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Good
News?
Suppose
I approached you with the follow statement: “I’ve
got GOOD news for you! I have purchased the cure
for the S.A.H. disease and I want you to accept
it as a gift from me.
It cost me all that I had to get it, but I want
YOU to have it so you can be cured from this terrible
disease.”
Your
response would be something like this: “Huh?
What disease did you say?
I don’t have that disease!
You spent everything that you own to buy this
for ME? Have
you lost your mind?!?”
But
suppose that I had approached you a little
differently: “I
am SORRY to have
to bring you this news, but you have the S.A.H.
disease!
Here is a list of the
identifying symptoms, and as you can clearly see, your
condition matches every one of them.
This disease is 100%
fatal! But,
I am delighted to tell you
that because of my great love for you, I have sold
everything that I own to purchase this medicine for
you. It
is the ONLY cure for the S.A.H. disease. I want you to accept this from me as a gift.”
NOW...
how would you respond?
Looking at the list of identifying symptoms
of the disease, you find that indeed you have EVERY
ONE of them! You
realize and accept the fact
that you have the fatal disease.
Doesn’t the news of an available cure
sound especially GOOD? Don’t you appreciate the GREAT price that was paid so that
the cure might be made available to YOU?
Will you not now deeply appreciate the love
that prompted the giving of such a wonderful gift?
What
was the difference in these two scenarios?
Until you realized that you had the disease,
the cure did not mean much to you.
In fact, the news of its availability at such a
great price sounded FOOLISH to you until you recognized
that you URGENTLY needed it.
I’ve
got some MORE news for
you: You, I, and ALL humanity HAVE the S.A.H.
disease. “S.A.H.”
stands for Sins-Against-Heaven!
It is the common lot of all:
"For ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God" (Romans 3:23).
The
"Great Physician" has discussed
man’s condition at length in His journal: The
Bible
If you and I will take the time to READ and
STUDY it, we will clearly see that WE
have the disease.
No, it’s NOT a disease that we have"inherited"
- it’s a disease
that we have "contracted"
due to wrong choices that we have made.
It is ALSO a disease that is ETERNALLY
fatal: "For
the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
But,
I’ve ALSO got some GOOD news for you!
There IS a cure and it is
available to ALL.
It cost Someone His life in order to obtain the
cure, but He gave His life
for
you and me because He loves us.
The cure for the S.A.H. disease is found
in
the -BLOOD-
that He carried in a human body and shed in His death.
JESUS
is His name!
The Son of God died on a cross, taking
upon Himself the penalty for our sins, that we may be
healed. The
cure is available to THOSE who will: place their faith
in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent
of sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), be
baptized for the
forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), and CONTINUE to
live under the DIRECTION and CARE of the "Great
Physician".
By so doing, we will be CONTINUALLY
cleansed of this horrible malady of sin (1 John 1:7).
But
until a person understands and accepts the REALITY
that he/she is terminally ill - the cure is of NO
value!
The Gospel (literally, good news) of Jesus
Christ IS good news to THOSE who recognize their sinful condition AND
who gratefully accept the cure provided by God through
Jesus on HIS terms....
Is
the Gospel GOOD news to YOU?
God
bless you!
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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