Most of us have some knowledge of how crimes and infractions result in detainment, citations, even arrest and arraignment under charges of those alleged behaviors. In the U.S., controlled provisions are in place to protect you and give you a fair trial to confirm or remove those charges. [Other countries have differing programs and rules.]
You have the right to remain silent;
Anything you say can be used against you in a court of law;
You have the right to an attorney and have him present during the interrogation;
If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be appointed to you free of charge;
You can invoke your right to be silent before or during an interrogation, and if you do so, the interrogation must be halted;
You can invoke your right to have an attorney present, and until he is present, the interrogation must be halted.
Now, consider your Spiritual Condition as you hear more about End Times, Rapture, Judgments…
SINNER’S RIGHTS – AKA ‘MARANATHA’ RIGHTS endnote 1
Any sinful thing you have thought, said, or done will be used against you to condemn you at the Great White Throne of Judgment. Those sins are already documented by the all-knowing God, and are not deniable;
God has granted you, an already documented and proven sinner, certain rights in appeal;
You, during your physical lifetime, have the appeal rights to the Advocate, Jesus Christ, the only begotten and sinless Son of God the Father, and have His position as having already taken your punishment by dying on the Cross to stand in place for your standing death sentence;
You cannot afford this Divine representative, so He has been granted to you free of charge upon your acceptance of His Salvation. Your case will be transferred to the BEMA Seat Judgment and Reward – of your works as a servant (slave, actually), not your sins. During your physical lifetime, you will have unlimited rights in access to His scriptural instructions, prayer, and Holy Spirit for guidance and comfort, doctrine, instruction, corrections, reproofs – along with mutual support of fellow true believers;
You do have the free will during your lifetime to waive and reject this single avenue of rescue and Salvation, and your rejection becomes final and inalterable at physical death. Sentence is then automatic – to be cast into the Lake of Fire – a forever existence of darkness and torment away from God’s Divine presence. This judgment pathway is only halted upon your acceptance of the Salvation plan;
“…If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
Take action now! “Today, if you hear His voice, harden not your hearts” (Psalms 95:7-8). Also, “…you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
Additional Scripture guidance from His Holy Bible is provided on the reverse side, and can be confirmed by checking in your Bible…
Endnote 1: Maranatha, an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming.”
SOME CONFIRMING SCRIPTURES
Romans 3:23 – “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Isaiah 59:2 – “But your iniquities have separated you from God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”
Romans 6:23 – “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Romans 5:8 – “But God shows His love for us in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.”
John 3:18 “…whoever does not believe stands condemned already.”
Romans 10:9 “…that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved…”
Acts 3:19 – “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out.”
John 14:6 – “Jesus answered, I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
John 1:12 – “But to all who receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 – “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”
Revelation 3:20 – “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to that soul, and dine with them, and they with Me!”
A simple, sincere prayer of surrender will commit your soul to Him, and His promises to you…
“Heavenly Father, I have sinned against You, and I repent. I want forgiveness for all my sins. I believe that Jesus died on the cross for me and rose again. Father, I give You my life to do with as You wish. I want Jesus Christ to come into my life and my heart as Lord. I want to serve You. This I ask in Jesus’ name. Amen.”
If you examine the Bible translation used at church, you will not find any other path of salvation in His Word – no other teaching or ritual replaces what God requires. You must seek restoration by His specific commands.
Been a “Christian from forever”? Confirm it with Him in prayer today!
(I wish pastors and priests everywhere would lead their congregations in a “sinner’s prayer of affirmation so that any individual who has never offered that heart-belief prayer to God in Christ’s name would be included – that no one would be stunned and dismayed at having been left behind!)