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| | From:  SEB1625 (Original Message) | Sent: 8/14/2007 2:07 PM |
Your Choice
Luke 23:32-43
Text 40
We all have had and still have choices to make in this life here below. We have had to make chioces even when were children, then teenagers and then adults.
Some choices have been very favorable to us and have brought us a long way in life. Other choices however have brought us great sorrow and pain and have caused even others around us great hurt and sorrowfulness of heart.
Some choices we make many times affect those around us such as our parents, our children, our husbands, and wives as well as friends and co-workers. Every chioce we make has an affect on someone else and this attitude of, well I'm not hurting anyone else is one sign of a very prideful and arrogant mindset and isn't a very good choice.
So what type of choices do we have to make. Here are just a few.
(1) Behavior
(a) Kindness (b) Hatefulness (c) Truthfulness (d) Lier (e) Drunkeness (f) Soberness (g) Thief (h) Honesty
(2) Clothing
(a) Conservative (b) Sloppy (c) Sexual
(3) Speech
(a) Vulgar (b) Clean (c) Polite (d) Rude
(4) Friends
(a) Decent (b) Thugs & Punks (c) Whoremongers (d) Harlots
(5) Work
(a) Honest job (b) Swindler (c) Do you live off system
So let's look at these two thieves. Suppose they came from a good, caring homes and had good raising. Maybe though they came from a terrible home where there was very little attention. Perhaps no loving, caring parents who didn't raise them well. Maybe their parents were brawlers, ungodly, vulgar and just plain selfish.
Whether the former or the latter as just described makes somewhat of a difference and yes the environment we are around does have an affect on our human physio but in the larger scope of things these two men still were faced with a choice to make.
Let's say the thief on the left was the one who didn't repent, he didn't ask the LORD for mercy, he did not nor would he admit to himself first that he was a sinner in need of a Savior, in need of forgiveness. His heart was callused, cold and indifferent to the things of God. He had heard about Jesus.
I'm sure he ahd about all the miracles that Jesus has performed such as physical healings, thousands fed when hungry both spiritually and physically, eyes given back to the blind both spiritually and physically, the dead being raised from the grave.
Oh the thief on the left had his choice to make and he had choosen eternal damnation. For all of eternity he would burn in a devil's hell where the worm dieth not, where there will be weeping, and wailing and the gnashing of teeth and forever be cast into the Lake of Fire at the White Throne Judgement. He rejected the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD. He wasted away his last day of grace. He held onto his pride and self will.
Let's suppose the thief on the right was the one was the one who repented. He was the one who asked for mercy, he was the one who admitted he was a sinner in need of a Savior, he knew he needed forgiveness. He realized he was wicked and unclean.
He too had heard about this man claaed Jesus. Even though he too had railed on Jesus and mocked Him. His heart was beginning to soften, his heart was being strangely warmed and his mind was beginning to be changed to the things of God. He desired healing for his sin sick soul. He was hungry he needed to be fed, he needed to be refreshed, a drink from the Fountain of Living Water.
The thief on the right choose eternal life, he choose peace, joy, patience, and long suffering and all the fruit of the Spirit. He choose Paradise, he choose Heaven.
He would never know the awfulness of hell and eventually the Lake of Fire and all that pertains to these places of eternal punishment for all that reject Christ.
Regardless of whether you came from a nuturing family, or a home where very little love, compassion and mercy was shown you still have a choice to make. You cannot keep on blaming someone else for in the end you will give an account for what you chose to do with your life and with Jesus.
You may chose eternal life with all the attributes that go with real eternal life and all it's abundance or eternal damnation with all it's abundance of pain and torture and the awfulness of eternity without God.
The Holy Spirit had come to both of these men and so they both had the same opportunity to make the same choice.
So how about you, it is after all your choice.
Evangelist Stephen Blan |
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