Good News

Good News For The Non-Christian

I remember a conversation I once had with my Mother when I was a little boy. Neither of us were Christians at that time even though we attended Church three times a week. My Mom explained to me that there were only a certain amount of sins which we could commit, then after that, we would be condemned to hell. I asked what that number was, but Mom didn’t know. I remember thinking that if I knew what the number was, I could sin as much as I want until I got close to the number, then I would stop. I certainly didn’t understand just how susceptible to sin we really are.

Most people believe that as long as their good works outnumber their bad, God will forgive them of their bad deeds and will allow them to spend eternity with Him. Sadly, this is not the case. The Bible is clear about the fact that everyone is guilty before God (Romans 3:10-20) and that we must bear an eternal penalty for our disobedience (2 Thessalonians 1:8-9). That is the bad news.

The good news is that God has provided a way for us to escape the sentence of hell in spite of our sin. That way is Jesus Christ (John 14:6). When we sin, that puts us in debt to God. Since we cannot pay the penalty, which is death (Romans 6:23), God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay it for us. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is proof that God accepted the payment offered by Christ. Once His payment is applied to our account, we are forgiven.

The question arises, exactly how do we apply the payment made by Jesus Christ to our account? The answer is stunningly simple. You just take God at His word. God offers you forgiveness of sin and all you have to do is to accept it (Ephesians 2:8-10). One person in the Bible even asked, “What can I do to be saved?” (Acts 16:31) They were answered, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.”  The Greek word for “believe” means much more than our English word. It is not just a mental assent to some fact. The word denotes trust and commitment. A true story will illustrate the real meaning of belief.

Charles Blondin was the stage name of a famous 19^th century French tight rope walker. Charles had been walking tight rope since the age of five. One of his most famous feats was to walk across a rope suspended over Niagara Falls. He did everything from pushing wheel barrows to cooking and eating omelets on the high wire. During one of his performances in September of 1860, the Prince of Wales was offered a ride on the back of Blondin across the rope.  The Prince declined. In contrast, Romain Mouton, Blondin’s assistant regularly enjoyed taking rides across the rope.

Did both men believe that Charles Blondin could safely take a man across the rope on his back? I’m sure both men would say that they believed, but only one of them volunteered. That is the kind of belief, faith a trust that God requires. Do we really believe that Jesus can save us? If we do, then we will stop trying to please God with our good deeds and allow Jesus to apply His work to our account.

Go to God in prayer, thank Him for the loving provision of His Son and take Him at His word. You could pray something similar to this. “Dear God. Thank you for Jesus who offers to cover my sin. I accept that gift and want to follow Him. Help me to live a life that is pleasing to you and to find a good Bible believing Church which can help me to grow as a Christian. Thank you for forgiving me. In Jesus’ name. amen.”

If you have recently made this decision and need help, feel free to contact us.