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The
Heart of the Bible’s Message
The
stories that follow capture the heart of the Bible’s message
in a fresh, new way.
1.
The Driver
A driver was once
stopped by a police officer. He was a good driver and as far
as
he knew he had done
nothing wrong. The police officer said, “I pulled you over
because you were going
60 through a school zone. There were ten warning signs
that the speed limit
was 15 and you ignored them all.”
Just like the driver
had ten warning signs, God has given us ten clear warning
signs in the Bible.
They are called the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a
lie, stolen something,
or used God’s name as a swear word? If you’re like me the
answer is ‘yes’.
Listen to what the
Bible says: “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at
just one point is
guilty of breaking all of it.” James 2:10
God is saying that by
breaking one Commandment we have sinned and will be held
accountable for
breaking all of them, including adultery and murder.
God’s judgment for our
sin is death. (Banishment to hell because He will not allow
sin in His presence).
Romans 6:23a
If the story ends
here, there is no hope for us…
2.
The Convict
An innocent man
approached a judge and volunteered to be executed in the place
of a convicted
murderer. The judge consented. The next day the judge told the
convict he had a
decision to make.
“An innocent man has
been put to death in your place. If you will accept his
payment for your
crime, you are free to go. If you will not accept his payment,
you
will be executed for
your crime. Which do you choose?”
Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, was sinless but voluntarily gave his life to pay the
penalty for your sins
and mine. (God’s judgment for our sin is death). Three days
later he rose from the
dead.
“God showed his great
love for us by sending Jesus to die for us while we were
still sinners” Romans
5:8
“The gift of God is
eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23b
As a result of Jesus’
death in your place, you have two choices:
Receive both God’s pardon
for your sins and eternal life by repenting (sensing
your sinfulness and
desiring to turn from it) and placing your trust in the Lord
Jesus,
OR,
Reject both God’s pardon
for your sins and eternal life by trusting in anyone or
anything other than
Jesus to make you acceptable to God, thus bearing the
penalty for breaking
God’s law yourself.
“Whoever believes in
the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son of God
will not see life, for
God's wrath remains on him.” John 3:36
Knowing about Jesus
doesn’t mean you believe in Jesus…
3.
The Skydiver
Skydivers demonstrate
their belief in their parachutes when they jump from the
plane. Followers of
Jesus demonstrate their belief in Him when God’s Spirit
changes their thoughts
and desires.
“If anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has
come!”
2 Corinthians 5:17
God says, “I will give
you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.” Ezekiel 36:26
Just as entering a
garage won’t make you a mechanic, attending a church won’t
make you a Christian.
If you would like to receive God’s pardon for your sins and
the gift of eternal
life, consider a prayer like this:
Jesus, I believe you
paid the penalty for my sins when you died on the cross and
rose from the dead. I
want to turn from my sins and place my trust in you as my
Lord. I am willing to
follow you the rest of my life. Thank you for the gift of
eternal
life. Amen.
“Anyone who calls on
the name of the Lord will be saved”. Romans 10:13
The desire of real
followers of Jesus is to “live a life worthy of the Lord,
pleasing
Him in every way,
bearing fruit in every good work, and growing in the knowledge
of God.” Colossians
1:10