While We Were Sinners

I've been thinking alot about salvation lately. I guess I've been burdened for people lately. God has blessed me and my family so much, that I take for granted all the things God has done. I know people who have not been blessed in the way that I have been. For the most part, I've not had the struggles that some of you have faced in life. I credit that to the grace of God. I was reading in Romans today, and verse 8 struck me. It says, "But God commandeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (KJV)" That verse excites me so much. Let me tell you why.

This verse excites me because it shows that we don't have to "clean ourselves up" before we come to Christ. There are people who tell me that they will get right with God when they quit smoking. Or that they will come to Christ as soon as they get to the top of the corporate ladder. The fact is this: If you put off the calling of God on your life, until you get things straightened out, you'll never do it. The point I'm making is this, If you feel God calling you into a relationship with Him, then you'd better follow that calling. When I gave my life to Christ in 1989,  I felt the God convicting me of my sin, convicting me so hard that I couldn't ignore it. I had to go forward at the Jay Strack crusade. If you've had similar expereinces where you feel God calling you, then you need to act on the calling. You don't have to make things right before accepting Christ. You just need to come as you are. Look at that verse. God loved you so much that Christ died for you while you were yet a sinner! Do you see that? God loved you, it is the sin in life that separates you from God. God loves you.

Romans 5:10 says, "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. (KJV)" At one time, we didn't care who God was, what He wants us to do, or aything. Paul calls it being enemies of God. The good news is that, through the death of his Son, we can be reconciled. An online dictionary defines reconciled to mean "to reestablish a close relationship." Our close relationship with God has been reestablished through the death of Jesus. Even better is that we have life, eternal life, because his Son lives. You see, the story doesn't end with Jesus dieing on the cross. The story continues on the third day when He rose, conquering the penalty of our sins.

Have you given your life to Christ? Look at Romans 10:9-10 and see how to be saved. Maybe I'll write about that tomorrow night. Anyway, if you feel God calling, don't ignore it. Think about it.