The Conversion of Cornelius and the Command to be Baptized

Some people argue that one does not need to be baptized using the conversion of Cornelius and the Holy Spirit’s presence at his conversion as their example. However, a close examination of the Bible account in Acts 10 and 11 teaches the exact opposite. Cornelius and his household was a peculiar case of conversion in the book of Acts in that He is the first non-Jewish convert: the opening of the gospel to the Gentile world. We must be careful not to make a broad application of this unique story to all conversions or put it at odds with other passages about salvation.

Story Summary

The story begin in Acts 10. Cornelius, a Roman military official, receives a vision of an angel of God instructing him to get the apostle Peter who is staying in Joppa. He is instructed to send for Peter because he would tell Cornelius “what he must do,” Acts 10:6. As Cornelius’s servants approach the house Peter has a series of visions in which he sees animals that the Old Law declared unclean and a voice telling him to kill and eat them. Peter, in respect of the Law, refused and received the reply “What God has cleansed you must not call common.” Peter was perplexed about the vision when the servants of Cornelius arrive. The Holy Spirit told Peter to go with them for He sent them. The next day Peter and several of the Jewish brethren went to Cornelius.

When they arrived at the house of Cornelius, there was a a gathering of close friends and relatives. Although the Jews were not supposed to enter the house of a Gentile, Peter said that God taught him that he should not call any man common or unclean: the lesson of the vision of the unclean animals. Cornelius told Peter of his vision  that they were gathered to hear what God commanded to be done. Peter told them about Jesus and his command to preach to the people (Acts 10:42). Certainly Peter is referencing the command in Mark 16:15-16 to “go into all the world and preach the gospel to every person. He that believes and is baptized would be saved. He that didn’t believe would be condemned.” Also Matthew’s account of the command to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, Matthew 28:19. Peter concluded that “whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins,” Acts 10:43. In Acts 11:14, Cornelius said that Peter would tell them “words by which you and all your household will be saved.”

At this point the Holy Spirit fell on Cornelius and those who heard the word and they began to speak tongues as Peter and the apostles did on the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). The Jewish Christians with Peter were astonished at this and Peter said, “can anyone forbid water to these who received the Holy Spirit in the manner we did?” (Acts 10:47). Then Peter commanded them to be baptized.

When Peter returned to Jerusalem some of the Jewish Christians confronted Peter because he ate with the Gentiles. Peter explained the whole account from the vision and the Holy Spirit coming on the Gentiles as it did upon the apostles “at the beginning” (Day of Pentecost in Acts 2). Peter realized he would be withstanding God if he forbid the Gentles to be baptized. The Jewish Christians then glorified God saying “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life,” Acts 11:18.

When was Cornelius Saved?

When was Cornelius saved When we consider the story of Cornelius we must understand when he was saved. According to Acts 11:14, he was not saved before the preaching of the word. This poses a problem for some who follow a popular teaching called Calvinism. Many religious bodies follow the teaching of John Calvin who taught the salvation of man by grace alone and the impossibility of being lost. Calvin said man was born in sin and cannot seek God unless God regenerates the man so that He will seek God. According to Calvin, at this point of regeneration the person is saved and will then seek God’s will. Cornelius was a devout religious man before he was told to send to Peter who would tell him words by which he would be saved! How could Cornelius have been baptized by the Holy Spirit after Peter’s preaching when he had to have already been baptized by the Holy Spirit so he could seek God in the first place?

The manifestation of the Holy Spirit proved to the Jews that the Gentiles could be saved. As demonstrated in Acts 11, there was Jewish prejudice against the Gentiles. The Gentiles, like the animals in Peter’s vision, were considered common and unclean because they had not been circumcised and did not follow the Law of Moses. Acts 10:27-29 records how God had to send a vision three times to tell Peter that no man can call unclean those whom God has cleansed. When Peter returned from Cornelius, the Jews chastised Peter for teaching the Gentiles, Acts 11:1-2. This conversion account is as much about the conversion of the Jews to the idea of equal access to salvation through Jesus Christ as it is about the conversion of the Gentiles.

