Almost
any “rodeo cowboy” can relate to talk about
entry fees because; entry fees are one of
his greatest expenses. Having someone pay
all your entry fees would be any cowboy’s
dream.
The good
news of the Christian Gospel is simply that
someone has paid in full everyone’s entry
fee for the National Finals up in the sky.
The payment was made by Jesus Christ, who
died on a cross nearly two thousand years
ago.
WHY DID JESUS CHRIST’S DYING ON A CROSS
PAY OUR ENTRY FOR HEAVEN?
God made
us to be his friends and to enjoy an
intimate sharing of love together. The
Bible teaches that man persistently ends up
doing his “own thing…” and in this way
chooses to live independently of God’s love
and benefits.
In Isaiah 53:6 it is summed up this
way, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we
have turned every one to his own way; and
the LORD hath laid on him (Jesus) the
iniquity of us all.”
SIN IS BASICALLY AN
INDIFFERENT INDEPENDENT ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD
When it
come right down to it, more people than
would like to admit, believe that there
really is a God, but in reality are saying
to him, “God, you do your thing and I’ll do
mine, and let’s not bother each other,
O.K.” God says, “I can’t handle that
because I love you too much to leave you
alone.”
It is our
attitude towards God which separates us from
his close love, friendship and benefits.
“For the wages of sin is death; but the gift
of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ
our Lord.” Romans 6:23
HOW CAN I BECOME A CHRISTIAN
AND KNOW FOR SURE I HAVE ETERNAL LIFE?
Becoming a Christian is not a decision
in your own will power to be a “do-gooder”
or to get all “religious” and therefore hope
to earn God’s favor.
The Bible teaches that our best
efforts to be good will fall short of God’s
ideal because man alone can never in himself
make himself acceptable to God. No one can
ever be made right in God’s sight by doing
what the law commands. For the more we know
of God’s law, the clearer it becomes that we
aren’t obeying them. “Therefore by the
deeds of the law there shall no flesh be
justified in his sight; for by the law is
the knowledge of sin.” Romans 3:20
GOD LOVES US MORE THAN WE
LOVE OURSELVES AND HAS A PLAN TO GET US
SINNERS BACK TO HIM
For God says he will
accept and acquit us, declare us “not
guilty” if we trust Jesus Christ to take
away our sins. We all can be saved in this
same way, by coming to Christ, no matter who
we are or what we have been like. Yes,
everyone has sinned; and fallen short of
God’s original plan; yet now God declares
us, “not guilty” For God sent Christ Jesus
to take the punishment (the rap) for our
sins and to end all God’s anger against us.
He used Christ’s blood and our faith (trust)
as the means of saving us from his wrath.
GOD HAS PAID THE ENTRY FEES SO CASH IN ON
IT
God’s word is an unbreakable
contract he has made available to us. “For
God so loved the world, that he gave his
only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish, but have
everlasting life.” John 3:16
If a guy were to offer to
pay a cowboy’s entry fees for the rest of
his rodeo career, the cowboy would never
receive the benefits of that offer unless he
believed the man enough to go down the road
and claim it.
By the same king of FAITH/ACTION
we can claim eternal life and real
forgiveness of sins. Jesus said
himself, “But as many as received him, to
them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name.”
John 1:12
WHY DON’T YOU GIVE GOD THE “NOD”, AND
OPEN UP YOUR LIFE TO JESUS RIGHT NOW AND ASK
HIM TO BE YOUR LORD AND SAVIOUR.
Just talk
to God in your own words from your
heart.
“He
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting
life…” John 3:36
