The Most Important Decision In Life
Adapted from a Commencement speech at Hillsdale College, May 13, 2023 by Robert Barron
Seeking after worldly things ... “is standing for all the ways in which we order the infinite longing of our hearts to something less than God. Because merely worldly things cannot, even in principle, satisfy our hungry souls. And when we persist in worshiping falsely, we find ourselves in short order caught in an addictive pattern, hopping obsessively, as it were, around the alter of pleasure, power, or fame, desperately seeking a satisfaction that will never come.”
And the necessary step you must make is to accept His free gift of salvation, which means you recognize and admit that you have done wrong, you have ignored God’s “laws” as are written by Him on your “heart” (your conscience), and you ask God to forgive your actions and pledge allegiance to Him and His common sense “laws.”
Unfortunately, there are potentially three obstacles to be overcome before any of us are able to accept Jesus as the Savior from our sins, and as our ultimate guide through life.
And, we can’t overcome these obstacles by ourselves ... we’ll need the help of the Holy Spirit of God.
[1] We are naturally attracted to objectives currently promoted in this world: pleasure; fame: worldly attractions that hijack God’s system and keep us away from God.
These attractions are tests and road blocks, that if you get caught up in them, they will really hurt you! Think about what goes on in your life around you; the politics, the competition, the backstabbing, sickness, despair ... all the result of a fallen world and mankind that has rejected God (but then blames God for the bad things that happen, especially to them. In legal contracts: “An act of God” always refers to bad events).
{2} Then, there’s us personally; our attitudes. Even with all the evidence of God’s care, provided even when we ignore Him: air to breathe, water to drink, the earth to provide food and wealth. Instead ... our main impetus is that we want “to do it my way,” not God’s way, and we look upon God’s way as an infringement on our freedom, a freedom that God gave us in the first place, called “free choice.” He doesn’t want robotic people to love Him. He only wants people who love Him, for Him!
{3} Then there is satan (who hides behind a caricature that the “world” created) who’s entire purpose is to challenge and upset God’s plans; plans He has for your life, with Him. So, if your nature alone isn’t enough to cause you to reject God’s offer to rescue you out from this present world of strife and pain, then satan will send temptations your way, one after another until you “fall” and then think, erroneously, you are now beyond rescue (salvation) because of all the bad things you’ve done!
SATAN’S VICTORY! You’re his now for all eternity, accompaning him to the Hell that is prepared for him and all his followers.
It is both our duty and privilege to help you past these impediments through prayer, entreating the Holy Spirit to urge you to embrace the Truth of God’s Word leading to your salvation so you can live as part of the family of God. Christians have all experienced these obstacles as God sought to rescue them from satan’s grasp. Typically, the person God was seeking experienced many “coincidental” encounters that further led the person to God!
It is our hope that the resources provided through this website will help you, and it is our prayer that you will respond to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
Jesus is waiting for you with arms unfurled!
He did it all (on the cross) to enable you to choose light and truth and true freedom, instead of darkness, false promises, and slavery to sinning.
*Christ gives us true freedom through faith in His promises*
We all are incapable of gaining salvation by our own means, by our works, even though that is our inclination.
We want to be in control. That’s why mankind in the past invented their own idols to worship which reflected their own thinking. So it is today, people making up their own criterior for how they will worship God, and fully expect that their “way” will lead to a salvation, of their choosing! They act as if they are a god, ignoring God’s Word and His directions for worship and salvation. Again, its just mankind wanting to be in control and unwilling to pay atention to what God has directed. They haven’t even read His Word! (Have you?)
There is no idol that we can create to supplant the One True God
The most important thing in life is that God knows you and that you know and follow God!