GOD’S INTEREST IN YOU

            God is intimately interested in you.  He is interested in your thoughts and your attitudes, in your actions and your motives.  He is interested in your well-being in the present and in the future. He is interested in whether you are happy and in whether you are peaceful.  And He is interested in your needs – which He knows much better than you do!

            What is the source of this interest?  The source of it is His love for you.  He wishes that you should be happy and peaceful, and that your needs should be met.

            A great cause of unhappiness and lack of peace for any of us is our own wrongdoings.  Every person has a conscience and knows when he or she does wrong.  These sins make people unhappy – although they may try to clear this from their minds by entertainment or work – firstly because their consciences work, and secondly because they are worried about future judgment for these sins.

            God knows that the greatest need you have is to have your sins dealt with.  He has provided the answer to this need.  Being absolutely righteous and holy He could not simply forget, or overlook, your sins.  From your side you could not be happy if He did, because they would remain on your conscience and you would be afraid they would be raised again.  The way God has used to deal with sins is by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ – a work that is so complete that it is sufficient for every person. 

            The Bible tells us:

            “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten

            Son, that whosoever believes on him may not perish, but have

            life eternal”, John 3: 16

and

            “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners”, 1 Timothy 1: 15

and also,

            “Christ died for our sins, according to the scriptures; and …

            he was buried and … he was raised the third day, according

            to the scriptures; and … he appeared to Cephas (Peter), then

            to the twelve”, 1 Corinthians 15: 3-5.

            Christ Jesus came into the world for the purpose of saving sinners. He did this by bearing in His body on the cross the sins of all who trust in Him, and by bearing the penalty of death.  His blood was poured out and God is now able to be favourable to every person – and to you personally – because Jesus, the perfect Sacrifice, has completed that work.  As the scripture quoted says, Christ not only died but was buried and was raised the third day, and He is willing and “able to save completely those who approach by him to God”, Hebrews 7: 25.  The Lord Jesus is a living Saviour who “has sat down on the right hand of the throne of the greatness in the heavens”, Hebrews 8: 1.

            So what have you to do?  Accept that in the sight of God you are a sinner who needs a Saviour, and accept the work that Jesus has done on your behalf.  You cannot do anything to blot out your sins or to remove their effects – God could not accept your attempts.  You do not need to make any attempts.  By believing in the Lord Jesus you will be satisfying all that God requires; He is just and justifies everyone who believes on Jesus.  The offer of salvation is free and complete and you can have both your conscience and heart cleared of sin.

            Perhaps you would like time to think about it.  You do not have time.  We live in a world of violence.  And death is our constant companion during life.  You must be certain now!

            Not only this, but the offer will not always be open.  God “has set a day in which he is going to judge the habitable earth in righteousness by the man whom he has appointed”, Acts 17: 31.  To be certain of eternal salvation you must trust in the Lord Jesus now, accepting Him as your own Saviour.  It is your only hope, and no one can do it for you.  If you find yourself 'judged in righteousness' you will have only yourself to blame.  Make your eternal position sure immediately.

            God has many other blessings He wishes you to enjoy, but before you can enjoy them you must first know that you are saved, that your sins are forgiven.  God will give the Holy Spirit – who will give guidance into the enjoyment of all those blessings – to those who obey Him, to those who ask.  My hope is that you will seize this opportunity of coming to know Jesus and enjoying peace and happiness, so that you may enter into these fuller blessings. 

D C Brown