Spirit &
Truth # 285
“Outbreak!”
By Greg
Smith
In the 1995
movie Outbreak, a 100%-fatal virus
sweeps through the Motaba River Valley in Zaire, threatening the entire country’s
population. The government’s
solution—firebomb the valley, killing everything and everyone infected. Years later, a monkey is transported to the United States, carrying the same deadly
virus. The question is whether a team of
scientists can stop the outbreak’s spread before it goes nationwide. It’s an intriguing fiction, though since the
movie first broke out in 1995 there has been even more talk of pandemics and
germ warfare. No matter the fiction of
this film, it is certain that there really is a 100%-fatal disease that has
infected us all—sin.
Romans 5:12 (NIV) says, “…Sin entered
the world through one man, [Adam] and death through sin, and in this way death
came to all people, because all sinned.”
While denominations debate the meaning of the term original sin, it is certain at least that we inherited from our
forbears the tendency toward sin, and as soon as we are capable of making moral
or immoral decisions, we choose to violate God’s command. The New England Primer of 1690 put it this
way: “In Adam’s fall, we sinned all.”
As surely as
a deadly virus will kill, sin threatened to destroy all of humanity, but in a
real-life, white-knuckle thriller of epic proportions, “…at just the right
time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly…God
demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ
died for us (Romans 5:6,8 NIV).”
Scientists can invent an inoculation for a deadly outbreak, but patients
have to take the vaccine in order to be saved from the plague. In the same way, Jesus offers His eternal
life freely to all, but you have to receive His gift for yourself. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift
of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23).”
That gift comes, not by injection, but by receiving Jesus’ forgiveness
and making Him Lord of your life.
You may have
been to church many times before, and heard the message of salvation before,
but never received Jesus’ gift for yourself.
If you’d like to receive His inoculation and be rescued from the plague
of sin, then I invite you to take the first step by praying this prayer:
Dear Lord Jesus, I believe that You are the
Son of God, and that you died on the cross to save me. You took my death upon Yourself and gave me
Your eternal life. I receive this gift
of grace, and ask You to come into my life.
Thank You for forgiving my sins and providing me an eternal home in
Heaven.. Guide me in all that I do, so I
can grow in my relationship with You and walk in Your goodness the rest of my
life. Amen.
If you prayed that prayer, then I
suggest you begin your new life by reading your Bible and praying daily. Find a good church where you can learn and
grow. Be baptized as a testimony of your
faith, and tell others about the gift of life Jesus has given you. And one more thing—I’d love to hear from
you. Drop me an email and tell me about
the decision you’ve made for the Lord.
Now, I pray that your joy and excitement will go viral—and that Christ’s
life will spread from you to your friends as you tell them your good news!
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