COMPELLED TO TELL  

For the love of Christ compels us

2 Corinthians 5:14

Compelled To Ask:  Do You Have Eternal Life?

     How angry would you be if someone murdered your best friend, admitted being guilty, asked for forgiveness, and   was granted full pardon by the judge simple for saying I'm sorry?

                                                                     A) Not angry at all

                                                                     B) Slightly angry

                                                                    C) Somewhat angry

                                                                    D) Outraged

Did you answer “D) Outraged”?  

Yes!  It would be outrageous for a judge to pardon a murderer just for being sorry.  They should be sorry!  It would not even matter if the criminal had done many good and moral things in life. Such a judge would not be a just judge, but corrupt one since the crime requires punishment.

THE DIVINE DILEMMA

How can a just God pardon a guilty sinner?

As a human judge cannot simply pardon a guilty criminal; God, the perfect Judge, cannot pardon the guilty sinner.  “He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous, both of them alike are an abomination to the LORD.” Proverbs 17:15 Yet if God punishes every sinner as they deserve, then each one of us will rightfully spend eternity in Hell.  “For all have sinned” Romans 3:23, “For the wages of sin is death” Romans 6:23, and “the soul who sins will die.” Ezekiel 18:4

You may think this doesn’t apply to you since your sins aren’t bad enough to call you wicked.  Every sin, no matter how common or small it may seem, is a horrendous offense against holy God who is righteous and perfectly just.  Yes, each and every sin is a high crime against God Himself and He will ensure that justice is carried out.    

THE ANSWER

The Gospel

God can pardon a sinner when the penalty for sin has been paid.  And that, my friend, is exactly why you so desperately need Jesus Christ the Savior; unless of course, you want to pay the penalty yourself!  You see, Jesus lived a perfectly sinless life and was punished for sinners.  He was brutally beaten and shed His blood as He died a cruel death upon the cross, bearing the full wrath of God for sin.  "For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, that in Him we might become the righteousness of God." 2 Corinthians 5:21  In other words, Jesus paid the penalty for sinners so that God sees the believer as perfectly sinless. "He himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." I Peter 2:24  "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace" Ephesians 1:7

After Jesus died, He was buried and on the third day He was raised from the dead.  This proved the demands of justice for man's disobedience have been satisfied and the wrath of God appeased for all who will repent and believe the gospel.  Forty days after the resurrection, Jesus ascended into heaven and is now the perfect mediator.  "For there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." 1 Timothy 2:5  You must agree with God that you are sinfully wicked, totally helpless to save yourself, and come to Christ, pleading for His mercy.  This is the only way to receive full pardon, be declared righteous, and be reconciled to God.  "There is no other God besides Me, a righteous God and Savior; there is none except Me.  Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other." Isaish 45:21,22 "The kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel." Mark 1:15