Friday, February 8, 2019
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A few years ago they resurrected an old TV format and it came back big time! It was the old quiz "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire?" The program that first captured the attention of millions of viewers was about winning a million dollars! So, some Joe or Joan Ordinaryperson was asked a series of multiple-choice questions that got increasingly harder and, of course, were worth increasingly more. Now, if you needed help on a couple, you could call some person you've designated as your "lifeline." You could even listen to the opinions of the studio audience. But eventually, the spotlight was all on you, man. You're the contestant, and the host was pressing the question. When you finally gave your answer, the host asked this tension-building, unnerving question, "Is that your final answer?"
I'm Ron Hutchcraft, and I want to have A Word With You today about "Your Final Answer."
That might be the very question God is asking you about what you're doing with Jesus Christ, "Is that your final answer?" Someday, and no one knows when, you will have given your final answer about Jesus. And there will be no more chances. If your answer is right, God has promised you eternal life in heaven. If your answer is wrong, you will have to pay forever for your sins in a place the Bible calls hell that Jesus already paid for on the cross so you would not have to. But you've got to grab God's Rescuer in total trust or you won't be saved.
We're in Isaiah 55:6, our word for today from the Word of God. The Lord gives a loving invitation here, but also a sobering warning. "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call on Him while He is near." Implication: you won't always be able to find Him; you won't always find Him there when you call. Someday, and you won't know that it's that day, you will give what turns out to be your final answer as to whether or not you're going to give yourself to Jesus. And when you stand before God, there will be no "lifelines" to reach for. You're not just deciding about Jesus. You're, in fact, deciding about where you will spend all eternity.
That's not my idea. It's what God Himself says in places like John 3:36 in the Bible, "Whoever believes in the Son (that's Jesus) has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him." Now, you have to reach for Him "while He may be found...and while He is near." And that may be right now. You can feel a tug of Jesus in your heart again. You know you've never really committed yourself to Him; you know you need to. And someday you plan to.
But, see, you don't come to Jesus when you're ready; you come when He's ready. Jesus said, "No one can come to me unless the Father...draws him" (John 6:44). If He's drawing you now, He's ready. Now is when you'd better come. There's no guarantee how many times He'll come this close again. Tragically, so many people have slipped into eternity having given a deadly final answer to Jesus. An answer like "No," or "I'll take my chances," or "I hope I'm good enough," or "Later." All wrong - all deadly forever.
But today He's still near. He can still be found. And if you've never really trusted Jesus to be your Personal Rescuer from the penalty of your personal sins, do not wait another day to answer "yes" to Him. If you want Him in your heart, tell Him, "Jesus, I believe when you died on that cross, it was my sins you were paying for. I believe you are not on that cross any more. You are alive and you're waiting to come into my life at my invitation. So, I'm turning from running my own life. Beginning today, Jesus, I'm yours...I'm all yours."
If you've never done that; if you're not sure you've done that, I think our website might be a good place for you to go check out right now. Because I think you will find there the biblical information that will help you know for sure you've got it done today. It's ANewStory.com.
One day your answer to Jesus will be your final answer. Be sure that you've said, "Yes, Jesus, I'm yours."