Christianity might be the best-kept secret in the world.
God offers 642 personal invitations to “come” in the Bible.1 Consider one from the Old Testament and one from the New Testament. Isaiah wrote, “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword’; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken” (Isaiah 1:18–20). He invites sinners to think about what He offers—even to come, sit at His conference table, and present reasons for rejecting His invitation.
Jesus said, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:28–30). Here is an invitation to rest, to have life’s burdens lifted, and to develop a friendship with the greatest Man who ever lived.
What kind of offer is on the table for every person in the world?
GOD SAVES—NO ONE HAS TO BE LOST
Everyone sins (Romans 3:23). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). Therefore, everyone needs salvation on this side of death (Matthew 25:46). Jesus came to pay for it (Galatians 1:14). Just before returning to heaven, He promised, “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned” (Mark 16:16). Will. Be. Saved. Let those words sink in… resonate… take hold. We have been delivered from the greatest evil, which exposed us to the greatest misery, and which alone could deprive us of eternal happiness. That is enough reason to take God’s offer—but there is more!
JESUS PAID—NO ONE HAS TO BE CONDEMNED
Alexander III was Tsar of Russia from 1881 to 1894. He ruled harshly, persecuting Jews in particular. His wife, Maria Fedorovna, was different. She was known for her compassion and generosity to those in need. Once, her husband signed an order consigning a prisoner to life in exile. He had written in pencil, simply, “Pardon impossible, to be sent to Siberia.” Maria changed that prisoner’s life by moving the comma in her husband’s order. She altered it to “Pardon, impossible to be sent to Siberia.”2
When Christ paid the debt of sin (Acts 20:28), He moved the comma for us. Eternity changed from “Pardon impossible, to send to hell” to the possibility of “Pardon, impossible to send to hell.” Peter said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Baptism, with repentance, is “for”—“unto, in order to obtain”—remission3 of sins (Acts 2:38; 3:19). If we will believe in, follow, obey, and remain steadfast to Him, our future is secured (John 10:27–29; 1 Corinthians 15:58).
BAPTISM CLEANSES—NO ONE HAS TO WEAR SIN’S STAINS
“Wash me!” was the fervent prayer of King David following his lapse into sin (Psalm 51:2, 7). Saul of Tarsus was told, “Why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash4 away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). Saul’s sins were washed away when he was baptized (Acts 9:18).
In baptism, sinners come in contact with Christ’s blood—being baptized into the benefits of His death (John 19:34; Romans 6:3)—and sins are washed away (Revelation 1:5–6). We are sanctified and cleansed “with the washing of water by the word” (Ephesians 5:25–27). Peter affirmed that baptism saves (1 Peter 3:21). Baptized believers can trust Jesus to keep His promise.
An Old Testament event illustrates this. Naaman had leprosy, a dreaded disease, and desired cleansing. He was told to dip seven times in the River Jordan, and he would be cured. He was not cleansed from leprosy until he had dipped in the river (2 Kings 5:14). Likewise, a sinner is not cleansed from sins until after he has been baptized. But when he is, he is clean! That is a reason to come to Jesus.
JESUS’ BLOOD JUSTIFIES—NO ONE HAS TO BE GUILTY
God justifies—and gives up His wrath against—sinners because of the atoning death of Christ. Paul wrote, “Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him” (Romans 5:9; cf. Acts 13:39). “Justified” (dikaios) means, “just, righteous.” The verb form (dikaiō) means “to make righteous, to make innocent, to declare to be pure, to cleanse, and to free from all guilt and accusation.” This does not mean that we have been righteous, but that God declares us so because Jesus was. Forgiveness makes it as if we had never sinned (Isaiah 38:17; 44:22; Micah 7:19).
There was a king who had suffered much from his rebellious subjects. One day they surrendered their arms, threw themselves at his feet, and begged for mercy. He pardoned them all. One of his friends objected to this leniency, saying, “Did you not say that every rebel should die?”
“Yes,” replied the king, “but I see no rebels here.”
God sees no rebel when we throw ourselves upon His mercy. Justification is an act of God on our behalf. It happens once, but the process is ongoing; we need to continually walk in the light by listening to His Word so that we can be continually—day by day, morning and evening—cleansed from sin in our lives (1 John 1:6–10).
Forgiveness is freedom from guilt. A twelve-year-old accidentally killed one of his family’s geese by throwing a stone to scare it away. Figuring his parents would not notice one of twenty-four gone, but would punish him if he confessed, he buried it and kept quiet. His sister said, “I saw what you did, and if you don’t wash the dishes for me, I’ll tell Mom.” The boy did the dishes for days and days. Finally, he told her, “You do them.” His sister said, “I’ll tell Mom.” He replied, “I already told her, and she forgave me—I’m free again.” Freedom is a reason to take God’s offer.
THE HOLY SPIRIT SEALS—NO ONE NEED BE DENIED
Upon becoming a baptized believer, Christians receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38). Such is an earnest of our inheritance (Ephesians 1:13–14), a seal of our salvation (Ephesians 4:30), and evidence of our divine sonship (Galatians 4:6–7). The gift of the Spirit is not something that is miraculous, mysterious, and sensory—resulting in a “better felt than told” or “I-can’t-explain-it-but-it-is-wonderful” experience. What the Holy Spirit does for Christians on earth, He does through the Word (Ephesians 6:17). Otherwise, to whatever extent this is not the case, to that extent the Word is not all-sufficient. Yet Paul said that the Word is all-sufficient (2 Timothy 3:16–17). The Spirit’s work through His Word results in many blessings and is a great reason to accept God’s offer.
Here are five reasons to take God up on His invitation. On the other hand, there is no good reason to reject God’s offer. Someone may think, “I am too bad to come,” but this is not true. “Scarlet” and “crimson” in Isaiah 1:18 indicate glaring sins.5 Forgiveness is available for the worst sinner (Isaiah 55:7; Luke 7:47; Acts 2:22, 38, 41; 1 Corinthians 6:9–11; 1 John 1:7). Some think, “I’m good enough. I’m doing my best. What more can I do?” Our best will never make us acceptable to God—we need God’s grace (Ecclesiastes 3:15; Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:8–10). Another reasons, “I must straighten out my life before I can come,” but this is reversed. Jesus helps us change—we cannot guide our own steps (Proverbs 14:12; Jeremiah 10:23; Matthew 11:28; Philippians 4:13). Another believes, “There’s plenty of time to come to Jesus later,” but only a fool boasts of tomorrow (Proverbs 27:1; 2 Corinthians 6:2; Hebrews 3:7–8).
God’s invitation stands. You will never receive a better offer. The day you come to Him will be the second greatest day of your life—surpassed only by the day He welcomes you home.
Endnotes
1Quote attributed to Frances Dixon, no further information known.
2Sources: biography.com and Today in the Word, July 14, 1993
3aphesis, “freedom; pardon; deliverance, forgiveness, liberty”
4wash away, apolouo, “to wash fully, have remitted”
5 The word scarlet means “double-dyed” (what is known as a fast color).
