A visiting preacher asked the inhabitants of a remote Scottish island how a person could be saved. An old man replied, “We will be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God.” “Yes,” said a middle-aged woman, “and with a true heart too.” “Aye,” added a third, “and with prayer.” A fourth chipped in, “It must be the prayer of the heart.” “And we must be diligent too,” said a fifth, “in keeping the commandments.” Each one, having contributed his or her opinion and feeling that a very decent creed had been established, waited for the preacher’s praise—but they had aroused his deepest pity. The fleshly mind always maps out ways in which it can work to make itself great. But the Lord’s way is quite the reverse. Believing and being baptized are not matters of merit to be proud of—they are so simple that boasting is excluded (Romans 3:27). God’s free grace wins the day. It may be that you, dear reader, are unsaved—why? Are you skeptical of the way of salvation as laid down in the Scripture? How can that be when God himself has given His own pledge? Do you think this way of salvation is too easy? Why wouldn’t you believe it? Its simplicity means those who neglect it are without excuse. To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely on Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance our Lord fulfilled in the Jordan, the converted ones submitted to at Pentecost, and the Philippian jailer obeyed the very night of his conversion. Baptism itself, as an outward sign, doesn’t save, but it symbolizes our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus—and, like the Lord’s Supper, should not be neglected. Reader, do you believe in Jesus? Then, my dear friend, dismiss your fear—you will be saved. Are you still an unbeliever? Then remember that there is just one door, and if you will not enter through it, you will die in your sins. - C.H. Spurgeon Morning and Evening
You might be of the sort to absentmindedly dismiss any need for God, let alone any god.
The truth of your life is you are submitting to either God or a god. A god of your choosing dwells in you. You either worship the God of Heaven or either knowingly or unknowingly the god of this world.
Worship has been hijacked more so in the last several generations than perhaps any other before it. You can worship on your watch or phone, not just your television, movie theater or in person.
But you do worship. Even those claiming to be atheists worship. Those who are consumed with sports figures, political figures, movies are worshipping them.
Remember this problem was at the heart of "Thou shalt have no other gods before Me". Or the one right after that, "You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,"
What is the connection between Salvation and worship? Everything. What do you believe in? God sent His Son to live, die, rise from the dead to pay the price for your sins and mine. The sins of all mankind.
Yet people still turn their backs on it. Still choose to worship idols and false gods of this world.
You were and are that important to God that He died for you. Yes, you. Nobody else in human history was or ever will be qualified to do that before a Holy God.
You may think you are too dirty, too broken, too anything, for to be saved by Jesus. You need to read of the kinds of people Jesus saved, from murderers to thieves. All who have ever lived have the choice to receive Christ as their Savior. Even the most vile of human beings, yes, Christ died for them too! Surely you don't mean...yes, them too! Why? In the eyes of God, sin is sin is sin. A single sin is deserving of Hell. The more sin that is there doesn't make anyone more deserving of Hell. Sin is sin.
So look at who gets your worship.
Who do you get all fired up about?
Who? Who do you spend the most time with? Do you value the opinions of people over the Word of God?
God loved you, my friend, enough to die for you. If you were the only human on Earth He still would have done it.
If indeed you do not choose Salvation in Christ before He returns, you indeed will face, openly, worshiping a man who will demand it. He is the Antichrist.
Right now you have a choice between life and death. As long as you are breathing God is being gracious to you. He does not want to send you to Hell. He is pleading to you to take His hand and be saved. The person who inevitably sends someone to Hell is themselves.
Right now is your wake up call.
Right now is for you to look at what and who you worship. Because my friend you ARE worshipping someone. Be it yourself or something or someone else. You are.
Right now you need to realize that person who loves you the most is Jesus and He stands before you with His arms stretched out, ready to save you, just as you are.
Don't look at or be concerned about, how dirty you are. He will wash you white as snow. He will heal your broken soul.
Let go of your worries and grab onto the one who is mighty to save.
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