Jeremiah 29:11 tells us that God has a plan and purpose for your life. Many people will never know what that plan is because they never truly seek God to ask Him.
Jesus tells us in John 10:10 that Satan comes to steal our joy, kill our dreams and destroy our hope. But Jesus comes so that we may have a full life.
Jesus promises that we can have a full, abundant life, not just here on earth, but also in the eternity of heaven with Him.
We live in a fallen world full of sin that separates us from God. Nothing we can do will earn our way to heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us we are saved by grace, not by what we do or how good we are.
Alright, racers, let's look at God's Plan of Salvation this way:
A race car driver sees a set of flags in order to know how to get to the end of the race.
The Black Flag
For a racer, the black flag means trouble. Something is wrong with your car and you need to pull in the pits to be checked out or you did something wrong on the track and you have to serve a penalty.
For us, the black flag represents the sin in our lives. Romans 3:23 says we all have sinned and fall short of God's glory. It tells us we deserve death. Romans 6:23 says that the wages of sin are death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are all sinners, fall short of God's glory and deserve death. But God offers hope in His son Christ Jesus.
The Red Flag
For a racer, the red flag is to stop the race because of a bad wreck, rain or anything else that calls for the race to stop.
For us, the red reminds us of the blood Jesus shed on the cross for our sins. John 3:16 and Romans 5:8 tells us that God loved us so much that He sent His only Son, Jesus, to die for our sins so that we can have eternal life in heaven if we believe.
The Blue Flag
For a racer, the blue flag means you are too slow on the track. You need to move over for faster cars that are approaching from behind.
For us, the blue represents baptism. Romans 6:4 tells us we are buried in baptism waters in death but raised to a new life as Jesus was raised from the dead. Hebrews 11:1 also reminds us to live a life of faith. We may not be able to see Jesus or what He did on the cross, but we believe in faith it's true.
The White Flag
For a racer, the white flag means the race is almost over; one more lap to go.
For us, it reminds us in 1 John 1:9 that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us. All we have to do is confess them with a sincere heart, ask for forgiveness and turn from those sins. Just like the fresh, fallen snow that's pure, clean and white, the white flag represents forgiveness and purity. As the Bible says in Psalm 51:7, all of our sins can be forgiven and wiped away. All we have to do is confess them to God.
The Green Flag
For a racer, the green flag means the race is on. This flag starts the race at the beginning and restarts the race after a caution or red flag.
For us, the green flag represents our spiritual growth. In our daily walk with Christ we are to read and study our Bible to learn and grow as a Christian. 2 Peter 3:18 tells us to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Jeremiah 17:7 says that trusting God with our daily lives and growing in His Son Jesus teaches us how to live a life pleasing to Christ.
The Yellow Flag
For a racer, the yellow flag means slow down because there is debris or a wreck on the track that has to be cleaned up.
For us, the yellow flag represents eternity in heaven. John 14:3 tells us that Jesus is preparing a place in heaven for those who accept Him. John 5:24 says whoever hears His words and believes will have eternal life in heaven. Jesus is preparing a place for His believers so that one day, we will get to live with Him there.
The Checkerd Flag
For the racer, the checkered flag means the end of the race. For the one crossing the finish line first, they are declared the winner of the race.
For us, one day we will breath our last breath here on earth, or Jesus will return for His people. If you died today, would you be in heaven's victory lane a winner, or would you be disqualified and sent to an eternity in a place the Bible calls Hell?
You can know God's plan for you, live a full life of blessing here on earth and qualify for heaven's victory lane party. All it takes is a step of faith to accept, believe and confess. When you do these things, God will save you. Romans 10:9 says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
The Choice is Yours!
So, the choice is yours. You are not promised tomorrow on this earth. Why wait? You can have victory in Jesus today.
If you would like to talk to us more about what it means to accept and follow Jesus Christ, we'd love to talk to you. If you have already made this decision, we would love to hear that as well. Please drop us a quick note by clicking on the 'Commit to Jesus' button below.
We look forward to hearing from you!