The War
[Veterans Day observance.]
Many times when you talk about war in our country you could easily get an argument started. Some people think we should be in Iraq. Some people think we shouldn’t. Some people think all war is bad. Some people think war is sometimes the only way of securing peace. For some people the war is an opportunity to bash President Bush. For some people the war is close to home because a loved one is right in the thick of it.
Honestly I get so sick of the war being used as an item of contention. Many people have forgotten about right and wrong, and here we are today.
You know what I think? I think we need to get used to the fact that as long as we’re on this side of eternity, there’s going to be war! There always has been and there always will be.
As a matter of fact, there’s a war going on that’s way more serious than the war on terrorism. A war that’s been going on for thousands of years. A war whose effects are eternal. I’m talking about the war for our souls. The spiritual battle that will determine where our eternal soul will reside forever.
It’s a battle that no one can escape. It’s a battle that has winners and losers. And it’s a battle whose end is sure.
You see, we‘ll all live forever in one place or the other. We’re all just souls trapped in skin and bones – our souls will live on. And our soul will either live on in the presence of God in eternal bliss or our soul will live on separated from God in eternal torment. But live on, it will.
Would you indulge me in a dramatic reenactment of a plausible conversation concerning the reality of our eternal destinies?
Someone might say, “Hey wait a minute dude! I didn’t ask to be in this fight. I just want to live my life and deal with eternity later. Don’t include me in your God and eternity and soul mumbo jumbo stuff!”
My answer to that person is, “Well guess what bud, you’re in the war, I’m in the war, we’re all in the war together. And guess what else, we started the whole thing!”
And then that person might say, “No way man, no way.”
And I would say, “Way!” You see, we started this eternal war.
1. We started the war with our sin.
[Adam and Eve in the garden illustration.]
[Read Psalm 51:1-7.]
David wasn’t saying that he was some kind of evil infant. He was saying that he was born with a sin nature. That part of us that pushes us towards selfishness. That part of us that births defiance from within. That part of us that thinks unimaginable things. We’re all born with it and there’s no known cure.
Romans 3:23 says it like this, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
All of us, in some way or another, fall short of the standard that God has put forth. And since He created us, He gets to set the rules – plain and simple!
Do you remember what those basic standards are? They’re in the big ten found in Exodus 20:1-17: 1. Have no other gods before Him, (uh-oh…)
2. No idolatry
3. Don’t use God’s name in vain
4. Remember the Sabbath
5. Honor your father and mother
6. Don’t murder
7. Don’t commit adultery
8. Don’t steal
9. Don’t slander your neighbor
10. Don’t covet
Jesus melted them all into the big two found in Matthew 22:34-40:
1. Love God with all your being, (uh-oh…)
2. Love your neighbor as yourself
There’s no question that we are all sinners. Just ask the person sitting next to
you, they’ll let you know. Go ahead and ask. I’ll wait.
And you know, sin has it’s consequences. Some consequences are earthly or temporal. Some consequences are eternal.
The earthly consequences are tough to deal with, but nothing compared to the eternal consequences. The pain from the spanking will wear off. The jail time will end. The embarrassment and shame will eventually dissolve.
But eternity, well, it has no end.
[Read Romans 6:23.]
The price for our sins is our spiritual death. This refers to what Jesus talked about many times in His ministry – the reality of Hell. A place designed for the devil and his angels long before the earth was even created. But mankind decided to go that same route so he gets to end up in the same place.
Sounds like a tough war that we’re in. Sounds like a losing effort. After all, who can be perfect enough, good enough, righteous enough to always do right and impress God so much that He’ll let us into heaven? None of us can do that. Some people think they can, but they’re sadly mistaken.
Jesus knew this too. Jesus knew that in our sinful, fallen state, we have no chance to redeem ourselves. So He decided to do something.
2. Jesus won the war with His sacrifice.
You see, a price had to be paid. Someone had to step into the battle and actually win this thing. Humanity couldn’t do it, that’s for sure. So God provided a way so we could actually get on the winning side of eternity.
[Read Mark 15:22-37 and I Corinthians 15:3-8.]
Jesus’ death and resurrection wasn’t just a random act of selflessness. He wasn’t just a misguided martyr. He was the sinless Son of God who stepped into the fight on our behalf. He took the blame. He took the shame. He removed the stain. Jesus stepped in and took it so we wouldn’t have to!
How could we, sinful people, pay a price so high? A perfect sacrifice had to be made on our behalf. The only one who could meet those requirements was the Son of God Himself.
[Nick and school bill story.]
Jesus did what we couldn’t do. He paid the price – a price that applies to all of us. But you and I have a part in how the benefits of His sacrifice are applied or not applied to our lives.
3. Faith in the Savior gains us salvation.
[Read Romans 10:9-10.]
When confronted with the truth about Jesus and what He’s done for you, you have to make a decision. You can either:
- Say, “No, I choose to be Lord of my own life.”
- Say, “Not now.” Which really is, “I choose to be Lord of my own life.”
- Say, “Yes. I believe this. I choose for Jesus to be Lord of my life.”
It’s not enough to just know the facts about Jesus. It’s not enough to be able to
regurgitate the events of history. It’s not enough to be a good person and even be involved in church. You must come to a point where you volitionally decide to have Jesus be the Lord of your life.
Too many people try to gain salvation by themselves. People try to actually be good enough to gain access to the Father. Now this is a holy God that we’re talking about. This is the all-powerful creator of the universe we’re talking about. This is the all-knowing God that we’re talking about. There’s no way a sinful, finite human could be good enough to merit eternal salvation. It just doesn’t work that way.
Jesus is the only way. He said it, lived it, died for it, and rose again to validate it. Now the choice is yours.
[Tom Hale story.]
What about you? Maybe you’re here this morning and you are a good person. You are someone whose been going to church all your life. You might even be a part of the ministry here. But deep down you know that you’ve been trusting your good works to get you into Heaven instead of trusting the Savior who is the only way. What’s stopping you from trusting Him today? You know what you need to do.
Maybe this morning you really aren’t all that great of a person. You have a past that’s less than perfect, (like mine). But you want a chance to start again. You want a chance to live the life God intended you to live. Guess what – you can! And you don’t have to go and get straightened out to come to Christ. Just come to Him. He’ll do the straightening.
Whatever the situation is, the Bible says in Romans 10:13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Do you need to take that step of faith today? Don’t let anything stop you from making the decision to follow Christ. Don’t lose the war needlessly. Come to Him today.
[Invitation.]
[Prayer.]
