Thought for the Month - November 2020
"Welcome sinner friend!" by Barry Adair
"Welcome sinner friend"!
I can still hear my former church deacon's welcome as I arrived at the door of Grove Baptist Church back in the 1990s. Hilton said it most Sundays if he was 'on the door'. It always made me laugh and, of course, was totally accurate!
Yes, I was thinking about sin this month. Such a small word but such a serious word. And this single word has been the cause of all that is wrong in our world today. Yes, really! Without sin, our world would be the paradise that it was designed to be. There would be no death, no fear, no hurt, no tears, no pain, no lying, no threats, no regrets and no evil of any kind. It would be heaven. And if you can visualise this even for a moment, then you have a snapshot of what heaven will be like.
Of course, not that everyone believes in human sin and in its destructiveness. Those who fully believe in evolution, where they see no need for an ultimate Creator or Designer, will see sin as merely an outworking of 'survival of the fittest' or 'kill or be killed'. On a side issue, I have had many people over the years who have told me that they just can't fathom my faith in a creator God. However, my faith in a creator God is vastly more understandable than their belief that everything in this highly complex Universe just happened by pure chance. And that all the intricate and beautiful natural designs in the Universe, from the atomic level right up to the cosmic level, just magically materialised from absolutely nothing! A single walk in your local park or a brief look up to the night sky should be enough to show you the handiwork of a Designer God.
So then "sinner friend", what do you believe?
Like me, do you believe that you are indeed a sinner? For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23)
Like me, do you believe that God loved me and allowed His Son to die for me? For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should never perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)
Like me, do you believe that God can save sinners like you and I? If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9, NIV)
Like me, do you believe that heaven is your eternal home? And if I go and prepare a place for you (i.e. heaven), I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. (John 14:3, addition mine)
Even sinners like me can get to heaven! And I say that because the work of redemption is complete and the path to glory is all laid out for us. We merely have to believe and humbly accept Jesus' finished work at Calvary. Jesus died that we might live. Jesus died for sinners like me. Jesus died for sinners like you.
Please consider your relationship with the God who designed you, who created you and who loves you. Please humbly accept His free gift of salvation. And at the end of your earthly life, may you hear His wonderful welcome into your new heavenly home - "Welcome sinner friend!"
Amazing grace, How sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost, but now I am found,
Was blind, but now I see.
Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.
When we've been there ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun,
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.
(John Newton)
Until next month (DV)…
(All Bible quotations are from the KJV, unless stated)
Are you SURE that you have your place booked in Heaven? Read this if you're not!