Accepting the Gentiles

The Old Law had been abolished by Jesus when He fulfilled it. According to Ephesians 2:11-18, the removal of the Old Law was a removal of the division between the Jews and the Gentiles. However, the gospel had not been preached to the Gentiles yet. The Jews were to no longer consider the Gentiles unclean but equal. The Jews, steeped in tradition and separation from the Gentiles, needed something profound to show them that the gospel was for all men. Through divine means, God brought together these separate worlds. God sent the Holy Spirit to show Peter and the Jews with him that the Gentiles could be baptized. The Jews were amazed because the Holy Spirit fell on them as it did at the beginning. It is important to note that they did not refer to the Holy Spirit coming upon every convert like this. In fact, the conversion of the Samaritans in Acts 8 shows that after the Day of Pentecost, the Holy Spirit only came on individuals by the laying on of the apostles hands, Acts 8:16-18.  The baptism of the Holy Spirit here proved that God would allow them to be baptized, Acts 10:47-48 and Acts 15:7-9 (when Peter again refers to this event).

In the baptism of the Holy Spirit here we do not have a pattern for every conversion. The gospel going to the Gentiles was as dramatic of an event as the beginning of the church. In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit fell on the apostles to demonstrate that Jesus had ascended to the right hand of God. In Acts 10, the presence of the Holy Spirit showed that the Gentiles could be baptized in the name of Jesus. This was not a common occurrence. Acts 11:15 refers to “the beginning” of the church, not to every conversion since that time.

Response to God’s Word Saved Cornelius and His Household

God could have sent the angel with the words of the gospel. If it was the coming of the Holy Spirit that saved Cornelius, God could have just sent His Spirit and finished the work without Peter. However, God told Cornelius to send for Peter. Note what would be accomplished:

  • Acts 10:6 – He will tell you what you must do
  • Acts 10:33 – Tell what has been commanded
  • Acts 11:14 – Words by which you will be saved
  • Peter would teach Cornelius what he must do to be saved
  • Acts 10:47-48 – Cornelius commanded to be baptized

In order to be saved Cornelius needed to hear and obey what God commanded him to do through Peter’s instruction. If the baptism of the Holy Spirit saved Cornelius, Peter would be commanding Cornelius to do something he had not control over. The Spirit follows the will of the Father; not the will of man. You cannot command someone to be baptized of the Holy Spirit. Peter commanded Cornelius and his audience to be baptized. Notice this was a baptism, immersion, in water for Peter said none should forbid them water. Water baptism was a baptism that a person could command and a person could obey.

Cornelius BaptizedReview

Peter went to a lost man to preach the word of salvation. Peter preached Christ to Cornelius and his household. Cornelius and his household believed the words of Peter and were ready to do what God commanded to be done according to what He commanded them to teach. Jesus commanded Peter and the apostles to teach the gospel and baptize those who wanted to be believers in order for them to be saved (Matt. 28:19-20; Mark 16:15-16). However, the Jews were not convinced the Gentiles could be baptized. The Holy Spirit came upon Cornelius and his household as it came upon the apostles when the gospel was first preached at Pentecost. Seeing God’s approval, Peter baptized the Gentiles, their response to the words of salvation. The sign was such that the Jews in Jerusalem who chastised Peter for being with the Gentiles realized that the Gentiles could be saved and they ceased complaining and glorified God. In a Acts 15, Peter recounted this incident to show that there was no longer a distinction between the Jews and the Gentiles in the kingdom of God.

After this incident, there is no other account of the Holy Spirit coming upon man in this fashion for they were unique periods of Bible history. Peter and the other disciples continued to preach words by which one could be saved and commanded listeners to obey God by repenting of their sins (Acts 2:38), confessing Jesus (Acts 8:36-39; Romans 10:8-9), and being baptized into Christ (Acts 2:38; Acts 8:36-39; Romans 6:1-4; Galatians 3:26-27).

Whoever Calls on the Name of the Lord will be Saved

For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved
Romans 10:13

We can take great comfort in the fact that Jesus died so we could have eternal life.  Paul told the Romans that “whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  What does it mean to call on the name of the Lord?

The Context of Romans 10:13

Beginning in the first part of the book, Paul argued that the Jews under the Old Law did not keep the Law completely (so as to earn justification) and failed when they tried to establish their own righteousness.  Since one cannot earn righteousness because of sin, man needed God to develop a means of removing sin and allowing man to once again live in harmony with Him.

