Regret or Redemption

Never fear dying, beloved. Dying is the last, but the least matter that a Christian has to be anxious about. Fear living - that is a hard battle to fight, a stern discipline to endure, a rough voyage to undergo. - Charles Spurgeon

So today I want to talk about how we live.

I believe how we live will define how we die and at the end there are only two options:

A life of regret or a Life of redemption

No-one is perfect

Glen made plenty of mistakes through out his life.

We will not list them - but I assume there are memories in this crowd that are not always positive, if we are honest.

I would remind us all - we have all made mistakes

Romans 3:23 CSB

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

Isaiah 64:6 CSB

All of us have become like something unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment; all of us wither like a leaf, and our iniquities carry us away like the wind.

The question is do we admit or deny?

Two Choices

We can deny - we will stay in darkness and regret - never knowing peace or hop

Romans 3:12 CSB

All have turned away; all alike have become worthless. There is no one who does what is good, not even one.

We can admit - experience freedom

Colossians 1:13–14 CSB

He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Choose a life of Redemption

I believe Glen, at some point chose a life of redemption

I believe because of this, some relationships were restored, forgiveness was received and given

2 Corinthians 5:17–19 CSB

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come! Everything is from God, who has reconciled us to himself through Christ and has given us the ministry of reconciliation. That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and he has committed the message of reconciliation to us.

None of this was earned by Glen and can not be earned by any of us.

We can choose to hold onto the our past, our hurts, our un-forgiveness, and our bitterness

All we leave at the end of our lives is regret

Or we can choose redemption and know freedom in this life and eternity.

Romans 8:1–2 CSB

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.

We Celebrate

We celebrate a life redeemed that is standing in eternity with one who redeemed him - Jesus Christ

In the end it is not about what you do or how you die it is about the one who came to redeem us

If Glen was standing here today - he would tell us all Jesus is the only choice we can make.

By faith we are taken into Christ, made at once safe from holy wrath against sin, and kept safe from all perils and penalties. He, our divine Redeemer, becomes to us the new sphere of harmony and unity with God and His law, with His life and His holiness. - A. T. Pierson

What will you choose today? You can walk out of here with regret and stay in that bondage, or redemption and freedom.

Revelation 3:20 CSB

See! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.