Lola was a kind, cheerful 80-year-old lady. She enjoyed having visitors and taking friends out to eat. She always remembered birthdays and liked to send flowers and fruit baskets to her many friends.
By the time Ruth and Terry got to know Lola, she had a serious health problem. This problem was so serious that the doctor had to remove one of her legs to save her life. But she was still pleasant and cheerful and kind to her friends and family.
Ruth and Terry both knew the Lord Jesus Christ as their Saviour, and they were concerned about Lola as she did not know Jesus. In fact, Lola had a much more serious problem than missing one leg. She did not believe she had ever sinned! When Ruth or Terry would talk to her about her need of the Saviour, she would smile and say, “I have never sinned.” Both Ruth and Terry knew what the Bible says in Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23), “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” But Lola insisted that she wasn’t a sinner.
Many of us have been taught by our parents or Sunday school teachers that the Bible says that lying, disobeying, stealing, swearing and cheating are sins. Every one of us is guilty, and so every one of us is a sinner. The Lord Jesus is the only Saviour of sinners. He said, “I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Matthew 9:1313But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. (Matthew 9:13)).
Ruth and Terry would talk to Lola about her need to admit that she was a sinner and to come to the Saviour of sinners for forgiveness. They would read the Bible to her and tell her how much God loved her, but she would just smile and say, “But I have never sinned.” It was foolish of Lola not to admit that she was a sinner, but she just would not believe that someone as good as she had been had ever sinned. Another Bible verse says, “By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned” (Romans 5:1212Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: (Romans 5:12)).
While Ruth was away on vacation, Lola became seriously ill and died. When Ruth returned, Terry told her Lola had died still saying she had never sinned. How sad Ruth and Terry felt now that there was nothing more that could be done. Her eternity without Christ was now permanent.
Whether or not you will admit you are a sinner doesn’t change what God plainly tells us, that all have sinned. He also tells us that, although He hates our sins, He loves the sinner and sent His Son Jesus to die for us so our sins could be forgiven. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). Will you confess to God that you are a sinner and accept His loving offer of forgiveness?
ML-03/26/2000