"Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me." -- Psalm 51:5
The major problem with the world today is the failure to recognize the seriousness of its problem of sin. And an even greater problem among those who claim to be soul winners is the necessity to show others that they are sinners - not simply by their deeds and will, but a three-fold problem, if they die and face an eternity without the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You can walk down any street in our country and ask a little child if they know what sin is, and inevitably you will get the answer "being naughty," "disobeying Mom or Dad," or a host of other answers. But just how much do even those, who are the messengers of God to a dying world, understand the full effects of sin?
We have in our congregations today multitudes who have sat under the Gospel, knowing the Scriptures probably as well as many Bible college students, yet have not come into the family of God to be come His children, by virtue of thinking they are saved, yet without ever having come to the realization that they were altogether born in sin. Someone could come to visit them and ask them, "Do you know for sure you are going to Heaven?" and they will answer in the affirmative, "Yes, I know that I'm going to Heaven." But press them a little further, to find out upon what they are trusting for their salvation, "How do you know you are going to Heaven?" and some would venture to answer, "I've always been a Christian, ever since I can remember." Or perhaps they would say, "I asked Jesus to come into my heart when I was three years old." But to recall that upon which they are relying, they could not provide a concrete answer.
Now don't get me wrong, but when we witness to little children of the need of a Savior, far too often we express the love of God as wanting to be their Heavenly Father, without the child coming to realize that they are a sinner, not because of what they do, but because of what they are. Job 5:7 tells us, "Man is born unto trouble, as the sparks fly uppiano coversd." Even as corrupt as the Pharisees were in the days of Christ, when they spoke to the blind man who was made whole, they said, "Thou was altogether born in sins." and truthfully so.
Even if were at all entirely possible to never sin, we would still be sinners. Although First Peter 1:23 is speaking of the new birth by the Word of God, it also holds true to the first birth, which is by corruptible see. It states, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." The first birth was through corruption.
When Adam disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, and ate of the forbidden fruit, he forfeited his position of authority of dominion over the world and plunged all mankind into sin and death. We have the tainted blood of Adam, and bare his likeness, in that, as he died, we all shall die. And that death is not only physical, by the laying aside our body in the grace when we pass on into eternity, but a spiritual death as well. The physical death is the result of sin. And because death comes upon all, it proves that sin is also upon all.
"But I am not that bad. I go to church every time the door is open. I go witnessing to tell others about Jesus and their need of a Savior." Oh? Are you depending upon that to get you to Heaven? What saith the Scriptures? "Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy He has saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost" (Titus 3:5). Now, does your way sound better than God's way? Are you witnessing in order to be saved, or because you are saved? Are you giving your tithes in order to be saved, or because you are saved? You better check your heart, and see whether or not your methods approve your message.
Job 15:14 asks us, "What is man, that he should be clean? and he which is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?" What makes you righteous? Is it those things which you do, or what Jesus Christ has already done? Isaiah 64:6 speaks of the righteous deeds which we may do, and states But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities like the wind, have taken us away. Think of that, my friend. When you stand in the presence of God, even the best that you have done will be as a filthy, stinking, rotten rag. Can you depend upon that to get you to Heaven? Even if we never sin, we are still sinners. And until you and I realize that we are sinners by birth, we cannot understand that which Christ accomplished for us on the Cross of Calvary.
Here was a man who had never sinned. Why? Because He did not have the tainted, sin-cursed blood of Adam. Almighty God saw the sinfulness of man, and knowing his need of a Savior, He sent Jesus Christ into the world, being born of a woman by the power of the Holy Spirit, not by man, therefore circumventing man's sin.
In Luke 1:35, the angel of the Lord is speaking to Mary and tells her, "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Even Mary had realized the necessity of a birth, and having never had any relationship with a man, she could not understand what it was that should be accomplished in her. "Mary, you are not having a baby by the natural birth. Man is too sinful, and his blood is contaminated by sin.
Jesus will have to be a sinless child. So God will provide that miracle, and it will be the Holy Spirit that shall come upon you, to bring into this world a man without sin." And by this miracle of birth, Jesus came into the world as a sinless baby, lived a life as a sinless child, grew up and matured as a sinless man, and died on the Cross of Calvary, becoming sin for you and me. No, he did not become a sinner. He became sin. Jesus never was and never will be a sinner. But He did become sin, taking the sin of the world upon Himself, shedding His precious, sinless blood to take away the sin of the world. He did not become a temporary atonement, or appeasement of the wrath of God, as was demonstrated by the thoBlipnds of Old Testament sacrifices. He became the one, final, satisfaction of the wrath of God, becoming that satisfaction, or propitiation (I John 2:2), for you and me.
