YE MUST BE BORN AGAIN

Of all the questions you will ask yourself in life, probably the most important is, Am I good enough to go to Heaven?

The way to find this out is to ask yourself if you have obeyed the Ten Commandments.

Most would answer the question, "Well, I've broken one or two, but nothing too serious, like murder, etc." So, let's go through the 10 Commandments and see how you do:

1. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me."
Is God first in your life? Do you love Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength? If we love anything—husband, wife, children or even our own lives—more than we love God, we are setting our affection on the gift rather than the Giver, which is a transgression of the First Commandment.

Will you be innocent or guilty on Judgment Day of breaking that Commandment? I'm not judging you—I'm asking you to judge yourself before the Day of Judgment. The sentence for breaking this Commandment is death.

2. "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image"
That means that we shouldn't make a god to suit ourselves, either with our hands or our mind.

I was guilty of this. I made a god to suit myself. My god didn't mind a "white" lie or a fib here and there—in fact, he didn't exist. He was a figment of my imagination, an "image" which I shaped to suit myself. Is your God the One revealed in Holy Scripture? If not, then you have made your own god to suit yourself—you have committed the oldest sin in the Book. Scripture warns that no idolater will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.

3. "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain..."
Have you ever taken God's name in vain—instead of using a four-letter word to express disgust, you've used His name?

Hitler's name wasn't despised enough to use as a curse word. If you have used His holy name in that manner, you are a blasphemer and will not enter the Kingdom of God.
"...for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

4. "Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy."
I ignored this command for 30 years. Even though God gave me the gift of life, never once did I ask what He required of me. I was guilty of breaking this Commandment.

5. "Honour thy father and thy mother."
Have you always honored your parents in a way that's pleasing in the sight of God? ask God to remind you of the sins of your youth, you may have forgotten them, but God hasn't.

6. "Thou shalt not kill."
Jesus warned that if we get angry without cause we are in danger of judgment, if we hate our brother, God calls us a murderer.

We can violate God's Law by attitude and intent.

7. "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
Who of us can say that we are pure of heart?

Jesus warned, "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart."

Remember that God has seen every thought you have had and every sin you have ever committed, the day will come when you have to face God’s Law, and we are told that the impure, fornicators (those who have sex before marriage) and adulterers will not enter the Kingdom of God.

Punishment for transgression of this Commandment is the death penalty.

8. "Thou shalt not steal."
Have you ever taken something that belonged to someone else (irrespective of its value)?

Then you are a thief—you cannot enter God's Kingdom.

9. "Thou shalt not bear false witness."
Have you ever told a lie? Then you are a liar. How many lies do you have to tell to be a liar? Just one!

The Bible warns that all liars will have their part in the Lake of Fire. You may not think deceitfulness is a serious sin but God does!

10. "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's."
That means we shouldn't desire anything that belongs to another person. The covetous will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

Who of us can say we are not guilty of breaking these Commandments? All of us have sinned, and just as with civil law, you don't have to break ten laws to be a lawbreaker, so the Bible warns, "For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all."

The Law of God is merely like a mirror—all a mirror does is show you the truth. If you see egg on your face, you don't try and wash yourself with the mirror, it's purpose should be to send you to water for cleansing. Neither should you try and wash yourself with the mirror of God's Law...that's not its purpose.

The sight in the mirror is not a pretty one, but if you don't face it and acknowledge that you are unclean, then all that "dirt" will be presented on Judgment Day as evidence of your guilt, and then it will be too late to be cleansed.

Perhaps you think that God is good and will therefore overlook your sins. But if you were guilty of terrible crimes in a civil court and said to the judge, "Judge, I am guilty but I believe that you are a good man and will therefore overlook my crimes," the judge would probably respond by saying, "You are right about one thing; I am a good man, and it's because of my goodness that I am going to see that justice is done, that you are punished for your crimes."

The very thing that you are hoping will save you on Judgment Day, God's "goodness," will be the very thing that will condemn you.

If God is good, He should punish murderers, liars, thieves, etc., and Hell will be their dreadful fate.

Does the fact that you have sinned against God scare you?

It should, you have actually angered Him by your sin. The Bible says that God’s wrath abides on you, that you are an "enemy of God in your mind through wicked works."

Judge yourself--have you broken the Ten Commandments?

Knowing that God has seen your thought-life, and every deed done in darkness, will you be innocent or guilty on Judgment Day?

You know you will be guilty. So, will you end up in Heaven or Hell? Don't look to God's "goodness" to save you from Hell. If God is good, He will punish murderers, rapists, thieves and liars. He is so righteous, He will punish all sin.

The only thing you can do to be saved from His wrath, is to repent and put your faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ. When He died on the Cross, He took the punishment for our sins. He stepped into the Courtroom and paid the fine for us. Then He rose from the dead, defeating death.

Romans 5:8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

So repent today, trust the Savior, and you will receive everlasting life. Read the Bible daily and obey what you read.

If you are not sure what it means to repent, scroll up and click on the links about repentance. Repentance means a change of mind toward sin and God that results in a change of life. Change your mind about your sin and place your full trust in Jesus Christ alone, the result will be a changed lifestyle.

Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

John 14:15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

If you have any questions or if you want to share your testimony with me, please email me, I'd like to hear from you!
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