GOSPEL LIGHT #674

Banking on Death-Bed Repentance

The longer you delay repentance the harder you will become toward it. Sin has a hardening effect. The "repentance" you plan on doing when you are close to death is "attrition." Not genuine and true repentance in the sight of God.

There is only one case of "death-bed" repentance, if we may put it that way, in the Bible --- the robber on the cross who repented. Someone said in effect: "One case so that no one may despair, but, only one case so that no one may presume."

Here's the result of the survey--- There are many cases of sinners who repented in the Bible. The Bible records at least 4,000 years of human history. Yet, there is only one case in inspired history that God truly recognized as genuine when it comes to near-death repentance.

If you delay repentance for some other time, perhaps on your death-bed, what made you think that yours will be a unique case?

GOSPEL LIGHT #673

Only Two Religions 

People are confused and mixed up today because they say "There are too many religions and too many religious groups in the world!"

Nothing could be further from the truth. In reality, all the religions in the world could be basically categorized into two: a) The religion of Self and b) The religion of the Savior. 

All religions in the world, except one, are basically saying: "Self must do this and self must do that in order to earn a good standing for oneself to make it." 

There is one religion, however, that's different. Its message is this --- "You cannot earn a good standing for yourself. You are unable to save yourself. The good news is that the Lord Jesus Christ died for your sins and was raised again from the dead. Through what He did on the cross for you, you can freely obtain a right standing with God and enjoy Him forever and ever."

The religion of Self says: "Do something!" The religion of the Savior says: "It's done!" All you have to do is to place your confidence in what the Savior did."  





 

GOSPEL LIGHT # 672

 Why I Don't Fear The Lord's Coming

Before, I was deathly afraid of the Lord's coming. Now, no more! I anticipate it and wait for it. I want it to take place in my lifetime. People in New Testament times were eager for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Php 3:20 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,

Re 22:20 He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming quickly." Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus! 2Ti 4:8 Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Before, I was in fear and trepidation because I was looking at myself and how I fared spiritually. No matter how I tried I realized that I will never be good enough --- I will never ever measure up. I could never be confident about my performance.

The difference-maker is my discovery of Calvary.

In the cross of Christ, I found a divinely-approved payment and settlement for all my sins. I am confident that what He did on the cross for me will never fail me on that great and awesome day when I finally see Him face to face.

His First Coming is the reason why I'm not afraid of His Second Coming.

GOSPEL LIGHT #671

Wise For A Lifetime --- A Fool For All Eternity 

There was a man who only had a week to live in his house before he would move into his new home where he would reside for the rest of his life. Absurdity of absurdities, instead of focusing on his new dwelling, he devoted his time, energies, and resources to furnishing his old house that he was about to vacate.  

It's a made-up story. It never really happened. But, you know, in one sense, that is a true story in many people's lives. Many people take great pains to provide for this life. "I don't just think of this year. No, I think ahead. I think and plan for 40 years from now." They would say.

The problem is that that's all for them. They never think and plan for the next 40 million years or the next 40 billion years or the next 40 trillion years and more. They are wise for a lifetime but a fool for all eternity.

My friend, be truly wise. Don't just think of this year. Don't just think of this life. Think of the life after this life in eternity. 

Avail yourself of the eternal life that is in Christ Jesus. He died for your sins and was raised again from the dead. That if you repent and trust in Him, life eternal will be yours.  
 

GOSPEL LIGHT #670

How to trust in Christ for salvation?

The Bible does not explain how to trust Christ because trusting in Christ for salvation spontaneously follows by "spiritual reflex" (as I call it) the moment a sinner sees his helplessness in saving himself and realizes the sufficiency of Christ's work on the cross for one's salvation. The man who sees that he is in a hopeless building, engulfed and swallowed whole by a raging fire, would just instinctively jump into a sure and stable safety net waiting for him below, knowing full well that it alone could save him. He doesn't ask "how do I jump in there?" No, he just does it. Pushed by his own necessity. He is more concerned about getting himself deposited into the net than anything else in the world.

GOSPEL LIGHT #669

 A Melting Candle Is Just Like The Lord Jesus Christ

A melting candle is a picture of unselfish and self-giving love. There it is giving itself away for the good of all around it; whereas, before, there was darkness, now there is light.

There, on the cross, the Lord Jesus Christ "melted" and gave Himself for us all that the way of salvation might be paved and lighted --- that sinners might find their way to God.

The way to God is not dark, dim, and impossible to find...if you go by the light of what Christ did on the cross for you.

GOSPEL LIGHT #668

Mr 14:33 And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and He began to be troubled and deeply distressed. 34 Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

LK 22:44 And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.

The Lord Jesus Christ here was just hours away from being crucified on the cross. At the cross, He will bear the sins of all and be punished for it. If you are still unsaved, realize from the experience of the Lord Jesus Christ here the awful reality of being separated from God forever and ever.  

Martin Luther said: “No one ever feared death so much as this Man!”
If the Lord Jesus was so inwardly shaken to the point that He sweated out great drops of blood at the prospect of bearing the punishment of sin, just imagine what the lake of fire must be like. If you can only see how awful God's punishment against your sin would be you will react just like He did. You would be shaken to the core of your being. And yet, you just take it oh so casually, like it's nothing. Blind people do not know the deep and precipitous plunge that they are facing...until they actually fall into it.

Realize that being separated from God is an awful, awful, awful reality. Listen, be saved from being separated from God forever and ever. Trust in what the Lord Jesus Christ did for you at the cross.