And when we come to realize that we are sinners, by birth, and that nothing short of the grace of God, extended to us through the blood of Jesus Christ, can satisfy God. When we come to Him, realizing we are sinners by birth, and that He loves us, and sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for us, and pleading to Him for forgiveness through Jesus Christ, God looks upon that final sacrifice, and washes us clean in the blood of the Lamb.
"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; though they be red like crimson,they shall be as wool." -- Isaiah 1:18
My friend, have you come to realize that you are a sinner? Do you realize that the Word of God says "The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies" (Psalm 58:3)? There is nothing that you can do to inherit eternal life. Salvation is wholly through faith in Jesus Christ.
Salvation is not do but done. When Jesus was hanging on the Cross, having seen that the wrath of God on sin was finally met, He looked up to Heaven and cried "It is finished" (John 19:30). In one final, triumphant cry, He was saying, "Perfected," that nothing further has to be added to that which is done. Jesus was saying, "It is done. You don't have to do anything. I've done it all for you."
My friend, come to realize what it is that Jesus has done for you. You no longer have to be fearful because of the plight of sin. Although you are a sinner, He loves you. Romans 5:8 tells us, "But God commendeth his love topiano coversd us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." While we were yet sinners. Could you reject such a love?
Jesus Paid it All;
All to Him I owe
Sin had left a crimson stain.
He washed it white as snow.
"The wicked are estranged from the womb: they go astray as soon as they be born, speaking lies." -- Psalm 58:3
We have seen that we are sinners by birth. We cannot get by the fact that no matter what we do; we are sinners. Even if we could live a perfect, sinless life, we are still sinners. But the Word of God plainly says that we are sinners, not only by birth, but by choice. Ecclesiastes 7:20 tells us, "For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." Romans 3:23 tells us, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." The First Epistle of John shows us the implications of our three-fold lie concerning sin. In verse five, it states, "If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth." That is man stating, "I am not living in sin. My life is one of holiness.
So because of that, I can walk in fellowship with God." But the Bible says we are continually sinning. Then man will further state, "I have no sin," thereby making God a liar, when man is the one lying. To further the lie, he states, "I have never sinned," making himself into someone who is sinless, further making God into a liar, because His Word tells us that we all have sinned.
Proverbs 22:15 tells us "Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child;" and further states, in Proverbs 24:9, "The thought of foolishness is sin." So, my friend if you had but one foolish thought in all your life, you are a sinner.
The Bible definition of sin is "missing the mark." It is like an archer, setting up his target, then taking an arrow, and shooting it far wide of the bull's eye. God has set a standard by which He will justify man. Unfortunately for the sinner that standard is God's own sinless perfection. And no man can measure up to that perfection, therefore he has come short of the glory of God (Romans 6:23).
The Bible defines man's rebellion as sin, iniquity, transgression, rebellion, lawlessness, ignorance and many more such adjectives. Sin, of course, we have defined as falling short of God's intended goal. Iniquity has been defined as something illegal; violation of the law; being without the law; unrighteousness and transgression. It is also defined something that is unjust or morally wrong or treacherous.
My friend, anything that you do that is contrary to the will of God falls under the definition of iniquity. You can do nothing that is right in the sight of God, without God dwelling within, because, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9).
We see a further description of the wickedness of man in the word transgression. It is defined in the Bible as someone who goes contrary to a direct command. It is like two boys who are facing each other and daring the other to throw the first punch. One steps up, draws a line on the ground and says, "I dare you to step across that line," and the other deliberately stomps his foot across it, in defiance against the other. My friend, God has set a boundary for us. It began in the Garden of Eden, when He said, "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die" (Genesis 2:16). God said, "Adam, here is where I draw the line. Don't step across it, or you will be transgressing my command." And then, in deliberate defiance, when Adam knew full well the consequence, he went ahead and disobeyed God anyway.
