Gift of Eternal Life

Romans 6:23 says: -- "The wages of sin is death; --but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Bill Hybels -- pastor of the Willow Creek Community Church in the Chicago suburbs -- tells the story of the time he decided to take up the sport of racket ball.  One game was all it took to get him hooked.  He just loved the game from the first time he played it.  He played it regularly -- then frequently -- until he was playing it four to five times a week.  In only a matter of months he was winning almost every single game he played.  Of course he was screening his opponents very carefully -- playing mostly the elderly.  But there was no question in his mind that he had found a sport that he could play really well; -- he caught onto that game fast. 

One day at the club where he played -- he saw a poster announcing an upcoming tournament.  The poster said there would be 3 skill levels: --  

       C level -- that would be for recreational novelist . 

       B level -- that would be for serious racket ball players.    

      Then there would be an A level.

Bill gathered from how they described it -- level A were for the guys who slept with their rackets. 

As he was standing there & looking at that poster & thinking to himself -- "Now if I enter -- this being my very first tournament -- I wonder what would be the appropriate skill level for me. -- Because I am a minister -- a preacher of the Word of God -- & knowing what the Bible says about humility -- I must admit to myself -- that I have only played a few months.   -- I am probably not going to win the A level."  So Bill stood there & tried to figure out; -- should he play it safe by entering the B level -- or should he just throw caution to the wind & sign up for the A level -- & try to pull off an upset victory?  One thing for sure -- he had no interest in the C league whatsoever!  He was way past this "recreational novelist" -- in his opinion. 

As he was finalizing his decision -- to jump right into this A level -- an older gentlemen walked up to Bill & asked: -- "Are you going to enter the tournament this month?"  -- Bill replied: -- "Well, I am thinking about it." 

Bill could tell the guy was checking him over & sizing him up to determine how good he might be -- & Bill was sizing him also.  Bill was looking at a little pot-bellied guy -- short guy -- no reach -- short little arms -- older guy.  Then the guy said: -- "I entered last month's tournament."  Bill asked: -- "What league?"  -- The guy said: "C."  -- "Figures."  Then the guy said: -- "I came in 10th." -- It was like he was proud of it.  Bill thought to himself, -- "If I came in 10th place in the C league -- I wouldn't tell a soul. -- It would be embarrassing!"

Then out of the blue the guy said: -- "I've already played a couple games this afternoon -- but if you are looking for a game -- I'd be happy to play you."  -- Bill said okay -- figuring this would be kind of a bench mark game.  He could gage the level of play of a C guy -- then he could enter the appropriate level of play -- probably A or B. 

Now to make a long story short -- this pot bellied, short armed little older guy -- beat Bill Hybels 21-zip in about 7 minutes.  Bill had never seen a racket ball hit so hard -- go that fast -- or that low.  Unbelievable! -- He literally wiped Bill Hybels out.

They chatted after the game back in the locker room; -- the other guy didn't even have to shower!  Bill asked: -- "Could I ask you a few questions? -- You say you placed 10th in the C league? -- If you were to have played the guy who won the C league -- what do you think the score would be?"  He responded: -- "Probably 21-5. -- I would like to think I could get 5 points on him."  Bill was thinking -- "This guy beat me 21-zip -- & he would get beat 21-5 by the winner of the C league!"  Then Bill asked: -- "What would happen if the winner of the C league played a fellow from the B level?"  The reply was that if the winner of the C level played the man who placed last in the B level -- the C level winner would not score a single point!  -- Bill Hybels is feeling weaker all the time. 

Then the old guy said: -- "Well I got to go. -- Enjoyed the game!"  "Bet you did!" -- Bill thought to himself.

Bill sat there alone in the locker room thinking to himself -- "How deceived can a person be? -- Twenty minute ago I thought I was almost an A level player -- I might even win it. -- I was certainly a B league player.  I didn't even want to mess with the C level; -- & then I just got clobbered by a guy who wound up in 10th place in the novelist league. -- How deceived can a person be? -- I had vastly overrated my abilities!"

