It was the weekend that the teenagers had been waiting for! They had been invited for a day of fun and recreation, and there were several activities scheduled for the afternoon. A high school gym was rented where they were to play volleyball. Later they were going roller skating followed by a hayride that night.
It happened to be Lynne’s high school gym that was rented. After Lynne and her friends finished their lunch, she took them upstairs where everyone was to meet before going to the gym.
As they stood there talking, Tim sauntered over to Lynne and her friends. With a mocking grin on his face, he said, “Lynne, I didn’t know you were a star!”
Lynne frowned and looked at him with distrust. “What are you talking about?”
Tim shrugged and pointed to the wall. Along with other school pictures was a poster-size picture of Lynne! It was not a good picture of her, and her heart seemed to stop for a moment as she realized how unflattering it was. She was embarrassed. She turned away, unhappy that it was up there for everyone to see.
How would you feel if pictures of your life were mounted on a wall for everyone to see? You would be pleased with the pictures that showed you as a nice, helpful person. But what about the pictures that showed you as mean, miserable and naughty? You would wish that those had been forgotten.
But no, nothing in your life will be forgotten. The Bible says that “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.” Hebrews 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13). God sees and knows everything that happens in your life. And He forewarns that “every one of us shall give account of himself to God.” Romans 14:1212So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:12). You will have to take your turn to stand before God where nothing will be secret any longer.
Has the thought just crossed your mind that you’ll be okay as long as the good things you did outweigh the bad? That isn’t what God says. Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6) warns that “all our righteousnesses [good works] are as filthy rags.” Where you spend eternity will not be based on your works; the Bible states that it will be based on what you did with God’s Son, Jesus Christ. If in your lifetime you truly confessed to Him that you were a sinner and accepted Him as your Saviour, your name was written in God’s book of life, and a place was reserved for you in heaven. If you refused to believe that you were a sinner and did not accept that Christ’s death on the cross and shed blood was for you, your name was not included in the book of life. Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15) states your sentence: “And whosoever was NOT found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Revelation 20:1515And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelation 20:15).
Today you have one more opportunity to make that important decision. The Lord Jesus Christ loves you and is waiting for you to come to Him with your need of salvation. Will you decide for Him right now?
ML-12/04/1994