George Zimmerman/Trayvon Martin
Recently the jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second degree murder and not guilty of manslaughter. Was he really innocent? Should he have waited in his vehicle until the police showed up like the 911 operator advised him to do? Obviously he should have waited. But he didn’t and now he had to go through this trial and people are threatening to kill him because he was found not guilty. More importantly, a teenager is now dead because of his actions.
How about Trayvon Martin. Was he really acting suspicious? Why did he beat up George Zimmerman? Was it at the urging of his girlfriend who told him that they guy following him may want to rape him? Did he beat Zimmerman as viciously as the defense claimed? Did he really bash the back of his head in and beat him in the face, breaking his nose? Why didn’t the young man just walk away? Zimmerman wasn’t a police officer and it appears he didn’t pull his gun on young Mr. Martin until he was already on the ground with the young man on top of him pounding him with his fists. So was Trayvon innocent or guilty on his part? Who really was guilty? George Zimmerman or Trayvon Martin?
None of us were there so we may never really know the truth. But there is someone who does know the truth and that is God. The Bible says that it is appointed to men once to die, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27). The Bible further says, And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent: Because he has appointed a day, in the 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).
Ecclesiastes 12:14 states For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. We can clearly see from the previous Bible verses that God knows the truth about what happened between Zimmerman and Martin. We also can see that if justice really wasn’t served by the jury, then it will be served on Judgment Day. If you think it was unfair that Zimmerman was found not guilty, does it make you feel better knowing that justice will be handed out on Judgment Day? Aren’t you glad that God is a good judge?
Not only will George Zimmerman and Trayvon Martin face God on Judgment Day, but you and I will too! Are you ready to meet your maker? are you ready to make your defense before the Holy God who gives you every breath? Are you ready to stand before the great God of Heaven and earth? What does it take to get to Heaven? Are you good enough to go to Heaven when you die?
How do you feel about the fact that you will get what you deserve on Judgment Day? You may think to yourself, well that will be fine with me – I’m basically a good person. Sure, I’ve made mistakes during my lifetime. But overall, I’d say that I do more good than bad. I try to help others. I volunteer at my favorite charity. I watch out for my family and my neighbors. You may think surely God sees all the good that I’ve done in my life. You may think, I should be alright. I’m not worried.
Psalm 14:1-3 tells us, The fool has said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good. The LORD looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that does good, no not one.
Folks, these are very harsh words, found right here in the Word of God. None of us are good. We are corrupt. Our good works are abominable. God sees us as filthy and none of us does good, no not one of us. This includes George Zimmerman, Trayvon Martin, you and me. Each and every human being. None are exempt from this list. You see, we’ve all hated at one time or another. We’ve all been angry without cause. We’ve all stolen something, even if it was something small (a pen from work or a paper clip from school or even looking at someone’s answer on a test). None of us have always put God first in our lives (refer back to Psalm 14:1-3), therefore we have all broken the first of the 10 Commandments.
We could continue with God sees lust as the same thing as committing adultery and we’ve all coveted something that belonged to someone else. Plus we are all liars. Revelation 21:8 says that all liars will have their part in the lake of fire and brimstone. Folks, we are all guilty of committing these sins. The Bible says that if you break one commandment, you’ve broken them all. The Bible also says that our sins separate us from God. There is nothing you can do on your own to make that right. You can’t be good enough or sorry enough to wipe out your sins.
And the worst part is that if you die in your sins, you will end up in Hell, a place of eternal separation from God. Hell is not a place where you will drink and fool around with your friends. Many people tell us out on the streets that they don’t want to go to Heaven. They say that they’d rather go to Hell where all their friends will be. Well, you may be right about your friends eventually ending up there, I don’t know about them. But if you are living your life for yourself, for the pleasures of the flesh,then you most definitely will end up there. Hell is a place where the smoke of their torment rises forever and ever and they have no rest day or night. It’s a place of torment. A place where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
So if that sounds like the kind of place where you want to spend eternity, just continue living your life like you are. The Bible says that we are either slaves to our sins or slaves to Christ. If you haven’t surrendered your life to Him, then you are on the broad road to Hell. If you are all right with that, then just continue following Satan instead of following Jesus.
But if God is convicting your conscience, then there is hope for you. God made a way of escape from the eternal damnation for you. Jesus laid down His life for guilty sinners like you and me. He suffered pain beyond imagination. He died on the old rugged cross for guilty sinners like you and me. He was buried and on the third day He rose from the grave. Jesus who knew no sin, carried our sins upon Himself so that we might receive His righteousness.
We can have a right standing before God. God will no longer see you as the guilty sinner that you are, if you turn away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. If you do this, then Jesus took your punishment for you. He bore your sins while He hung on the cross. God poured His wrath out on Jesus, while He was hanging in agony on that cruel cross, the same wrath that you rightly deserve. When you repent and trust Jesus, then God will see you as being cleansed through the shed blood of Jesus and He will see you as innocent, as being righteous; through the righteousness of Jesus. This is the great exchange.
But there isn’t universal salvation. Not everyone is saved. In fact, the Bible says that few are truly saved. Jesus said, Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way which leads to life, and few there be that find it (Matthew 7:13-14). Be one of the few. Repent and believe the Gospel. Turn your back on your sins and turn your face toward God.
Surrender your life fully to Jesus. Cry out to God to have mercy on you – a sinner. Then repent by turning away from your sins and put your trust in Jesus. Don’t trust in your own goodness, your own self-righteousness. Remember our best, our good works, are really not good at all compared to God. When we trust in our own goodness, our own good works, God is so Holy and righteous that our best looks filthy to Him. Please, turn away from your sins and put your faith in Jesus. Please do this now and God will grant you everlasting life, if you repent and believe the Gospel. Don’t put this off.