Text: Romans 6:23

Topic: Why believing is not enough

Introduction:

Illustration: A Vietnam veteran came to Chicago and marched in the veteran's homecoming parade to honor a soldier who died in his place.

Communion is the Christian's memorial for the one who died in our place.

Illustration: Imagine the shock of a federal judge handing out a justly deserved sentence, then taking off his robes and paying the penalty for the guilty party.

On the cross, Jesus took the penalty of our sin upon himself.

The Christian message is simple enough for a child to understand, but understanding is not enough.

We must personally apply the simple message of the gospel.

Illustration: People believed in the ability of the man who crossed Niagara falls on a tight rope pushing a wheelbarrow, but they didn't trust enough to actually get in the wheelbarrow themselves.

There is an uncrossable chasm between sinful people and a holy God.

We may understand and believe God's offer of salvation, but will we entrust our lives to him?

We must put ourselves in the hands of a God who can be trusted completely.

Illustration: There are a variety of ways people evaluate God's offer: as intellectuals; activists; engineers, and so on.

We'd rather do almost anything than put our fate, our destiny in someone else's hands.

We cannot do a single thing to cross the chasm by ourselves.

Conclusion:

When we admit our sin, and entrust our lives to Christ, he will take us all the way to the other side.