An acquaintance told me once that the world was divided into winners and losers. He explained that to be a winner you must have one of three qualities: intelligence, good looks or wealth. Everybody who had at least one of these three qualities would be a winner, and everybody else would be a loser. Since he was a vice president of an up-and-coming company and fairly good looking, I suppose he would have classified himself as a winner.
I was startled at first by his declaration. Being a Christian, I think that many of the “winners” in this life will find themselves great losers when called to stand before God at the great white throne of judgment. Here are three so-called “winners” the Bible tells us about who will find themselves great “losers.”
The daughter of Herodias was very BEAUTIFUL. When she danced before the king, he was so won by her that he promised to give her anything she asked for, even to half of his kingdom. She asked for the head of John the Baptist on a silver platter. The king granted it. She earned hell for this evil act. Even though she had irresistible beauty, is she a winner?
There was a rich man who, because of his WEALTH, lived extravagantly every day. He cared nothing for the suffering humanity around him. After he died, he lifted up his eyes in torment in hell and begged for a drop of water, which could not be given. Could he be classified as a winner?
Another man who, because of his INTELLIGENCE, was an able administrator, the Roman governor of Judea, Samaria and Idumea. His name was Pontius Pilate. When Jesus was brought to trial before him, he asked, “What is truth?” and condemned Jesus to death. He knew the Man he condemned was innocent, but he did it to keep political peace. What will this man, who was so intelligent, have to say for himself when the dead, small and great, stand before God to be judged according to their works? He will be speechless.
My acquaintance had three criteria by which to distinguish between the two groups. Let’s look at the “winners” from a Christian point of view.
“Intelligence”: The simplest mind can “know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge,” although the very wisest can never fully understand the breadth and length and depth and height of the love that brought the Lord Jesus Christ to come into the world and die to save sinners.
“Good looks”: Everybody who has come to Christ has had his or her ugly sins washed away by His precious blood shed on the cross. They also have a new life within them, because they have been “born again.” God sees every believer as “in Christ”: Could that be less than beautiful?
“Wealth”: God now calls these simple believers “heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ.” Think of that! Can you imagine anything beyond that? What would it mean to you to know that for all eternity you would be supremely happy in the presence of One who loved you so much that He died for you? What would it mean to you to know that there would never be the slightest disturbance of your peace and joy? Knowing these things is true wealth!
Yes, truly there are two groups of people in the world. All those who have accepted Christ as their Savior are winners, and all those who have rejected Christ are losers. The winners are not winners because of anything they have done, but because the grace of God has enabled them to share in the victory that the Lord Jesus won on the cross. The losers are those who decide to stay apart from Christ.
Won’t you leave the foolish ways of this world behind and come to the Savior who loves you? Coming to Him is as simple as bowing in prayer and confessing to Him you are a sinner who wants to be cleansed from your sins. The exact words are not important.
At the cross where it seemed that He was beaten down and defeated, in reality He won a great victory over sin and death. So great was this victory that the most undeserving and vilest sinner can be saved if they believe on Him. What you do with the Lord Jesus Christ will determine if you will be a “winner” or a “loser” for all eternity.
What will you do with Jesus?