Choose Your Destiny : Man’s Amazing Power Of Choice

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY : MAN’S AMAZING POWER OF CHOICE

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OUTLINE

1.RELIGION VS RELATIONSHIP

2.REASON VS REVELATION

3.RESISTANCE VS REPENTANCE

4.REPROBATION VS REFORMATION

5.RENUNCIATION VS RESOLUTION

6.REGRET VS REJOICING

7.RETRIBUTION VS REWARD

THE MESSAGE

CHOOSE YOUR DESTINY : MAN’S AMAZING POWER OF CHOICE

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1.RELIGION VS RELATIONSHIP

Man has a choice between a religion of rituals and ceremonies and a living and vital relationship with God. When God created Man and placed them in the Garden of Eden they had no religion but they had a relationship with God. God created Man for a relationship. Because of sin Man lost that relationship with God. Christ came to this world to die on the cross of Calvary for the sins of Mankind and to restore the relationship between God and Man. Christ did not come to start a new religion as one among the many religions of the world. Many people have great religious fervour but they have no relationship with God. Today we must make a choice whether we want a religion or a relationship with God.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

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Luke 18:10-14

"Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: ’God, I thank you that I am not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. 12I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.’

"But the tax collector stood at a distance. He would not even look up to heaven, but beat his breast and said, ’God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

I Corinthians 13:1-3

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.

If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

Revelation 3:20

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

Matthew 7:21-23

"Not everyone who says to me, ’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.

Many will say to me on that day, ’Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’

Then I will tell them plainly, ’I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

2.REASON VS REVELATION

Man has a choice between reason and divine revelation to understand and know God. God is a Spirit and we need a spiritual revelation to know Him. Many try to understand God with their human intellect and reasoning and fail miserably. It is impossible for the finite human mind to comprehend the infinite mysteries of God. No single human being has the combined knowledge of all mankind. A scientist may be an expert in one particular branch of science but may be totally ignorant about the arts and even about the other branches of science. A mathematician may know nothing about botany. Since no man knows everything of all that is known to man how much less he would know about the mysteries of God which is not known to any man. Therefore we should not rely on human reason to know God but depend on divine revelation. Cornelius was a man who was hungry for God and God revealed Himself to Him . Even today we must decide whether we will strive in futility to know God through our reason or seek a divine revelation from God.

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

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Matthew 11:25

At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children.

I Corinthians 1: 26-29

Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.

But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are,

so that no one may boast before him.