"Then said Jesus again unto them, I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come. Then said the Jews, Will he kill himself? because he saith, Whither I go, ye cannot come. And he said unto them, Ye are from beneath; I am from above: ye are of this world; I am not of this world. I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins." John 8:21-24
What a terrible thing to die in your sins -- to die and stand before the holy Judge of all still bearing the uncleanness and guilt of your sins! Yet, this is what was soon to happen to a great many of the Jews in Jesus' day. Jesus warned them, "I go my way, and ye shall seek me, and shall die in your sins: whither I go, ye cannot come" (John 8:21).
Because so many of His Jewish hearers saw no need to repent of their sins and trust in Jesus as their Messiah and Savior, they would die in their sins and face the eternal wrath and condemnation of God. Where Jesus was going -- to the right hand of God the Father in heaven (cf. John 14:1ff.; Eph. 2:20f.) -- they would not be able to come! Instead, they faced a Christless eternity and the everlasting torments of hell!
Again, Jesus warned them, "I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins" (John 8:24).
Jesus' words still ring out today! Many are headed to an eternity of everlasting punishment for their sins. Unless people repent and turn to God's Son, Jesus Christ, who was lifted up on the cross to suffer and die there for us and bear the full punishment for our sins and the sins of the whole world, they will die in their sins and face the holy God in their own uncleanness and guilt!
What about you? Will you die in the guilt of your sins and face the eternal wrath of an angry God? Or will you, by the grace of God, turn to Jesus and receive His full and complete pardon and forgiveness for your sins and enjoy the everlasting blessings of life in heaven with Him?
The Bible tells us: "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: so Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation" (Hebrews 9:27-28).
Jesus has already died and paid in full for your sins. His resurrection on the third day is proof that God accepted His death as full payment for the sins of the world (cf. 1 Cor. 15:3,4; Rom. 4:23-25)! Why die in your sins and be condemned by God? Turn in faith to Jesus and His shed blood and be forgiven and saved (Cf. 2 Cor. 5:19-6:2)!
O dearest Jesus, have mercy upon our wayward hearts and draw us to You so that we might not enter eternity bearing the guilt and condemnation for our sins but have, instead, the assurance of forgiveness and life everlasting for the sake of Your holy and precious blood, shed for us upon the cross. Amen.
--Scripture is quoted from the King James Version of the Bible. Devotion is by Randy Moll. He may be contacted by email at [email protected]. More of Moll's devotional writings are freely available at https://mercifulsaviorlutheran.net. Opinions expressed are those of the author.