The Great Switch

No one likes to play relationship games. Have you ever tried to have a conversation with someone who seemed to want you to figure out what they wanted but would not be direct? It is so frustrating. Take heart. God does not play games with our eternal destiny. Just as He is direct about the consequences of our sin and rebellion, He is very clear about how we can be made right with Him. We don't have to guess. We just have to listen and believe Him - beginning with the truth that what we broke only He can fix.

DEATH THROUGH ADAM, LIFE THROUGH JESUS

Romans 5:12-21When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.... For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ. And the result of God’s gracious gift is very different from the result of that one man’s sin. For Adam’s sin led to condemnation, but God’s free gift leads to our being made right with God, even though we are guilty of many sins. For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ.

Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous....

So just as sin ruled over all people and brought them to death, now God’s wonderful grace rules instead, giving us right standing with God and resulting in eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

1 Peter 3:18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God.

There is one way to be made right with God. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me." (John 14:6)

He is the only way, but He is not a complicated way or a hidden way. He is the way for anyone who accepts the simplicity of what He offers - to switch their sin for His right standing with God.

READ

Romans 6:23 (NLT) For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

- A wage is something you have earned. Your sin has earned you God's judgment and the penalty of death. Even if you never sinned again from this day forward, you have already earned your wage.

- A gift is something freely given. God offers the gift of eternal life to those who will receive it through the work of Jesus who accepted the wage of your sin for you.

- The way your wage is exchanged for the gift that allows you to be reconciled with God is through trust in His Son Jesus Christ.

Because God is just, He cannot leave sin unpunished. Because God loves you, He sent His perfect sin-free Son to take your punishment thereby canceling the debt against you.

Romans 5:28 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures

As evidence of this finished work, Jesus was raised to life on the third day.

Romans 6:9-11 We are sure of this because Christ was raised from the dead, and he will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once to break the power of sin. But now that he lives, he lives for the glory of God. So you also should consider yourselves to be dead to the power of sin and alive to God through Christ Jesus.

All that Jesus offers is received by repentance and believing faith - two sides of the same coin.

God holds out this free gift to all who would respond to Jesus words:“The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” (Mark 1:15)

Repentance is turning from your sin and self-rule. Faith is turning to Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.

HOW WILL YOU RESPOND?

Do you want this free gift? Are you ready to confess that you have rebelled against God's holy and loving authority over your life as your Creator? Are you ready to turn from sin and to Jesus as Savior and Ruler of your life?

Faith does not require you to have all the answers or to clean up your life before you come to God through Jesus. Faith is believing that what God says is true and acting on that belief by putting your trust in Jesus as the King over your life.

The moment you believe, your sins are forgiven and you have eternal life.

Do you believe? Talk to God about it now. He is present and listening.