Todd600RR, YOU are exactly right man!
Just as it doesn't make sense to offer someone a cure to a disease they may have if they are not aware they have it.
When a person uses the Ten Commandments as a mirror to examine themselves in they can see their sin and when they realize that God will judge them and that He is holy and righteous and perfect....then...they begin to see their need for a savior. They must see that they are exceedingly sinful as the Bible says and that anything they do as far as "good works" are like filthy rags to God (That actually means like used menstrual cloths...uhggg). The realization of that should make them realize that they are in BIG trouble on judgement day. Because God considers every thought, word, deed that we've evr done. We should then realize that we are guilty Big Time in God's sight and we deserve to spend eternity in Hell. That is scary stuff!
But then there is good news for us. It's what the gospel is.
God demonstrated His love and kindness towards us in way that is so amazing. In order for God to keep within His character and be perfectly just (that is that sin MUST be punished), he provided a way to pay for our sins so that we could be forgiven. This is so awesome!
God became a man! That is amazing! You know it shouldn't amaze us that God can create a universe and all the stuff in it and create life and all the beauty we see. I mean it is amazing, but you would expect God to be able to do that kind of stuff. But what is truly amazing is that this perfect God who is all powerful and mighty would lower Himself to become a man and live among this sinful creation of His.
But that's just what He did! Jesus was (and is) God! He lived the perfectly sinless life here among us. Then took the punishment for your and my sin. not only did He bleed and was brutally beaten and had the flesh ripped form His body which had to be so unimaginably painful. But He took God's wrath that was stored up against sin. The Bible says it pleased God to crush Him. Whoa! I take it from that, that I don't think we can really fully understand how awfully serious God considers our sin. But I know it's bad.
Then something wonderful happened. Jesus defeated death. He overcame the penalty for our sin that was poured out on Him. Sin and Death did not win. He in whom there was no sin won. That's why we have victory in Jesus! Man I am pumped just typing this!
But God's grace is awesome. He has provided this way for us to have our sins forgiven. Through faith in His son JESUS CHRIST! In what Jesus did alone. Not of our good works but faith alone in Jesus Christ!
Jesus said unless we repent (turn away from and forsake) our sins we will perish. (Luke 13:3 & 5)
We must repent and put our trust in Jesus Christ. Trust in Him like you would a parachute or a seatbelt. I mean not just intellectually believe He exists. If I agree that the seatbelt in my truck is there, what good does it do me unless I have put it on? It's when I put it on that it keeps me from going thru the windshield. Smae way with Christ. I must more than believe He exists. I must trust that what He has done on the cross is sufficient to pay for my sins, and I do believe that! I hope anyone who reads this will understand and repent and put your trust in Jesus Christ. I pray that God will give you understanding if you have not been born again, you need to be or cannot enter Heaven and have eternal life. Please repent and put your trust in Jesus today. You may not have a tomorrow.
WHEW!....I didn't mean to go into all that because I can tell you already knew all that, but I never get tired of talking about it, and I thought someone might stumble across this thread and actually read it.
In Christ,
John
