ARE YOU A FOOL?Let no man deceive himself. Dear friend, do you have God's assurance of eternal life through Jesus Christ? Have you been born again into the kingdom of God? I sincerely hope the answer is yes. It is my most fervent desire that everyone I know be saved from the wrath to come, from the anguish of hell-fire and eternal separation from God. If you are not saved, let me ask you a question---- Why not? Why haven't you accepted the free gift of eternal life that Jesus died to give you? Perhaps if I knew your reason, I would understand why you've never received Him into your heart and into your life. Because frankly, I don't understand why anyone would turn away from such a precious gift offered by such a loving Father. Maybe you are one of those who say, "Well, I'm really not sure I believe all that stuff." Let me first tell you what the Bible says in Psalms 53:1: "The FOOL has said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; there is no one that does good." Proverbs 1:7 says: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, but FOOLS despise wisdom and instruction." Proverbs 12:15 says: "The way of a FOOL is right in his own eyes, but he that listens to counsel is wise." Do you plan to accept Him someday, but don't want to do it now because you want to enjoy all the good things in life for awhile? Let me tell you about another who felt the same way. You can read of him in Luke 12:16-21. Jesus himself told a parable about a man who had been truly, abundantly blest by God. The man had so much, he had to tear down his barns and build bigger ones, just to hold all his food and belongings. He figured he could just relax and enjoy all these good things, because he had enough to last for many, many years. In the eyes of the world, this man had it made. But God called him a FOOL, and told him he'd die that very night; and then who would enjoy all those things? Let me ask you this: Are all those things you enjoy so much now worth the unimaginable misery of hellfire for all eternity? Are you starting to get the feeling that those who don't heed God's holy word are being FOOLS? They think they have a pretty good understanding of life, and in the world's eyes they may be wise and knowledgeable. But what about in God's eyes? The Bible tells us in I Corinthians 3:19 "For the wisdom of the world is FOOLISHNESS with God." It goes on to say in verse 20: "And again, the Lord knows the thoughts of the wise, and they are vain {i.e. FOOLISH, useless, and self-centered}" And the Bible states quite clearly, in I Cor. 1:18, "For the preaching of the cross is FOOLISHNESS to those who are perishing, but to those of us who are saved, it is the power of God." What is the preaching of the cross the Bible is referring to? It is the death of Jesus Christ on the cross at Calvary for the forgiveness of our sins. When God raised Him from the dead after three days, Jesus overcame death, replacing it with eternal life. He offers that gift of eternal life to all who would believe and call upon His name for forgiveness. The Bible says in Prov. 28:26 "He that trusts in his own heart is a FOOL, but whoever walks wisely shall be delivered {saved}." I Corinthians 1:20 tell us, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." It is obvious to me that a person who would not accept the salvation Jesus offers is a tremendous FOOL! Those who think they are wise in the ways of this world may prosper for a little while on this earth, but oh, how sad is their end! The Bible makes that very plain. The psalmist writes in Psalm 73:3 "For I was envious of the FOOLISH, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked." However, he quickly realizes how mistaken he was to be envious of those FOOLS. In verse 17, he writes, "Until I went into the sanctuary of God, then I realized their end." Ephesians 5:15-17 tell us: "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as FOOLS, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore, do not be unwise {FOOLISH}, but understand what the will of the Lord is." So now, my friend, I have one last question for you: ARE YOU A FOOL? I sincerely hope if you have never accepted the gift of eternal life you have the wisdom to trust Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today. It's the smartest thing you'll ever do!
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