GOT A MINUTE ?

GOT A MINUTE? WE ALL spend a tremendous amount of       time, effort and money to care for our earthly needs.   However, few seem concerned about their eternal well-being.   Too busy?   We shouldn't be! A long time ago, Jesus asked, "For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?   Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"   Do you have answers to these vital questions? I sincerely hope you will take a few moments right now to seriously consider what God wants you to know about life now and life hereafter.   It will be time well spent -- perhaps the most cru- cial few minutes of your entire existence. The written Word of God, the Bible, emphati- cally states what we must understand and believe if we are to be brought into a right relationship with our Creator.   It really doesn't matter what our opinions might be, but it makes all the difference in the world what Almighty God has said must be!

UNIVERSAL PROBLEM The first thing the Bible would have us under- stand is our natural standing before God.   We are "by nature the children of wrath" (Ephesians 2:3), and "dead in trespasses and sins" (Ephe- sians 2:1).   We have proven time and time again that we are sinners by birth and practice.   There are no exceptions!   "As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one" (Romans 3:10). "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).   We have fallen far short of the divine standard of absolute holiness. We stand before the all-righteous Judge -- GUILTY as charged! Consider the consequences if -- at this very moment -- you should die in this condition.   The Bible removes all uncertainty concerning what lies beyond the grave: "...it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judg- ment" (Hebrews 9:27).   The outcome of this judgment is also revealed.   Until the sin problem is settled, there is no possible way a guilty sinner can enter the glories of Heaven.   Revelation 21:27 states: "there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever work- eth abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life."   No one

can enter that celestial city unless the defile- ment of sin has been erased, and their name written in the "Lamb's book of life."   Heaven is the dwelling place of God, and no one who is yet in their sins can be allowed to enter into His holy presence. The next important question is, "If one dying in his sin cannot enter Heaven, then where will he spend eter- nity?"   Revelation 20:15 answers by stating, "whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire."   Hell is a place of everlasting and literal torment.   This eternal existence in the lake of fire is "the second death" and is the just penalty for sin -- "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Those who die in their sin face the reality of eter- nal suffering -- the bitter end of sin! WHAT WE CANNOT DO Since God's Word plainly declares that we are all sinners, and as such we are justly barred from Heaven and bound for Hell, this question is of utmost importance -- WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT YOUR SIN? Different answers are given in response to this incredibly vital consideration.   Many feel their sin

can be erased by living a good life, or "turning over a new leaf" and trying to do better.   Others see themselves as "just as good as the next person" and in the final analysis their good will outweigh their bad.   Still others sincerely believe that by joining a church or going through reli- gious ceremonies (baptism, confirmation, con- fession, partaking of the Lord's Supper, etc.,) the burden of sin's guilt and awful penalty can be relieved. But the Word of God is very definite concerning the error of such reasoning, and the utter futility of any self-effort to remedy one's sinful condi- tion.   It is "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us" (Titus 3:5).   Actually, we have no righteousness of our own nor could we do any good work that would help in the slightest way to accomplish our salvation.   The Bible says, "we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [our good works] are as filthy rags" (Isaiah 64:6).   We can make our lives appear more respectable by honest effort, holy resolve and religious activity, but inwardly the heart is still unchanged.   Sin may be concealed, but it is not washed away.   Good works, religious ceremonies and pious intentions can never can- cel God's declared penalty for our sin.

WHAT GOD HAS DONE What, then, must we do to be saved?   If the Bible plainly teaches that we can do nothing to save ourselves from sin and its penalty (and it does), then how can we be made acceptable before God?   Once again, the answer is found in God's Holy Word and what a wonderful answer it is! "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly" (Romans 5:6). Think of that!   When we were without strength, completely unable to do anything to effect our own salvation, Christ died in our place.   God knew we were utterly helpless as Hell-bound sinners, and in accordance with His GRACE, He intervened in our behalf.   He sent His only begot- ten Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to shed His precious Blood as the full payment for sin.   In so doing, Jesus Christ died the death due the sinner. Why did He do this?   The answer is found in Romans 5:8: "...God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." As Jesus Christ hung on Calvary's cross, He was not dying for His own sin, for He was the sinless Lamb of God.   He died in our place and bore the penalty for sin that was due us!

