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Many people today perceive God to be an angry ogre or a cosmic tyrant who relishes punishing sinners with eternal judgment. But this isn’t the truth of Scripture. In Ezekiel 18:32, the Bible tells us that God takes no pleasure in watching people perish. It brings Him no joy as sinners plunge over the edge of death into the abyss of an eternal hell. He would much rather see them turn to Him and live, instead of suffering the righteous wrath of His perfect justice.

When we search the Scriptures, we discover God is the ever-loving Father, with arms extended, heart yearning, and lips pleading with human beings to turn away from their sins. He urges all who would listen to repent of their sins — to turn away from them — before it is too late. It breaks His heart to watch sinners spurn the free gift of forgiveness that He offers through His son, Jesus Christ.

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Have you discovered the safety God has provided for you in Jesus Christ? Have your eyes caught a glimpse of the loving Father who beckons you to turn away from the awful cliff that leads to eternal death? The Bible affirms that Jesus is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). In other words, Jesus is the only way to safety. God promises that all those who turn from sin and trust in Jesus’ work on the cross will have their sins forgiven and enjoy the blessedness of eternal life.

Related: Here’s What This University Did About a Cross on Campus

But for all those who harden their hearts, refuse Christ, and stay in their sinful ways, Scripture teaches that they will go over an eternal cliff where there is no hope of return.

Simply put, I want them to turn and live.

Every Sunday, I stand in the lobby of our church and shake a hundred hands. It is my last chance to give my congregation some much-needed encouragement before they launch out into a new week. But even while my mind is engaged in this important task, I’m always on the lookout for those little ones careening toward the “stairway to hurt.” It’s why I reach out with a strong hand and a gracious word.

Simply put, I want them to turn and live.

In those anxious moments, I always know exactly what to do. It is precisely what a loving God did for sinners like me.

Pastor Ryan Day is senior pastor of Grace Baptist Church in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, where he has served for 18  years. He is a regular contributor to LifeZette.