Four sophomores at a State University were taking chemistry, and all of them had an ‘A’ so far. These four friends were so confident that this is going to be easy the weekend before finals, they decided to visit some friends and party. They had a good time but, after all the partying, they slept all day Sunday and didn’t make it back to the University until late Monday morning. They missed the final.
They decided they would tell their professor they had a flat tire, and “could we take the final tomorrow?”
The professor agreed. The guys were excited and relieved. They studied all night for the exam. Everything they put into college so far was riding on this final.
The next day, the professor placed them in four separate rooms and gave them a test booklet. Each answered the first question worth five points with no problem.
Cool, they each thought. This is going to be easy!
Then they turned the page.
On the second page, the professor’s words leaped off the page. “For 95 points, which tire?”
The Bible says, “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord…” (Proverbs 12:22), and again, Revelation 21:8 says, “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers, and idolators, and all liars will have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone which is the second death.”
Strong language, I know, but that is what the Lord thinks of the sin of lying. However, we all fit into that category because we have all have lied at one time or another. We could never be perfect or even good enough for the absolutely holy God to accept us. God knows this, and because God loves us with an everlasting love, and abounds with grace and mercy toward each of us, He sent His only Son to die in our place because without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. The perfect One died for wicked man. Why? Because He has loved us with an everlasting love, and His grace and mercy are new every morning.
If we recognize that we have sinned, let us turn away from sin and trust in Jesus for what He has accomplished on our behalf on the cross – He paid the penalty for our sins. On the authority of God’s Word, I can say to those who have placed their faith in Jesus Christ, “Our sins are wiped away.” Jesus took God’s wrath against sin in our place. God will look at us through His perfect Son and declare, “You are forgiven. The death penalty has been paid.”
When a person thinks about it, this should be an easy choice — forgiveness and peace with God forever OR fire and brimstone and separated from God forever.