Choice

“Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die,

O house of Israel?” Ezekiel 33:11

When it pertains to God and His Word, there are two basic groups: those who do accept Him as their Creator, and those who don’t. No one forces this choice upon any of us but the consequences of either are real nonetheless.

We live now in a society where the very word “sin” is seen, at best, as anachronistic. More often it is totally discounted, if even mentioned at all.

Is there right and wrong? Few would argue otherwise, yet unfortunately and increasingly more are saying that that is subjective, rather than objective. In other words, yes, there is right and wrong, but I myself get to define what those terms mean for myself, and anyone else is wrong for trying to tell me otherwise. That would, in PC terms, be “intolerant.”

God’s Word says otherwise...that His truth is very clearly defined. The only problem is with us, because truth can be very uncomfortable when we realize how far we fall short of it, so it is much easier to either re-define or simply deny it...and Him.

One of the most common reasons given is that He and His Word are, “too harsh, outdated, judgmental, etc.” So instead of quoting what God does say, I would like to point what God doesn’t say.

Nowhere in the Bible will you find Jesus asking: “What sins did you commit? How many times? Why did you do that? What were the circumstances? Was it a big sin or a small one?”

His very Name, in Hebrew, literally means “He saves,” and that is why He came to us. Not once has He ever, nor will He ever, force or demand anyone to believe and place their faith in Him. Rather He simply invites, as it can only be thus with God’s true love. He asks only for our self-acknowledgment of our own true state, in truth, and upon that, repentance thereof.

So what you will see Jesus saying is: “Be of good cheer, son; be of good cheer, daughter; your sins are forgiven.”

Christ Jesus came that we might have life...life anew. God’s love and truth stand as both a bastion against the effects of sin in the world around us and within our personal lives and as an invitation to His peace, hope and promise of eternal salvation, versus the life of self determination and all its consequences. The choice is yours.