The Choice is Your's--Posted 09/13/2006

Choices, choices, choices...

Every single day we face multiple decisions in life.

Regular or decaffeinated?

Big Mac or Quarter Pounder?

Tylenol or Advil?

Go to work or take a sick day?

Since the beginning man has had a choice.

Deuteronomy 11:26-28 tells you this, "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse; A blessing, if ye obey the
commandments of the Lord your God, which I command you this day: And a curse, if ye will not obey the commandments of the
Lord your God, but turn aside out of the way which I command you this day, to go after other gods, which ye have not known."

Moses speaking to the children of Israel, God's chosen people, told them simply, "You have a choice to make..."

My friend, you too have a choice to make.

Very plainly put, you have two real choices in life...

Heaven or Hell.

God or Satan.

Righteousness or unrighteousness.

Right or wrong.

You may say, "That sounds blunt or mean."

It is blunt...you must make a choice daily concerning the spiritual condition of your soul.

Those who truly serve God as Christians must choose every day to serve Him.

"Choose" is defined as; the process of selecting from a number of possible alternatives or to determine or decide.

So a "choice" is that selected or decided upon thing or idea.

God has always given choices.

The text gives two alternatives; a blessing and a curse.

Scripture shows that this "blessing" results from "obeying the commandments of the Lord your God,..." (paraphrased)

Every moment of your life you make decisions or choose.

If you are thirsty you choose to get a drink. If you are tired you choose to go to sleep.

Life is one big decision making process.

No other "choice" you ever make will affect your life like the choice to serve God wholeheartedly.

If you knew that tomorrow you would die, how would that knowledge affect your decisions between now and then?

Many would go do something crazy, like skydiving, or quit their job and travel to some favorite exotic destination.

But the real question is, where would your soul be found if that actually took place; if you did die tomorrow?

So many stories of people who waited and waited to submit to God's dealings with them, and left this world without going to
God for His saving grace...why let that be you?

I have personally heard of young people who sat in church services, God dealt with their hearts, they ignored His pleadings and
left that service and were killed in a car accident.

Older folks who waited until late in their life to "find religion", and they lost their faculties, their ability to reason because of
mental illness, and they died without God.

Why?

Simple...because they did not make the choice.

Several years ago a statistician estimated that every 20 seconds someone dies and goes to Hell.

That may or may not be true, but if it is, I challenge you to watch your clock for 2 minutes while 6 people die and go to Hell...
because they did not decide.

Is sin really worth the risk of losing out with God and landing in the pits of Hell? Is that the goal of anyone in their sane mind?

Obviously the answer is NO!

Why not make a move toward God then?

He has promised "a blessing" to all who choose to go His way.

Do you want to be blessed? Sure you do. Of course you do. Who doesn't?

God wants you to be. But, it takes a decision from you.

You must "obey the commandments of the Lord your God,..." (paraphrased)

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28-30, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke
upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my
burden is light."

His command was, "Come."

That is a decision that everyone must make.

Will you "come" to Jesus?

Or, will you stay where you are, in your misery and struggles? In your despair and depression? In your sinful state and lost
position?

Why live everyday with emptiness in your heart?

Is it satisfying to just "trudge along through life" and not even know if you will make it to the next day?

God has your number. He knows every thought that you think. He knows that doubt that is in your mind right now as you read
these very words.

God has given you reasoning ability so that you may make your own choices in life. He cannot and will not force His will onto
you.

God cannot "make" you serve Him. And neither can I.

But the choice is your's to make...

A blessing or a curse.

A heavenly reward or undying punishment in Hell.

Forever in the presence of Jesus your Saviour, or eternally bound in chains tortured by Satan your master.

Being "good" will not get you to Heaven.

Simply living a moral life will not earn you entrance into God's presence.

Ephesians 2:8&9 says, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works,
lest any man should boast." (emphasis mine)

The only active part you have in accepting Jesus Christ as your Saviour is the decision to do so, and the believing through faith
that He can bring salvation to your life.

You cannot live a "good enough life that God will understand and let you into Heaven because of all the good things that you
did".

Paul wrote in the previously quoted scripture, "...Not of works,..." (paraphrased)

In other words, you cannot earn or buy your salvation from sin. Only by accepting what Jesus Christ accomplished on the cross
at Calvary, the complete atonement for all of man's sins, can you be "saved".

But, you must choose.

You will make that choice now, one way or the other...

II Corinthians 6:2 says,"...behold, NOW is the accepted time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation.)”  (emphasis mine)