“Once
you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil
behavior. But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death
to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation - if
you continue in your faith, established and firm, and do not move from the hope
held out in the gospel.” Colossians
1:21-23
I think most people wouldn’t classify
their behavior as evil; however, it depends on whom you compare yourself
to. I know I’m a much better person than
Adolf Hitler was, for instance, but probably not at all as good as Mother
Teresa. That sort of logic is
skewed. When compared to Almighty God
none of us are good. Romans 3:22b-23
declares this simple fact: “There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, for
all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, …”.
We are to be comparing ourselves to our
Creator, not other created beings. With that in mind who could stand on the
final day? No one.
Simply put, to be reconciled is to have
friendly relations restored between two parties. Our own sinful behavior separated us from a
relationship with God. Christ’s shed
blood brought about reconciliation between God and man. In the light of the price paid for your
freedom, why would you not want to dedicate your life to the payer of that
price?
I’ve heard the statement, “I never
asked Jesus to die for me.” That’s only because man has no idea what his
greatest need is. If Christ never came
to willingly die for the sins of all men then we would all die in our sins and
suffer the wrath of God. Some folks will
simply never believe that. They will refuse to believe that a loving God would
send anyone to hell. While it is true
that it is not God’s desire to send anyone to hell (2 Peter 3:9), it is also
true that everyone will surely die and then stand before God in judgment
(Hebrews 9:27).
You may not have asked Christ to die
for you, but He most assuredly did. You
may not believe judgment is coming, but it most assuredly is. As sure as the sun rises and sets each day,
this merciful, gracious, patient, loving God will pass judgment on all who have
failed to take His warnings seriously and lived as they chose. For those who believe, hold fast to your
faith for it is your only hope. Until
next time, walk with the King and be a blessing!
