What are you doing right now? You may think, well that’s a stupid question because I’m reading this blog. But are you really paying attention? Are you really concentrating on this message? Or are you listening to the radio or talking to or listening to a friend or loved one at the same time? Or maybe you are thinking about what you are going to do later on tonight.
You see, you may be where you are at right now and it may appear or look like you are intently reading this right now, but are you really paying attention? I’m asking these questions because I do want to get your attention. I want you to really read this. I want you to read what the Bible says. 2 Corinthians 6:2 says, “(For he says, I have heard you in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured (or helped) you: behold, now is the accepted time; behold now is the day of salvation.)
Today is the day of salvation. Right now is the time for you to get right with your Maker. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Not next year. But now is the time. Now is the right time. Over 150,000 people die each and every day. They didn’t wake up today and say today is my last day on earth, what should I do? No, they didn’t know that today would be the last day that they’d take a breath on this earth. Most of them were probably still making plans for tonight or next week. But oh if they had known that they were going to die today, don’t you think they would have done things differently? Don’t you think they would have cried out saying “God have mercy on me a sinner?”
None of us know when we are going to die, but we do know that we are going to die. 7 billion out of 7 billion people are going to die – sometime. So are you ready? Are you ready to meet your Maker? This moment could be the most important moment of your life. What you decide in the next few minutes could determine your eternal destination. Please don’t fluff this off. Please listen to what I’m saying to you. Right here, right now.
You see, God loves you and He made you. But you’ve rebelled against Him. Every time you have ever sinned in your life, it has been in rebellion against our Holy God. Against the great Creator who has graciously given you every breath that you have taken so far. But one day His mercy will end. One day you will breathe your last breath. If you die as an unrepentant sinner, if you die in your sins, then your fate will be everlasting punishment in a very real place called Hell. For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23).
It is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). Again, we will all die one day and we will all stand before almighty God. You will either foolishly stand there on that great and terrible day representing yourself or you will have an Advocate standing there with you. If you choose to foolishly represent yourself, you will be without excuse. The Bible says every mouth will be stopped. You will have no excuse for your sinful life.
God will replay for you on the terrible day every sin you have ever committed, every lie, every thing you’ve ever stolen, every time you have used God’s name as a curse word, every time you disobeyed and dishonored your parents, every time you coveted something that belonged to someone else, every time you lusted after someone and every time you loved, honored and worshiped someone or something more than you loved, honored and worshiped God. The Bible further says that God will even judge you on your thought life! How scary is that? Hebrews 10:31 states, It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.
You will have no excuse to offer to God on Judgment Day and because He is a good Judge, because He a just Judge, He will sentence you to Hell. Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. Jesus described Hell as a place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is a place where the smoke of their torment rises for ever and ever. They have no rest there day or night. It’s a place where their worm dies not and the fire is never quenched. It is a place of unimaginable pain and suffering; and it is eternal.
Now you are probably thinking, I don’t deserve to go to place like that. You may say “I’m basically a good person.” Don’t deceive yourself. We are all wicked, wretched sinners. We all deserve a place like that. You see, it’s not about us, it’s about God. He is that Holy, that righteous, that just, that perfect and that infinite, that His justice, His punishment requires everlasting punishment. Yes, we are all lustful, flesh pleasing human beings and we do deserve God’s righteous indignation, His righteous wrath. There is none righteous, no not one.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men every where to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he has ordained; whereof he has given assurance to all men, in that he has raised him from the dead. (Acts 17:30-31). The wrath of God will be poured out on you on that terrible day if Jesus Christ is not your Lord and Savior (John 3:36). Please don’t miss this. God’s righteousness demands punishment for sin. But remember I said God loves you. He does love you and He loves you so much that He made a way of escape for you so that you won’t have to endure everlasting punishment in Hell for YOUR sins.
Jesus walked this earth 2,000 years ago. He did what you and I could never do. He lived a perfect, sinless life. He never broke any of the 10 Commandments in the letter or the spirit of the Law. He willingly laid down His life for guilty sinners like you and me. The Roman soldiers beat Him beyond recognition. The whipped Him with 39 lashes across His back. They platted a crown of thorns on His brow. Then they nailed Him to that cruel, rugged cross. Jesus hung there for 6 long, torturous hours; bearing the wrath of God for the sins of the world. Then He died, was buried and rose victoriously on the third day.
Jesus defeated, sin, death, Hell and Satan and God offers eternal life to those who repent and put their faith in Him. Jesus is the only way of salvation (Acts 4:12). Your good works can’t save you (Ephesians 2:8-9). Your good intentions can’t save you. Your money can’t save you (Proverbs 11:4) and no false god or idol can save you (1 Corinthians 6:9-10).
Only the shed blood of Jesus can put you back in a right relationship with God. But you must turn away from your sins and put your trust in Him. Only Jesus saves. Come to Jesus. Right here, right now. You don’t know when you will take your last breath. This may be the last time you ever hear the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Repent and believe the Gospel and be saved. Now is the accepted time. This is the right place – right where you are this moment. Now is the day of salvation.