CLOSING DOOR
Second of nine devotions in Lenten Intense Series from Isaiah
53:1-12
2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2
2 Corinthians 6:2: “For He says, ‘In the
time of My favor, I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’”
Apostle Paul continues, “I tell you, now
is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Each
disciple immediately dropped everything and followed Jesus when He called
(Matthew 4:18-22). No one hesitated. Jesus understood that when people hesitate,
they never follow through with promises made. See Luke 9:57-60:
“As
they were walking along the road, a man said to him, ‘I will follow you
wherever You go.’
“Jesus
replied, ‘Foxes have holes and birds of the air have
nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head.’ He said to another man, ‘Follow Me.’”
“But
the man replied, ‘Lord, first let me go and bury my father.’
“Jesus
said to him, ‘Let the dead bury their own dead, but you
go and proclaim the kingdom of God.’”
These
passages sound cruel. Believers expect a
teaching moment when Jesus speaks harshly. You see, the man’s father was not yet dead. He may not have died for years. Jesus meant that the spiritually dead could
bury the physically dead. But those who
are spiritually alive should be busy
proclaiming the kingdom of God.
Kingdom
work is urgent.
Doors
open and close. People dash onto open
train cars and duck into elevators before doors close. We grab available opportunities before they’re
gone.
One
day the door of mercy will close. Slammed
shut—without another chance to enter in—is more precise.
Why
do people risk not accepting Jesus’ offer of salvation today?
Isaiah
53:6 says, “We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his
own way; and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.” “The iniquity of us all” includes Israel’s
rejection of their Messiah, who they WILL acknowledge one day.
Holy
God the Father cannot stand in sin’s presence, so Christ suffered alone for
OUR sins on the cross. Jesus cried out, “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?” He died, rose from the grave and is alive
today. Jesus says, “I am the door.
Whoever enters through Me will be saved.” (Matthew 27:46, 50, 57-60, 28:5-6,
John 10:9).
Jesus
proclaims that the day of salvation is TODAY!
That’s
intense!
Take Home Nugget
Jesus
announces in Matthew 25:34, “Come, you blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you.”
Everyone who believes in Christ will rejoice at these words of
eternal life …that begins right now!
But those
who reject Christ will be sent away to eternal punishment, verse 46.
There’s
no better day than today
To
come into God’s family.
J.D. Griffith
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