By Pastor Steve Nickodemus

All Have Gone Astray

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“There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”
Proverbs 14:12 New International Version

When I got to church early one Sunday morning, I received a bad surprise.  There were 4 wheel drive marks over the whole church lawn.  Someone had clearly taken a wrong turn and destroyed our beautiful field.

If I could have spoken to the driver and asked them, “Why did you do this?”, they might have said, “I was just doing what I wanted and having some fun.”  But of course, the driver never thought about the destruction they had caused or did not care if they had.

The Lord warns us, “There is a way that appear to be right, but in the end it leads to death.”  Many people “do their own thing”, but going their own way has led to their own destruction and the destruction of others.  Perhaps we haven’t used a truck to tear up someone’s lawn, but “we all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way.” (Isaiah 53:6) We all have followed the wrong desires of our hearts and have not followed God’s way.  We, through our trespasses, have brought the consequences of eternal punishment and death upon our own heads!

What shall we do to escape the consequences of our foolish choices?  The rest of Isaiah 53:6 tells us; “and the Lord has laid on Him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.” Jesus Christ, God’s own Son, has willingly taken the punishment of our actions upon Himself.  He, in His great love, has sacrificed Himself upon the cross to save us from the way of death.

Jesus saves us.

Perhaps you have made some very foolish choices in your life and have strayed far away from God’s paths.  In Jesus Christ there is forgiveness and pardon, in His death for you He has given you life.  He is the Way!

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado