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 Day 3: Is It Fair that Jesus Is the Only Way to God?Because GOD IS JUST, I know He will always treat me fairly!
Read or quote the memory verse. Jesus made a lot of radical statements when He was on earth, but the one that seems to upset people the most is what He said in John 14:6. Jesus told him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me." Discover God Bible, (NLT).
According to what Jesus said, is there any other way to have a relationship with God and be in Heaven without trusting in Him? (No!) Jesus taught that trusting in His payment for our sins is the only way to be made perfectly clean. Do you remember why we must be perfectly clean? (God is Holy, perfect and clean , and He can't allow us to make Him dirty with our sins.) For the wages [what you owe or the penalty] of sin is death. Discover God Bible, (NLT).
A penalty or punishment had to be paid because of our sin. Jesus is the only one who could pay it for us because He is God and He is perfect and clean. Some people want to believe that there are many ways to Heaven. Let's imagine for a moment this is true. Listen to a made-up story about a man named George. George's Encounter with an Unjust God
(An unbiblical approach to a Just God)
"Why should I let you into heaven?" The voice from the throne was neither condemning nor compassionate. The voice simply stated the question. A glimmer of hope rose in Georges' heart. "Maybe," he thought to himself, "there's some room for negotiating here." "Well, O Great One," George began, "I think we both know I haven't been perfect. I have tried hard to do good things, however, and I did help those less fortunate than me sometimes." George stopped and held his breath. "Why did you reject my Son, Jesus?" the voice asked. George knew he had to answer carefully. "I didn't exactly reject him, Mighty One. I just didn't think that I needed him . . ." George glanced at the magnificent figure beside the throne, nail scars still visible on His hands and feet. George quickly added, "I was glad that trusting in Him seemed to help so many other people." The voice said nothing and George became desperate, "You have to know that no one tried harder than me to live a good life . . . That has to count for something!" The throne room was filled with an anxious silence. After a painfully long pause, the voice pronounced the verdict, "You did try hard to do the right things, George, and for that, I will let you in to heaven." George couldn't believe his good luck, but as he let out a sigh of relief, he saw a look of confusion and betrayal on the Son of God's face. In that moment, George began to feel afraid. What kind of god would send his son to die a horrible death for the sins of the world and then say it wasn't necessary? Suddenly, the thought of spending forever with an all powerful being that could be so cruel and unfair to his own son didn't sound much like heaven. Remember, we were imagining this to be true. Wouldn't it be frightening to have an all powerful God who could be so cruel and unfair to have His own Son die for no reason? You might wonder what happens to the people who haven't heard about Jesus. Don't worry! God is Just, and He makes sure that every single person on earth has a chance to trust in Him! We can talk about that later if you'd like, but for now, aren't you thankful that Jesus' payment for our sins is the ONLY way to be made perfectly clean and the ONLY way to heaven? It is not based on our actions or attitudes but ONLY in our acceptance of His payment!** Read Galatians 2:21. I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.Discover God Bible, (NLT).
Would God be just and fair if He sent His Son to die on the cross for the payment of our sins and then allow other ways to get to heaven? (No!)
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| A | Activity … Family Fun Activities! |
| B | Bible Times … Exploring God's Word together |
| I | Influencing Others … how can you make a difference? |
| D | Drawing/Drama … exploring your creative side! |
| E | Experience … finding the teachable moments |
George approached the throne of God with awe. He had always believed in an all powerful being. He even prayed to God a few years back when he was in a car accident and trapped in a burning truck. But what he saw now took his breath away. The throne was filled with absolute beauty and light. George wanted to run and hide. He had tried to live a good life, but suddenly he remembered every little bad thing he had done, and he felt dirty.
Why does it matter?
Talk with God and Stay Connected