From the first man to the last one born, man has been given the choice to choose life or death. In Genesis 2, we learn that “9 And out of the ground theLord God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”and “16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”There it is! There is the choice between life and death. Even this morning when my wife and I were trying to talk about an issue, I had to choose between life and death. Life being following the path which God outlines. Death being the path that God forbids and commands not. Just as in Genesis 3, I was presented with the truth. I had to make a choice, so do you. TRUST: We Choose Life or Death.
Ezekiel 18:4 says, ““Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.” Fast forward to the New Testament where Jesus is reiterating TRUST: We Choose Life or Death. Jesus conveys this again in Luke 9:24. For now, let us stay in Mark 9.
42 “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them if a large millstone were hung around their neck and they were thrown into the sea. 43 If your hand causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. [44] 45 And if your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. [46] 47 And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, 48 where
“‘the worms that eat them do not die,
and the fire is not quenched.’
49 Everyone will be salted with fire.
50 “Salt is good, but if it loses its saltiness, how can you make it salty again? Have salt among yourselves, and be at peace with each other.”
That part of the passage is about us choosing God over sin. Remember, for the soul that sins shall surely die. Jesus was conveying that TRUST: We Choose Life or Death. We can believe or not believe what Jesus says, but it does not alter the reality and truth of what He says. He is a prophet whose prophecy has come true. John 17:3 says, “3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.” Since life is choosing Jehovah and Jesus, death is rejecting Jesus as Lord and Savior of your life.
It is in that choice and that choice alone where we experience TRUST: We Choose Life or Death. Will you trust the creator (Colossians 1:16) or will you trust the created (Romans 1)? The choice you makes dictates and demonstrates TRUST: We Choose Life or Death.
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