Processing ....|
What's the problem? Many people seek to fill that God-shaped emptiness with pleasure, prosperity, or power, anything but God, and yet the emptiness remains. Why? Because finite things can never fill an infinite emptiness. The search for fulfillment in life must begin with God. Did you know that there is a God who searches for us?
God's Position 1. The God who searches is a God of love. His desire is to have a loving relationship with us.
2. However, the God who searches is also a God of perfection. His absolute moral perfection is the standard upon which the relationship is based.
Just before you put the glass to your lips you are told that a small drop of cyanide has been added to the water. However, since it is such a small amount of cyanide, you needn't worry. What harm can such a small amount of poison do to a full glass of cool, clear, water? But you know that no matter how small the dose of poison, it contaminates the whole glass of water. In the same way, God cannot allow even a small amount of sin into heaven lest it contaminate the entire place.
Our Condition People who are searching must realize three things: 1. They fall short of God's standard of perfection.
2. They face God's penalty of eternal separation.
3. They fail to enjoy God's love.
Picture yourself with all of humanity lined up at the rim of a canyon. The only way to get across the one-mile chasm is to jump. The distance you can jump is directly proportional to how many deeds you have performed. A mass murderer jumps only one foot and plummets downward. If you are an exceptionally good person, you may be able to jump 25 feet. But this is still far short of the goal. One by one they try, but fall short of the other side. In the same way even though some people perform more good deeds than others, all of us fall short of perfection. God, in the person of Jesus Christ, took the initiative in searching for us.
2. God satisfied both His love and perfection, thereby making a relationship with Him possible.
During the Great Depression, police brought an elderly man before a New York City night court magistrate. The man was starving and had stolen a loaf of bread. That night Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia was presiding over the court, as he sometimes did to stay close to the citizens. He fined the old man $10. "The law is the law, and cannot be broken," the mayor said. At the same time, he took a $10 bill out of his wallet and paid the fine for the man. Then LaGuardia cited each person in the courtroom for living in a city that did not help its poor and elderly, unduly tempting them to steal. The mayor fined everyone in the audence 50 cents and gave almost $50 to the amazed defendant. Both justice and love were served when LaGuardia paid the penalty and more for the old man.
Our Decision The search for God ends in a choice: To accept or reject Christ's perfect payment for your sins. 1. Accepting God's gift involves admitting the truth about ourselves, that we have failed to measure up to God's standards and we are separated from Him.
2. Accepting God's gift involves transferring your trust from yourself to Jesus Christ.
Now you can have a personal relationship with God.
Blondin, the famous 19th century French tightrope walker, successfully crossed Niagra Falls a number of times (an 1100-foot span, 160 feet above the raging waters.) On one occasion Blondind pushed a wheelbarrow across. He then asked how many in the crowd believed he could push the wheelbarrow across with someone in it. The crowd cheered. He then asked, "Does anyone believe enough in me to get in the wheelbarrow and cross Niagra Falls with me?" No one volunteered. Finally, Blondin's manager climbed on his back and they crossed the great falls together. The crowd's belief was purely intellectual, but Blondin's manager went beyond intellectual assent to personal trust. That's the kind of faith the Bible says we must have in Christ.
Let's Review: God's Position: What is God like? God is both loving and perfect.
Our Condition: What are we like? We are sinful and separated from God.
God's Provision: What did God do about the problem? He gave His son Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a satisfactory payment for our sins.
Our Decision: What should you do? Admit you are separated from God and receive Jesus Christ as your Savior.
The choice is yours! Would you like to receive Christ now? You can use this prayer to express your decision to God.
Dear God, I admit that I am a sinner and I understand that my sin separates me from you. I believe that Jesus, being God, paid the penalty for all my sins when He died on the cross and rose from the dead. I want to place my trust in Him as my Savior. Thank you for loving and forgiving me and giving me the gift of eternal life. In Jesus' name, Amen.
For those who have made the decision to trust Jesus Christ.
Here are some things that will help you get to know Christ better and grow in your relationship with Him.
Permissions to Copy has been granted by Search Ministries.
|
