Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

From the writings of the Rev. Billy Graham

 

Dear Rev. Graham: I have a recurring dream about dying, and I’ve come to grips with the fact that I’m not ready to die. I want to settle once and for all. Are there particular places in the Bible that give clarity to what deeds should be done to settle this urgency? – R.D.

 

Dear R.D.: The most important thing anyone can do in life is to settle the question about what happens when we die, and are we ready. God puts thoughts in our minds and His Word tells us: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2, NKJV). We must not delay.

We can have peace in our hearts today. Jesus died on the cross to give us this peace.

The book of John in the New Testament is a wonderful account of salvation, though the message is clear throughout the entire Bible (see Romans 3, 2 Timothy 3, Ephesians 2, and Romans 10). These are not magic verses. They simply tell us about our spiritual need and how to find that need met in Jesus Christ.

We cannot find salvation through doing good works. Christ has done the work and made the sacrifice to cover our sins. By faith, we accept what Christ has done for us as we repent of sin. While there are many sources of help, the Lord Himself will hear the prayer of a sinner. True repentance is turning from sin; it’s our small part in the plan of salvation. But it is God who brings the conviction, does the converting and forgiving, and transforms the sinful heart. Salvation is an act of God. It is initiated by God, wrought by God, and sustained by God.

————

(This column is based on the words and writings of the late Rev. Billy Graham.)