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Forgiveness a Phone Call Away?

For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man Christ Jesus. (I Timothy 2:5)

So I'm browsing through the newspaper one day, and I find this advertisement that reads:

SORRY FOR SIN?
Repent- call 1-900-7-REPENT
$3 first minute, $1 additional minute, must be 18
Fishnet Ministries, Copperas Cove, Texas 76522

Wow - what a relief! Now you can repent of sin and be forgiven through the medium of modern communication- and all for the low low price of $3. Unless of course you are really guilty, then you're going to have to cough up a buck for each additional minute.

Seems like there was Someone else who came up with the idea of forgiveness long before the telephone was invented. His name was Jesus Christ, and here's what His ad has to say:

DESTINED FOR HELL?
Trust- simply place your trust in Christ's death and Resurrection as your only hope of salvation
No charge, because the full price has already been paid, no minimum age required
Here are a few words from the Founder:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1)

If you are feeling guilty today, there are two possibilities. One would be that you have never truly placed your faith in Jesus to forgive you. The other would be that you are a Christian, but you are living in active disobedience to our Lord. In either case, remember that repent means a 'change of mind', so you either need to change what you believe about Christ, or you need to change what you think about living for yourself.

If today you decide to repent, don't pick up the phone! Instead, lift up your heart and have a conversation with the God who is ready and willing to grant you a full and abundant life for his glory.

Questions:

  1. Have you trusted Christ as your Savior?
  2. Are you living for Him, or for yourself?
  3. What are three ways you can show your appreciation this week for His marvelous gift of salvation?