What Will You Say?

There is always a difference of opinion about the source of pain and suffering in life. However, there is hardly any debate about the source of kindness, caring, and compassion. Many people believe that God delivers pain and suffering for some grand purpose. The belief is that even when His grand purpose is hidden, God is still in the business of causing hurt, pain, devastation, and loss. From this viewpoint, God delivers both good circumstances and bad circumstances.

However, if we look at the trials of Job, God did not deliver devastation upon Job. Job's troubles came about as the result of Satan's attacks. In our lives, we may not want to admit it, but so far, humanity has devastated itself more than God has devastated us. Perhaps we human beings, a race we call intelligent, cause our own problems. What a profound admission for humanity to make! What a profound change we can make in our lives and the lives of others if we make this kind of admission!

If we would admit that our sin causes the pain, suffering, and heartache of life, then we could do something about that sin. That something we can do is called repentance. Repentance is our way of showing God we realize what we are (sinners). It is our way of showing God we realize what we have done (sin against Him and each other). It is our way of showing Him we are sorry about living in a sin-plagued state. Repentance is our way of taking full responsibility for who and what we are.

If we want, we can make eternal excuses about our going our sinful way instead of God's righteous way. Yet, there is no excuse. We are without excuse. Pain and suffering persists in the world. What would happen in the world if suddenly every man, woman, and child repented? What would happen if every human being fell on his or her knees before God and said, "I'm sorry!" We can imagine great changes on the globe at that point, but we can only imagine, for these changes will not happen…at least until Jesus returns.

We cannot take lightly the idea that we are our own worst enemies, for we are. We kill, maim, and torture each other. We bother each other, provoke each other, and irritate each other…often on purpose. The world has spent and is now spending billions of dollars to find ways to destroy human life. We do not love each other enough. We do not display kindness or compassion to each other enough. It is a wonder our world does not collapse from the weight of our immorality and uncivilized behavior. We might not want to admit it, but the grace of God has prevented us from exterminating ourselves. We do not want to admit it, but the hand of God has intervened in our lives and kept us from more harm, suffering, and pain than we would otherwise have experienced. The wrath of God is not a direct assault by God against us. The wrath of God is our assault against each other, against ourselves, and against Him. To admit that our sin causes us to be our own worst enemies causes us to seek a solution that the human race does not want to adopt. That solution is repentance. Repentance calls for us to turn away from the hopeless path we are on and turn toward Christ who offers us endless hope. However, our human race, even though spiritual, remains spiritually stupid. Stupidity in things spiritual keeps us from engaging in any repentance-related changes.

Some persons in the human race see the picture of a loving, kind, and caring God who demands results. However, these folks are turned off by the demand for results by God.

Some persons in the human race see God as the sole deliverer of devastation and these people turn away from God because they do not see or refuse to see His kindness, caring, and mercy.

Some persons live a life of sin and do not care about God or anything spiritual.

However, a few persons see God as He really is. These few people make up a tiny remnant of humanity. These persons do see God as the God of mercy. These few people see God hanging from the Cross. These people see Him dying for us and not for any glory for Himself. These people then turn away from their sinful ways and fall on their knees in humble contrition at the foot of the Cross. When we fall on our knees before Him, and we accept that He died for us as an individual person, we can become new.

When we fall on our knees at the foot of the Cross and accept Him as our God, Savior, and Redeemer, we are then redeemed by God and turned into new persons. We cannot turn ourselves into a new person. Becoming new is a work only God can do. Becoming new is a supernatural occurrence in the life of persons who repent and accept Christ as their personal Savior.

If every person on earth was given the essence of Christ's redeeming love as exemplified by His death on the Cross for each of us, only a few persons would turn toward Him and accept Him into their heart and life. Now we come to the most important question of your life. What about you? Will you accept Him into your heart and life? Will you accept His sacrifice on the Cross? Will you accept His sacrifice as an act He did just for you? Will you accept that Christ loves you so much He let Himself be beaten, flogged, and tortured for you? Will you accept that He loves you so much that He let Roman soldiers drive nails into His wrists and hang Him upon a Cross just for you? If He speaks to you now, say yes. If He touches your heart now, say yes. If the power of His love moves within your heart and life at this minute, say yes. Say yes, Lord, I accept you into my heart and life as Savior and Lord.

Acts 3:17"Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his ChristA would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you--even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, `The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people. (NIV)