Paul wrote that the righteousness of God is obtained through faith.  Faith is belief based on the word of God (Romans 10:9, 14) coupled with obedience to the word (James 2:14-26).  Without faith, we cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6).

In Romans 10, Paul says that one must believe in Jesus and confess Him before He can be saved.  If this were all that was written about salvation,  this is all one would have to do.  However, there are other passages that tell us what we must do  to  “call on the name of the Lord.”  Some passages tell us that repentance is necessary for  salvation.  Other passages tell us that we must be baptized and live godly lives in order to have salvation.  Let us look at what all of the scriptures say about our salvation. Let us begin with Acts 2.

Joel’s Prophecy

Romans 10:13 is a quote from Joel 2:32.  It is a prophecy that the apostle Peter says was fulfilled after Jesus ascended back into heaven.  In Acts 2, Peter quotes Joel 2:28-32 and says that the events that took place that day were the fulfillment of Joel’s prophecy.  From that day, the day that the church was established, Peter and the apostles preached that whoever would call on the name of the Lord would be saved.

Peter’s Sermon

Back in Romans 10, Paul wrote that in order to call on the Lord, one had to believe; in order to believe, one had to hear the gospel.  Peter, in Acts 2, began to preach about Jesus so the
audience could believe that Jesus, whom they crucified, was the Son of God.

Many in the audience believed the words of Peter and realized that by killing Jesus, they had made themselves enemies of God.  They cried out, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”  They wanted to make peace with Jesus for they had sinned against Him.  Remember, from this time forward “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Peter did not tell them to pray and accept Jesus Christ into their heart.  I have read many tracts that encourage the reader to commit his life to Jesus then tell him to pray something like this:

“Lord Jesus, I do now by faith accept Thee as my personal Savior.  I call on Thee to reign in my heart.”

Though it is good to want Jesus to be in charge of our lives, there is no instance of anyone in the New Testament being told to pray to accept Jesus as their personal savior in order to have salvation.  Search the scriptures and you will find this to be true.

Calling on the Name of the Lord

What did Peter tell them to do?

“Repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins”

They were to call on the name of the Lord by repenting and being baptized in the Lord’s name.

Joel:     Call on the name of the Lord => Saved.
Peter:  Repent and be baptized => Saved

In Acts 22:16, Paul was told:

Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord

Paul was not baptized because he had called on the name of the Lord, nor was he baptized because his sins had already been washed away (according to the verse they had not been removed).  Baptism was part of the calling on the name of the Lord.  It was the culmination of his response to Jesus’ call.  Of course, this response to the gospel was commanded by Jesus in Mark 16:16:

He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned

If we want to call on the name of the Lord, we must do so like Jesus and the apostles taught.  Since we cannot find the “Sinner’s Prayer” in the New Testament nor do we find any person who was saved in the New Testament by being told to pray a similar prayer for salvation, we must acknowledge that this approach is man-made, not from God’s authority

To “call on the name of the Lord” is to call for the Lord’s help, namely, to remove our sins.  It is more than a verbal acknowledgement of Jesus’ lordship, for some will call Him “Lord” and be lost (Matthew 7:21-23).  Calling on the name of the Lord is complete obedience to the gospel for it alone has the power to save us.

For more details, look at this SlideShare presentation:

Barabbas and Second Chances

I sometimes think about the first person Jesus saved when He went to the cross. We do not often consider this person as he is not a main character in the New Testament. He is a bit character in the drama of the crucifixion. Though the part he played was brief, his place in history provides some lessons for us to consider.

The Jews put Jesus through the illusion of a judicial process to deliver a sentence of blasphemy and the punishment of a death penalty. Under Roman rule they could not carry out the death sentence so they brought Jesus within the Roman judicial system to be tried for treason and put to death. The Roman officials Pilate and Herod each examined Jesus. Though their men treated Jesus with contempt, they found no reason to execute Him, Luke 23:13-16.

