September 11th

SEPTEMBER 11, 2001,

WHAT IF YOU HAD BEEN IN THE WORLD TRADE CENTER?

     What if you had been in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001?  What would have happened to you?   You could have died, and you would have had to face God.   "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. (Hebrew 9:27)  You would have gone to Heaven or to Hell forever. (Luke 16:22-23) If you had died on September 11th, do you know for sure that you would have gone to Heaven?  You can know!  To be sure you are on your way to Heaven, you must know four things.

     FIRST of all, you must know that you are a sinner.

"For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" (Romans 3:23) Sin is breaking God's law.  It is doing something  God said not to do, or not doing something God said to do.  Sin is an offense against God.  We are all in trouble with God, because we are all sinners.

     SECONDLY, you must know that the penalty for sin is death in hell.  "For the wages of sin is death;" (Romans 6:23a) Many people feel that they will go to Heaven because they do more good than bad.  Others believe that because they have been baptized, they will go to Heaven when they die.  Still others are trusting in their church for eternal life.  The Bible does no say that the wages of sin is good works, baptism or church membership.   The Bible says that the wages of sin is death.

     THIRDLY, you must know that the Lord Jesus Christ paid the penalty for our sin.   "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."(Romans 5:8)  Jesus Christ is the Son of God.  He is as much God as if He had never been God.  After living a sinless life on this earth, the Lord Jesus went to the cross where He bled and died for our sins.  After three days and three nights in the grave, He arose, proving that He is God and that He has power over sin, Satan, and death.  The wages of sin is death.  Jesus paid the wages of sin for us.

     The FOURTH thing that you must know is that you need to accept His payment for you sin.  "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."(Romans 6:23)  A gift is free.   Eternal life is not anything we can earn, it is something we accept.  Romans 6:23 gives us two choices.  We can pay for our sin ourselves by dying and going to Hell, or we can accept God's gift of eternal life and go to Heaven when we die.  Romans 10:13 tells us how to accept God's wonderful gift of eternal life.  "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."   To be saved, a person must be saved from something.  If you were drowning, and someone threw you a rope, you would say that he had saved you from drowning.  When you pray and trust the Lord Jesus Christ to forgive your sin and be  your Saviour, He saves you from the penalty of sin and death in Hell.

     Will you trust the Lord Jesus Christ to be your Saviour?  Will you rely on Him alone to forgive youre sin and give you everlasting life in Heaven?  If so, say the following prayer from your heart to God, placing your trust in Him.  "Lord, I admit that I'm a sinner.  I do not deserve to go to Heaven, but I believe that you sent your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for my sin.  I trust Him, and Him alone, to forgive my sin, to become my Saviour, and to take me to Heaven when I die.  Thank you for saving me.  In Jesus' name, Amen."   Dr. R.B. Ouellette

*Fellowship Tract League,  Tract 177

P.O. Box 164 Lebanon, Oh 45036