When I was twelve years old, I was sitting in my room by
myself and on this day I made the most important decision of my life. You may
be asking yourself what kind of decision does a twelve year old sitting in the
quiet of their mind make that is so life altering.
myself and on this day I made the most important decision of my life. You may
be asking yourself what kind of decision does a twelve year old sitting in the
quiet of their mind make that is so life altering.
I don’t remember exactly the defining or deciding moment for
my decision, I didn’t hear bells go off or see light bulbs flashing, but I knew
the time was right and I was in need of something more.
my decision, I didn’t hear bells go off or see light bulbs flashing, but I knew
the time was right and I was in need of something more.
So what was this decision that I made? What did it mean? How
did I go about making it? How did it
have such an impact on my whole life? Why would I make such a vital decision at
such a young age?
did I go about making it? How did it
have such an impact on my whole life? Why would I make such a vital decision at
such a young age?
I remember sitting on my bed and deciding to pray the prayer
of Salvation. I grew up in the church so I was aware of the salvation story and God’s redemptive plan for I had heard it many
times. I knew at that point in my life I was too a sinner and was in need
of a Savior. I felt in my heart I had just came to the place where I was ready to make this
decision.
of Salvation. I grew up in the church so I was aware of the salvation story and God’s redemptive plan for I had heard it many
times. I knew at that point in my life I was too a sinner and was in need
of a Savior. I felt in my heart I had just came to the place where I was ready to make this
decision.
Romans 3:23 says, “For all
have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” What did this mean to a young
girl? It meant that I was a sinner and there was nothing I could do to reach
the Glory of God on my own. I fall short. Some of you that know me may be
laughing and thinking I fell really short. At a whole 5 foot 1 inch tall. This, however, does not mean in posture it means in my ability to be measured up
to my king; the One who is perfect in every way. What does this mean for you?
have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.” What did this mean to a young
girl? It meant that I was a sinner and there was nothing I could do to reach
the Glory of God on my own. I fall short. Some of you that know me may be
laughing and thinking I fell really short. At a whole 5 foot 1 inch tall. This, however, does not mean in posture it means in my ability to be measured up
to my king; the One who is perfect in every way. What does this mean for you?
Most people have this impression that they are good. If they
think about where they would go at the end of this life, most people would say,
well I have lead a pretty good life; I have accomplished all of these things
and start making a list. I have not done anything too bad, I mean you should
see the guy I work next to, now that guy
I am not so sure about him, or that group I saw on TV last night, I am nothing
compared to them. I am a good person. At
the end of this life I will surely… or maybe… or hopefully?… get into Heaven. I
guess my list may be long but it is nothing compared to ___________ (and you begin filling in the blanks).
think about where they would go at the end of this life, most people would say,
well I have lead a pretty good life; I have accomplished all of these things
and start making a list. I have not done anything too bad, I mean you should
see the guy I work next to, now that guy
I am not so sure about him, or that group I saw on TV last night, I am nothing
compared to them. I am a good person. At
the end of this life I will surely… or maybe… or hopefully?… get into Heaven. I
guess my list may be long but it is nothing compared to ___________ (and you begin filling in the blanks).
Look back at Romans 3:23, it says ALL. ALL have sinned. Even
I, as a twelve year old girl, realized the path that I was on was due to my own
sin. But what had I done as a young girl. I mean look at my list compared to…
you may have pointed out lots of people. Romans 3 doesn’t tell us to look
around and compare ourselves to others when it comes to sin. It tells us to
look up at God’s Glory, at God’s standard; this is where the top mark is. If
you think you are “good”, what is the measurement being compared to? Paul, the
author of Romans, tells us in this verse it is compared the top, the pure
perfection of God Almighty.
I, as a twelve year old girl, realized the path that I was on was due to my own
sin. But what had I done as a young girl. I mean look at my list compared to…
you may have pointed out lots of people. Romans 3 doesn’t tell us to look
around and compare ourselves to others when it comes to sin. It tells us to
look up at God’s Glory, at God’s standard; this is where the top mark is. If
you think you are “good”, what is the measurement being compared to? Paul, the
author of Romans, tells us in this verse it is compared the top, the pure
perfection of God Almighty.
You think to yourself, who could do that? Who could possibly
live up to that kind of standard? You are right. No one can. Romans 3:10 tells us, “As the scriptures say,
No one is righteous-not even one.”
live up to that kind of standard? You are right. No one can. Romans 3:10 tells us, “As the scriptures say,
No one is righteous-not even one.”
Whew! That sure is a relief. We
all sin, and not one of us is righteous. Doesn’t that leave us all in the same
sinking boat? Yes. Paul tells us again in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
The wages, the cost of our sin, all of our sin, is death. Not just physical
death but also spiritual death. It makes us completely separated from His
Glory. So here we all are on the same sinking boat.
all sin, and not one of us is righteous. Doesn’t that leave us all in the same
sinking boat? Yes. Paul tells us again in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is
death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord”.
The wages, the cost of our sin, all of our sin, is death. Not just physical
death but also spiritual death. It makes us completely separated from His
Glory. So here we all are on the same sinking boat.
When you look around at the world
and see it in moral decline. It is because there is a cost. The cost of
sin is death. You may say but what about that little boy I knew that had cancer
or my sweet neighbor lady that suffered so much. She was so nice, she went to
church every week and she always helped us out when we needed her. The harsh reality is the cost for
ALL humanity is death.
and see it in moral decline. It is because there is a cost. The cost of
sin is death. You may say but what about that little boy I knew that had cancer
or my sweet neighbor lady that suffered so much. She was so nice, she went to
church every week and she always helped us out when we needed her. The harsh reality is the cost for
ALL humanity is death.
Some people may be thinking, why
is a God, that you claim loves me, that harsh? Why would He give death
is a God, that you claim loves me, that harsh? Why would He give death
to the
innocent? I’m going to give this to you straight. First of all, we are not innocent. Secondly, God is fair and just and
gives us what we deserve.
innocent? I’m going to give this to you straight. First of all, we are not innocent. Secondly, God is fair and just and
gives us what we deserve.
He didn’t, however, leave us in this way. He didn’t say
the consequence of sin was death and leave us there. He had a plan, a plan from
the beginning to rescue us from this death and from this sin. There is Great
News that lies ahead so come back tomorrow for the rest of this rescue story.
the consequence of sin was death and leave us there. He had a plan, a plan from
the beginning to rescue us from this death and from this sin. There is Great
News that lies ahead so come back tomorrow for the rest of this rescue story.
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