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ACCEPT JESUS AND LIVE (LENT DAY 26)

SCRIPTURE READING
NUMBERS 21:4-9
EPHESIANS 2:1-10
JOHN 3:14-21

When we are seriously sick, we visit the doctor for treatment. Sometimes the nature of treatment may involve spending a lot of time and money. The unavoidable fact is that no matter how we seek medical treatment our lives on earth will surely come to an end through one means or the other. However, we believe that there is another life after the earthly one which is eternal. You may live eternally in hell or in heaven, the good news is that those who wish to live eternally in heaven can see Doctor Jesus. If you accept Doctor Jesus and his offer of salvation medication you shall surely live joyfully in this life and the life hereafter. Beloved in the Lord, the theme for our meditation today is “accept Jesus and Live.”

We shall proceed to deliberate on two important points in today’s sermon.
1. Sin or disobeying God puts us to death.
2. Jesus can resurrect us and grant us eternal life when we accept him.

Firstly, Beloved in the Lord, our first Scripture reading, Numbers 21:4-9 clearly tells us that when we disobey God and live according to our own will, we shall incur His anger and consequently die. The Israelites we are told during their journey to the promised land “became impatient on the way. And the people spoke against God and against Moses” (Numbers 21:4-5) This sin of ingratitude and trust in God incurred the anger of God upon them and they were severely punished, “…the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, so that many people of Israel died.” (Numbers 21:6). In the first scripture reading we see the effect of sin in our lives. Sin fractures our relationship with God and consequently leads us to death if we fail to repent and accept God’s offer of salvation.

In Numbers 21:6 we learn that sin can cause physical death and in the second Scripture reading, Ephesians 2:1-10 Paul reveals to us that sin can also cause spiritual death when he wrote that “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons(and daughters) of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” (Ephesians 2:1-3).

Beloved in the Lord, I may not know the state of your spiritual life but I need you to examine yourself to determine, based on the Scriptures we just made reference to whether or not you are spiritually dead or alive. Our society is sick because many of us are spiritually and morally dead. Sins such as homosexuality and lesbianism have become a way of life for some including believers. Some people see their positions as an opportunity to cheat, steal and abuse their offices to the detriment of the poor and vulnerable in our societies. Others engage in abominable acts, we heard in the news that a man impregnated two daughters of the woman he is married to. Armed robbery and murdering of innocent lives, denying people the enjoyment of their hard-earned income or capital have become the order of the day. Examination malpractice and sex for grades have become the way some of our students just climb up to the pinnacle of their education.

Sin has been repackaged in the form of fashion and modernity. Many of our youth have fallen victim to these death traps. It is now fashionable to dress half naked and sometimes, some of our ladies are so spiritually and morally dead that they shamelessly wear these things to worship centres. Our young men are being made to believe that what makes them men is having multiple sex partners and living on aphrodisiac drugs to show their sexual prowess. In the same vein, many are those who are addicted to pornography and illicit drugs such as cocaine, marijuana and heroin. Our media have become so polarized with content such as unwholesome cosmetics, alcoholic drinks and sex-enhancing drugs which have negatively influenced our generation to the extent that depression and anxiety have become a burden on our society. Brothers and sisters the Lord Lent season offers us the opportunity to reflect on our spiritual lives, and get closer to God to have a purpose-driven and fulfilled life.

Secondly, It is in this regard that God in His mercy and love created the opportunity for us to accept Jesus and live again. Just “ as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:14-15). Again in the third Scripture reading, Jesus assures us of God’s love and salvation when he said “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. (John 3:16-18). I am here to announce to you today that all hope is not lost, no matter how sin has entangled your life to the extent you have lost your conscience and reverence for God, our Lord is still gracious and merciful. If you can read and understand this message then it means you have another opportunity to open your arms and heart to embrace and accept Jesus and live.

Paul again in the Second Scripture reading Ephesians 2:1-10 gives us a very hopeful and comforting message when he wrote that “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace, you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:4-10)

Dear child of God, for all the abominable acts or sins you may have committed in the past and present you do not deserve to be forgiven and given another chance to live but for the love and sacrifice of Christ on the cross God has forgiven your sin. If you indeed believe that you have repent and truly have been forgiven, then you are saved, this is completely about grace and not by any effort of yours. This is what Paul describes as salvation as a gift from gift from God. Jesus requires nothing from you to forgive you, unlike other religions one must propitiate with the blood of animals, present items and pay money often just to make peace with a deity. All that Jesus needs from you is repentance and faith in Him and you shall saved by grace and have an eternal and glorious life.

In sum beloved in the Lord, sin incurs the anger and punishment of God and consequently renders us physically, spiritually and morally dead but when we accept Jesus through repentance and faith we shall live by grace and have eternal life. May the grace of God continue to rest and abide with us even as we accept and live in our Lord and Master Jesus. Amen.