The "offense" of the Gospel is that it strikes at the root of human pride. None of us like to be confronted with our failures and sins. Yet, the Gospel demands that we fall at the foot of the cross and ask for forgiveness because we feel the weight of our guilt in the sight of a holy God.
Repentance, while it goes against our very nature, is the only way to eternal life. It is the only way to avoid divine judgment.
Imagine climbing to the top of a mountain for your first time. Your partner is an expert climber who is assisting you on your trip. When you finally reach the top you stand tall, throw your arms up in the air and celebrate. Yet, to your shock, your friend yells, "To your knees! To your knees!" You comply but wonder why. He then tells you that the wind at the top of the mountain can be so strong that it can knock you off your feet and send you sliding down the mountain to your death. If you would seek your self-interest, you must drop to your knees.
That's what it takes to be saved from our sinfulness. One day, we will stand before Jesus and give an account of our life. The only way we will hear Him say, "Welcome to Heaven" is if we have sought our self-interest and dropped to our knees in repentance in this life. Have you done this? If not, why not do it today?
Acts 17:30-31 (NLT)
“God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
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