Gospel Message

We all make choices. Sometimes wisely, sometimes not. God gives eternal choices, and these choices have eternal consequences. You’ve made some bad choices in life, haven’t you? You’ve chosen the wrong friends, maybe the wrong career, maybe even the wrong spouse. You look back over your life and say, “If only . . . If only I could make up for those bad choices.” You can. One good choice for eternity offsets a thousand bad ones on earth. The choice is yours.

Since Jesus came to the earth, this eternal choice has been available to us. And yet we wonder how some can chose eternal life and some reject it. We wonder how two men can see the same Jesus, and one choose to mock him and the other choose to pray to him. I don’t know how, but they did. That’s what happened at the cross. There were two other crosses on the hill that day, the day Jesus died. Two criminals, suffering the same death. And those two crosses remind us of one of God’s greatest gifts; the gift of choice. One chose Jesus; the other merely mocked him.

Scripture reveals a compelling part of the story. One of the criminals on a cross began to shout insults at Jesus: “Aren’t you the King of the Jews? Then save yourself and us.” But the other criminal stopped him and said “You should fear God! You are getting the same punishment he is. We are punished justly, getting what we deserve for what we did. But this man has done nothing wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus remember me, when you come into your kingdom.” Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:39-43, NIV)

When one dying criminal prayed, Jesus loved him enough to let him. He allowed him the choice. He does the same for you.

If you want more information about how to chose eternal life through Jesus Christ, select “Choose Life.”

Stan Nelson
Pastor - First Baptist Church of Bemidji