10/10/18

A sign, a direction and a decision by Gary Rose



Just a one-way sign laying on the street about eventide. Someone wrote above it:”When you lead a sinful life...”. This is a true statement, for God says...


Revelation 20 World English Bible
  11  I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. There was found no place for them.  12 I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and they opened books. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged out of the things which were written in the books, according to their works.  13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it. Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them. They were judged, each one according to his works. 14 Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.  15 If anyone was not found written in the book of life, he was cast into the lake of fire. (Emphasis added)

Revelation 21 World English Bible
  
5  He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” He said, “Write, for these words of God are faithful and true.”   6 He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give freely to him who is thirsty from the spring of the water of life.   7  He who overcomes, I will give him these things. I will be his God, and he will be my son.   8  But for the cowardly, unbelieving, sinners, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their part is in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (Emphasis added)

Revelation 22 World English Bible
  12  Behold, I come quickly. My reward is with me, to repay to each man according to his work.   13  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.  14  Blessed are those who do his commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter in by the gates into the city.  (Emphasis added) 15  Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.   16  I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify these things to you for the assemblies. I am the root and the offspring of David; the Bright and Morning Star.” 

John 1 World English Bible
 29  The next day, he saw Jesus coming to him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! (Emphasis added)

John 3 World English Bible
 21 But now apart from the law, a righteousness of God has been revealed, being testified by the law and the prophets;  22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to all and on all those who believe. For there is no distinction, 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;  24 being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus;  25 whom God sent to be an atoning sacrifice, through faith in his blood, for a demonstration of his righteousness through the passing over of prior sins, in God’s forbearance;  26 to demonstrate his righteousness at this present time; that he might himself be just, and the justifier of him who has faith in Jesus. (Emphasis added)


Fact is: you pay for what you do! Simple understanding of cause and effect. If you sin and do not have a remedy for it, you will be condemned, period. It doesn’t matter it you see yourself as a “good person”, or if you do good things for others- if there has ever been sin in your life (even the tiniest sin) you will have to answer for it.

God does not want your eternal destruction. He has loved all human beings, even from the very beginning. Jesus has paid the price for all who trust and obey God’s will for their lives.

The change of direction starts out simply: Believe in God and his son, Jesus. Then it gets even more personal: turn your heart, mind and actions away from what God has defined as sin. Trust in what God has told you to do about it and do those things. And continue to do them until your Earthly life is over.

And here is an example...

Acts 2 World English Bible
 14  But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and spoke out to them, “You men of Judea, and all you who dwell at Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and listen to my words.  15 For these aren’t drunken, as you suppose, seeing it is only the third hour of the day.  16 But this is what has been spoken through the prophet Joel: 
  17 ‘It will be in the last days, says God,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh.
Your sons and your daughters will prophesy.
Your young men will see visions.
Your old men will dream dreams.
  18 Yes, and on my servants and on my handmaidens in those days,
I will pour out my Spirit, and they will prophesy.
  19 I will show wonders in the sky above,
and signs on the earth beneath;
blood, and fire, and billows of smoke.
  20 The sun will be turned into darkness,
and the moon into blood,
before the great and glorious day of the Lord comes.
  21 It will be, that whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.’


  22  “Men of Israel, hear these words! Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God to you by mighty works and wonders and signs which God did by him in your midst, even as you yourselves know,  23 him, being delivered up by the determined counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by the hand of lawless men, crucified and killed;  24 whom God raised up, having freed him from the agony of death, because it was not possible that he should be held by it.  25 For David says concerning him, 
I saw the Lord always before my face,
For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved.
  26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced.
Moreover my flesh also will dwell in hope;
  27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades,
neither will you allow your Holy One to see decay.
  28 You made known to me the ways of life.
You will make me full of gladness with your presence.’


  29  “Brothers, I may tell you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.  30 Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne,  31 he foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that neither was his soul left in Hades, nor did his flesh see decay.  32 This Jesus God raised up, to which we all are witnesses.  33 Being therefore exalted by the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this, which you now see and hear.  34 For David didn’t ascend into the heavens, but he says himself, 
The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit by my right hand,
  35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’


  36  “Let all the house of Israel therefore know certainly that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 

  37  Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 

  38  Peter said to them, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  39 For the promise is to you, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”  40 With many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!” 

  41  Then those who gladly received his word were baptized. There were added that day about three thousand souls.  42 They continued steadfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and prayer.


The news I am happy to tell you is this: You do not have to continue in a life of sin. God has made a way out of sin- Jesus. Obey him and live, its just that simple! Right now is the time to change a lifestyle of sinful attitudes and actions! Now! Just do it and don’t look back!!!