Grace

Psalm 49:7-9,11-15: "No man can redeem the life of another or give to God a ransom for him-the ransom for a life is costly, no payment is ever enough-that he should live on forever and not see decay . . . . Their (the wicked's) tombs will remain their houses forever . . . . Man, despite his riches, does not endure; he is like the beasts that perish. This is the fate of those who trust in themselves, and of their followers, who approve their sayings . . . . They are destined for the grave, and death will feed on them . . . . But God will redeem my life from the grave; he will surely take me to himself."

Here's the Gospel Message from God! No one but God can redeem your life. Neither you nor any other person or thing are able to save yourself from the judgment of God for your sin and rebellion. The Word says that the ransom for a life to be saved from death is costly. And only the Lord Himself could provide the payment for your sin. This is why He HAD to come to the earth to die on a cross for your sins. Only Jesus Christ is the perfect atoning sacrifice for our sins (I John 2:2). If you place your faith and trust in anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ, your life will not be ransomed . . . it is TOO costly for anyone else to pay.

The peril of most today is that they believe that if they simply are a good person, God will welcome them into heaven. WRONG! The Bible tells us that none of us are righteous; no one seeks after God (Romans 3:10-11). All of our supposed "righteous acts" are in fact like filthy rags before a Holy God (Isaiah 64:6). This is why we MUST surrender ourselves to the mercy of God through submission to Him as our Lord and receive His precious COSTLY payment of Himself for our sins. Any other attempted remedy for our salvation will not be enough.