The story is told of a Children’s
Sunday School Class. The teacher narrated to the children the Bible story of
the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke Chapter 16. He explained how the rich
man neglected God and enjoyed his wealth on earth, but found himself in hell
when he died. He also explained how Lazarus suffered on earth and found himself
at rest in Abraham’s bosom when he died. He then asked the children
which of the two men they would want to be like. One boy answered, “I’ll like
to be the rich man while alive and to be Lazarus when dead.”
Funny, isn’t it? But that boy’s
reasoning probably reflects what most of us want. We want to do our own will,
have our own way, and not bother ourselves about God, and at the end have God
take us into His rest. But that is not possible any more than that boy’s wish
could be granted. We cannot eat our cake and have it. We cannot live godless
lives here on earth and expect to have God on our side when we die. We have a
choice. Godlessness is a choice as also godliness is. Everybody has got to
decide where they stand as there is no ‘middle ground’.
In the Book of James Chapter 4 verse 4 the Bible says, “You
adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred
toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of
God.” This verse puts a sharp break between godliness and godlessness,
using adultery as a case study. It is saying you cannot be an adulterer or
adulteress and claim to belong to God. Just as much, you cannot belong to a secret
cult and claim to belong to God. “What fellowship has light with darkness or
what does Christ have in common with Belial (or Black Axe or Sea Dogs or Vampires, etc)” (2 Corinthians 6: 14 – 16). One of the greatest self-deception of
our day is for people to believe that they can do what they like and have God
approve them at the end. Anyone who chooses to be on their own now, either
rejecting God outright or placing Him on the fringes of their lives, must
maintain that choice for all eternity. We reap what we sow. But if you actively
seek God, His promise to you is sure that “you will seek Him and find Him when you
search for Him with all your heart” (Jeremiah
29: 13).
We all have a choice to make while
yet alive, and we call you to make the right choice. The right choice is the
one made for God and Christ as the Saviour of the world. It is one made against
the world with all its allurements. It is a choice made against the devil with
his promise of evil power for accomplishments. In normal situations people will
always choose the best because of the promise of good that it holds. The
promise of good that God holds is the assurance of eternal rest after your
earthly life. That is why God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world. It may
sound flattering to say that if you were the only person on earth when God was
to send His Son to redeem the world, He would still have sent Him because your
soul alone is valued at more than the whole world put together. “What
shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world and lose his soul, or
what can a man give in exchange for his soul (Mark 8: 36 – 37)? Jesus Christ, the Son of God came to save you
from eternal doom. He says, “I am come that they may have life and have
it to the full” (John 10: 10).
There could be no better choice than Christ. God wants you to do more than mere
acknowledgment of this fact. He wants you to take a step of faith by receiving
Christ into your life. This will secure eternal life, your greatest need, and
change you for good.
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