Contrast, 19of19

~ Contrast: Death or Eternal Life ~

 

Series Comment ~ The Scripture contains many contrasts.  In this series we look briefly at some of them.  Just like in our “Binary” series many of these contrasts represent a choice of this or that.

 

Scripture ~ “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23). 

 

Comment ~ A great one word summary of the entire Bible is forgiveness.  All men and women have sinned – disobeyed God’s desires for us. 

 

“All [every person] have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). 

 

The Bible does not just proclaim the reality that we are all sinners but rather offers a way to pay for our sins.  God, the Father sent His only Son to die in the place of the penalty we owe for our sins.  But that gift of salvation is only available to those who take advantage of it by accepting that gift.  Listen to the words of His Son:

 

“Jesus answered and said to him [Nicodemus], ‘Are you the teacher of Israel, and do not know these things?  Most assuredly, I say to you, We speak what We know and testify what We have seen, and you do not receive Our witness.  If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?  No one has ascended to heaven but He who came down from heaven, that is, the Son of Man who is in heaven.  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

 

‘He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God’” (John 3:10-21).

 

Action Step ~ If you are not sure but want to know the truth would you pray an open and honest prayer asking God to reveal Himself to you? 

 

~ Robert Lloyd Russell, ABUNDANT LIFE NOW 

 

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