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Of course you would choose the $10 million. But what if there were some missing information that could change your mind?

Missing information: You are stranded in the middle of a massive, hot, dry desert that would require a 5 day walk to reach water.

Would this missing information cause you to change your mind? In this case, the missing information turns out to be vital and would make the difference between life and death. I want to provide you with some other vital information that you may be missing, information that could make the difference in where your soul spends eternity.

Would you consider yourself to be a good person? Most people would say, “Yes, I’m a very good person.” In fact, most people would say that if there is a God and a Heaven, they would certainly go there because they have done more good in their lifetime than bad. This sounds logical to our human minds, but in this case, the missing information is that God’s righteousness is required to enter Heaven.

Romans 1:16-17a says, “For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes … for in it the righteousness of God is revealed.”

“For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God” (Romans 10:3).

Our attempts to be righteous are not acceptable to this Holy God. Isaiah 64:6b says, “all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags.”

“Most men will proclaim each his own goodness, but who can find a faithful man?” (Proverbs 20:6). So the problem is that most of us say that we are “good,” but Jesus said in Mark 10:18b, “No one is good but One, that is, God.” So who is right? The person who says they are good, or Jesus? Relatively speaking, we could say that one person is morally better than another in human eyes, but the standard we will be judged by is not other human beings, but God’s perfect standard—of which the 10 Commandments are representative.

Many people have missing information about the purpose of the 10 Commandments. They feel that if they can live up to this standard or at least do the best they can, then they will make it into Heaven. However, God knew that no son of Adam could ever keep His Law entirely. Romans 3:19-20 says, “Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law no flesh will be justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.”

So, the true purpose of the Law is to bring the knowledge of sin, to act as a mirror to reveal our true sinful condition and to show us how really sinful we are. Romans 7:13c says, “so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.”

I want to use God’s Law to reveal to you this missing information.

Have you ever told a lie? What do you call someone who lies? A liar. Have you ever stolen anything—regardless of its value? What do you call someone who steals? A thief. Have you ever taken God’s name in vain (used it as a cuss word)? That’s called blasphemy, and it is very serious when you take the name of your Creator, who gave you life, and use it as a filthy curse word. Have you ever looked with lust? Jesus said that whoever looks on another with lust has committed adultery already in the heart. Now I’m not judging you, but if you answered yes to these questions, then by your own admission, you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, adulterer at heart, and that is just 4 of the 10 Commandments. If God were to judge you based on the 10 Commandments, would you be innocent or guilty? Would you go to Heaven or Hell?

Does that concern you? If it does, then you are probably starting to see the importance of the missing information. You may now see that all of us are not only not good, but we are all also guilty and deserve God’s judgment. That’s the bad news. The good news is, if you will repent (change your mind about God, sin, and self) and trust (place your faith in Christ like you would trust a parachute), then God will apply His own righteousness on your behalf, satisfying the wages of your sin.

“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

“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).

Repent and trust Him today while you still have time. You are only 1 heartbeat from eternity.

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