Letters to My Sisters, part 3 of 4
Posted by James MacDonald on August 25, 2007 08:04 AM | Comments (0)I've been telling you this week about a focused season of prayer and boldness that my wife Kathy and I extended on behalf of her sisters several years ago. During one month's time, I wrote the two girls four letters, one per week, explaining a specific step related to coming to Christ for salvation. We sent each letter and then poured ourselves out in prayer, asking that they would read the letters, understand it, be convicted by the truth, and turn to Christ.
During that season, one of Kathy's sisters came for a visit. I remember so clearly our intentionality one evening in getting a babysitter and just the three of us going to this quaint little Italian restaurant near our house. You can guess the topic of conversation. I remember pushing our plates aside and on the paper tablecloth, drawing the whole bridge illustration of how we can't get to God on our own and how Jesus Christ bridges the gap. I even drew it upside down so she could clearly see it. The whole time we talked, Kathy prayed, sitting there beside us, her heart so full of desire to see this one she loved so much turn to Christ.
But after the illustration was complete and all the points were made and questions answered, I asked if she wanted to receive Christ as her Savior. With big, round, sincere eyes, she stared back at us and said, "Ahh . . . no, I don't think so."
We read in the book of Acts that this happened repeatedly to the apostle Paul as it most assuredly has happened to you. You open the Word and pour out your heart to someone who has yet to turn to Christ, yet they shake their heads.
From the perspective of faith and time, I'm writing now to tell you not to give up. Keep getting the message out--no matter the response. Little did we know how the Spirit was moving and convicting Kathy's sister that night. It would have been so much easier for us to persevere had we known, but God was doing a work of faith in our hearts too in the years that followed.
If you look back at the two blogs posted earlier this week, you'll see the groundwork of this third letter. Too often people start their salvation invitation with today's topic, but in order for us to fully grasp the enormity of mercy extended by Jesus' payment for our sin, we've got to understand the depth of our debt. So if you've not done so already, go back and read the two other letters and then come back here for the solution.
Dear Tara and Nora:
Well, I haven't heard anything from you yet. What have you been thinking about my letters to you? I have been praying that you would be experiencing two things simultaneously: 1) a growing awareness of the reality of God and His incredible love for you and 2) a genuine concern about your own sin as a barrier that prevents you from enjoying the Lord in this life, and going to heaven in the life to come.
I have really been looking forward to writing this next letter to you because it's about the Good News. It's no fun telling people that although God loves them, they will never get to heaven because their sins separate them from God. If that was the whole story, you could easily conclude that God is not very loving at all. You could conclude that if God really loved us, He would do something to solve our sin problem so we could come to heaven. That's where the Good News comes in . . . HE DID DO SOMETHING!
Romans 5:8 says, God demonstrated His love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Two thousand years ago, Christ came into the world; God became man and lived a sinless life so that He could die and make payment for your sin and mine. When Jesus hung on that cross, God the Father poured out upon Him all of His anger and wrath for all the sins committed by all people in all ages. Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sins. Like any just earthly judge, God is holy and cannot simply say, "Oh, it's OK. Never mind your sin, come on in to heaven. I'll look the other way." No, God is far too just to be so indifferent about sin. That is why Christ died--to suffer God's judgment upon our sin.
Scripture: John 3:16, For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, so that whosoever believeth in Him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Story: Imagine that your father committed a terrible crime and because of it he was found guilty and sentenced to die in the electric chair. (A horrible thought, but you know how crazy ole' Ralph can get.
Along with me and your sister, you went to visit him on death row and he admitted to us that he was guilty.
Now suppose that you became deeply upset that your dad was going to die and despite our pleadings you went to the judge who had sentenced your dad and asked the judge to let you die in your father's place. The judge was not concerned who paid for the crime, only that the crime be paid for, so that the law could be upheld. After a lot of pleading and begging, the judge agreed and you were taken to the electric chair and your dad was set free. It would be very difficult for the rest of the family to face him because he was the one that deserved to die, not you. We were glad to have him back but we couldn't get out of our mind the incredible price you paid so that he could be forgiven.
Now suppose that we ran into some of your dad's friends and found out he was telling people a lie. Of course people had seen in the paper that he was sentenced to die and being surprised to see him walking the streets, they wanted an explanation. Instead of telling people the incredible thing that you had done for him, he was telling people that the judge let him out because he was a pretty nice guy. "Oh yeah," he would say, "even though I killed that guy, the judge weighted up the good and the bad that I had done and decided to let me go."
If you can imagine how outraged we would be to hear him say that, then you are beginning to comprehend how God feels when He hears us talk. So many people say that they can get to heaven on their own by being a good person, but that is a lie. If we erase our sin problem simply by being good, then Jesus died for no reason. If God was planning simply to accept us into heaven despite our sin, then His sending Jesus to die was a huge waste. But it wasn't a waste; it was essential. And God will not hesitate to pour out eternal judgment on those who reject the forgiveness that Jesus died to provide, thinking they can make it on their own.
Titus 3:5, It's not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He has saved us.
Every day people step out of this world thinking they had a lot more time to be ready, thinking that they were 'good enough' to get to heaven, thinking that any road of sincerity would get them there.
John 14:6, Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.
I am writing these things to you because I love you, and I want to see you in heaven. If you could get there by being a good person you would make it for sure, but you can't. The good things we do that we think will make us acceptable to God are the very things He hates. If a person tries to get to heaven without Jesus, God will not hesitate to condemn them to Hell.
Hebrews 10:29, Of how much worse punishment, do you suppose, will he be thought worthy who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, counted the blood . . . a common thing, and insulted the Spirit of grace?
These are not easy things to talk about. I know it makes you uncomfortable to read it, just as it makes me as I write to you. But I cannot let my discomfort prevent me from telling you the truth. None of us knows how much time we have.
God loves you. You're a sinner who desperately needs God's forgiveness. Jesus came and died for your sins so that you could be forgiven.
Next week I will write and tell you how you can receive the forgiveness that God offers and Jesus died to provide for you. You are in our prayers every day as always.
From a brother's heart--
James