Have you ever noticed how many different churches are in the world today?
If a single man or women has a desire to attend a church service, how can they decide which one to attend? There are so many “isms and schisms” that it can become mind-boggling! Is it a certain denomination, or is there more to it?
One may ask, “Do I strive to be religious?” “Do I go on Sundays, Saturdays, Wednesday?” “Do I have to clean myself up before I go, or can I go as I am?”
Friends, I have heard people ask all of these questions, and may I say that these concerns are nothing new! I pray that something written in this column will touch you deep down so that you will search for these answers.
I want to be clear here: We must stand on what the Word of God says, not what you may have heard from others.
In the Bible’s book of Jeremiah, it says, “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:13).
One has to see that they are separated from God because of sin that is in our lives! Sin will destroy us if it goes unchecked.
The Bible does say there is pleasure in sin for a season (Hebrews 11:25), but notice that Moses chose to follow God. Did he make mistakes? Absolutely, but he never quit trusting the Lord.
Romans 3:10 says, “… There is none righteous, no, not one.” This means that we all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
There are consequences for the wrong we all have in our past. With social media, one will find so many self-help, pull yourself up by your own bootstraps, you’re-not-so-bad information. But please listen, because I want to explain what the Gospel truly is, if I may.
See 1 Corinthians, chapter 15, in the Bible: “Moreover, brethren (believers), I declare unto you the Gospel which I preached unto you, which you have also RECEIVED (trusted and believed), and WHERE IN YE STAND; By which YE ARE SAVED, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. … Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. … He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the scriptures. And that He was seen of Cephas (Peter), then of the twelve. After that, He was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep (died). After that He was seen of James; then of all the apostles. And last He was seen of me also, as one born out of due time” (Corinthians 15:1-8).
This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ that has been proclaimed by all the apostles and also by the Apostle Paul. The older I become, the more I am aware that life is so short. And eternity is, just as the word says, forever. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27).
This is the very reason God sent His Son, to be born as a baby in a simple stable, to grow, and to proclaim the good news (Gospel). Then He willingly died a horrible death on a Cross for you and me.
God’s standard is perfection in one’s life. You cannot be perfect, and neither can I. To be forever separated from God is to do absolutely nothing, to spurn God’s gift of His Son. But before you do, I want to say that on that Cross, Jesus voluntarily took every evil, sinful act you and I have done, had it placed on Himself and bore the humiliation, pain — and for a moment, separation from the Father — to give us an opportunity to be forgiven and to have the perfect life that He lived, given to us.
“He hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Friend, Jesus Christ can and will help you and change your life, but you must come to Him. “Jesus answering said unto them, they that are whole need not a physician: but they that are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:31-32).
Friend, you have just heard the Gospel, the good news. What will you do with the information given?
Some may say, “I will take my chances.” Jesus said, “… Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God” (John 3:3). And “No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him, and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44). And “All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and Him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out (John 6:37).
In closing, there is no perfect church — but there is a perfect God who loves you tremendously. Reach out to Him, confess that you are a sinner, ask for His forgiveness and salvation. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and commit your life to Him. Believe that what He said, He will do!
Now let Christ lead you to a Bible-believing, Bible-preaching church.
Lance Stevens is an evangelist with Southeastern Evangelistic Group. He and his wife, Judy, are formerly of Greenfield. This weekly column is written by local clergy members. Send comments to [email protected].