Athletics is not the only arena where people overrate themselves!  Sometimes it happens in the political arena.  Men in the financial field can easily overrated themselves.  But nowhere does the problem of overrating oneself happen more frequently -- then in the spiritual realm! 

While I was pastoring in Illinois -- I invited a gentleman to come to church some Sunday. -- After several invites -- he finally came.  I called on him that week to let him know how pleased I was that he had come -- but as we visited -- he informed me he would not be back.  Surprised -- I asked him "why?" -- His answer shocked me!  He said: -- "I thought maybe by coming I could become a better person than what I am. -- But I looked around at your congregation -- & decided -- I'm already as good as everyone who was in your church."  And he was probably right.

But my friends -- we cannot gage ourselves in the light of others.  We can only gage ourselves in the light of a Holy God!  Jesus Christ is our only Perfect Example!

Most people vastly overrate how good they are in the eyes of God!  Most people walk around believing they are capable of competing at the A level of morality in God's sight.  If they are not in the A level -- they are certainly going to place in the B level -- you can bet that.  No body sees himself as being a C level player along the lines of morality!

Moralist believe -- "Because I feel I live a decent moral life; -- I treat people fairly; -- I vote; -- I pay my taxes; -- I give to Untied Way; -- I don't have a reason in the world to worry about standing before a holy God come judgment day."

Moralist simply say to themselves: -- "In my own mind I believe I am living at an acceptable level; -- I believe that I shall be able to stand without shame before God!"

  Rapist -- murderers -- drug dealers; -- now they are going to be in big trouble come judgment day; -- but I am going to do just fine thank you!  I am comfortable with how I am living. -- So stop worrying about my soul!  -- Go find a bad guy & work on him -- but leave me alone!  I'll just go on keeping my nose clean!  -- I'll be fine come judgment day.

My friend -- are you planning to go to heaven when you die?  How are you planning on getting there?  On what are you banking?

How do you measure up to God's perfect standard of morality?  You say you are a pretty good person; -- very likely you are!  How good are you?  -- Shall we try to gage you?

Suppose we were to set God's perfect standard of morality at a scale of 100. -- Where would you rate yourself?  Down at the bottom -- between 1 or 2 -- if you want a frame of reference -- would be Hitler -- Noreaga -- Saddam -- or some other bad man.  Where do you think you fit on this descending line of goodness?  Between a perfect 100 & 0?  -- What level?

But before you rate yourself -- who do you think is one of the best people to have lived on plant earth? -- What about Mother Teresa?   Mother Teresa would have said she had fallen far, far short of God's standard of perfection.  -- She felt terrible about it.  She was embarrassed at just how far short she had fallen.  She would likely have placed herself in the lower 3rd of the scale.

A guy like Billy Graham; -- he is really about the best the United States has to offer right now.  Billy Graham would probably put himself a little south of Mother Teresa.

Even the great apostle Paul -- said he felt like he was the chief of sinners! -- Are you beginning to feel like you are in trouble?  We -- everyone of us -- need outside help to bring us up to the perfect standard of God's holiness! 

Not only do we have a tendency to overrate ourselves on the goodness scale --  we have an amazing capacity to underrate the seriousness of our own sinfulness!  People sin -- & choose to forget all about the fact that they have sinned!  They fail to recognize the seriousness of their sin in God's eyes!  It would appear in the light of all that I have said -- that every body is going to go to hell! -- Well, not quite!  What I am saying is everybody deserves to go to hell!  Everybody!  -- without exception!

This is where the truth of Romans 6:23 comes into play!  The wages of sin is death! -- Eternal death; -- condemnation!  But God saw that everybody was falling short -- sinning!   

