It is Personal

Today the headlines read “Osama Bin Laden is Dead.” The news of his death set off celebrations in the streets of Washington D.C., Times Square and Ground Zero. I am thankful for the work of our military men and women, the Navy Seals, our intelligence agencies and everyone else who had a part in accomplishing this great task. Hopefully the world will be a little safer today as a result of this man’s death. The irony is that within 24 hours of the time Bin Laden was killed, 66 years ago in 1945 the headlines read, “Adolf Hitler is Dead.” This news spawned the same kind of celebratory reaction that Bin Laden’s death did here in America. Hitler was responsible directly and indirectly for millions of lives lost in his short reign as leader of the Nazi party in Germany.

I have a simple point to make today. It is hard for me to say it but it needs to be said. My God loved Osama Bin Laden. He loved him so much that He sent His Son to die for him and pay for his sins in His own body. Mr. Bin Laden, as well as Adolf Hitler is in hell today and not because they were terrorists, murderers, a Muslim or a Nazi. They are in hell today because they did not receive what would have been a gift of salvation for them. “The wages of sin is death (eternal death separated from God in hell) but the gift of God is salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Romans 6:10. The thing that many people miss in this simple truth is that many morally good people are heading to the same hell that Osama Bin Laden and Hitler are suffering in today because they also have not received the gift of salvation. It is personal; if it is not a personal salvation we have received then we have not truly received His (Jesus) salvation. Salvation is not a birthright, it is a second birthright. Jesus said, “Except a man be born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” “Ye must be born again.” John 3:3,7

We have to come to the place where we understand that in our flesh is no good thing and in our hearts we are capable of conceiving unbelievable wicked things. Proverbs 23:7 tells us, “For as he (a man) thinketh in his heart so is he.” Jesus tells us in His Sermon On the Mount, that when we are angry without cause, or desire to murder someone in our hearts or when we consider adultery in our hearts we have done the acts. With that being the case; how many murderers, thieves, rapists, terrorists, and racists have you passed by today? They by appearance may be what we would call good and moral people but we all have a sin problem.

This week thousands of people died around the world; several hundred here in the Southeast where we live, as a result of the tornadoes that tore through our area. The question was not whether or not they were sinners, they/we all are. The question is not how bad was their sin? All sin is an offence to a Holy God. The question is not, was God getting even with the people who died this week, however they died? God got even with all of us on the cross, when He put our sin on Jesus and allowed Him to suffer and die in our place. The question to consider personally and individually is, have you repented of your sins and received His gift of salvation by putting saving faith and trust in Him? If not, you stand in danger of the same judgment of hell that Osama Bin Laden and Adolf Hitler are suffering in today. Ask Jesus to save you (personally) before it is eternally too late. Think On These Things.

Pastor Roy