Do you remember when you were a little kid and you did something right at school and you were rewarded with a gold star? Or maybe you won a speech debate or a spelling bee and you won a blue ribbon for that? Or how about the times when you thought you should have won, but didn’t? How did you feel when you didn’t get what you deserved?
So the question I want you to think about today is: What do you deserve after you die? Should God reward you with Heaven? Or do your deeds justify you going to Hell? Have you ever thought about this? Our eternal destination is the most important thing because it is eternal. It is forever! Where will you go when you die? Where do you deserve to go?
Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:10-12 states, “As it is written, There is none righteous, no not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no not one.”
Isaiah 64:6 says, “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” Psalm 14:3 tells us “They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.”
So if we are all sinners, what do we really deserve? We deserve the wrath of God. We deserve His punishment. We deserve to spend eternity in Hell. God loves us and God made each and every one of us. But we’ve all rebelled against God. We’ve all sinned against our heavenly Father. Revelation 21:8 states, “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
But our merciful and loving God made a way of escape for us. He sent Jesus to walk this earth 2,000 years ago. Jesus never sinned in thought, word or deed. 1 Peter 2:22 says, “Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth.” Jesus was beat beyond recognition by the Roman soldiers; then He received 39 lashes that split the flesh of his back open. After that he hung on the cross for six unbearable hours. He died and on the third day He rose again.
God offers us sinners eternal life, but salvation is only found in Jesus Christ, the perfect, sinless One (Acts 4:12). 1 Peter 2:24 states, “Who his own self bare our sins, in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead in sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye are healed.” God poured out his wrath against vile sinners upon His own precious Son so that we might receive the righteousness of Jesus (Romans 3:25).
This is the great exchange. Jesus bore our sins upon Himself and in exchange, He’s willing to give us His righteousness! Why would you refuse this amazing gift? Why would you choose to foolishly represent yourself on Judgment Day? Where you will be doomed from the very beginning because there is no righteousness in you, of yourself.
If you are not a follower of Jesus, I pray that God opens your blind eyes and unhardens your hard heart. Cling to Jesus Christ the Savior today. Cry out to God to have mercy on your soul (Romans 10:13). Ask Him for forgiveness for your sins. Repent and put your faith in Jesus. In Luke 5:32 Jesus says, “I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” Please repent of your sins by turning away from them. Realize that there is no goodness in you.
Put your faith, your trust in Jesus to save you (Acts 26:18). Stop counting on your own goodness which can never measure up to our Holy God – because we are all sinners and all our sins are against God (Psalm 51:4). Receive His righteousness and receive the forgiveness for your sins that only God can grant (Romans 3:22). Then receive what you truly don’t deserve: everlasting life (John 3:16) along with the peace of God (Philippians 4:7).