"(5)he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastise- ment of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.   (6)All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the ini- quity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6). "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Peter 2:24). "Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification" (Romans 4:25). The penalty for sin had to be paid, and God the Father placed our sin upon the bruised and bleeding body of His beloved Son. The full weight and penalty for sin -- OUR SIN -- fell upon the crucified Lord of Glory!   He was our sin-bearer, our substitute.   When He cried out from the cross, "It is finished[,]" He had accom- plished just that, a completed and all-sufficient offering for sin -- a PERFECT SALVATION!! A MARVELOUS SOLUTION The Bible is very clear concerning what you must now do in order to make His perfect, complete

salvation your own.   It must be personally appro- priated or it will profit you absolutely nothing! Only the precious Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ that was shed on Calvary's cross has the power to cleanse from sin, and it is through FAITH in the Lord Jesus Christ that the cleansing power of the Blood is applied. Jesus Christ was God manifested in the flesh.   It was His sacrificial death on the cross that pro- vides salvation for any lost sinner who will trust in Him as the ONLY Saviour from sin and the ONLY way to Heaven.   When we believe that the Lord Jesus Christ died, was buried and was raised again bodily from the tomb, and that all this was done to provide a perfect salvation for sinful man, then we receive full forgiveness of sins and the gift of everlasting life. Please take note of these promises from God's Word which describe the present and future standing of one who trusts Christ as Saviour: "To him [Jesus Christ] give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission [for- giveness] of sins" (Acts 10:43).   This is how the sin problem is resolved.   When Christ is believed

on, sin is forgiven and the cleansed sinner is made acceptable before a holy God! "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into con- demnation; but is passed from death unto life" (John 5:24). "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John 1:12). "(1)Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: (2)By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand" (Romans 5:1-2). "(8)For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9)Not of works, lest any man should boast" (Ephesians 2:8-9). "(16)For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.   (17)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).

AN IMMEDIATE OPPORTUNITY Yes, my friend, the moment you believe (and believing is nothing more nor less than taking God at His Word), you receive forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life!   Then you stand before God complete and perfect IN CHRIST'S RIGHTEOUSNESS and not in your own self- righteousness which is but "filthy rags" in His sight.   When you receive Christ by faith, you are "made the righteousness of God in him" (2 Co- rinthians 5:21). Do not be deceived by the popular belief that no one can be absolutely sure of salvation now. God says we CAN KNOW.   This is because salva- tion is based upon the sure promises of God's Word and upon the finished work of Christ on the cross. The believer is told in 1 John 5:11-13 that he can KNOW for certain that he is passed from death unto life and that his sins have been forever forgiven: "(11)And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.   (12)He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.   (13)These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God."

"...he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them" (Hebrews 7:25). "...I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand" (John 10:28). Would you like to receive Jesus Christ as YOUR personal Saviour right now?   Then trust Him, and Him alone.   Trust Him not only with your head, but with your whole heart as well: "(9)That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.   (10)For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Romans 10:9- 10).   Believe what God's Word says concerning: your NEED of the Saviour, your total INABILITY to do anything to save yourself, and God's full and eternal PROVISION for your salvation through the death, burial and the resurrection of His dear Son.   Turn away from those things through which you had hope to attain salvation: "doing good," baptism, church membership, morality, religion, etc., or even the false notion that "death ends it all." If you will turn to God -- forsaking your old ways -- and in simple, child-like faith believe what the Bible says concerning these imperative truths, you will have, at this very moment, everlasting life! Claim the blessed promises of the Word of God as your own.   Then rely upon the Author of those

promises to keep them both now and for all eterni- ty.   He will never fail to honour His Word. Got a minute?   God says, "behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salva- tion."   Do not delay!   Tomorrow may be too late! "And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.   And let him that heareth say, Come.   And let him that is athirst come.   And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). Trust Jesus Christ NOW! -- Dennis W. Costella F. E. A.

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