“SOME SOBERING CERTAINTIES” THE PIONEER PREACHERS often ended their sermons with a plea for consideration of one’s spiritual condition - “Life is short, death is sure, the judgment is certain.” I remember as a boy hearing the “old-timers” of my day saying that often. Probably it needs to be repeated more often in our time than it is. Consider, my friend: LIFE IS SHORT Every rational person is forced to admit that life, indeed is short. Job said, “Man that is born of woman is of few days, and full of trouble” (Job 14:1). David said, “The days of our years are threescore and ten, and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:10). Even though science has added a number of years to man’s life expectancy - still, man’s little day here on earth is fleeting and brief. Today we may be healthy and strong - but tomorrow may be different. At any time, even before this day draws to a close, our little day on earth may have come to an end. Are we ready for that, if it should happen? DEATH IS SURE In an age of multiplied uncertainties, one of the things that is absolutely certain is death. Death is sure. Whether we are rich or poor, live in a palace or an apartment, we all will die. Some of the appointments of life may change, may be postponed or cancelled - but death is an appointment that all must keep. “It is appointed unto man once to die, but after this the judgment!” (Hebrews 9:27). THE JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN Men have been heart to say - “I don’t have to do anything but die!” - often with a certain degree of arrogance. But it simply is not so. The judgment is certain. Solomon said, “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil” (Ecclesiastes 12:14). Paul said, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that everyone may receive the things done in the body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Corinthians 5:10). Men must consider the fact that they have more to do in the future than just die, for the Hebrew writer says, “but after this the judgment” (9:27). SIN IS A REALITY Even though modern psychologists, psychiatrists and philosophers attempt to minimize sin and belittle its terrible consequences - it cannot be dismissed with a wave of the intellectual’s hand. 1. God recognizes sin and holds man accountable for it. “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” is the unalterable edict of Almighty God (Ezekiel 18:20). 2. Sin is the product of lust (unlawful desire). “Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin, and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death” (James 1:15) . 3. Sin is transgression of God’s law . . .whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law; for sin is the transgression of the law” (I John 3:4). 4. The end result of all sin for all men is spiritual death. “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:21). Men are born in sin (with the guilt of sin on them) contrary to the popular thinking of some. They do not inherit sin from their ancestors. Man is personally responsible for his own sins. The destiny that man brings upon himself is condemnation, because of (his) sin. CHRIST IS THE WAY OF ESCAPE This is the only possible solution for man’s hopeless condition - the Lord Jesus Christ. We stand before God justly condemned to eternal separation from God because of our own sin. But, thanks to God, He loved us enough, even while we were sinners, to send His Son into the world to give men a chance to be saved and have eternal life (John 3:16; Hebrews 2:9; 5:8,9). After Christ died on the cross and shed His blood as a purchase price for the sins of mankind, and had been buried and raised, He commissioned His apostles to preach the gospel to every creature - “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; he that believeth not shall be condemned” (Mark 16:16). The apostles taught men that in order to accept the great salvation which Christ had purchased they must believe that Christ is the Son of God (Acts 8:37; Romans 10:9), repent of past sins (Acts 17:30,31; Acts 2:38; 2 Peter 3:9), confess faith in Christ before men (Romans 10:9,10; Acts 8:37; I Timothy 6:12,13), and be baptized for the remission of sins (Acts 2:38; Romans 6:3-7; Galatians 3:27; I Peter 3:21). When one thus obeyed the gospel, the Lord added him to the church, His church (Acts 2:47). After one becomes a Christian, he must live a godly life (Philippians 2:12; 2 Peter 1: 5-11). WHAT MUST WE DO? Our part is simply to take God at His word (faith) and obey the plain, simple commands of the gospel. God’s righteous wrath is sure to fall on all unrepentant, rebellious men who continue to follow their own way and refuse to obey the gospel. Truly, life is short, death is sure, the judgment is certain, sin is a reality, and Christ is the only way of escape.
Posted on: Tue, 15 Oct 2013 00:38:24 +0000