Pilate fought for Jesus’ release. He knew that Jesus had been delivered into his hands because the Jewish leaders were envious of Him. He even had Jesus violently beaten and presented before the people. Perhaps Pilate thought a near-death beating would satisfy the blood lust of the crowd and perhaps draw some pity out of their hearts for the abused man presented before them. But their hearts were not touched. Read John 19:1-16

It was Pilate’s custom to pardon a criminal during the feast. On most occasions, one might imagine a popular individual whose case inspired sympathy but could not be dismissed as a subject of pardon. The people would get someone they liked and Pilate could receive some appreciation from the people. It would be a great political strategy most years to appease the Jews.

“Give us Barabbas!”

In Pilate’s attempt to free Jesus it seems that he introduced a person he hoped the people would hate more than Jesus: a notorious criminal named Barabbas. Barabbas was part of a revolt and committed murderer in the insurrection. John also refers to him as a robber. Certainly the people would prefer to have Jesus released than a notorious hated criminal like Barabbas back on the streets. It seemed like a good strategy to bring a violent criminal as an alternative to Jesus. Pilate would force the people to choose the outcome he preferred: the release of Jesus.

However, the people took Pilate by surprise and asked for Barabbas to be released. Think about this: the people asked for one who took life instead of the one who gives life. They chose someone who embraced violence and chaos to the Prince of Peace. When the people called for Barabbas Pilate is shocked and amazed asking about Jesus, “Why? What evil has he done?” The people did not answer Pilate, the demanded Jesus. Fearing the people, Pilate released Barabbas and crucified Jesus.

Barabbas became the first person Jesus saved by going to the cross. Barabbas was saved crucifixion and even a continued prison sentence for his crimes and was allowed to go free. Jesus saved Barabbas from the penalty due for his crimes by taking his place on the cross.

Second Chances

I’ve often wondered if Barabbas was affected by Jesus taking his place. We do not know what he knew about Jesus. I imagine him having drinks that night with his criminal friends asking what crimes were committed to make the people hate Jesus more than him. bigstock-Another-Chance-Just-Ahead-Gree-55029689Perhaps he laughed at how dumb the mob was and began planning a new insurrection and returning to his criminal lifestyle. It could be that Barabbas took his second chance seriously and obeyed the law from that point forward.

We do know that Jesus was crucified: a just punishment for Barabbas but not for Jesus. We know that Barabbas got a second chance at life because Jesus went to the cross. We all can have a second chance because Jesus went to the cross. That day in Jerusalem, Barabbas literally experienced what we all can enjoy spiritually. Barabbas was condemned to death but Jesus took his place. Barabbas was guilty but did not have to die for his crime because one who was innocent died in his place.

Likewise, Christ died for us though we deserved to die:

  • Romans 5:6-10 – Christ died for us when we were enemies
  • Isaiah 53:4-6 – The Lord laid our iniquity on Him

In the Old Testament, an innocent being killed for the sake of the guilty was understood in the sacrifice of animals for sin: Leviticus 16:6-10; 15-16. Though we deserve death for our sin, Jesus took our place so we could have life.

What will we do with the second chance we have been given? How will we live since Jesus sacrificed Himself to save us when we did not deserve it?

“Earn It”

Many have seen the World War II movie “Saving Private Ryan.” Because of the language, if you watch it I would recommend viewing it on network TV where the language has been edited. Some networks show it all day on Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. If you are not familiar with the story, it is about a group of soldiers that venture into hostile territory to find the only remaining son of a woman whose other sons were killed in battle. When the soldiers find Private Ryan, he is sad that his brothers have died but he does not want to abandon his comrades with whom he has fought. The group who searched for Private Ryan stay with him and they fight the enemy together.

In the end, in a fierce battle against a strong German force, many of Private Ryan’s buddies and the men who risked their lives to find him were killed. As reinforcements drove the Germans back, Captain Miller, who led the search for Private Ryan, and a character whose leadership and courage inspired the soldiers, was sitting on a bridge dying from his battle wounds. The captain looked around at the dead and dying, and the carnage of war, then looked at Pvt. Ryan and said, “Earn this.” He wanted him to make something of his life as a result of their sacrifice for him.

These words, “Earn this”, echoed in Private Ryan’s mind as he stood at the grave of the captain many decades later. Standing with his wife, with his family in the background, he stares at the captain’s grave and asks his wife for reassurance that he lived a life worthy of the sacrifice of Capt. Miller and the other men: “Tell me I led a good life. Tell me I was a good man.”

We are indebted to so many people who died to make our country free. Their sacrifice should inspire us to use the opportunities we have in this country to make the world a better place. However, we have a greater obligation to make something of our lives for the one who died to give us life. In this sense, when we see Jesus on the cross, dying for our sins, the thought “earn this” should ring in our ears. As sinners who rebelled against a loving and holy God we don’t deserve such mercy and sacrifice. Yet Jesus hangs there between earth and sky as an offering for our sins on a cross we deserve.

Walking Worthy of the Sacrifice

“Earn this.” Live a life worthy of this sacrifice. Don’t get me wrong. I am in no way implying that godly living earns us the sacrifice of Jesus. We could live the most heroic lives as Christians and gain worldwide attention for our good deeds and not earn one drop of the blood of Jesus. But the sacrifice of Jesus should change the way we live in profound ways.

Paul says to walk worthy of the calling made possible because of the cross, Ephesians 4:1-3. John urges us to walk as Jesus walked, 1 John 2:5-6. We were bought with a high price; therefore, we must live in a way that reflects our gratitude for such a high sacrifice.
If a person’s life was saved by another giving his life, the survivor will likely find all he could about the person who saved him and do something to honor their memory.

Our life should be a lived as honor to respect the one who died to save us. We should desire to know all we can about Jesus since He gave Himself to save us. Understanding the sacrifice of Jesus and the sense of debt we should feel towards him helps us to also understand the tragic end and punishment of one who turns his back on Jesus, and does not consider Christ’s sacrifice as anything special, Hebrews 10:26-29.

We don’t know what Barabbas did with his second chance. What will you do with yours? Will you live worthy of the love and sacrifice offered to give us life? Will you be apathetic about Jesus’ sacrifice and do nothing to honor Him?

Honoring Jesus with the Lord’s Supper

Every Sunday Christians approach a table set with a memorial feast in the shadow of a cross. In the bread and the fruit of the vine is a reminder of so great a sacrifice made for us. Reflect on the body and blood of our Lord. As you consider Jesus on the cross, let His sacrifice strike deep in your heart and feel the love and mercy of the God who would die for you to save you. “Earn this.” Let His death mean everything in your life and let it transform the core of your being, the thoughts of your mind, the intents of your heart, and the work of your hands.

Honor the one who gave His life to save you as you thoughtfully and reverently partake of the supper of our Lord. And honor Him by returning to the table, and to His cross, each first day of the week as He commanded until He comes again. Honor Him with your life as you leave the table and carry your cross into the world.

5 Ways to Keep It Together When Your World’s Coming Apart

Our little worlds get amazingly busy at times. We finish one task to find another is overdue. The calendar is filled but our energy is drained. You want the world to stop but it speeds up. You can’t give up but you can’t keep up. What to do?

When our kids were in school, fall was a busy time for my family, particularly October. We were proud of our children in marching band but supporting them included bus chaperone duties, fund raisers, band competitions, and Friday night shows. Family birthdays and my wedding anniversary squeeze into the schedule. Add normal work hours, work with the church, family time, and a little time for personal growth and one starts considering how little sleep is really needed for daily life. Throw in a couple of unexpected events and the things can get chaotic quickly.

Here are some tips I have for staying sane when things get crazy:

  1. Accept the frustration I usually growl when told to “buck up” or “grin and bear it” (sorry mom). Some events in life are disappointing or frustrating. I operate better when I give in to frustration, let it run its course, and enjoy relief when the problem is resolved. Sadness is not a sickness. It is fine to be down when things are not going your way. It’s unhealthy to stay in despair but don’t kick yourself because you experienced a natural reaction to difficult situations. Embrace your reaction then move on.
  2. Count your blessings Of course “there is always someone worse off than you” but it is still worthless advice. Someone is doing better than me as well. However, I can focus on my blessings. Some frustrations arise from problems with my financial blessings or good health that I took for granted. Without comparing myself to others, I need to simply thank God for the showers of blessings I receive and His continuing care. I get better perspective of my  problems when I realize the many things in my life that are going well.rocks
  3. Pray for guidance and help Praying continually during tough times reminds me that God listens and cares. He urges us to bring all of our anxieties and concerns to Him. 1 Peter 5:7 : “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” (ESV) Psalm 55:22 and Matthew 6:25-34 also speak of God’s care and desire that we bring our troubles to Him.
  4. Ask for help I am blessed with a best friend, my wonderful wife, who listens as I vent frustrations, explore options, and seek advice. Friends with expertise in many areas provide great quality advice and recommendations of others who can assist me. Family and friends have experience and wisdom that is valuable. Be a good friend and allow others to help you as a friend.
  5. Work the problem In the inspirational movie Apollo 13, the ground crew at Mission Control is overwhelmed as spacecraft systems are reporting failures (which could be real problems or bad sensors) endangering the lives of the astronauts. Many people latched onto the “failure is not an option” quote, my favorite Gene Kranz quote came during the frenzy and confusion: “Let’s work the problem, people.” Figure out what is wrong, what you can affect, what is out of your control, what works, and develop the best course of action based on the information you have (remember to ask others for help). Break the problem into smaller and easier to handle challenges when the problem seems overwhelming.

Remember that joys and frustrations are both parts of our life. Although we want constant joy, frustrations and difficult times must come. Trust in God and trudge through until the path is once again clear and the bright days return.

A favorite song of mine is a source of comfort in difficult times:

Sing to me of Heaven, sing that song of peace,
From the toils that bind me it will bring release;
Burdens will be lifted that are pressing so,
Showers of great blessing o’er my heart will flow.

Sing to me of Heaven, tenderly and low,
Till the shadows o’er me rise and swiftly go;
When my heart is weary, when the day is long,
Sing to me of Heaven, sing that old, sweet song.

“Sing to Me of Heaven” words by Ada Powell

What Is Your Life?

Guest Post by Russell Poe

I saw a commercial the other day regarding the sale of AARP Medicare Supplement plans.  An older, “well preserved” female is shown walking down a beautifully landscaped path toward the camera, smiling and looking quite alive.  After a moment she stops, looks at the camera and says “I’m only in my 60’s – I’ve got a long life ahead of me – big plans.”   And I suddenly found myself wondering if I actually, correctly heard what she said.

The last time I checked, the average American’s life expectancy was about 77 years old.  Assuming this lady was in her mid 60’s, and she lives the average life span of an American, she only has about 9 to 12 years left to live.  And that’s ASSUMING she lives the average number of years for an American – she could EASILY die sooner.

Even if she was Japanese, the race of people who currently have the highest average life expectancy in the world (80 years old), at best she would have 12 to 15 years left to live.

Sure, she may live to be 95, which would give her approximately 30 years left to live, but statistically she only has an 18% chance of doing that.  The odds are definitely not in her favor!

Now I don’t know about you, but if you told me I had another 9 to 15 years to live, I don’t think I would consider that a “long life ahead of me” –  and I’m not sure that’s even enough time to consider making “big plans” either.

Isn’t it sad how our society can so easily ignore things they don’t want to hear or that makes them feel uncomfortable?  Ignore solid facts and figures about death?  Or even make up “truth” of their own?

Most of us here know what the Bible says about the length of our life – in fact, the Bible mentions the human being’s “average” life span.  Moses wrote in the 90th Psalm “The days of our lives are SEVENTY years; and if by reason of strength they are 80 years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off and we fly away.”  Apparently the eagerness to sell AARP products and make money overrides everything the Bible says about the matter, but that’s not unusual – so many in the world simply ignore what God’s word says.

But I did a spur of the moment test that in a way was shocking (but in a way not at all) and simply shows the wisdom and the accuracy of the Bible.  The test and the parameters were as random as they could be and I actually had most of this invitation written before I even did it.

UndertakerWe had purchased a past Sunday Birmingham News and in the obituary column there were 27 people listed that had recently passed away.  I wrote down all their ages (the oldest was 98, the youngest died at 41), totaled them and then divided by 27. Guess how long their average lifespan totaled?  SEVENTY (.6) YEARS OLD!!  Almost exactly what Moses, an inspired writer, recorded as Scripture – and the world chooses to ignore the Bible, claiming it is a “fairy tale”.

