10/11/2024
Romans 6:23
"For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
God has given us an unfathomable choice which for many people is somewhat if not outright foreign. When Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden, they had a bit of trouble relating with the idea of death because they didn't understand it completely. There had to be some death as it related to life on earth towards other things considering plants, even food although it had not been completely understood by them because no one as a person had ever died. But given Adams background and how God created him to possess many God-like characteristics especially through God having given him significant authority over earth it is somewhat hard to believe that he had no knowledge of the concept of death.
In a way I think, and these are my words alone Adam was somewhat spoiled. God might have perhaps given him to much without him meaning Adam was equipped with enough knowledge to understand what death was. Because I don't believe God would have told him to not eat of the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil without him understanding the penalty.
Today as we travel in our journeys, we meet a lot of these same types of Adams. And because as Christians we are told by God that our job is to tell others the truth concerning life, death, Heaven, Hell, Sin, and The Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I liken the gospel to telling people about Jesus in a way that causes them to be interested. I had a neighbor who would more or less tell people that if they didn't accept Jesus they were going to Hell. That almost never works.
When we tell others about Jesus we must identify our problem, not theirs. We have a saying that the easiest way to clear a crowd is to shout the word "Jesus Christ!" Believe me it worked on me. But after I was told about the price or wages of sin it became much clearer that because I had sinned, that I would go to Hell. Thats pretty much straight forward but I learned later that there was a way for me to avoid Hell despite my sins.
When we are at the State Fair we use an example of value to explain the condition of our soul. We start out by offering a fake million-dollar bill for one of their eyes. They usually claim that they wouldn't. If they say, they wouldn't we raise the stakes and offer them a billion dollars and we get people to say "yes they would." We then tell them that they put a considerable price on just one of their eyes. We then ask them if they know of something about them that is even more valuable than their eyes? We tell them that it is their soul, which will last forever. Most people have never had to give much thought about the consequences of eternity by using Gods clear warning. Most people have invented excuses for not having to hear what God says about these matters. Which is a shame but because the world is unanimously deceived, they are nearly all in complete agreement.
In and through our own testimony we can begin a conversation about the ten commandments and how everyone has broken at least one of them. One of our sister Gospel Outreach partners used the Good Person test to explain the Sin Condition. But we must tell them what the Bible clearly mandates. Because we may know or should know that "For the wages of sin is death", but they more than likely forget about or don't know the most important part of that verse which is "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". Think about John 3:16. But by leaving out John 3:17-18, is only telling them a half truth.
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. 18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God".
As Christain's we need to try and dig a bit deeper into the souls of others. We need to address the eternal consequences of ones actions while we are here on earth. I have been to many churches that don't teach the concept of evangelism and how we can overcome our own shyness and reluctance to begin conversations with the lost. We might be embarrassed or even to embarrassed to even warn others about where they will spend eternity. I put more emphasis on discussing this concept than I do for attending church, especially a church that does not focus on spiritual discipleship.
Until the nets are full!
Br Chuck
