Today’s Reading, John 7-8
Focal Scripture: John 8:24 “Therefore I told you that you will die in your sins. For if you do not believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”
Who do you say that Jesus is? This answer is the fundamental question that every person on Earth must give. I have been around people who don’t even believe that Jesus is a real person. Then I have been around others who think he was just a good moral teacher. Even amongst some religious people they believe he was just a prophet. These answers miss the mark of declaring actual truth. Jesus declared that he was from above and sent here by his father in heaven.
In today’s reading Jesus tells the religious people that he is God’s son. He declared his equality with God. He even lets them know that where he is going the religious people won’t be able to follow. Why? Because he is not of this world. They will go below because of their unbelief. Then Jesus outright tells them what will happen. They will die in their sins because they did not believe he is exactly who he claimed to be all along.
I must ask you this question. Will you die in your sins? If you have never heard the gospel let me tell you right now what it means. The gospel is good news. It is the message that God sent his son to earth to die for our sins. God knew that we needed help. He knew that we needed someone to live a perfect life and take the penalty for our sins. This is where salvation comes into the picture.
The Bible tells us that for a person to be saved the following must happen. We must confess with our mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, then you will be saved. This progression is important. It is also a supernatural occurrence. When you get saved the details don’t make sense but you are overwhelmed by this simple biblical truth. Jesus is God in the flesh and he died for sinners.
So will you pay for your sins? Or will Jesus? Salvation happens because of our belief in Christ and his work. Salvation is a free gift. Unfortunately, many people reject it because they don’t believe that Jesus is who he says he is and that belief leads to judgment. It doesn’t matter your position or influence. We are all equal when it comes to sin. The difference is that some people believe in Jesus and his redemptive work. The great news is that you can get this settled today. His salvation is for all who are willing to believe in him.
Make today the day your life changes forever. Are you willing to take that step?
Tomorrow, I plan on reading John 9-10
