Dust Thou Art!

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

Gen 3:19 (KJV)

As I scanned the announcements in the weekly bulletin, I noticed the name of someone who is requesting prayers. The prayers are for "favorable test results." To me, that means cancer. Cancer is the most dreaded disease of our day. It is incurable. Yes, the doctors have made great strides, but in our church we have too many people who have died from cancer. In my own family, my father, all of his sisters and brothers have died from this horrible disease. It is very depressing to say the least.

How did mankind get into this situation? Read the verse at the top of this article. It comes from the book of Genesis. You see, in the beginning, God created all there is and it was good - free from sin. But, Adam and Eve fell into sin when they gave into the wiles of the Devil. God said that if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die. Well, they did and God cursed them and the ground with them.

Now, mankind must suffer the consequences of Adam and Eve's sin. Eternal death. Separation from God forever! No hope. No pity. No life here or life eternal with God! What remains is a slow slog through this temporal life until . . . physical death and then eternal death - damnation!

Life now is perfectly meaningless. There is no point to it! We strive and fight and snarl and claw our way through this life, but to what end? A bigger house? A fancy car? A comfortable retirement? You have got to be kidding! God has cursed mankind and has ensured that life without being in fellowship with Him will come to a horrible and permanent end! To be blunt - if you are not a Christian, you will die eternally forever in Hell! That's the Law - period!

For as many as are of the works of the law are under a curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one who continueth not in all things that are written in the book of the law, to do them.

Gal 3:10 (ASV)

Whether or not you are a Jew it does not matter. All mankind is under this same curse. There is now way out - end of argument!

I just said that there is no way out from being free from the curse pronounced upon Adam and Eve and dying eternally. It is true, there is no way YOU can be freed from being condemned by God's Law through your own efforts. Let me repeat, there is no way you can possibly extricate yourself and avoid being cast into Hell by doing anything. All your "good works" are as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). There is no one that is good, no not even one (Psalm 14:3).

Saint Paul wrote:

For therein is revealed a righteousness of God from faith unto faith: as it is written, But the righteous shall live by faith.

Romans 1:17 (ASV)

What is he talking about? Live by faith? What faith or faith in what or faith in who? Again, Saint Paul writes:

But now apart from the law a righteousness of God hath been manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ unto all them that believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;

Romans 3:21-23 (ASV)

There you have the way out - faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior! I could go on and on, but here are some more verses to meditate on:

1 Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; 2 through whom also we have had our access by faith into this grace wherein we stand; and we rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

Romans 5:1-2 (ASV)

But God commendeth his own love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:8 (ASV)

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus made me free from the law of sin and of death.

Romans 8:1-2 (ASV)

You need a formula to latch on to? Well, read the verses below:

8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: 9 because if thou shalt confess with thy mouth Jesus as Lord, and shalt believe in thy heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved: 10 for with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be put to shame.

Romans 10:8-11 (ASV)

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? 38 And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2:37-38 (ASV)

29 And he called for lights and sprang in, and, trembling for fear, fell down before Paul and Silas, 30 and brought them out and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? 31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved, thou and thy house.

Acts 16:29-31 (ASV)

Simply put, if you want to be saved from your sins and go to heaven, receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior!! Amen.