Friend, for the next few minutes, I humbly ask that you allow me the opportunity of sharing with you some principles and thoughts from the Bible that affect each and every one of us. As you read this, please be open to the voice of God as he speaks to your heart.
For a number of years I used to think that as long as I believed in God and tried to live a good life, I would go to heaven when I died. In other words, if the good things I did outweighed the bad, then I would be alright in the end. I really considered myself to be a good person until I came face to face with God’s 10 commandments. They convinced me of how wrong I really was. I know I was guilty of all 10, but these 6 really struck my heart.
“You shall not make for yourself any carved image”
This speaks of people who “changed the truth of God into a lie” (Romans 1:25). I had made God into my own image by saying, “My God is a God of love; He would never create Hell”. And in my thinking, I was right. My god (the one I personally formulated in my mind) would never create hell, because he didn’t exist. He was a figment of my vain imagination, shaped to conform to my sins.
If a man walked down a railroad track, saw a train racing toward him, closed his eyes, and said, “I believe it’s a marshmallow train,” it still wouldn’t change reality. What he believed wouldn’t matter. What would matter is that if he didn’t get off the track, he would become a marshmallow.
You see, it didn’t matter what I previously perceived God to be like, because my perception was wrong. God Himself said, “I am the Lord, I do not change (Malachi 3:6). The Bible clearly tells us that idolaters will not inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9).
“You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain”
Regrettably, I had taken the name of God in vain a number of times. Even once was bad enough. I took the name that is above every name, the holy name of the God who created me, and brought it down to the level of a 4 letter filth word. I blasphemed God. Matthew 12:36 says “every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgement”.
“Honor your father and mother”
I knew I had failed here. The word honor means “to value”. I know that in my childhood and teenage years I had dishonored/devalued my parents at least once growing up.
“You shall not commit adultery”
Jesus said that “whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart”. I knew I had broken this command, because I had looked, with lust, at women. The same can be said for a woman who looks upon a man to lust after him. In civil law, to conspire to commit a crime can be as much a transgression as the committal of the crime itself. God knows that he who lusts holds back from adultery not for conscience’ sake, but for lack of opportunity. I Corinthians 6:9 states that “adulterers will not inherit the kingdom of God”
“You shall not steal”
Here, I came to understand that if I ever took anything that didn’t belong to me, even a paperclip, I had broken this command. No matter how small the object that was taken, I was guilty of stealing. I was a thief.
“You shall not bear false witness (lie) against your neighbor”
Today, this is more commonly known as telling “fibs” or “white lies”. I had told these, along with other lies, more than once throughout my life. The tragedy, I discovered, was that “All liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone” (Revelation 21:8).
Friend, even breaking 6 of the 10 commandments, I stood guilty and condemned before God. I was an Idolater, blasphemer, dishonoring to my parents, adulterer, thief and liar. But had I only broken just one commandment in my whole life, I was still as guilty as if I had broken every one. The bible tells us in James 2:10 – “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all”. Now, more than ever, I realized how hopelessly lost and in trouble I really was. I knew that if God judged me by the 10 commandments on Judgement Day, I would end up guilty, and go to hell.
What I learned through all of this was that God gave the law, the 10 commandments as a mirror for me to look into. It exposed me for who I really was. It mirrored the awfulness of my sin before a Holy God who loved me and had a plan for my life. For the first time, I began to clearly understand why Jesus Christ had to die for me and take the punishment of my sins upon Himself. In the New Testament book of Galatians 3:13, 19 it says “But Christ has rescued us from the curse pronounced by the law. When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing. For it is written in the Scriptures, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree’. Why, then was the law given? It was given alongside the promise to show people their sins “
Friend, If I don’t ask you the following question, I will be guilty of gross negligence-How do you think you will do on Judgement Day, if God judges you by the Ten Commandments? Think about your answer, carefully and thoughtfully.
Unfortunately, each one of us owe a debt for our sins which we can never, ever pay. We can never get “good” enough or never “do” enough to gain entrance into God’s heaven. God is not really interested in any of our religions or denominations, but He is vitally interested in each of us having a personal relationship with Him. He created us for and with a purpose, and that purpose is to know Him, love Him and serve Him until we meet Him in Heaven. God does not want any one of us to be destroyed or perish, but wants everyone to repent. In other words, we don’t have to suffer the eternal consequences of our debt of sin if we will only turn to God with a godly sorrow over our sins and let Him pay our debt in full.
Here’s what God wants us to understand and comprehend. Christ died for all of your sins. He took your place in judgement when He hung on the cross. Every sin you have ever committed, either publicly or privately, God laid them upon His Son, Jesus. He substituted Himself in your place. Why, because He loved you and knew you needed a Savior to rescue you from a place of eternal suffering – “For God so loved the world (of lost sinners), that He gave up His only Son, that whoever would believe upon Him should not perish, but have eternal life” “For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:16-17) After being dead for 3 days, Jesus resurrected (came back to life) to prove that He was God. Hundreds and hundreds of people witnessed His coming back to life after being previously dead. Jesus said – “I am the way, the truth and the life…..I am come that people may have life and have it more abundantly….Come to me all of you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest…..Truly, truly, I say to you, He that hears my word, and believes on Him that sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life….I am the resurrection and the life, he who believes in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live and whoever lives and believes in me will never die”
God has done for us what we could never do for ourselves. It is now up to each of us to decide – “Will I receive God’s free gift to me of the forgiveness of my sins and eternal life in His heaven?” My heart cry to you is – “Yes”. Say “Yes” to the greatest thing that can ever happen in your life both now and forever. God knows what has gone on in your heart as you have been reading this, and right now, this moment, you can humbly respond to His call to your soul. It’s easy, yet profound.
Would this prayer reflect the desire of your heart and would you be willing to pray this prayer believing that God will hear and answer you – Dear God, I know that I am a sinner. I know that I have broken your law. I stand guilty and condemned. But Lord, I also believe that you love me so much that you sent your Son, Jesus, to suffer and die in my place for all of my sins and that He came back from the dead to prove that He was God. At this moment, I repent, turn away from my sins, and place my faith in Jesus Christ. Lord Jesus, come into my life and save me. Make me a new creation in You. Thank you Lord for hearing my prayer – Amen
Friend, know that God loves you and that His greatest desire is that you will join Him in heaven, a place of no night, sorrow, sadness, sickness or pain. A place where we will live forever and enjoy the presence of God who loves us.
If you prayed the prayer above , and meant it.....would you email us at info@reallife7.org. We would love to hear from you and rejoice with you in your decision to follow Jesus Christ. We would also like to send you further information that will help you grow in your new Christian Life.
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