I believe that if you had the chance today to sit down with Robert E. Lee the first thing he would say to you is, "Son, are you right with God". Not "Are you right with the Church" or "Are you right with Church People", but "Are you right with God". You see, Robert E. Lee knew something very profound. He knew that there was a loving God that created the universe and everyone in it. He knew that this God loved each person that he created, and had a special plan for each person's life. Lee also knew that ALL men have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. This sin in each life separates us from God and his perfect plan for our lives. While God is perfectly loving, he is also perfectly just, and can not ignore the sin in our lives. It is not possible for us to be good enough to please God. He is perfect, and we can never be good enough to earn his love, or eternal life with him. But since he has a perfect love for us, he did not leave us without a way out of our sin. He loved us so much that he came to earth in the person of Jesus Christ to personally pay the penalty for our sins. He came and died
for my sins, your sins and the sins of Robert E. Lee. The Bible teaches that "The wages of Sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ". So, God offers us eternal life as a free gift. We simply have to accept the gift by putting our trust in Jesus Christ. It is important to remember that a gift is only free to the person who receives it. It is free to us, but it was not free to God. He paid the price of this free gift by shedding his blood on the cross. To accept the free gift of eternal life, one must simply put their trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins. The exact prayer that you pray is not important, but one that will work is: "Dear God, I know that I am a sinner and can never earn my way to your acceptance. I accept your free gift of eternal life, and put my trust in Jesus Christ. I ask Jesus to come into my life and into my heart, and to be my Savior and Lord. Thank you God for this wonderful gift." If you pray that and mean it, you will have an assurance of eternal life with God in Heaven. Robert E. Lee had put his faith in Jesus Christ, and with that he received God's forgiveness and an assurance of eternal life with God in Heaven. It was this forgiveness that gave Robert E. Lee eternal Life, but Robert E. Lee also had a life overflowing with strength, honor, integrity, and courage. It is these qualities that made Robert E. Lee one of the most respected men of all times, and it was these qualities that he achieved by developing a close and personal relationship with God. Each day Robert E. Lee sought to deepen his relationship with God through prayer and spending time in God's word. It was this constant attention to God, and God's will for his life that served as the foundation on which Robert E. Lee built his life. If you, like Lee, have said that prayer, then you have the assurance of eternal life. In addition to eternal life, God wants you too to have an abundant life while you are still here on earth. The abundant life comes from seeking a deeper and closer relationship with God each day. You can do that by spending a few minutes in prayer each morning and in reading his Holy Word. As a new believer, a good place to start is to read a few pages from the Bible each day starting in the Book of Mathew. As you read the words of this book, understand that it is a letter written to YOU from God. Read his words to you, and then write down a few thoughts in a journal about what God is saying to you. Having this few minutes each day with God will help you understand His perfect will and plan for your life. Robert E. Lee spent time each day in God's Word and in Prayer, and look at the result. This same power is available to you. If you prayed the prayer above, and would like to share this with someone, please feel free to email me at paul@sonofthesouth.net. It would be a real encouragement to hear from you. |
