John 8:23-24
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, for unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.”
If you could choose your own death, what would it be? I think most of us would like to go peacefully in our sleep at a ripe old age…but the bigger question is this: Will you die in Your Sin, or will you die in God’s Grace? We know that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus (Rom. 6:23), yet far too many that have heard that truth will not receive that truth. They may die peacefully in their sleep at a ripe old age, but that “peace” will be short-lived and an illusion.
Outside of Christ, every person on this planet is living in darkness, yet there are two destinies on the table for us all. At a certain age, our sin nature moves from being innate to active as we choose to violate the law that is written on our hearts as well as ignoring the conscience that resides in our spirit (Romans 2:15). Additionally, God is the proverbial “800-lb gorilla in the room” and there is not a rational person on the planet that is unaware of this fact because God has made it abundantly clear that He exists (Romans 1:19). In other words, there is no such thing as an actual atheist.
When it comes to choosing one of these two destinies, nobody gets off the hook. Everybody knows that God exists, that they are violating his moral laws, and that they are estranged from their Creator. The guy in New York as well as the pygmy in New Guinea. God’s common grace for all of mankind extends to our last breath. Like the thief on the cross, if we accept our guilt and cry out for mercy—in faith— from the only One who can grant it, He will hear our plea and bring us into His kingdom. If we choose to ignore Him, we will die in our sin, estranged from God’s grace, and destined to pay for all of our transgressions ourselves.
“…for unless you believe that I am he…”
There is no other name given under Heaven by which men must be saved (Acts 4:12) and that fact is just as true and binding today as it was when Peter said it in the first century. If you have chosen a destiny with God in Heaven, you should feel compelled by love to share that Good News whenever you can. If you have yet to choose this narrow gate (Mt. 7:13), you need to do so while God’s common grace still abides with you.
