March 24
"Then Jesus said to them again,
'I
am going away, and you will seek me,
and
will die in your sin.
Where I go you
cannot come.'”
John 8:21
This
was a discussion between Jesus and the Pharisees who were the
religious leaders of the day. They refused to believe in him and were
looking for ways to discredit him. What did Jesus mean when he said
that they will die in their sin?
Imagine being a Jewish person
listening to this discussion. The Pharisees were the highest and most
learned of all the religious leaders. They were respected by all, and
their word carried as much weight as the Scriptures themselves. Yet
it is to this group that Jesus said they will die in their sin. How
can he reject these religious leaders? What were they doing wrong
that he would levy such a stinging rebuke against them and say
publicly that of all men, these will die in their sin?
What if
this discussion were to take place today, a discussion between Jesus
and YOUR religious leaders? Can you imagine it?
What was the
sin that would keep them out of heaven? It wasn't murder, it wasn't
robbery, it wasn't rape. What was it then?
It was the refusal
to acknowledge who he is. It was their refusal to believe in him and
to receive him. To bow before him.
When Jesus Christ hung on
that cross, he took the judgment for the sins of mankind. But it has
to be received. Therefore, anyone who rejects him - for any reason at
all - will go into eternity with the guilt of their sin. They will
die in their sins.
If you have not received the atonement
Jesus made for you, you will die in your sin. And where Jesus has
gone, you will not be able to follow.
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