Saturday 20^th January

Part of this talk today is taken from a message I heard from a man called Ray Comfort. He shares a talk on using the 10 commandments as a means of evangelism. It’s a great talk and part of what I share will come from it as I wanted to share it with you all too.

Imagine for a moment if a police officer randomly came to you and said “your 20,000 speeding fine has been paid. You free to go but be careful next time”. Your response would be “well I didn’t get a speeding fine, what are you talking about it”. You immediately dismiss what he is saying and call him a lunatic. Ok, well what if the police officer came to you as said, “you were clocked driving at 60mph through a strict 15mph zone. You damaged state property therefore you are being fined 20,000 pound”. Your reaction would most probably be a sheepish one, after you have just been presented with clear evidence of what you have done wrong. Then what if the officer then says “your fine has been paid, you are free to go!”. Your reaction to his kindness would be far more appreciated because you now know what you are have been saved from.

 The thing is unless you know what you are being saved from, the act of being saved seems less relevant and less meaningful. If you don’t know what you have been saved from, when tough times come you will easily fall over and be overcome by your problems; for your security comes not in the saving power of Christ but in temporary ‘life satisfaction’. If you know that there is One who has given His all for you and saved you from being an enemy of God and eternal judgement, then when tough times do come, your feet will be on solid ground because you know that the One who saved you, gave His all for you and will uphold you with His strong right hand.

Paul in Romans 5 comments on the value of Jesus’ death. When He gave His all for you and me. He compares the act of kindness in Christ’s sacrificial death to that of a righteous man or a good man. He asks whether someone would die for a righteous man, then asks would someone die for a good man? Taking someone’s place in death is a sacrifice many would absolutely refuse. Yet it would almost be conceivable if we knew that Christ died for all the righteous people in the world that deserved His atonement. It would almost be conceivable if they were at least good. Yet the truth is that when Christ died for us, we were all sinners and didn’t deserve His atoning sacrificial death. Romans 5:8 says that “God demonstrated His love towards us, in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” Praise God. Jesus paid the price that we didn’t deserve with His life. Why? To save us from being enemies of God and from eternal judgement. What is our response? Accepting what He has done. It is the acceptance and knowledge of what Christ has done and the fact that He has paid the price for us, that we find strength to get through tough times and a foundation to keep us standing.