So, going back to our commercial – if our mid 60’s woman lives an average American life span of 77 years – does 10-12 years REALLY sound like “a long life ahead of me?!”  Think back 10 years of your life – does it seem like ages ago, or yesterday?  If you have a 10 year old, has life just slowed down like molasses in winter since they were born???

Well, back to the obituary – what about young people, teenagers?  I mean, the youngest person in the obituary column was still 41.  If you’re a teenager, should you worry about dying?   Let’s let the numbers testify.  In America, from 1996 to 2006, over 16,000 teenagers between 12 and 19 died EACH YEAR.  Each Year!  How do you think all of these teenagers died?  Did I include all those inner city kids who shoot each other every year?  Yes, they’re in there, but only 13% of the 16,000 teenagers died from homicide.  The next lowest percentage of deaths was by suicide, at 11% – that’s a terrible statistic and so sad.  But do you know what IS the leading killer of teenagers 12-19 years old?  Unintentional Injury.  What killed almost half of the 16,000 teenagers every year for 10 years?  Unintentional or Accidental Injury.

I don’t know about you, but what I see in these figures scares me.  First, it bothers me to think of 16,000 plus teenagers dying every year in America, having one myself in that age group.  Next, I look at the percentages of those killed by suicide and homicide and it begins to make me a little sick.  But then I see that almost half of all the teenagers 12-19 years old die from something that was an ACCIDENT!  Something that wasn’t planned!  Something they may never have seen coming….  What I’m trying to tell each of us, those of you who are young, and ESPECIALLY to those of you who are young and haven’t obeyed the Gospel, is that life is uncertain.  People die from doing everyday things – something went wrong, an accident happened and someone died, just like that.  No warning, no symptoms, no clue that you’re about to die – an accident happens and death occurs.

James says in James chapter 4:13-14     “Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit”; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for (how long??) a little time and then vanishes away.”

That’s true for babies, it’s true for teenagers, it’s true for grown people and it is true for EVERYBODY – we don’t have a very long time on this earth.  We’re born, we grow up, we die – most do, many don’t!  There are no guarantees – you may be in perfect health today and be gone tomorrow.

NOW – remember that half of the 16,000 teenagers 12-19 years old that died of Accidental Injury for 10 years in a row?  Do you know what killed 73% of that half?  “Motor vehicle traffic accidents”.

How many times have you heard “You could just be driving down the road and” – people usually say something a lot because it’s true.  And dedicating yourself to driving safely won’t guarantee you won’t be in an accident.  In fact, if you are young and don’t have your driver’s license, you aren’t even in control of the situation!  Someone ELSE is doing the driving!

You might be asking this – Am I saying all these things to try to scare teenagers into obeying the Gospel?  I’d have to say no – if anyone wants to be saved by hearing God’s word, believing it and in Him, repenting of all sins, confessing belief that Jesus to be the Son of God and being baptized into Christ to wash away sins, I want (or rather GOD wants) it to be because they’ve decided to give up their own will and follow God’s will, desiring whole-heartedly to live as the Bible teaches – and NOT because something scared them to do these things.

But shouldn’t these facts and figures cause a moment of serious thought?  Another statement people say often is “Numbers don’t lie” and true numbers don’t.  I’m praying that what has been said tonight will cause each one to take a minute, consider your soul’s standing before God right now, and if you haven’t obeyed the Gospel, make up your mind to do it right now.

It may be that someone reading this has obeyed the Gospel in the past but currently isn’t living the way God would want – doing something sinful on a regular basis because it’s enjoyable and counting (or rather GAMBLING) on the fact that good health and life will continue.

God wants us to give up our idols and give ourselves totally to Him – and repentance and confession of such acts are God’s method of restoring us, publicly if the sins have been committed publicly.

Don’t be like the person I noted when I was gathering these facts – on the same website showing all the ways people die, this person commented:

“Anyone with sense knows that if you get enough vitamins and a proper diet you don’t get sick!!!”

The world has so easily learned to deceive itself and believe anything that’s not true – God’s word is truth and says clearly that there is no promise of tomorrow.  This same truth also says “The wages of sin is death”.  On the other hand, God’s word also gives “exceedingly great and precious promises” of eternal life in Heaven where there is “no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying” and “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes”.   Decide to live for Him who died for you.