Graduation Day

Congratulations graduates! You may (or may not) have been given good advice in all the speeches that you listened to this afternoon, but in the interest of giving you one bit of sound advice; here's one priceless bit of advice I've found to be invaluable and indispensable in my own life.  We all need wisdom and knowledge and understanding to be able to make the right decisions in life. The Bible says The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, knowledge and understanding.  And it says all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ Jesus.  So my advice to you is Fear God. That's right, fear God, and you'll have all the wisdom, knowledge and understanding you need for life. I do want to say that graduation is a huge milestone in your life. It's a BIG STEP.  And to that point Psalm 37:23-24 says, The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord : and He delights in his way.  Though he fall, he will not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholds him with his hand. Please don’t mark this night by going out and getting drunk. One third of the total number of alcohol related traffic accidents, occur during the graduation season. Your life is so much more valuable than a graduation night drinking party.  In fact, your life is incredibly valuable, even more valuable than all the money in the world.  To that, the Bible says what would it profit a man if he were to gain the whole world yet lose his own soul or what would a man give in exchange for his soul. Sadly though, many sell their soul for much less; a moment of illegitimate sexual pleasure, selfish ambition, a petty theft, a short lived high, a graduation night drinking party.  Your life is incredibly valuable that is true, but it's also true that we will all die. So the BIG question I have to ask you is, what will be your destiny on that day when you die?   When it's time for you exit time and enter into eternity, will you enter into eternal life?  Will you inherit the kingdom of heaven or will you suffer loss and end up in a place called hell?  The Bible says it is appointed unto man once to die and then comes the judgement. In school you took lots of exams and quizzes.  You were graded based on the answers you gave to the questions. We can examine ourselves using God’s law the Ten Commandments as a pre-test and we can see how we'll do on judgement day. I'll ask you four questions based on the Ten Commandments.  You don’t have to answer out loud, and you certainly don’t have to answer to me, but answer to yourself and listen to your conscience, and you can judge for yourself how you’ll do on that day when you have to stand before God and give an account for your life.

The Ten Commandments...

The Law leaves us all guilty and condemned before God.

Romans 3:20

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in God’s sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

How then can we receive eternal life, since no one deserves heaven?   Does everyone then go to hell?

Matt 19:26

Jesus said, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Then the Gospel is the power of God for salvation.

1 Corinthians 15:1

...the gospel ... by which you are saved, if you hold fast to it… is that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day  according to the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then to more than five hundred people at one time….

You must repent, for the Bible says in

Proverbs 28:13

Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper,  but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.

As important and valuable as it is to get a college education and a career where you can support yourself and your future family, remember, you can't take any of it with you when you go.

Job 1:21

“Naked you came from your mother’s womb, and naked shall you return. The LORD gives, and the LORD takes away; blessed be the name of the LORD.”.

1 Timothy 6:7

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

The Bible gives some strong warnings about the whole matter of indulging in alcohol :

Isaiah 5:20-22

Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, and shrewd in their own sight! Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, and valiant men in mixing strong drink,

Proverbs 20:1

Wine is a mocker, strong drink a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise.

You can either judge yourself now and agree with God that you lack righteousness,  that you are deficient in God's eyes,  that have fallen short of God's glory

Or

You will be judged by God:

Hebrews 10:26-31 For if we go on sinning deliberately after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,  but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.  Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has spurned the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?  For we know him who said, “Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, “The Lord will judge his people.”  It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Acts 17:30-31
God commands all men every where to repent:  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.”.

Romans 2:16
In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
...the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels,  In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:  Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; ] When he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day.

1 Peter 4:1-6 Since therefore Christ suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves with the same way of thinking, for whoever has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin,  so as to live for the rest of the time in the flesh no longer for human passions but for the will of God.  The time that is past suffices for doing what the Gentiles want to do, living in sensuality, passions, drunkenness, orgies, drinking parties, and lawless idolatry.  With respect to this they are surprised when you do not join them in the same flood of debauchery, and they malign you;  but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.  For this is why the gospel was preached even to those who are dead, that though judged in the flesh the way people are, they might live in the spirit the way God does.

Isaiah 55:6-7

Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14

Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.  For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.