Make A Choice
If you ask God to accept you as you are without giving up your sin, then you are also asking Him to change Heaven into a place just like earth where sin reigns.
Fortunately, God is smarter than that. He is more just than that. He is too good for that and He loves us to much to allow that.
Yes, God loves each and every one of us just like we are, but He also wants more for us.
Everyone Jesus encountered made a choice.
He told the woman who was to be stoned for adultery “Go and sin no more.” (John 8:11)
He told the crippled man that He had healed: “See, you have been made well. Sin no more, lest a worse thing come upon you.” The man departed and told the Jews that it was Jesus who had made him well. (John 5:14-15)
And then ...
Now as He was going out on the road, one came running, knelt before Him, and asked Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?” So Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. “You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not bear false witness,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother.’ ” And he answered and said to Him, “Teacher, all these things I have kept from my youth.” Then Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack: Go your way, sell whatever you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, take up the cross, and follow Me.” But he was sad at this word, and went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions. Then Jesus looked around and said to His disciples, “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God!” And the disciples were astonished at His words. But Jesus answered again and said to them, “Children, how hard it is for those who trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” And they were greatly astonished, saying among themselves, “Who then can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.” Then Peter began to say to Him, “See, we have left all and followed You.” (Mark 10:17-28)
“One thing you lack” As Jesus said this, He looked directly at the young man and loved him.
He was asking him to do a very hard thing.
He was loving him. He was loving him just like he was then and there and promising him so much more.
Although this young man was a good man and followed all the rules, there was more required than just being good.
He needed this young man to have faith.
To trust in His love and in His power to do what seems impossible.
To trust that even if he gave up everything he owned to follow Jesus, the reward would be so much greater than he could imagine.
He told him to give up his old life (repent, turn away from it), take up the cross and follow Jesus.
He asked him to with his whole heart, mind and soul, make a well thought out intelligent choice.
The young man just couldn’t do it. It made him sad, but he wouldn’t do it.
Even the disciples were like “hey if this guy who is so good doesn’t measure up, how in the world does anybody get to Heaven?”
Loving us just like we are right now, God asks the same things from all of us.
It makes me sad when I know I have failed Him. When I have chosen my own way instead of His.
I know I have missed out on something wonderful because of it.
According to Jesus, we have to be willing to give up everything in our world to have Him. To have His purpose for us fulfilled. Our possessions, our sin, our family, our friends, our job... anything we deem precious to us; we may have to let it go if He tells us to.
In other words, when we encounter Jesus, we have to make a choice between what we think we want or love and what He wants for us.
He promises that the reward will be so fantastically good!
We have to take action. We have to “Go!” and “Sin no more.”
Make a choice you won’t ever regret.
Take a leap of faith.
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