Do you know any famous people? Have you ever met someone famous? A movie star, rock star or professional athlete? I met Amira at Super Bowl 45. She is a pop/hip hop artist. I was there with over 100 over evangelist from around the country. We were participating in the Super Bowl Outreach. We did some open-air preaching and later I was handing out tracts next to three people who were handing out material about a singer.
Every now and then someone would come running over and have their picture taken with the girl that was helping hand out advertisements for the singer. It finally dawned on me that she was the girl in ad! She was promoting her song on itunes Girls Just Wanna Have Fun. So I had my picture taken with her. She’s holding my gospel tract and I’m holding her advertisement for her new single.
Amira is the most famous person that I’ve given a gospel tract to so far. She seemed very nice, but I thought about it later and realized that I have something in common with her. (No, I’m not a very good singer.) Then I also thought everyone else has something in common with her. No matter how famous a person is, they are still going to die some day. We are all going to die. No matter how hard you try, you can’t cheat death. Hebrews 9:27 says, “It is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment.”
When Jesus explained the parable of the wheat and the tares (found in Matthew 13:24-30), He says in verse 40 that the angels will gather the tares (unbelievers) and burn them in the fire. In verse 41 Jesus says that the angels will gather out of His kingdom all things that offend and those who do iniquity (other names for iniquity are sin and lawlessness). Verse 42 says that they shall be cast into the furnace fire where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Hell is a very real place that Jesus talked about a lot when He walked this earth.
The apostle Paul tells us in Romans 7:7 that he would not have known what sin was except for the law. God’s Law is the 10 Commandments. So after you die, it won’t matter whether you were famous or not, rich or poor, or even how nice or good you were. You will stand before God on Judgment Day and you will be judged by the 10 Commandments. None of us can measure up to that standard. The Bible says that when you break one law, you’ve broken them all. We have all lied, most of us have stolen, we have all lusted (which Jesus said is the same thing as adultery of the heart), we have all coveted, we have all hated some one (the Bible says this is the same thing as murder). This doesn’t even cover all of the 10 Commandments and none of us can even pass the test this far!
Because God is a just, righteous and Holy God (a just Judge, not a corrupt one), He must punish sin. Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin is death.” This is why we die. We die because we are all sinners. We can’t measure up to God’s perfect standard.
If your conscience is bothering you right now, then I have some Good News for you! God is also a loving, merciful God who is full of grace. He knew we couldn’t measure up to His standard. He sent Jesus who was born of the virgin Mary; who lived a perfect, sinless life, to suffer and die for guilty sinners. Jesus never sinned in thought, word or deed. Jesus who was sinless, bore our sins in our place. In Isaiah, it says that Jesus was beat beyond recognition, He suffered tremendously on our behalf. Then he was crucified on the cross, died and was buried. On the third day He rose again. After walking the earth for 40 days and being seen by over 500 people at one time, He ascended into heaven.
You are guilty of breaking God’s Law, but Jesus paid your fine. Since the debt has been paid, you are free to go. But you have to accept this free gift. Romans 6:23b says, “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Acts 17:30 states, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.” The apostle Paul said that we are to have repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
If you repent from your sins by turning away from your sins and put your faith, your trust in Jesus Christ, then you will be saved. God will no longer see you as a guilty sinner, he will see you through the righteousness of Jesus. Putting your faith in Jesus means surrendering to Him. You need to quit trusting in your own goodness (which can never be good enough) and surrender fully to Jesus. Then read your Bible every day. For more information about what to do after salvation, please go to What Next.
Again, it doesn’t matter how famous you are or how rich you are, none of us can cheat death. The Bible says that today is the day of salvation. Won’t you choose life; eternal life today by repenting from your sins and surrendering your life to Christ?