WHERE LIFE BEGINS

Romans 10:8-11
8 The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame."

Do you ever wonder, Where's my life going? What's it all about? Every heart longs for meaning. Everyone searches for fulfillment. But the real discovery of life and joy begins by kneeling before Jesus as Lord.

What does that mean? Well, that would depend on which side of the line you are standing. Yes, there's a line. It runs through eternity between heaven and hell. People try to straddle this line on earth--but not in eternity.

Sadly, not everyone is going to heaven. But track with me for a minute and you can be sure that you will. For you to know life and joy and fulfillment, and to be certain that heaven is your eternal destination, you must bow before Him and acknowledge Him as Lord of your own life. Though that's not easy, it's as simple as A-B-C:

A -- Accept the fact that you are a sinner. That shouldn't be hard--if you're in doubt, ask your family. Romans 3:23 says, "All have sinned." And so we are all under the just condemnation of a holy God. If you died this moment without the Lord, you would go to hell. But God has made a way for you to escape that fate through His Son Jesus.

B -- Believe that Jesus died to pay the penalty for your sin. Jesus lived a perfect life, died on a cross, and paid the price for your sin so that God could righteously forgive you. Romans 5:8 says, "While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Do you believe that?

C -- Confess Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Your next step is to openly acknowledge Christ as your own Lord and Savior. Romans 10:9 says, "If you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

Today could be the turning point for you. It could be the time you remember 1,000 years from now as the moment you embraced Jesus as Lord. Of course, He will always be Lord. The question is, will you bow your knee to Him. Your life itself--now and in eternity--hinges on this. --James MacDonald

DESTINATION POINTS

• I will read these verses in the book of Romans to understand salvation more fully:
3:10 (Our Condition)
3:23 (The Reason)
5:12 (The Cause)
6:23 (The Penalty)
5:8 (God's Love)
10:9-11 (The Remedy)
10:13 (The Decision)
• What does the reality of salvation in Jesus mean to me?

bottom line: On which side of the line are you standing?

soul journey