"...I have come that they may have life and have it to the full." (John 10:10)
What does it mean to live a full life? Is it having money, power and prestige? Is it found in influence? Or is it even found in good things like a loving family or a caring wife?
Certainly all of these are good things, but are these things that define someone who had a "full" life? Jesus tells us that He came so that we could have life and have it "to the full" (John 10:10). Perhaps Jesus didn't have the "good" life in mind that we would normally think of.
Man has a Problem...
The apostle Paul writes in a letter he wrote to a church in Ephesus "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins..." (Eph. 2:1). The fact is that our sin separates us from God.
So, what does it mean to sin? 1 John 3:4 tells us that "sin is lawlessness". Have you ever broken one of God's laws? At first glance, you might be able to look at the ten commandments and think you were okay; you haven't killed anybody, you aren't an adulterer and you don't even know what it means to "covet". Keep in mind that Jesus went on to help define God's law in Matt. 5; "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment." Have you ever been so angry with someone that you made some kind of derogatory remark? God calls that sin. Or again, Christ said, "You have heard that it was said , 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Have you ever looked a little too long at someone of the opposite sex? God calls it sin. The book of James says that "whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it." (Jam. 2:10).
In fact, every person has sinned; we fall short of God's glory (Rom. 3:23). That sin has made us a slave (Rom. 6:7). And the punishment for sin is death (Rom. 6:23). We've fallen short and deserve the punishment of hell for our wrongdoing.
So, what are we supposed to do? We've sinned and fallen short of God's glory. That sin deserves punishment and we are all guilty.
God's Gracious Gift...
Sin deserves death. We are all sinners. Therefore, we all deserve death. Jesus led a sinless life (Heb. 2:10). He also died a horrible death on a cross (John 19:17-37). So, how does that connect with us being sinners? Why does the Bible have so much to say about Jesus Christ and His death?
Jesus took the punishment for sin upon himself and gave those who would believe in Him His righteousness. Don't believe me? 2 Corinthians says it pretty clearly: "God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Cor. 5:21). For those of us who place our full faith in Jesus Christ, trusting that He is the only payment for our sin, God gives us the righteousness that was formerly His Son's. Not only that, but the punishment that was required for our sin has been paid for on the cross. Paul said it right when he wrote "the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord" (Rom. 6:23).
But how can we be sure that Jesus death really does give us eternal life? We can be sure because Jesus Himself rose again from the dead (John 20:1-9). He died once paying the price for sin and then rose again to new life, proving that He had the victory over death and judgment (1 Cor. 15:54-57).
The Need for Faith...
Paul had a phrase that he loved to quote when writing letters to churches: "but the righteous shall live by faith" (Rom. 1:17, Gal. 3:11, Hab. 2:4). What is faith? Why is it necessary to be right with God?
The author of Hebrews says that faith is "being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1). Ephesians tells us that we are saved "by grace... through faith" (Eph. 2:8-9).
Faith is necessary for the payment of our sins and the reckoning of Christ's righteousness to our account. "...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved..." (Acts 16:31).
Are you Ready?...
Paul once wrote "...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. For it is with you heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." (Rom. 10:9-10). Simply believe and confess; it's that simple. Believe that Jesus Christ's death is payment for your sin, and because He was raised from the dead, He has the right to be Lord of your life (Col. 1:18).
So, are you ready to make Jesus Christ both Lord and Savior of your life? If so, we'd love to hear about it. If you could please give us a call at (937) 547-0065, we would love to be able to pray with you and guide you through this decision.
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