POINT OF NO RETURN
Luke 10:30 And Jesus answering said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment, and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead.
A certain man went down and lay dying.
Each of us starts life on the road down from Jerusalem. When Adam chose the road which leads away from God we all continued after him. Adam traveled sin’s road and at every turn looked back toward Eden to see the imposing figures of angels and the flaming sword. For Adam it took some getting used to. We’re born on the road of rebellion and destruction, but Adam had already known a sinless existence. Adam felt the effects of sin in a way which we will never be able to relate. I guess it might have felt a little like he’d been beaten and left for dead! Imagine life as God intended and having it stripped away to be left half dead and dying. God had said that they would surely die. Adam not only knew this intellectually, but found it out physically. We can only imagine living without sin, but have never experienced it. Adam had indeed been dead by half and suffering more of death’s effect every day. It’s a wonder and testament to the marriage bond that Adam and Eve were able to continue after such a shock to their system. Today couples think twice about bringing new life into this sinful world. Imagine the plight of the first couple. Consider their horror when the first-born child displayed a sinful nature without any encouragement or hesitation. Why did they have children? They knew there would be a redeemer from Eve’s seed. Catch 22?
Man is born in sin’s road without ever knowing any other path. Jerusalem is a place to go, a heavenly city of promise, not a place to have come from. Half dead, we zombies continue down the road, walking without apparent care or understanding towards that death which waits around the next bend in the road. Where is that Good Samaritan? Where is the one who cares? Does anyone?
Life, as we call it, isn’t really life at all. It’s a state of half dead; a state of helplessness and defeat. For us, life is the point of no return. We must choose either to live or die. Born alive physically but dead spiritually leaves us half dead and empty inside. Without any intervention or change our physical death will result in a second death and separation from God. A renewed spirit carries us through to God when our physical bodies suffer the effects of sin and death. Looking at it from another perspective, half dead with a dead spirit is like a glass half empty, but born again with a renewed spirit of God is like a glass half full. God promises to resurrect every person’s body from death some day. The resurrected body will be changed and incorruptible. Every resurrected and never dying body will have the spirit of renewal or death; the glass will be either full or empty.
Only a spirit of renewal, through belief and faith in Jesus Christ, can turn us around and save us from certain destruction. Otherwise, our course is set in defiance of God, and we’ll continue beyond the point of no return. “…Depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” marks the point beyond and never to return. How can a man repent when death has him in its grip? Who in the grave can choose to live?
For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) II Cor. 6:2.
Don’t wait for the next bend in the road to put your faith and trust in Christ.
Or, don’t wait for the next bend in the road before leading someone to Christ. Share the gospel - if you care.
