Society’s Story
Without God, humanity has significant problems. Romans 1:28-29 has this: “And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness.”
Not acknowledging God means going our way, which troubles society with the Almighty. People are fallible. It’s a daily experience as people say, “I sure made a mess on that one! I wish I could have a do-over on that.” Sin is an ever-present, deathly enemy.
So then, to acknowledge something means knowing something. In this case, it means knowing God and living by His direction. Therefore, acknowledging God keeps us on the road of righteousness. That’s huge! Without knowing the Holy One, we would be just as evil as Romans 1:29 states.
Oh, but billions of people are not acknowledging God. That’s the point Paul is making in Romans 1:28 and following. People need to clean themselves up and that’s by being immersed in water to wash sins away. It’s called baptism. What do you think the outcome will be for people’s sins? Without salvation, Revelation 21:8 calls to mind the end of the rebellion. Their portion will be in “the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.”
Our Story
We have a story, too. It’s the story of the unsaved. Like people back then, the lost are in extreme difficulty today traveling at light speed to that burning sulfur lake.
- While we were not conscious of God, we committed sins, and that is the worst thing in the universe! When an unsaved person dies, one may ask, “What happened to him?” Someone replies with, “Oh, he died of sin-poisoning.” The problem is that everyone has sin-poisoning. You can read about Jesus’ solution to this condition in Mark 9:42-49. It starts by amputating everything lending itself to sin. Radical!
- Our story continues for a lifetime without Jesus. For example, do you know the Gifts of the Spirit? Do you know the peace that comes by giving all? Without Him, lives are full of anxiety and worry, spiritual ambiguity, and inner loneliness. Wow! That’s not a good prescription for life. The fact is, we need Jesus. Every blessing in the heavenly places is through Jesus. We can’t afford to miss those. Through Jesus, God has given us everything that pertains to life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3). You can see the consequences of not living with Jesus.
- Of course, there is no hope of a blissful life. Hope is a big thing. It gives an upward desire and view of where we want to be. We can only experience it through Jesus. It’s like the Hebrews looking at the bronze serpent for a rescued life. Looking at Jesus in obedience rescues people eternally (John 3:36).
Jesus’ Story
Well, Jesus has a story, too. It’s called the gospel – the good news of salvation from sin to purity, death to life, and only by Him. Entrance to the kingdom of heaven is to those who trust Him and obey Him. Mark 1:14-15 has this: “Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’”
God has given us unbelievable promises: 2 Peter 1:4 – “by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.” Verse 4 goes on to list those promises. We’ll not get any better life than what our Father offers. Jesus is the only way to access the Father. He’s the only way to heaven.
By: Garland Van Dyke
Where: Matthews St. church of Christ, Bay City, TX 77414
Contact us: PO Box 1522, Bay City, TX, 77414
On the web: www.matthewsstreetchurchofchrist
Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/matthewsstreetchurchofchrist/
