A PERSONAL INVITATION

"Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon." - Isaiah 55:6-7

Lately, news sources, talk shows and social media have been all abuzz about the Presidential race.  I've found that so many people have very strong opinions about their preferred candidate.  I am troubled about the future of our nation.  I am bothered about the character issues that plague the candidates.  Believe it or not, the upcoming Presidential election is not the issue that troubles me the most. 

My biggest concern is the spiritual condition of those around me.  You see, some day America will cease to exist, but each person has an eternal soul.  A thousand years from now, it won't matter who won the election of 2016.  What will matter is where you will spend eternity.

May I be rather personal with you?  If you were to die right now, are you 100% sure you'd go to heaven?  As you think about the judgment that lies ahead, do you have confidence about your standing with God?

The good news is that God invites you to experience His saving grace and abundant mercy.  This grace is available on His terms, not your own.  Look at Isaiah 55:6-7:  "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."  I want you to notice a few things about God's invitation to you.

1.  REQUEST

First of all, the Bible says, "Seek ye the LORD while he may be found."  Too many people assume that they'll get saved on their deathbed or some suitable time in the future.  The Scripture makes it clear that you must come to the Lord while He may be found.  This gives us the indication that there will come a time in which the Lord will not be found.  You must come to the Lord now.  You have no guarantee of a suitable time in the future or a deathbed conversion experience.  Seek Him now.

The Bible also says, "Call ye upon him while he is near."  This is a day of mercy.  The Bible says, "Whosoever shall call upon the Lord shall be saved."  The only time that you can call on the Lord & receive forgiveness is when God tenderly extends His invitation to you.  That moment is now.    

2.  REPENT

You must come to God on His terms.  The second term He gives is repentance.  You must repent of your sins.  Notice our text continues with these vital words: "Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts."  It is impossible for a man to cleanse and change his life.  Only God can do that.  However, God does demand that a person have a repentant attitude.  This is more than just feeling sorry for your sins.  It is a desire to live differently than you did in the past.  Repentance is a change of mind that leads to a change of behavior.  If a man is unwilling to give up his sinful ways, he cannot be saved.

Is there something you are unwilling to give up in order to follow Christ?  Is there some sinful behavior you refuse to let go of?  Let me be very blunt with you.  There is not a sin you enjoy that is worth going to hell for.  Repent!

3.  RETURN

Finally, the Bible says, "... let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon."  You must come to the Lord by faith.  When you request forgiveness, based upon the person & work of Christ, that request needs to be offered with repentance and faith.  We've already looked at the issue of repentance; so let's explore the subject of faith.

You can only approach God by faith. This faith needs to be anchored in the person and work of Jesus.  First of all, that faith needs to be in the person of Christ.  You must believe that He is who He claims to be.  You must believe that He'll do what He promised to do.  You must take Him at His Word.  Secondly, you need to have faith in the work of Christ.  You must believe that His work of redemption on the cross of Calvary is sufficient payment for your sins.  You must trust that the shed blood of Christ can & will cleanse your sins.  Finally, you must believe that God will receive you, simply based upon His promise.  The book of Hebrews states, "... he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  

When a man, woman, boy or girl comes to the Lord in repentance and faith, requesting saving grace, the Bible promises, "... he will have mercy ... he will abundantly pardon."  There is no shortage of grace.  God is able to save you in spite of your past. 

Genuine salvation brings you into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and ultimately gives you a desire to follow Him.  While the Lord tenderly extends His mercy to you, turn from your sins and call on Him by faith today.  Seek the Lord while He may be found.  Call upon Him while He is near. 

Why wait any longer?