Quiet Time: He Crossed the Line

He Crossed the Line

Read: John 3:1-21

He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. - John 3:18

A friend of mine crossed the line last night. He is now born again. And it wasn't because his life was a mess. It isn't. As things go, he's actually doing pretty well for himself. But, when God began to draw him to His Son, my buddy became aware that peace was lacking in his life. After a long while he came to the wrong conclusion that the only way he'd experience true peace was death. (No, he wasn't suicidal, just realistic; knowing that stuff doesn't satisfy) Eventually, though, after listening carefully to what God said about peace, he came to a point where he wanted, no, he needed Jesus, and needed Him more than anything he had or could possibly get here on earth.

Now, this guy's no dummy. He's an intelligent well rounded man who likes to think things through before making a decision. And, he's been thinking Jesus' story through for several months now. Finally, he, like Nicodemus, came to the point in his life where he knew a decision must be made. The line had been drawn in the sand by Jesus, and he now asked himself quite simply:

• Am I a sinner? (Romans 3:23)
• Do I want forgiveness for my sins? (1 John 1:9)
• Do I believe that Christ died for my sins, was buried, and rose again the third day overcoming both my sin and the grave? (1 Corinthians 15:2-4; 1 Peter 3:18)
• Am I willing to confess Him as my Lord and Savior and live for Him as He leads me for the rest of my life? (Romans 10:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:15)
• Then, I need to pray and ask God to come into my heart.(Romans 10:13)

Too simple, you say. For you may-be, but not for Jesus. It cost Him everything. Come think of it, it will cost you everything too. But then again, as my pastor might say, "It's like trading a rotten bologna sandwich for a juicy steak hoagie." It's a no brainer; the choice is yours to make of course, but you weren't created to eat rotten meat. You certainly weren't created to live a rotten life either. (John 10:10)

So, are you ready to cross the line?