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God created every person who has ever lived for a purpose.

His desire is that everyone know that purpose and live their lives with the sense of security, peace, and joy that can only come when they live in right relationship with God.

Unfortunately, there is a hole in every soul that does not know God. One man said it best over fifteen hundred years ago, "You have made us for Yourself, O God, and our hearts are restless until we rest in You."

That "hole" in our soul was caused by sin.

The Bible describes sin as mankind choosing our way instead of God's way, rebelling against God’s authority over our lives. The consequences have been tragic. Choosing sin has been like drinking poison - everyone and everything is infected by it. We inherit a sin nature and early in life begin making our own sinful choices.

The Bible says...

"all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23)

"the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23)

"you were dead in your trespasses and sins" (Ephesians 2:1)

“and anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire” (Revelation 20:15

This creates the world’s most significant dilemma, a problem only God Himself could solve.

Being a loving and gracious God, He wanted the relationship with man to be restored. But being a Holy and just God, mankind's sin had to be punished.

What man needed was a righteous advocate, someone both willing and able to be punished in man's place and restore him to right relationship with God.

We can’t do that for ourselves or each other because we are all in the same sinful predicament. Even if one of us was righteous, he or she could only take care of their own sin problem, or one other person they chose to give their life for. But if God somehow became man and lived a perfect, sinless life, and then died in our place of punishment, that sacrifice would count toward anyone He chose to apply it to.

The Bible says that is why Jesus, the Son of God, became man, the God-man, so that he could pay our sin debt and give us an opportunity to be born-again:

"But God demonstrates his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having been justified by his blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him." (Romans 5:8-9)

"He made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)

Now it's not enough just to know these facts.

The Bible says that each of us must choose to repent of our sins and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, or else we will wind up in Hell, which Matthew 25:41 says God prepared for the Devil and the demonic angels. Where else would rebels against God wind up?  

For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God." (John 1:12)

Repent therefore and return, that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord." (Acts 3:19)

He wo believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.       (John 3:36)

God has chosen to count what Jesus did on the cross for everyone who turns to Jesus for salvation. That’s GRACE – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. But if you remain a rebel, and refuse to repent, you remain under the wrath that sins deserve. A soul once created lives forever. Those who turn to Jesus for salvation will be with God in Heaven; those who remain rebels against God will go to Hell where all unrepentant rebels will be.

So what do you need to do?

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." (Romans 10:9)

Call to the Lord Jesus now and ask Him to save you and take control of your life. Pray this prayer right now:

Dear God, I know that I am a sinner, and You are right to judge my sins. Thank you Jesus for taking the punishment due my sins on Yourself at the cross. I believe You died for my sins, but rose from the dead to show Your power over Satan, sin, death, and Hell. I turn from being the lord of my life to receiving You as my Savior and Lord. I will follow You the rest of my days! In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

If you just prayed to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, let us know at The Tabernacle. You can check our church out online and listen to sermons at thetabernaclefamily.org.

Dr. Danny Campbell, Senior Pastor