The Word of God for wisdom:
Proverbs 14:7-8 (NLT)
7 Stay away from fools, for you won't find knowledge on their lips.
8 The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.
The Word of God for inspiration:
Psalm 97:11-12 (NLT)
11 Light shines on the godly, and joy on those whose hearts are right.
12 May all who are godly rejoice in the LORD and praise his holy name!
The Word of God for encouragement:
Luke 23:39-43 (HCSB)
39 Then one of the criminals hanging there began to yell insults at Him: "Aren't You the Messiah? Save Yourself and us!"
40 But the other answered, rebuking him: "Don't you even fear God, since you are undergoing the same punishment?
41 We are punished justly, because we're getting back what we deserve for the things we did, but this man has done nothing wrong."
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!"
43 And He said to him, "I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise."
My observation:
The selected passage from Luke provides hope and a warning. The hope is that it is never too late to receive deliverance from eternal separation from God.
However, we should not be inclined to put off doing today while we have life and opportunity to make the right choice. Notice that only one of the criminals asked for deliverance.
Luke 23:42 (HCSB)
42 Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom!"
Now, notice that salvation does not take a long time to be effective; it begins immediately. Notice what Jesus told the criminal who sought salvation.
Luke 23:43 (HCSB)
43 And He said to him, "I assure you: Today you will be with Me in paradise."
The deliverance by the seeking criminal just prior to his death should not be an encouragement to delay coming to Jesus for deliverance.
As someone has said, "one was saved at death's door so none would despair, but only one so none would delay."
Jesus will do for anyone who asks him what he did for the repentant criminal.
My prayer:
Our Father in heaven, my dear Father, I praise and thank you for this timely message of the importance of making the right choice concerning where we will spend eternity.
Father, one of the criminals on the cross railed at Jesus, and one of the criminals received Jesus. One died condemned, and the other died delivered. Oh, the cost of unbelief.
Father God, I pray that you would open the eyes of any that cannot see the condition of their soul without Jesus in their life. Lord, I thank you for loving us, even to the very end. Father, you are the only God who was willing to die for the sake of rebellious sinners like me. All I can say is "Thank you Lord for saving my soul". In Jesus' name, Amen.
--
1 Timothy 4:4-5 (HCSB)
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing should be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5 since it is sanctified by the word of God and by prayer.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment