Gethsemane

The battle for your soul was not decided hill of Golgotha. Yes, the battle was won when Jesus died on the cross in your place. But that's not where the battle was decided. The outcome of the battle for your soul was decided on the previous evening on another hill outside of Jerusalem.

The battle was decided on when Jesus fell on his face, sweat blood and cried out to God, 'Let this cup pass from me!' It was his last chance to say to God, 'I don't want to go through with this.' He expressed his deepest, most honest feelings - the cross, the horrible, painful death he faced was not his choice; if there was any other way...please let there be another way.

But then he said, 'Not my will, but yours be done.' The battle for your soul was won on Golgotha, but it was decided on Gethsemane. It was decided when Jesus knew what had to be done and chose to do it. The beating, the thorns, the whip, the scorn, the insults, the nails were all extraneous because the decision had already been made. Jesus knew there was only one way to save you and he decided that whatever it took, that's what he would do. Long before he faced the Sanhedrin, long before Pilate turned him over to be crucified, it was decided.

The battle for your soul will not be decided in a moment of temptation. Long before that moment comes, you know what has to be done, and you have a choice to make. It's the choice you make now to do whatever it takes that will decide the battle. What will you choose?