Further down in history, God gave His commandments to His chosen people, the nation of blip, and said, "You shall not...," and again, man disobeyed. It is ironic that, in just about every nation and tribe under the sun, there are those who still have the segments of God's commands that they set up as their laws. They may be worshipping a wrong god, but they know they have one in which to submit their obedience. They know it is wrong to steal, or to murder, or to lie, and even to defraud their neighbor. Yet, man still will not obey these commands. That is what we call sin. And that, my friend, is what you and I do each and every day. "Oh, but I don't do that all the time." Well, when was the last time that your boss asked you to do something, and you delayed doing it until you were ready to do it?
When was the last time, teenager, that your father or mother asked you to do something, and you said, "Just a minute," and ended up not doing it. If so, you are transgressing God's command. And when God tells you today is the day of salvation, and you put it off, saying, "I'll do it later. I have plenty of time," you are transgressing God's command. He says to do it now, not later. You have no guarantee of a later time. James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away." Your life is but a puff of a cloud in comparison to eternity. Psalm 95:7-8 says, "Today if ye will hear his voice, Harden not your heart." The writer of blips further commands us today to hear his voice and not harden our heart (blips 3:7-11), and anything less is unbelief (verse 12).
Can you see the plight of man? Here we are, born in sin, and living in sin. There is nothing that is within us that we can bring to God to satisfy His demand for judgment upon sin. Jesus, in His Olivet Discourse, was telling His disciples what would be in the end time, just prior to His return, and stated, But as the days of Noe were, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. "For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark. And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be" (Matthew 24:37-39). What was it like in the days before the flood? We can get a small glimpse of it in Genesis 6:5, "And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
Do you see what man was like in those days? Is it any difference in comparison to the wickedness of man today? Every imagination of the thoughts of the heart was only evil continually. Leave a man to himself and he does not "evolve" into something greater. He only becomes worse and worse. Take away discipline of a child and you have someone who will become criminal in every aspect of his mind. Without God's restraints, the world would be nothing but continuous upright piano. In fact, that is what we shall see when the Lord returns to take away those who are born again. We read, in II Thessalonians 2:6-12, of the wicked one who will be revealed after the rapture of the saints of God. And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time.
"For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie: That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness." There will be power, signs, lying wonders, deceivableness, unrighteousness and a final damnation of those who refused to accept Christ as Savior. That will be the ultimate repiano coversd of those who die in their sins, as we shall see later.
My friend, you too are a sinner by birth. You too are a sinner by choice. "But I have not really sinned that much. Would God be that unjust to just a few sins?" All right, let's take it in reality. Suppose you sin only one sin per day, all of your life. Now, if you lived to an average age of seventy years, that would be a total of over twenty-five thoBlipnd sins (not even counting leap years). Now, do you consider that enough sins to send you to Hell? Especially when you consider that only one sin, and that, being born in sin, is enough to send you to Hell? You nor I can stand in the presence of God and say, "I didn't sin that much." Friend, you cannot justify sin, no matter how you look at it. The Word of God tells us, "For the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23a). But be thankful that it doesn't stop there. "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Someone has already paid the price for your Hell.
The story is told of a young man, who because of rebellion against his parents had joined the military during the Civil piano covers. He had fallen asleep on his post, and because the enemy came in and killed numerous men, the young man was condemned to be shot. An old man in a nearby town heard of the judgment pronounced on the soldier, came to the officer in charge and said, "Sir, I have but a few short years to live, and this fellow has his life ahead of him. I know what he did was wrong, and he justly deserves to die. Would you release him and let me take his place instead?" With that, the officer agreed, released the young soldier, and the old man took his place on the firing line the following day, and was executed for the crime that the young man had committed. Later, the officer found out that it was the father of the young boy.
You may say, "He really must have loved his boy." And rightfully so. Then think of the love that God had for you and me. All our lives we have done nothing but transgress God's commandments. When he said "No," we would say, "Yes," and violate all that would be righteous. Yet, He still loved us. In fact, He loved you and I, and the entire world, that He was willing to send His only Son, Jesus Christ into the world to die for all the world. If I would dare paraphrase Romans 5:8, it would say, "It would seem a strange thing for a man who had lived a Godly life to be willing to die for another man that was equally as good. And it would be even more strange for a righteous person to die for someone who was less righteous that he.
