Dusty-22 years old & Lance-29 years old (part 2)

**Read part 1 first
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"Can I tell you guys what I think will happen when we die? I'd be curious what you'd think," I asked.

"Sure," Dusty & Lance said eagerly.

"I believe that we were created by an infinite & powerful God who made us in His image. That means that we have the ability to make moral decisions--the ability to choose between right & wrong. When we die, we will be judged according to the Ten Commandments. Have you heard of those?" They both nodded, Lance more definitively, Dusty more hesitatingly as if searching to remember.

Directing my question to Lance, I said, "Can you name any of them?"

"There's something about theft or some kind of #%$&@%. Something about your neighbour."

"Yeah, you remember some. Let me help you out. Let's say that what I believe is true: God will judge us by the Ten Commandments. How do you think you would do?"

"Oh, I'd be screwed," Lance quickly affirmed. Dusty laughed, nodding his head in agreement.

"Well, let's look at a couple of them and see," I offered. "Have you ever lied or stolen anything?"

"#%$&@%  yeah," Lance said. Dusty nodded.

"Have you ever used God's name in vain? Do you find yourself using God's name as a cuss word?"

"I used to, but I try not to anymore," Lance admitted. Dusty nodded.

"Have you ever committed adultery?" They both hesitated so I clarified, "Adultery is having sex with anyone who is not your spouse."

Lance laughed pointing his finger at Dusty, "Dude, you  #%$&@  committed adultery 5 times this #%$&@! week." Dusty blushed like a kid caught with his hand in the cooking jar. Lance boasted, "I haven't had sex in a year. I'm like a  #%$&@%  born-again virgin!" he boasted, both fists in the air above his head.

"Did you know that Jesus said that if you look at a woman with lust, you've already committed adultery with her in your heart?" I queried.

"Aw,  #%$&@" he said. "I'm  #%$&@  screwed."

"Let me ask both of you something: If you were to die tonight and God judged you by the Ten Commandments, would he find you innocent or guilty of breaking them?"

They both said at the same time, "Guilty."

"But doesn't God forgive? I mean, if we ask him to forgive us, doesn't he have to?" Lance asked.

"Let's shift gears a bit. Let's say that your buddy, Dusty, killed your mom."

Dusty laughed nervously, but Lance began making fists and said to him, "If you did that, I'd #%$&@%  kill you. You don't  #%$&@% with my mom."

Trying to refocus him, I said, "Lance, what would you think if Dusty told the judge, 'I'm sorry for doing this, and I'll never do it again. Please forgive me.' And the judge lets him go. What would you think?

"I'd  #%$&@%  track him down and kill him," referring to Dusty while making fists with a scowl on his face.

"What would you think about the judge if he let him off without demanding justice?"

"He'd be a  #%$&@%  d'bag," he said with indignation.

"Well, let's transfer this to God. He is just & righteous and will no means clear the guilty. What would you think of God if he just swept things under the rug and just forgave everyone of their crimes?"

The wheels were turning in Lance's head. "I see what you mean," and then he protested, " If God judges us by the Ten Commandments, then we're all  #%$&@  screwed."

"Yes, we are," I concurred. "All of us, You, Dusty, Annie, and I are all screwed because we have all sinned and fallen short of God's glorious standard. But if you could go from being guilty to innocent on judgment day, wouldn't you want to know?"

"#%$&@%  yeah," said Lance. I looked at Dusty who nodded in agreement.

So I told them about how God became a man in the person of Jesus Christ. He lived the perfect life (obeyed the Ten Commandments perfectly) and died in the place of people like us. Because he did that, God can be just (the penalty has been paid) and merciful.

"Does that make sense?" I asked.

"Yeah, it does," Lance said he as turned to Dusty who was nodding in agreement. Then -- and this is the  great part -- Lance began to ask Dusty,"Can you imagine anyone being willing to take your   #%$&@%  punishment? I mean, a priest or a rabbi or some other good person might be willing to, but really, who would want to do that for you?" Dusty continued to nod his head in agreement.

I said, "You don't know this but you are basically quoting Scripture: 'For a good person, someone might be willing to die. But God demonstrates his love for us in this, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Dusty & Lance were hanging on every word.

"Guys," I said, "you've heard the bad news (we're all screwed because we've all sinned) and you've heard the good news (Christ died for people like us). Now we've got to do something with what we've heard. We have to respond to this news, and we do that by turning from our sins and trusting in what Christ did for us. 'For God so loved the world that he sent his only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."

"Wow, I've got a lot to think about," said Lance.

Nodding in agreement, Dusty said, "Yeah, me too."

Annie & I encouraged them to think deeply on these things and to respond to the gospel. Neither of them had a copy of the Bible, so I gave Dusty a New Testament and Lance a copy of The Essential Jesus (the Gospel of Luke), along with booklets explaining the Gospel for which they were thankful.  Lance said he'd read the Gospel of John before, and he opened to it and was skimming the words.

I asked if I could take a picture with them, and they were delighted to do so. They insisted that I stand in the middle of them. From left to right, Lance, yours truly, and Dusty.

Luke 19:10, "For the Son of Man came to seek and save the lost."
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Lord Jesus, would you seek out and save these two new friends, Lance & Dusty. My heart breaks for them, but I sense your pursuit of them. Just as you have shown mercy to me, would you show mercy to them?