"Chased"

An eastern newspaper told the story of a woman who was driving home when she noticed a truck tail-gating her. She made a turn, but the truck stayed with her. She sped up, and the truck sped up, too. She ran a red light, and so did the truck!

Panicked, she screeched into a gas station, threw open the door, and ran screaming from her car. The truck driver braked to a stop behind her, and jumped from his vehicle as well. But instead of chasing her, he ran to her car, yanked open the back door, and pulled out a man hiding there! The would-be rapist had been crouched there, unknown to the lady, waiting for his opportunity. The truck driver, from his high vantage-point, had seen him. He had chased the woman’s car, not to harm her, but to save her! *

When it comes to our relationship with God, many people are like the woman in this incident. They spend their lives running from God, convinced he is out to judge them for their sins, when in reality he is chasing them down with an offer forgiveness.

Indeed, God has judged ALL to be guilty of sin.  “For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), and “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).

But God loves us so much that He sent His Son to pay the price for our sins so that we might be saved from our sins and receive the GIFT of eternal life: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16). 

Notice the very next verse: “For God did NOT send His Son into the world to CONDEMN the world, but that the world through Him might be SAVED” (John 3:17).  Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for our redemption from sin (Ephesians 1:7).

In order to be forgiven of our sins and to receive the gift of eternal life...... we must ACCEPT His offer of salvation by placing our our faith and trust in Jesus (Acts 16:30-31), turning from our sins in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) into Christ for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).

From His vantage-point, God knows everything about you – including your sins!  Because of His love for you, He is “chasing” you – not to harm you, but to save you.  He “desires ALL men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:4).  And He WILL save you – if you will only accept His offer on His terms.

Won’t YOU accept His offer?