My thoughts

Christopher Hitchens died on Thursday night at the age of 62, after a 18-month battle with esophageal cancer.

He was a brilliant and entertaining man. He was enormously gifted, and in his final years he took those gifts and used them to mock God, using his considerable wit and sharp tongue to convince as many people as possible to do the same.

Thursday night, Christopher Hitchens stood before a perfect judge (God) and a perfect jury (10 Commandments) and was judged based on how he kept the law. Each of us will also stand before a perfect judge and jury and judged based on how we kept the law. Let me ask you a few questions:

Did you know that a morally perfect Creator sees our thoughts, and holds us accountable to a standard? Let's look at the standard: You shall not steal. You shall not lie, or covet. You shall not take the Name of the Lord your God in vain. You shall have no other gods before me. How many lies have you told this week? this month? this year? Have you ever stolen anything? Have you ever wanted something that someone else has? Have you ever looked with lust at someone of the opposite sex or even the same sex? (Did you know God sees that as adultery?) Have you ever hated someone? (Did you know God sees that as murder?) Have you put other "gods" before Him?-things to whom you have given your affection-nature, pleasure, people? 

Be honest with yourself and let your conscience remind you of things you have done, that you knew were morally wrong. Without that knowledge you will never, ever, call upon the mercy of the Judge. It is "knowledge" that causes a dying patient to trust a skillful surgeon who can save him from sure death. Knowledge is power, and in this case, it has the power to lead to your salvation. It can take you to the One who can save you from death, and from what comes after death--a very real and terrible Hell. What is sometimes called "saving knowledge" was mentioned by the prophet Hosea, hundreds of years B.C. God said through him, "My people are destroyed though lack of knowledge" (Hosea 4:6). My problem before I came to know God was a lack of knowledge, and it is probably your problem also.

So, to be saved from death and Hell, you must have "knowledge of sin." Do you have it? Did the Law of God get through to you, or did your pride stop it from doing its incredible work? I trust you have been humbled by the Commandments, so that you can appropriate the further knowledge that the gospel brings, knowledge that can save you from death.

The most wonderful truth you will ever hear is that God is rich in mercy. Guilty though we are, He in His great love provided a Savior--One who is able to save His people from their sins. Without Him, sin will be the death of you. It will justly sweep you into Hell. But God became a Man—-Jesus of Nazareth, and took the punishment for our sins upon Himself. He was bruised from our iniquities. God commended His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. We broke God's Law (the Ten Commandments) and Jesus paid our fine in full. That means that God can legally dismiss your case. He can commute your death-sentence and let you live.

After He had purchased our salvation, Jesus rose from the dead, destroying death forever, for all that obey Him—-"Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; and being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him" (Hebrews 5:8-9).

So, please, repent today. Confess your sins to God, and then forsake them. Then trust alone in Jesus for your eternal salvation and God will forgive you and give you everlasting life.

Christopher Hitchens stood before a holy God on Thursday night. I can only imagine his knees were trembling as they bowed woefully before a God he had spent his whole life denying. One day you will stand before a Heavenly judge and if you do not know Jesus Christ, the verdict will be guilty and you too will spend an eternity in Hell as well, please repent and trust in Jesus while there is still time.