FCP-15-CHOOSE YE!

CHOOSE YE! In closing. I want to make it very clear that in bringing before you this amazing accumulation of evidence, and facts, which no man can gainsay, you have been brought face to face with God, and should you stand before Him unsaved, you will be ’without excuse.’ Do not look upon these things simply as some thing of passing interest, for they vitally concern you.

’Choose ye this day whom ye will serve.’ Joshua 24:15. Your own personal decision, not one made by another, will determine your eternal destiny, and, whether you believe that statement or not, will not alter that fact.

God is calling out those who are willing to fit into His plan.

Let me emphasize again, many today are preaching that men should co-operate, and work together to bring about the kingdom of God, and they labor in vain. The Psalmist truly recorded these words for us, Psalms 127:1. ’Except the LORD build the house, they labor in vain that build it.’

Man can do nothing to help God in this matter.

Men today, including some religious men, have completely lost the vision of Christ’s plan of salvation, hence their efforts to patch up this Christ rejecting world.

However His kingdom is not of this world-order as He clearly stated, John 18:36. ’My kingdom is not of this world.’

It is a new creation into which all, who are willing, are ’born from above’ by the Spirit of God, when they accept and render true allegiance to Christ as their only Savior. ’Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’ John 3:5. When Christ our Lord cried, ’It is finished’, John 19:30, it was finished. The whole plan of God was sealed in the blood of Him on whom we depend not only for the future life but for every breath we take in this life.

Let me go further and make it very clear that, if your sins are not covered by that blood, then you will carry them to that destination, which you have chosen, by rejecting it.

Christ is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and there is absolutely no other way to the Father than through Him.

Let me touch on two popular questions before we close.

First. If there is a God why doesn’t He stop ’this and that?’

Briefly. When God, through Jesus Christ takes over this world, He will prevent ’this and that’, but at present Satan is in control, he is the god of this world, 2 Corinthians 4:4, and all but a few prefer to have it that way.

James 4-4 reads. ’Friendship of the world is enmity with God,’ and in James 4:1 we read that, ’wars and fighting.’ Come from our own desire to have that which is not ours.

Paul’s message is, ’Be not deceived, God is not mocked.

Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he reap.’ Galatians 6:7.

Unfortunately many innocent suffer in that reaping.

Sin is paid for with compound interest.

Man is a free agent and until Christ is invited to take control, God does not interfere in man’s affairs.

He has provided the remedy, the option is with us.

Nevertheless, God does show His hand in mercy in times of emergency, to remind men that He is there but, there is a limit to His being made a convenience of.

Second. I live a reasonably good life.

Well if ever you have to appear in court for breaking the law of the land and you tell the judge that, he will point you straight to that law because it is your responsibility to be aware of it. Now if, in this age of enlightenment, this is agreed as man’s highest form of justice, why think God unjust for judging you by exactly the same method.

He is the great Law-Giver.

He has set forth, in clear terms, the Way of Life.

It is recorded in His Word and, by this Word, we stand or fall before Him, John 12:48. ’He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not my words, hath one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.’

Now, having established the authenticity of both the Bible and the Lord Jesus Christ, let us consider a few of their authoritative statements which vitally concern every person, and it may interest many to know that all authentic versions of the Bible teach exactly the same about salvation, briefly thus. No amount of good works, or self-righteousness, can merit salvation, it is a free gift of God through Christ alone.

’Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.’ Acts 4:12.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.’ Ephesians 2:8-9.

’In John 14:6 Jesus clearly states. ’I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.’

’He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.’ 1 John 5:12.

John 10:9. ’I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved.’

John 11:25. ’I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live.’

Acts 10:40-43. ’Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly, and He commanded us to preach unto the people, and to Him give all the prophets witness, that through His Name whosoever believeth in Him shall receive remission of sins.’

Romans 3:23. ’For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.’

John 3:3. ’Except a man be born again, (from above), he cannot see the kingdom of God.’

Galatians 6:7-8. ’Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.’ And here is God’s challenge to you.

I can only point you to that Word.

’I know thy works, that thou art neither hot nor cold: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear, and anoint thine eyes with eye salve that thou mayest see.’

’As many as I love I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore and repent.’

’Behold I stand at the door and knock, if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in His throne. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.’ Revelation 3:15-22. Of course many will not heed His warning and they are pictured in Matthew 7:22-23. ’Many will say to Me in that day Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in Thy Name? And in Thy Name have cast out devils? And in Thy Name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them: depart from me ye that work iniquity.’ My reader. As you again carefully, and prayerfully, peruse these pages, may God reveal to you the eternal and proven realities of His blessed Word and lead you to see Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, to yield your life to Him, and in that fast approaching Day, stand and sing with the millions of the redeemed from every kindred, tribe, and race.’

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