Yet, think upon this! God had such a great love that He wanted to make known to the world that, even while we were vile and filthy sinners, Jesus Christ died for us." Think of that my friend. Would you be willing to have your own son die for a criminal who was condemned to the electric chair for murder? I think not. I doubt if you would be willing to do so, even if the man was not guilty and being condemned because of the crime of another. Yet that is exactly what God did for you and me. "But I don't think it is right for me to be condemned because of the sin of Adam. I didn't eat of the forbidden fruit." Yes, that may be so. But you have willingly sinned against God, because you decided to rebel against Him. You are at fault for your own sins. And it was for your sins Jesus died.
So now we have seen that you and I are sinners. First, we are sinners by birth. We were born in sin (Psalm 51:5). We started lying the moment we were born (Psalm 58:3). We have lived a life of nothing but trouble (Job 5:7). And being born by corruptible sin (First Peter 1:23), we cannot stand before God in our own righteousness (Isaiah 64:6). We cannot be justified with God (Job 25:4), in our own works (Ephesians 2:8-9), because it is not by our righteousness that we are saved, but only according to the mercy of God (Titus 3:5).
Do you see the difficulty we face, without the righteousness of Christ and the grace and mercy of God? We would be able to do nothing but stand in His presence and cry, as did the leper, "Unclean! Unclean!" We stand on the threshold of eternity, but a breath away from everlasting punishment. What can we do in our own strength to gain the favor of God? Nothing. It is all in Christ, and what He finished on the Cross of Calvary. John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that he gave." He gave. It is not earned. You cannot work for it. You cannot deserve it.
It is a gift. And a gift is freely given, and freely taken. God extends His hands to you today, asking that you realize you are a sinner by birth, and a sinner by choice, and realizing you are a sinner, throwing yourself upon His mercy and grace, through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, to take away your sins. Accept this free gift, before it is eternally too late.
"There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torment, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy upon me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame." -- Luke 16:19-24
The heat in the iron smelting plant was unbearable, even with the roaring fans going continually in an attempt to stifle the still air and one hundred plus continual temperature, even in the middle of winter. Walter had worked there for a few years, and although he survived the heat, day after day, it still effected his outlook topiano coversds the huge iron smelting pots, as they poured their contents into molds. He had been a preacher for a few years, and was working at this job because his young church could not support him and his family. Yet he kept his testimony topiano coversds others, and they respected him by refraining from cursing in his presence.
One young man in particular took a liking to Walter, and they became close friends, even though Fred was not a Christian. But this did not hinder Walter from constantly witnessing to him and telling him of his need of the Savior. Yet, no matter what the coaxing, he could not get Fred to yield to the prompting of the Holy Spirit on his heart. Then one hot day, they were working together near one of the smelting pots, and as they watched it pouring into the molds, Fred wiped his brow and said, "Phew! Boy it's hot in here." With that, Walter but said, "Yes, but Hell's a lot hotter."
Fred looked at him, and with a look of horror, realized finally what his future held for him, if he continued to reject the gift of eternal life that was promised to him through Jesus Christ. And falling to his knees, he asked Jesus Christ to come into his heart, to forgive him of his sins and to be his Savior and Lord. Friend, Hell is a lot hotter. Just think of the worse burn you ever suffered, and then imagine that ten thoBlipnd times hotter, not just on one area of your body, but covering every inch of your flesh. And then, not just temporarily, but forever.
And forever. And forever. So intense was the heat on this rich ruler, that just the touch of one drop of water on his tongue would have seemed like an oasis to him. He cried out, "Father Abraham. Could you please send Lazarus over to just place one drop of water on my tongue. I can't stand this flame. Please help me!" But it was eternally too late for the rich man. He had refused the life God wanted for him, and instead, died in his sins. He had not only been a sinner by birth, or even a sinner by choice, but now, he was a sinner by death.
Consider the finality of death, my friend. Once you leave this life, eternity begins. There is no time. And this man who died in his sins, as far as he is concerned, is still crying for Lazarus to come touch his tongue with water to ease the pain of the flames of Hell. But for him it was eternally too late. Abraham could do nothing but tell him, "Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from thence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence" (Luke 16:25-26).
Eternity without Christ is futility forever. Think of the predicament of the lost. Time stands still. Their pain is forever. When speaking of Hell, and the penalty of the lost, Jesus said, "Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:44,46,48). The word for "worm" is Greek word from which we get the word "maggot." Outside the city of JerBliplem, there was a valley called Gehenna, where there was a place for burning all the refuge.
