You’re Invited

You’re Invited

You’re invited to make a choice that changes your life and destiny:

God invites you and me and actually, whoever is willing, to be reconciled to Himself through Jesus Christ, His Son. No one forces us to accept. We must choose whether we accept or reject the invitation.

We’re born imperfect with a tendency to go our own way instead of God’s as well as with a twisted, limited view of life and reality. Because of those things, all of us end up breaking God’s law in word, attitude, and/or action. And the day will come when we must stand before the eternal, righteous Judge of the universe and answer for our law-breaking (sin). On that day, no amount of our own goodness will cover our sin. It won’t matter how many kind deeds we’ve done or hateful deeds we haven’t done. They won’t carry us through the scrutiny of almighty God. Neither will any religion save us then because religion doesn’t change us or wash away our guilt.

But God Himself provided a way to escape the condemnation we all deserve, a way to stand clean and righteous before Him. That’s what the invitation is all about. Jesus is God’s Way. He said in John 3:16 that God loved every person throughout time so much that He gave His Son so that whoever believes in the Son He sent (Jesus) will not “perish” (be eternally separated from God and everything good), but instead would have “everlasting life” (real life now and forever).

Though He was equal with God, Jesus laid down His glory and rights to come to earth as a human being. He lived His life here without sin so He could become the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the whole world—past, present, and future. He died on the cross of Calvary on our behalf and then was buried. But death couldn’t hold Him, and He arose and is alive forever at the Father’s side.

We accept God’s offer by choosing to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He paid for our sin. God promises that if we turn and call on Him, He will receive us.

A lot of things happen when we accept the invitation to be reconciled: our names are written in the “Lamb’s Book of Life,” and only those whose names are written there can enter Heaven. All our sins are forgiven, and we’ve passed from death to life—eternal life with God. So now our destiny is Heaven. We become God’s very own children, and His Holy Spirit comes to live in us to enable us to live in and participate in God’s kingdom. We begin a personal walk with God, who, though He is the almighty Creator of everything, still tenderly loves us as individuals. He promises never to fail or forsake us. And this is just the beginning! As we trust Him more, He shows us more.

God desires fellowship with us and invites us to receive reconciliation. I accepted. How do you answer Him?