A friend of ours got married and headed out on her honeymoon to a tropical vacation. But they were stopped at the airport. Turns out her new husband had a criminal record from something he had forgotten about. He was not allowed entrance to the country where his dream honeymoon awaited.
This is a good example of why our sin has to be dealt with, here and now. To most people, sin is no big deal. Yet God says… “Do you not know that the unrighteous shall not inherit the Kingdom of God? Don’t be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor slanderers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the Kingdom of God.”
But the very next verse holds the good news… “And such were some of you: but now you are washed (from past sins); you are sanctified (set apart from the judgment coming on the world); you are justified (cleared from all guilty charges and given a new nature of righteousness) in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11).
Sin is so serious that Jesus had to pay our debt in His life’s blood, or we’d perish, because “the wages of sin is death.” But when we receive Christ's offer of forgiveness, here and now, we have great peace, knowing our debt is forever settled, eternal pardon is ours.
Now we have peace with God, and His help, power, and favor, through this life. And when Jesus returns or calls us Home, we have God's own word of assurance - a glorious welcome awaits. Hallelujah.
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