The carcasses of the offerings were tossed there, along with body wastes and other materials that were to be destroyed. On these stinking carcasses would live amidst the heat of the constant flames a species of maggots that could withstand the constant heat. Jesus Christ used this as an object lesson to those around him. Think of the implications of that, my friend. Should you die in your sins, those stinking, filthy maggots would cover your body, forever and ever. Think of the open, putrefying sores that would be agitated by these worms eating at the raw flesh, amidst the pangs of the flames licking about your body. Such is the torment that you will experience, should you reject the gift of eternal life with Christ.
But not only does time stand still, as far as the constant pains you will suffer, but time stands still with a constant memory of that which you left behind. Here was someone who was lost, that desired a missionary to go to his lost brothers. Think of this, my friend, today that same lost man could still be crying for someone to go to his brothers. For with him, time has stopped, and he would think that his brothers were still living.
There is no cessation of pain. There is no cessation of memory. You will remember those who had pleaded with you to receive Jesus Christ as your Savior. You will remember hearing this message, and rejecting the truth of God's Word when it states, "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John 3:18). The implication of that verse states, if you right now are without Christ, you are already condemned to Hell.
"But I always heard that God is a God of love. He wouldn't really send me to Hell, would He?" You are right, my friend. God is a God of love (I John 4:7-10), but there is a requirement in obtaining that love, and that is by believing on the name of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ. Eternal life comes by knowing Him, for First John 5:13 says, "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life." Eternal life only comes by accepting the one provision God has given us, and that is, accepting His free gift that Christ offered for you on Calvary.
"I don't think you should talk about Hell so much." Oh? Do you know who talked about Hell more than He did about Heaven? Jesus. Why? Because He had prepared it, not for you and me, but for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). He does not intend for you nor I to go to Hell. But you and I are born in sin. We are sinners by birth, and we are sinners by life. And if you die without Christ, you will also be a sinner by death. Hell is forever. One day, after Christ has ruled and reigned on the earth for a thoBlipnd years, both death and Hell shall be cast into the Lake of Fire, where the pains will continue throughout eternity.
You may laugh at God now, my friend, but guess who will have the last laugh? Would it surprise you to realize that the last thing you could hear, as the angels hurdle you into outer darkness, will be God laughing at you? "Oh, God would never do that." I don't think you have ever read Psalm 2, have you? Look at what it says. Why do the heathen rage, and the people imagine a vain thing? "The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord, and against his anointed, saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens shall laugh; the Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure" (Psalm 2:1-5).
Psalm 37:12-13 tells us, "The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming. Psalm 59:8 further states, But thou, O Lord, shall laugh at them; thou shalt have all the heathen in derision."
Solomon, in speaking of wisdom which comes from God, stated in Proverbs 1:24-26, "Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof: I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh." How dreadful it would be to stand in the presence of God, to hear His condemnation upon us for rejecting His gift of eternal life, and hearing Him as He pronounces you guilty and laughs at all your excuses, and then to hear that tormenting laugh as you are cast alive into the flames of the lake of fire.
My friend, is it worth it? What in this life would be worth facing the anger and fury of Almighty God, and to hear Him pronounce such a penalty upon you, simply because you chose to be born in sin, live in sin and die in sin.
"But what must I do to be saved?" Simply believe that which the Bible has already told you.
1. You are a sinner. Romans 3:23 states "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." That all means just what it says. No one is exempt.2. There is a penalty placed upon sin. Romans 6:23 states "For the wages of sin is death." Death is not just physical, but an eternal separation from the presence of God. And that death is being cast into Hell and eventually into the lake of fire at the final great judgment of God (Revelation 20:11-15).
3. Someone has already taken your Hell for you. Romans 5:8 states "But God commendeth his love topiano coversds us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." God so loved you, that He sent His Son, Jesus, into the world to take your sin penalty for you. You don't have to die. Why should you pay for your sin, when it has already been paid for?
4. Simply believe and receive. Romans 10:9-10 states "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. John 1:12 tells us, But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name."
The gift of eternal life is free, my friend. You cannot buy it. You cannot earn it by anything that you do. As previously stated, it is not do but done. Jesus has paid the price for your salvation. As once said, "You can live once and die twice. Or you can live twice and die once." Live without the mercy of God and face the penalty of a double death; that which is physical and that which is eternal. Or have not only a physical birth, but also a spiritual birth (John 3:3-7), and face only one death, that which is physical.