Monday, January 4, 2010
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A family on vacation. Nobody feels especially like doing the usual chores, like picking up the mess. Besides, there's that "room fairy" who comes while you're out and magically makes it all better, right? Unfortunately, "room fairies" only work when you're away from home. They don't do your house for you. Have you noticed that? My friend, Mike Silva, was staying with his family at a hotel in Nigeria when they heard a knock at the door. Mike opened it and found a smiling Nigerian gentleman standing there ready to clean the room. That was no small order. Actually, they were pretty embarrassed because of all the travel bags and curling irons and crumpled clothing sprawled all across their unmade beds. And the bathroom floor was carpeted with beautiful wet towels. Mike apologized profusely. The young man, though, just put him at ease. He said, "No problem, sir. For this reason I have come, to put your things in order."
I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "What to Do With the Messes We've Made."
One day, Jesus Christ came to the door of my life, and there was my mess - the mess we all have. The sin, the selfishness, the scars, the trail of tears we've left. But Jesus said, "No problem. For this reason I have come, to put your things in order." That's what He has done for millions of people around the world. That's what He's waiting to do for you...on your invitation.
Sin really does mess things up. It messes up marriages, children, relationships, reputations, bodies, minds, souls. A lifetime of living our way instead of God's way is just too much for any human to clean up. No matter how religious or how nice we try to be. The Bible is blunt about how bad the mess is. It says in Isaiah 59:2, "Your sins have cut you off from your God." Imagine, cut off from the One who has the love, the meaning, and the eternal life that we're looking for. And in case we're operating under the illusion that somehow we can remove this mess that separates us from our God, the Bible simply says, "No one will be declared righteous in His sight by observing the law...All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:20, 23).
There are two deadly mistakes that keep people from heaven. Thinking you're too good to need Jesus or thinking you're too bad for Jesus to take you. Both wrong - dead wrong. The truth is illustrated vividly in our word for today from the Word of God in Isaiah 6, beginning with verse 3. God's prophet, Isaiah, sees a vision with the Lord seated on His throne and angels proclaiming, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty." This great spiritual leader is leveled when he sees how holy God is. He says, "Woe to me!...I am ruined! I am a man of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty." Then an angel comes to him with the cleansing of God and says, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for."
That can happen to you at the cross of Jesus Christ, because it was there that your sin was paid for. And it's there and there alone that the mess can be removed. Knowing every wrong thing you've ever done, Jesus stands ready right now to say to you, "Your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for." That is the moment you are forgiven and you are free.
But like that housekeeping person at the door, you have to invite Him in. If you're not sure you've ever done that, you probably haven't. When you give yourself to Jesus, you know you did. And it makes no sense to keep living with the mess of a lifetime of sin, knowing that if you die with that mess there, you have no chance of heaven. You'll be without God forever.
But right now, Jesus stands ready to make you clean in a way you could have never dreamed possible. He made His move when He died on the cross for you. Now, it's your move to tell Him you're putting all your trust in Him to be your personal Rescuer from your personal sin.
Our website is there to help you at this moment to know how to make this new beginning with Jesus Christ. I hope you'll go there. I think you'll find it encouraging. It's YoursForLife.net. Check it out soon.
Jesus is standing at the door, and He's waiting to clean up the mess. It's your move now.