Something
to think through carefully. . .
To those reading this
who do not trust
Christ as Lord, I
urge you to consider these truths with an open heart:
1. You cannot please God through
your own
efforts
or your own intelligence:
"But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on him
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.
Even
as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth
righteousness without works, [Saying], Blessed [are] they whose
iniquities
are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed [is] the man to whom
the Lord will not impute sin." (Rom. 8:7-8).
2. If you continue in sin and unbelief,
there
is nothing in your ultimate future but God's
wrath: "There is none righteous, no,
not one . . . .
For all
have sinned, and come short of the glory
of
God" (Rom. 3:10, 23).
"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,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor
extortioners,
shall inherit the kingdom of God." (1 Cor. 6:9-10).
[Jesus said,] "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye
repent,
ye shall all likewise perish. " (Luke
13:3, 5).
3. Nevertheless, God offers salvation
freely to
all who turn to Christ in faith:
"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." (Rev. 21:6).
"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." (Rev.
22:17).
"Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to
the waters,
and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine
and
milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for
[that
which is] not bread? and your labour for [that which] satisfieth not?
hearken
diligently unto me, and eat ye [that which is] good, and let your soul
delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear,
and
your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you,
[even] the sure mercies of David." (Isa. 55:1-3).
4. Salvation is possible only because
Christ's
perfect righteousness is imputed to all who
believe.
This righteousness cannot be earned by any religious
works or meritorious efforts. It can be ours only because God graciously
imputes it to us by faith:
5. Only this imputed righteousness of
Christ is
good enough to make us acceptable to God. Even
the
apostle Paul said he did not want to stand before
God with a righteousness of his own. This great apostle knew that
despite his own faithfulness, despite all the accumulation of good
works in his life, the only hope he had for being
justified
before God was a perfect righteousness imputed
to
him from a source outside himself. He found
that justifying
righteousness in the perfect righteousness of
Christ,
which is imputed by faith to believers. Therefore,
he said his great, driving desire was
"And be found in him, not having mine
own righteousness,
which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the
righteousness which is of God by faith." (Phil. 3:9).
My prayer for you is that you will trust Christ
alone
for the righteousness that can make you
acceptable
to God. Don't make this mistake of those who, "For
they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to
establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the
righteousness
of God." (Rom. 10:3).
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