In recent months much of the media and national attention was focused on the Congressional and Senate hearings of the Iran-Contra affair. Stemming from these hearings were two frequently repeated phrases. These two phrases are the topic of my article and how many use these in dealing with God and eternal things.

The first phrase we kept hearing was "pleading the Fifth Amendment." The United States Constitution states in the Fifth Amendment: "No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself."

Many of us cringe and perhaps even feel a bit upset and disappointed when we hear government officials use this Amendment to refrain from answering questions important and crucial to national policies. But yet many today do the same thing with God.

Just recently a friend of mine was witnessing to a lady of the love of God and was abruptly interrupted by the lady saying that she does not discuss religious things. My dear friend, are you as this poor lady? Do you feel by remaining silent, by pleading the Fifth Amendment, about your soul's destiny, that this will clear you of any responsibility to God or God's gift—His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ? One must go to God's Word to get the answers.

God's verdict on the world has been declared in Romans 3:23: "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." The little word "all" includes me and it includes you. We may remain silent but pleading the Fifth Amendment with God does not change our guilty condition.

Perhaps you say that you realize you are a sinner, guilty, included in God's verdict in Romans 3:23, but you feel you can work something out with God. This leads to the second phrase—"limited immunity."

When limited immunity is granted to one, this simply means if one cooperates with the prosecutors, they will lessen his punishment. Can one strike a deal with God?

Maybe you are depending on good works such as church attendance, kind deeds to your neighbors, baptism, whatever you might name. Can this get one good marks with God? Again we refer to God's Word for the answer. Isaiah 64:6 states that "All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." Filthy rags are absolutely worthless. What a description of ones good deeds!

So, my friend, we see "pleading the Fifth Amendment" and "limited immunity" cannot in any way be used when dealing with God.

You may ask, "What can I do to be right with God?" If so, you are now at the point of being helped. One must first see his need and helplessness before one can be saved.

We have already seen our guiltiness before God in Romans 3:23. Now it pleases me greatly to tell you: "For God so loved the world [YOU] that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever [YOU] believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life" (John 3:16). The provision for you has been made by God Himself.

You need to break your silence to God on this most important matter and use your mouth to confess Jesus Christ, God's Son as your PERSONAL Lord and Saviour. Don't remain silent! Quit trying to seek immunity! Simply receive God's gift of eternal life for you in the person of His Son and be saved. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom. 10:9,10).

If you decide now to neglect or refuse God's gift, I feel responsible to tell you that you will eventually be made to confess that Name. "That at the name of Jesus EVERY knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that EVERY tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10,11). Even in hell unbelievers will confess He is Lord, but to their eternal loss in the lake of fire. "And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire" (Rev. 20:15).

In closing, my friend, I plead with you, bow your knee NOW while it is still the day of God's rich grace, and confess with your mouth Jesus as YOUR Lord and Saviour.

—Joe Helsel