|
 "Even
as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner,
giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are
set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire"
(Jude 7).
Once
a crowd of lost sinners cried out to Peter and the other apostles of
Christ, "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" Peter answered,
"Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ
for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy
Ghost" (Acts 2:37-38).
If you have not given your life to Jesus Christ and been made right with
God through Christ's sacrifice on the cross for your sins, you will not
inherit the kingdom of God (I Corinthians 6:9-11). This means you will
suffer eternal consequences for every sin you have ever committed, every
mistake you have ever made (Romans 8:23).
The Lord has said that
He will make "all things new" (Revelation 21:5). He will fulfill
His plan. He will bring about a "new heaven and a new earth" in
which there will be "no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,
neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed
away" and, of course, no sin or sinners (Revelation 21). If you want
to spend eternity with your perfect Creator, rather than in a state of
eternal punishment, you must first be made perfect in His eyes (Romans
2:5, Revelation 20:11-15).
But how? How can any
of us be made perfect in God's eyes?
1. YOU MUST
REPENT!
"Be not deceived; God
is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap"
(Galatians 6:7). If you are living a life of rebellion against God and are
unwilling to change, He will not accept you into His kingdom (Revelation
22:12-15). You must be willing to repent and turn away from your sinful
lifestyle. Is this always easy? No, some sin, such as homosexuality, may
have a very powerful hold on certain individuals. However, this is no
excuse to continue on in such sin. Cain harbored envy and murderous
intentions against his bother Abel. God told Cain, ". . . sin lieth
at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over
him (Genesis 4:7).
To be accepted into the
kingdom of God, you must repent of all your sins. If you are a homosexual,
you are in rebellion against God.* Homosexual acts are an
"abomination" in the eyes of the Lord. His wrath is kindled
against you! You must repent of your rebellion and be willing to live your
life in conformity to God's Word. But how can God forgive a sin He calls
an "abomination," and how can an individual break free from such
a sin?
*Gen. 19; Lev. 18:22,
20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; I Cor. 6:9-11; I Tim. 1:8-11; II Peter 2:4-8; Jude
6-7.
2. YOU MUST, BY
FAITH, ACCEPT THAT JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU! (Romans 5:6-11)
God Himself, through His
Word, has made it clear that Jesus Christ is the "propitiation for
our sins" (I John 2:2). In other words, Christ's death on the cross
was the perfect sacrifice for our sin, the only sacrifice which satisfied
God's holy justice, so that He might exercise His holy mercy by adopting
into His eternal family whoever will call upon the name of the Lord
(Romans 10:9-13). Does this mean that any person who feels bad about his
sins and acknowledges God will be saved? No! "Not everyone that saith
unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven . . . "
(Matthew 7:21).
"For I am not
ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation
to everyone that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. For
therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is
written, The just shall live by faith." (Romans 1:16-17)
3. YOU MUST BE
BORN AGAIN!
"Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily,
verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the
kingdom of God" (John 3:3). When a sinner truly repents of his sin
and turns his life over to Christ, a miracle occurs: "Therefore if
any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away;
behold, all things are become new" (II Corinthians 5:17). The key to
being born again is total submission to Christ. God, who truly knows the
heart, will not be mocked; He cannot be fooled by deceitful words.
"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" (Romans 10:9).
Being born again
means repenting of your sins; believing Christ was crucified and raised
from the dead on your behalf; being willing to follow Him and obey His
Word, the Holy Scriptures. "He that saith he abideth in him ought
himself also so to walk, even as he walked" (I John 2:6). You can
make a commitment to Christ right now. Only He can set you free; why not
ask Him to do just that today?
"And he
said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end.
I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life
freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his
God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the
abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters,
and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire
and brimstone: which is the second death." (Revelation 21:6-8)
"Know ye not
that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not
deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind
(sodomites/homosexuals). Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor
revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. And such
were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are
justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our
God." (I Corinthians 6:9-11)
*Gen. 19; Lev. 18:22,
20:13; Rom. 1:26-27; I Cor. 6:9-11; I Tim. 1:8-11; II Peter 2:4-8; Jude
6-7.
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