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The
Remedy
On May 11, 2000, a lady
found a new e-mail message on her computer, which simply said, "I
love you." It
looked innocent enough, perhaps even romantic.
Like most of us would, she clicked to open the message, and the
so-called "Love Bug" was born. With
lightning speed it raced around the world, bringing politics and business
to a halt. It was a deadly
computer virus that caused millions of computer software programs to
crash. One virus, but so much
contamination!
But it's not the first
time that a single "virus" has caused so much grief to mankind.
In fact, it's a kind of replay of a deadlier "virus" that hit
Planet Earth years ago infecting the first human couple, Adam and Eve. Despite God's clear warning, they accepted Satan's message,
and they did so with appalling consequences for both themselves, and
through them to ALL mankind.
That "virus" is called "SIN."
SIN."
--Owen
Bourgaize
The
"virus" of SIN did not infect mankind by accident, rather it "gained
access" because of poor choices!
God's instructions to Adam and Eve in the beautiful Garden of Eden
were clear: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of
the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the
day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). Then "the serpent," Satan, tempted Eve to eat of the
forbidden fruit. When she "saw
that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a
tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also
gave to her husband with her, and he ate" (Genesis 3:6).
Adam and Eve disobeyed God's instruction; they sinned.
Due to sin, DEATH became a REALITY.
And, due to OUR disobedience, WE suffer the SAME
consequence of sin!
Observe the Apostle Paul's
commentary on this matter: "Therefore, just as
through one man
[Adam] sin entered the world, and death through sin, …thus
death spread to ALL men, because ALL sinned" (Romans 5:12).
Paul also revealed the -Divine Remedy- for the "virus" of sin: "For
if by the one man's offense [Adam's sin] death reigned through the one,
how much more will those who receive abundance of grace and the gift of
righteousness reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ" (Romans 5:17).
TRUE LOVE – not
a "love bug" – motivated God to send His Son, Jesus, to live as a man
and then to die the horrible death of the cross in our place (John 3:16).
He died for us that we may live – the ABUNDANT LIFE NOW (John
10:10) and ETERNAL LIFE TO COME (Mark 10:28-30). Paul sums up the
matter saying, "For the wages of sin is DEATH, but the gift of God is
ETERNAL LIFE in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 6:23).
This gift – as any
gift – must be accepted!
To accept God's gift of grace, one must: place his trust
in Him (Hebrews 11:6), repent
of sin (2 Corinthians 7:9-10), confess
Jesus before men (Romans 10:9-10), and be baptized
(immersed) in the
name of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38).
One continues to accept the gift through - a life of
dedicated obedience continually cleansed by the blood of Jesus (1 John
1:7).
The - Divine Remedy-
for
the "virus" of SIN has been offered.
Will YOU accept?
God bless
you!
David A. Sargent,
Minister
Church of Christ at Creekwood
1901 Schillinger Rd. S.
Mobile, Alabama 36695
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