Repentance is the beginning of all good things in life. However, if we wait too long and do not repent of our sinful ways before we die, we face eternal separation from God.
Bible Verse
Luke 16:30-31 (NASB) 30 But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ 31 But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Repentance
Repentance cannot wait. If one waits too long the opportunity may be lost. And when that opportunity is lost it cannot ever be regained. When is the opportunity to repent lost? It is lost at the time we die. If we die and we have not repented of our sins and come to Jesus in faith to follow Him, we will face eternal separation from Him. In this passage, the plight of two men is compared. There is a rich man who had the apparent best of everything life had to offer. And there was a poor man named Lazarus who was sick and had nothing. Lazarus was hungry because he had no food. All he wanted was the scraps of food from the rich man’s table and the rich man would not even share his leftovers with Lazarus. He was more concerned about his station in life than he was about helping his fellow man.
There is nothing wrong with having the riches this world offers, but the question is what we do with the riches we have been given. Do we use our wealth to draw attention to ourselves or do we use our wealth to help others? After the time of their deaths, the rich man looked up and saw the poor man being comforted by Abraham and begged for even a drop of water to cool his tongue. Abraham told him it was too late, and nothing could be done for him. He then begged Abraham to send Lazarus to his family to warn them so that they would not experience the same fate. Abraham told the man his family had the same option as everyone else. They could listen to the prophets and respond to God’s message of repentance.
Application
Jesus’ words that his family would not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead sends an ominous warning to those who choose to wait to repent and ask for forgiveness. Will we be persuaded by the message of the risen Lord Jesus? That is a question we must each answer before it is too late. The risk of waiting to make that decision carries with it a risk that we die before we make the decision and then it is too late.
Have you repented of your sins and asked Jesus to forgive you?
Have you placed your trust in Him as the only Savior who can offer eternal life?
Take time today to ponder the claim Christ has on your life and respond to Him before it is too late.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for this message. Help me to repent of my sins and seek Your forgiveness. I desire to spend my eternity with You not separated from You.
If you want to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, see the resources: How to Know God.
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