Title: Now is the time to be saved...
2010·05·28
This is a story from Tolstoy's Confessions. A stranger was passing through the wilderness, and a lion swooped in and escaped into a waterless puddle. But at the bottom of the puddle was a large snake waiting with its large mouth open. So I couldn't go down to the bottom, and I couldn't get out of the puddle either. The traveler hangs on a small tree root that just grew out of a crevice in the stone in the puddle. A large snake was waiting for him inside the pool, and a lion was waiting for him outside, and he was sure to die soon. To make matters worse, a white mouse appeared and ate the root of the tree and disappeared. Then, this time, a black rat appeared and gnawed at the root of the tree again. As the white and black mice alternately gnawed at the roots of the trees, even if they did not let go of their hands holding the roots, the roots would be cut off and the stranger would become food for the big snake at the bottom of the well. But when I looked around, I saw honey loaded by bees. So, after tasting the honey once, the traveler got drunk on the taste and licked the honey without realizing the passage of time. What happened to this person in the end?
life
This story shows our life. People are born into this world, live for a while, and then die. Now, life expectancy has been extended, so it seems to be possible to live until the age of 80. However, I don't know how quickly the 80 years pass by. And the life of those 80 years is only unstable and rough. In this illustration, the figure of a stranger hanging from the root of a tree shows it. White and black mice represent day and night. As the day and night pass, our lives will come to an end. What will happen to us when life ends like that?
We do not think seriously about this kind of life, we are immersed in reality and we live our lives in a frenzy. When I see people, it seems as if they live as if they did not die and would live forever in this world. But just as there are days when we are born into this world, there are days when we end our lives. We live by seeing people being born and dying every day. Anyone born into this world will die without exception. However, people are living in this world with an attitude as if they will not die and will live forever. The question is what will happen after you die.
The Bible says this on this matter: “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment” (Hebrews 9:27). Everyone dies. But death is not the end of everything. After death there is judgment. The God who created us and sent us into this world settles the life we have lived when we are finished. That's the problem. At the end of our lives, there is God's judgment. God decides and judges the life we have lived in this world. When we receive God's judgment, the future life in which we will live forever is decided. That is, heaven and hell are decided. If a person lives 80 years in this world, he will live forever in the next world. Therefore, we must prepare for this judgment while we live on this earth. What kind of judgment will there be, and how should we prepare for it?
life without hope
The Bible says that everyone has sinned. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). There is no one who has not sinned. However, there must be judgment for this sin. Even in this world, if you commit a sin, you will be punished accordingly. How much more will we not be judged for our sins before God? God is just and never overlooks sin. The Bible describes God's judgment on sin in this way. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a).
Therefore, those who sin must die. In fact, it is because of sin that all human beings, without exception, die. When God first created man, he made him immortal. However, as man fell and sinned, death came. Death due to sin is not just physical death as we think of it. Those who have sinned will be cut off from God's grace and perish in eternal hell. This is eternal death. Everyone has sinned and has no choice but to die. This is the wretched fate of man. Think about it. Even if a person enjoys a lot of things in this world that he doesn't like, if he has to spend eternity in a terrifying hell, what's the use of all that he has enjoyed in this world?
Salvation
God is just, and He always judges sin. Because all people have sinned, they will be judged by God and will die forever. But God is love. The God of love has opened the way of salvation for sinners who have no choice but to be destroyed forever because of their sins. The Bible says that God loved the world and sent His Son to save them. Anyone who believes in the Son can be saved. The Son of God is Jesus Christ. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16).
Because God is just, He always punishes sin. So, without exception, all people who have sinned will be judged by God and will inevitably be destroyed in eternal hell. But God judged our sins by placing them on His Son. And everyone who believes in His Son, Jesus Christ, can be saved. The door of salvation has been opened to sinners who have no hope of being destroyed forever. God loved us so much that He gave His Son on the cross instead of us who sinned. And now, anyone who believes in the Son of God who died on the cross for us can be saved.
There is only one way for man to be saved. The Bible says that there is no way of salvation except in the name of Jesus. “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “Jesus said to them, I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Therefore, the only way to be saved is to believe in Jesus. That's why we tell people to believe in Jesus. Sometimes, even when insulted and ignored, it is something that cannot but be told.
betimes
Even if you tell them about the way of salvation in this way, some people still give a relaxed answer. I'm still far from dying, so I'm going to live my life the way I want and believe it just before I die. It sounds like a very wise thing to say. But it overlooks the fact that a person has no idea what his fate will be tomorrow. Life expectancy is getting longer these days, and most people live to be 80 years old. But not everyone lives to 80 that way. Some people live to be 100 years old. But others die young. We often see people who lived in good health suddenly die due to an accident or disease. Therefore, it would be reckless to put off believing in Jesus on the assumption that I will live to the age of 80.
In addition, the world is increasingly experiencing disasters, abnormal temperatures, and large-scale accidents. How often do massive earthquakes and tsunamis, typhoons, heavy rains, extreme droughts, and catastrophes occur? That's not all. Wars are happening non-stop. Even in Korea these days, it seems as if a war with North Korea is imminent. But once a war breaks out, no one can guarantee safety. Indeed, we are living in an unstable world where we cannot foresee the future. No one knows what will happen tomorrow.
However, all of these phenomena have very important implications. Jesus prophesied that these things would happen as the end of the world drew near. “When Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, his disciples came to him in silence, saying, Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the world?” (Matthew 24:3) But beware and do not be afraid, for these things must happen, but the end is not yet; nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and earthquakes in various places; all these are the beginning of calamities” (Matthew 24). 6-8) “In that day, immediately after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then the sign of the Son of Man will be seen in heaven, and then all the peoples of the earth will Weeping and they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:29-30)
(PPT) - Tsunami, earthquake in Sichuan, China, earthquake in Haiti
now is the day of salvation
When that day comes, it will be too late to turn back and believe and be saved. Because the door will be closed. Moreover, we live in a world where we do not know what will happen tomorrow. That is why the Bible says today is the day of salvation. “As co-workers with God, we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain, saying, “I heard you in your favor, and I helped you in the day of salvation.” Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation. 2 Corinthians 6:1-2)
Decide to believe in Jesus Christ right now. Decide now to stand upright and live by faith. Opportunities will not come again. If you keep procrastinating, you will miss the opportunity, and then regret will be of no use. Worse, the opportunity will never come again. Therefore, believe in Jesus Christ and be saved now.
Remember again what Tolstoy said. We cannot live in this world forever. Everyone will come to the end of their life. Even now, our precious lives are passing by quickly. Our lives are short now. Do not lose sight of eternal salvation because you are no longer busy living. Receive Jesus Christ now and be saved.