Have you always placed God as the highest priority in everything you said, did, and loved?

Have you ever blasphemed the name of God?

(By using His name to cuss, or in light conversation without honor)

Have you always perfectly obeyed your parents and brought honor to them?

Have you ever killed another person?

(By God's standard, hatred in the heart counts)

Have you committed adultery?

(Imagining someone sexually outside of marriage counts)

Have you ever stolen anything?

Have you ever lied?

SO, HOW DID YOU DO?

Take some time to reflect upon what you have just seen. Understand that your sins are serious to a holy and perfect God. Imagine a person who assaults a fellow citizen and goes to court: they are found guilty and sentenced. Now imagine that same person assaults a member of law enforcement. Their crime is now more severe, because officers are sent by God to punish evildoers (Romans 13:3-4). Now imagine assaulting a judge. The punishment would be far heavier still.

Now consider: you have not merely sinned against your neighbour. You have sinned against the living God, the Maker of heaven and earth, the righteous Judge before whom all things are laid bare. There is no standard of your own, no neighbourly comparison, no past upbringing that can absolve you. You stand condemned.

But what if you do enough good to make up for it?

IT WILL NOT HELP YOU.

No rational person accepts a cure for a disease they do not believe they have. You have now seen the test results. The disease is your sinful condition before God, and there is only one cure.

2,000 years ago, God came down to earth in the flesh as Jesus Christ. He lived a perfect, sinless life so that His death would become the payment for your sins, what the Bible calls wages in Romans 6:23. He took your guilt upon Himself and shed His guiltless blood on the cross. He was raised from the dead three days later. Because of this, God can now forgive you legally: the punishment for your sins has been paid in full. This is why the gift of salvation is truly free.

But not all have this gift applied to them. There is something you must do. Jesus warned in Matthew 7:21-23 that many who say "Lord, Lord" and do works in His name will hear the words: "I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity." Your prayer does not save you. Your works do not save you. What must you do?

REPENT
AND BELIEVE THE GOSPEL.

You must bow, in humble contrition, before the holy God and Father, recognize your sin as exceedingly sinful, and forsake it entirely. Confess your sins unto God (1 John 1:9). Turn your back on them. And above all: believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe that through His blood you are set free, not to go and sin again, but to sin no more (John 8:11). Trust in His work alone on that cross, not in your cleaned-up life or your own efforts.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Romans 10:9-10

Repentance is not merely a change of mind toward your sin and God: it is a complete change of heart, forsaking your sins and following Christ, allowing the work of the Holy Spirit to sanctify and cleanse you. You have been called to walk holy and just (1 Thessalonians 2:12), to obey His commands (John 14:15), and to love one another (1 John 4:7-10). Today is the day of salvation.