Because God is holy -- He could not lower the standard of perfection -- nor wink it away!  So God did something amazing because He loved us!  God commissioned His own Son -- Jesus Christ -- to come to earth -- to live among man -- & finally die on the Cross.  When Jesus died on the Cross -- God arranged for the short comings -- & the sins of the whole world -- (including yours & mine) to be transferred from our shoulders to Jesus' shoulders.  In Jesus' death He assumed full responsibility for all of us!  When Jesus said upon the Cross: -- "It is finished" -- It meant Jesus had paid the consequences for the sins of the whole world.  Jesus absorbed our punishment upon himself! 

I hope you do not say what Ted Turner said in USA Today a few years ago.  -- He said, & I quote: -- "I don't want anybody to die for me. -- I've had a few drinks & I had a few girl friends. -- If that is going to put me in hell then so be it." 

My friends -- our only hope of salvation is found in those words: -- "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

Christmas is coming -- the thought of gifts is very much on our minds right now! -- God has a gift for you! -- It is the gift of Eternal Life!

1. It is a Gift of Love! -- John 3:16 reads: -- "For God so loved the world,  that he gave His only begotten Son, -- that whosoever believes in Him -- should not perish -- but have everlasting life."  What an amazing gift of love!

2. It is a Gift of High Price!

It did not come cheap! -- There is nothing inexpensive about this Gift!  It cost God His only begotten Son!  It cost Heaven the absence of heaven's brightest Star!  It cost Christ His very life upon a Cross!  The reason God can offer us eternal life as a gift is because the price has been paid for in advance -- by the sacrificial death of God's Son -- Jesus Christ -- on a hill called Calvary!

3. It is a Gift of Personal Experience!

You will not find Eternal Life in the bottle; -- in the text book; -- in the class room; -- in the bank account; -- in the cults; -- in the Eastern religions; -- in the houses of pleasure; -- in drugs!  In fact -- you won't find Eternal Life under the Christmas tree!

You will only discover the gift of Eternal Life in your heart -- by personal experience!  I cannot experience for you! -- You must experience for yourself!

John 1:12 states: -- "As many as receive Christ -- to them gave He the power to become the children of God."  You have to experience the gift of Eternal life by personally receiving Jesus Christ into your heart -- & into your life by trusting  believing on Him!  Christ believed is Eternal Life received!

If you have not yet experienced this wonderful gift God offers -- & Christ provides -- why not accept the Savior today!  Discover for yourself the real meaning of Christmas!

Conclusion:  -- My dear friends -- do not overrate yourselves morally -- nor spiritually -- thinking you are good enough in yourself -- to enter heaven on your own merits & ability!  Acknowledge your short-comings -- your failure -- your inadequacies -- your sin!   -- Confess your sins to God!  Open your heart to God's Son -- Jesus Christ -- today!

You can refuse God's gift -- & walk away from it -- & be eternally lost!  Or -- you can accept God's free gift of Eternal life.  You can personally experience this wonderful gift for yourself!  All you have to do to be saved eternally is to accept God's gift & say: -- "Thank you, Lord!"

Some years ago -- I preached a series of messages just before Christmas -- emphasizing God's Gift to us!

On the final Sunday of that series -- a gentleman by the name of Everett -- who had been attending our church for about six months -- turned to his wife during the invitation -- & told her -- "I want it! -- That gift the preacher is talking about. -- I want that gift."  Everett came forward that Sunday morning & made the most wonderful discovery of his life -- the joy of knowing his sins were forgiven -- & the gift of Eternal Life.  My friends -- you can do the same today!  Come -- come & accept God's gift to you!

The Bible says: -- "These things are written unto you who believe on the name of the Son of God -- so that you may know that you have eternal life" (1 John 5:13).

It is a Gift of Love! -- It is a Gift of High Price! -- It is a Gift of Personal Experience! -- Come & accept God's gift to you today!

Pastor Lyle Pettit -- Wynne Chapel -- Cochise, AZ

www.wynnechapel.org