Eight-year-old Larry asked his mother for permission to burn the papers in the trash can out in the backyard. Since it wasn’t windy, his mother told him to go ahead. She knew his father had talked with him about fire safety and had taught him how to use matches safely.
Seeing his mother watching him from an upstairs window, Larry waved to her. As the trash started burning she went back to cleaning the bedroom.
Only a few minutes later, his mother heard Larry screaming. She dashed back to the window and saw Larry rolling in the grass with his pant leg on fire. She raced downstairs and outside to Larry. By the time she reached him, the fire on his clothes was out. He had followed the directions his father had explained to him, and that may have saved his life.
God our Father has given us “safety instructions” in the Bible because He loves us and wants you and me to spend eternity with Him in heaven. First off, He warns us that we are sinners and cannot go to heaven if we are still in our sins. “All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)). Then He explains that we cannot get rid of our sins by anything we try to do. “We are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses [good deeds] are as filthy rags” (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)). In other words, we cannot settle this problem of our sins by ourselves. He also warns that all sin must be punished. “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:2727And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: (Hebrews 9:27)). Each of us will be punished for our sins after we die unless God’s substitute has already taken that punishment for us. Then He explains who that substitute is. God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus, to take the punishment for our sins in our place, if we will accept Him as our Saviour. “Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many” (Hebrews 9:2828So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation. (Hebrews 9:28)).
Won’t you follow God’s safety instructions right now and accept Jesus as your substitute and Saviour before it is too late?
ML-12/15/2002