2 Corinthians 5:21, “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us”
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Every year thousands of gamblers meet in Las Vegas for a shot at winning the most celebrated poker tournament in the world. The four-day tournament is grueling and pits professional gamblers and high rollers against housewives, attorneys, and truck drivers in a game called “Texas Hold ‘em.” The buy-in for each contestant is $10,000. The tournament attracts live TV coverage and, as the field is whittled down to the final two, the last man (or woman) at the table walks away with $2 million in cash. Whether it’s rolling the dice in Atlantic City, playing the Lotto, or betting the farm on Bingo in California, we are a nation obsessed with cutting the corner to wealth and prosperity.
Looking for the easy way has never been viewed as the “American way.” Yet, more and more people are calling upon their own abilities, intuition, sixth sense, or just dumb luck to get ahead. Unfortunately, many are also making major life decisions and adopting “moral codes” based on nothing more than what they “feel” to be right “in their heart.” Wouldn’t you agree that this is a huge gamble, not unlike those made at the poker table? And what about the biggest gamble we all face in life? Are you willing to bet all of eternity on whether or not you’ll get into heaven? According to the Bible, everyone has to make a choice concerning their eternal destiny. Even if you think the Bible is wrong, are you willing to stake eternity on it? That’s quite a risk.
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Consider the Odds
For the most part, it’s not harmful to follow reasoning when picking out fruit, buying a gift, or deciding which color to paint the house. But what about the biggest question we’ll ever face in life? Is it wise to trust our feelings as to whether or not there’s life after death and where we are going to spend eternity? We all want to believe that we have an internal “truth” barometer, but in fact, the Bible teaches just the opposite, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death” (Proverbs 14:12). That may be hard to take, but it is true.
It’s because we’ve been born into this world with an inherent flaw, called sin, which keeps us from knowing what cards God is holding. Sin separates us from knowing Him and relating to Him as we were designed to do (Isaiah 59:2). But God has provided a way back to Himself. It’s found in the Bible, God’s Eternal Word. In it, the entire story of God’s redeeming plan culminates in the sending forth of His Son, Jesus Christ, to rescue us from our hopeless losing hand.
Are you willing to let go of your intuition long enough to consider His written Word? If so, you can make your place in eternity a sure thing based on the work that Jesus did at the cross. What it requires is that you stop trusting intuition, feelings, your heart, and hunches and that you trust Jesus alone for your salvation. It’s called putting your FAITH in Him. Faith is NOT a gamble. It is acting upon a promise. When you accept what the Bible says about your human condition and your need for a Savior, you’re putting your trust in the Creator of this world and trusting your life to Jesus, who came and died on the cross to cover the incredible debt made by your sin and mine, which we could never cover. If you’ve been gambling with your life and you’d like to go “all in” by committing your heart to Christ, forgiveness and assurance of eternal life in heaven. It can be yours. If you’re serious, a simple prayer like this is all that’s required:
Dear Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner. I acknowledge that You paid the price for me. I ask for Your forgiveness. I want to turn from my current life in order that I might now live my life for You. I receive Your forgiveness and I thank You for it. Fill me now with Your Holy Spirit, and lead me in the life that You have chosen for me. Amen. Congratulations! You just won it all.
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Always remember that God accepts all who accept His Son, Jesus Christ.
His Eternal Word 