We people love to think that we deserve something good. We think we deserve the good life, we deserve to have some fun, we deserve to be rich and enjoy all the good things money can buy. While there's nothing wrong with these things, what we fail to realise is our real state without Christ.
The Gospel Reality
It's saddening to hear many Christians forgetting the very reason why Christ died. It's a terrible thing to forget — the reason why God had to send His one and only begotten Son to die for our sakes. Here's the truth:
By nature, all men are objects of God's wrath. (Ephesians 2:3)
Yes, dear friends, no one on earth is exempted from that: That generous philanthropist isn't; that kind cashier at the grocer isn't; that nice guy at the reception desk isn't; even that social volunteer isn't. The truth is that all of us – rich, poor, good, bad, religious, non-religious – are by nature "children of wrath."
And what wrath is that? God's wrath.
God's Great, Righteous, and Holy Fury
God's holy and righteous wrath burns hard against all who are in sin. Before the Cross, all men are subject to sin, which awards its constituents with death. Romans 6:23 tells us that the "wages of sin is death," and all of us are sinful even if we try to avoid or deny it.
"But I've been a good man all my life," we say in our defence. "I've done my best in obeying God's laws."
Sadly, no one can gain salvation by good works. "For whoever shall keep the whole law and yet offend in one point is guilty of breaking the whole law." (James 2:10)
The little sins that we commit, no matter how small, is still sin and is worthy of death.
In our own strength, there's no escape from the judgment due to our sins (Ephesians 2:8-9). No human righteousness can ever free us from sin; no amount of money can ever bail us out; and no amount of atoning for our sins will ever end (see Matthew 3:12; Mark 9:47-48).
God will surely punish sin. And what a punishment it will be: a never-ending one
God's Great, Righteous, and Holy Love
In His equally great love, however, God desired that all men will be saved (see 1 Timothy 2:4). He loved all the people He made that He sent His one and only begotten Son Jesus Christ to be born of a virgin; grow as a perfectly normal human; die like a criminal after being slandered, despised, betrayed, mocked, scourged, and nailed to a cross; be buried with the rich, and then rise again after three days. (see John 3:16; Matthew 1:23; Luke 2:52; Isaiah 53; Philippians 2:8; Matthew 28:6; 1 Corinthians 15:4)
Yes, Jesus Christ rose again after three days so that those who will believe in His finished work will be saved and those who will put their faith in Him will experience the justification and power of His resurrection. (John 3:16-17)
The wages of sin is death indeed, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). For those who refuse to receive this gift through Christ, however, the wrath of God is still available in full measure. (see John 3:18; Mark 16:16)
Come to Jesus
Friends, I invite you: Escape the wrath of God and come to Him for He longs for you and loves you. He has sent the propitiation that saves us from sin and the world's corruption, the same Way to return to Him and become his children. Come to Jesus. Come!
"But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and He raised us up and seated us together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not of yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of works, so that no one should boast." (Ephesians 2:4-9)
