Recently I threw something into the bin that I thought was no longer any use, and it was taken off to the dump. Shortly after that, I discovered it could have been very useful for a job I needed to do - but I was too late in finding that out! Have you ever done anything like that?
A mistake like that may not be too serious. But here is a true story of a much more serious choice you and I HAVE to make about whether or not to reject something.
Perhaps you are quite a religious person and are hoping God will see His way to forgive you, and accept you in the end.
The people Jesus was speaking to on this occasion would, I'm sure, have felt that way about themselves. But Jesus upset their hopes when He said to them - "You are from below, I am from above; you are of this world, I am not of this world. I told you that you would die in your sins: if you do not believe that I am the One I claim to be, you will indeed die in your sins." (verses 23-24.)
Now if you or I had said this, any religious people listening would have had good reason to reject such a message. But these were the words of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD. They must be taken seriously!
Today you have freedom to choose whether or not to take the words of Jesus seriously, but remember this, there is a day coming - and maybe sooner than you think - when God will no longer allow you freedom of choice in the matter of obeying His Son! (Philippians 2:10-11. Matthew 12:48.)
Those who have chosen to ignore His teaching here and now, will no longer have freedom to choose! They will hear Him say to them "Depart from Me...you evil-doers... into the eternal fires..." (Matthew 25:41. 7:21-23. Revelation 20:11-15.) AND THEY WILL HAVE TO OBEY HIM THEN! Will you wait until then before you obey Jesus?!
Jesus had made it very plain for His audience - and for you and me today - why people were going to "die in their sins" and be without hope in the day of judgment. He had told them, "I am going away, and you will look for Me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come." (verse 21.)
Some of those people would continue to reject Jesus as their Messiah. Christ would soon return to Heaven (verses 21-22.), and they would continue their vain search for someone else to save them. To reject Jesus as your only Saviour means you will die in your sins!
Others in the same crowd would honour Jesus, by trusting Him to be the Lord and Saviour He claimed to be. God would leave those people in no doubt about who Jesus really was, and that Jesus' message was truly from the Father whom He pleased. (verses 28-29. John 7:17. 1:12-13.)
"Even as He spoke, many put their faith in Him." (verse 30.)
What about YOU? Please don't be so foolish as to reject Jesus now as Saviour, and wait until you will be forced to obey Him as your Judge - when He will order all the unbelieving and disobedient to be put away from Him forever into Hell? (Revelation 21:8.)
Read Jesus' warning in the Holy Bible about dying in your sins in John's Gospel chapter 8, verses 21-30.
John Nixon, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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