I bet you want life, deep, enduring, and fully satisfying life.

But you settle for shallow, fleeting and unsatisfying life.

If you search your conscience, you realize the things you do to “pass the time” are a waste.

How many vacations can you take? Does it really matter if you miss a television season’s premier? How much do you really need in your bank account, garage, storage unit or camp?

Do you need to mentally torture your sister, brother, roommate, wife or husband to feel better about yourself?

Do you do things when no one (that you can see) is looking that in a better moment you would say is wrong for others to do?

Where does this behavior come from?

They call it original sin. It’s not very original and no one has to teach you to do it.

Is there training for toddlers to learn how to pout and refuse to obey? Are there any classes for kindergarteners to learn how not to share? What about tutoring sessions for first graders to learn how to lie about not doing homework?

Supposedly, some folks in a Garden first disobeyed and passed down this inheritance of disobedience to us. Perhaps you don’t believe this could have happened.

Well, wouldn’t you like to be like God? What about not dying? These were the promises. Promises by half, unfulfilled and unfulfillable by the promiser.

However, God came to the Garden to look for His lost creations and He shed blood. Not theirs but from ones whose blood foreshadowed the blood shed for all who would believe in His atoning sacrifice that He would make in the fullness of time.

And what is the consequence of His sacrifice? It is deep, enduring, and fully satisfying life forever for those who bow their knee in surrender to Him now. And it is shallow, fleeting and unsatisfying life now for those who refuse. And they will bow to Him after death at the Judgment, when it is too late, and go away from Him forever.

So, do you want to live this shallow life forever until, of course, you die? Are you willing to gamble that we are extinguished at death with no consequences to you for what you have done?