What is
the worst thing you think could happen to you?
There are so many options in a fallen world that it is hard to consider
the worst. We try not to think about it. We do think we are going through the worst
thing when we lose a loved one, are betrayed by a friend or family, sent to
prison, or become the victim of a crime.
You know the worst thing that has happened to you. You can think of someone for whom you are grateful
that what happened to that person didn’t happen to you.
The world
is full of frightening and dreaded options of worst case scenarios. When you read the Bible, it is not hard to
decide what the worst thing that could happen in your lifetime would be. The Bible makes it clear that the worst is
that you do not believe in the Son of God, Jesus Christ, and be saved.
That
sounds like a Sunday School answer doesn’t it?
It doesn’t feel that bad to say “No Thank You” to God. Many don’t even recognize the day that they
told Him “No” (Matthew 7:23). During a
lifetime people may never feel the dread of saying “No” to God. They go about their lives; their, eating,
drinking, having a good time lives and never dread the day that they will die
without having believed in the Son of God and received His forgiveness of their
sins that allows them to enter into eternal life with God rather than eternal
hell without Him.
This past
Easter Sunday I felt the dread for the worst reality in so many people’s
lives. I personally have been through
some pretty horrific realities that life has to throw at us. A lot of people feel sorry for me; others may
judge me that I must have done something wrong to deserve the bad things that
have happened to me. I would not trade
my life experiences with God with anyone.
I can’t understand it, but I feel so blessed that when I was seven years
old and a guest Child Evangelist came to my church that I understood I needed
to make a decision about Christ. I did
that at 7 years old and was baptized the following month. I am incredibly blessed that while “practicing”
with my daughter a gospel-centered story to teach the next week at Vacation
Bible School that she wanted to pray to receive Christ into her heart. I thought we were practicing, but she left
that room and ran out and told all her uncles and aunts what she had done. Her true conversion was demonstrated in her
generosity to share her toys with others and in her eagerness to learn and
understand the scriptures at that young age.
I am blessed that my son has placed his faith in Jesus Christ and is
saved and forgiven. I am even blessed
that God shared with me that the young man who died in my son’s accident placed
his faith in Christ two weeks before his death.
I have the assurance that my husband who passed away is now with God in
heaven and that my husband who shares my life today is one with me in Christ.
My life
is good and blessed. The worst happened
this past Easter Sunday at my church.
Over 5000 people flooded to our church.
Our pastor clearly presented the Too-Good-To-Be-True-Good-News of Jesus
Christ. I have never heard him proclaim
it more clearly and answered any lingering question that could be brought by an
unbeliever’s heart, yet we do not know of one conversion from that day. I don’t know but I sense that the young
couple sitting beside me possibly could not be saved. He was dressed in a suit and tie with his
lovely wife (I assumed) wearing her trendy pastel dress and stylish shoes. They were late because of parking and could
not sit with their family as planned.
All indications were that they were both listening to the sermon,
responding with the readings and chorus, yet perhaps enduring the hour until
they could do what they came to do, honor their family and go out to lunch on
Easter. If they aren’t Christians they
probably went home thinking they are just fine, but the worst is hanging over
their very lives, far worse than anything that has happened or will happen to
me.
1 John
5:6-12 contains the testimony that the worst decision you will ever make in
your lifetime is to reject Jesus Christ as your Savior and second to that is
not to live in His love for you.
Who
is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son
of God. This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not
come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies,
because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that
testify: the Spirit, the water and the
blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s
testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given
about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God
accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a
liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son.
And this is
the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.
Whoever has the Son has life;
whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.
Copyright © 2018 Deborah R. Newman
teatimeforyoursoul.com All Rights
Reserved.
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