, Jesus tells as that if we choose to give up all for Him we will receive much in return.
And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.
Not only do we have this promise if we choose to follow Christ, but we have many other promises as well. One of the greatest of these is that God will make us His children. If you choose to follow Him by placing your faith and trust in Him for salvation, you will become a child of God as promised in John 1:12.
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:
True salvation is not just a belief in God as described in James 2:19.
Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
True salvation is a choice that you must make. You must choose to repent of your sin and follow Him. You must place your faith and trust in Jesus and Jesus alone to cover your sin. When you make this choice, God the Holy Spirit will change your life forever as described in II Corinthians 5:17.
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Would you like to make this choice today? If you would like to trust in Jesus Christ, in your own words, ask Him to be your personal Savior right now.
That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. - Romans 10:9
If you have accepted Christ as your Savior or would like more information, please contact:
Scott Barker
W10088 W20th Rd.
Pound, WI 54161
920-897-3966 ✪ 920-897-2502