Tag: Salvation

Question: “Why Did God come to Earth?”

“It is only because he became like us that we can become like him.”

-Dietrich Bonehoffer

Jesus came to earth.  That impact alone has been felt through time, like a ripple in an ocean that eventually became a tidal wave.   God came to us!  This one statement should touch us in a way that no other statement on earth can compare itself to.  The Creator of this planet, and everything else for that matter, descended to our level…descended to become one of His creations.  Why?  Why would He do this?   What would the motivation be for Almighty God taking on human form?  Was He bored?  Was there nothing else to do?  Obviously there must be a reason.

The Reason:

John 3:16 tells us plainly the reason for God coming to us as a man.  “God so loved the world that He sent His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life!”  God loved us!  Not just the world that He created, but the men and women that He created in His own image…you and me!  God came to our level so that we might be saved.

Wait.

Saved from what?  Was there some sort of cosmic invasion?  Were there still dinosaurs out there that needed vanquishing and we needed protecting?  No!  So what were we saved from?

The answer is that we were saved from ourselves.  Huh?   What does that mean?   Romans chapter three puts it plainly for us: “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,  for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” –Romans 3:22-24 (NIV)

Everyone on this rock that we call Earth has sinned.  Everyone.  Romans 3:23 says “all have sinned.”  Back up a few verses and it also says, “There is no one righteous, not even one…” Romans 3:10 (NIV)  Since Adam and Eve broke God’s heart in the garden of Eden and committed the first sin, everyone who has ever lived carries this ‘sin gene’ within themselves.  There is no one on Earth that is good enough, holy enough or perfect enough to merit meeting the expectations of “righteous”.   So this is why God had to take on human form and save us.  He came to save us from ourselves.  To save us from our own punishment that is certain death without his redemption and sacrifice on our behalf.  God knew we needed a redeemer and so He provided a way for us to be saved.  Why do this for us?  Because He loves us that much!  He loves us more than we could ever comprehend or understand.  He loves us even before we reach out and reciprocate (or try to reciprocate) that love.  Then and only then can we truly understand what Jesus was saying when He said, “The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.” –John 10:10 (ASV)

Do you need some assurance today that you’re loved?  Do you realize just how important you are to God himself?  He extends His arms of love to us today and still says to us “I have come that you might have life, and have it abundantly!”   Our Father in heaven invites you to experience real life today.  If you need help learning more about this great love He has for you, begin by reading the gospel of John…read the gospels and especially read the very words of Jesus.  Don’t miss out on the abundant life that God has for you!  Don’t miss out on His love.  Begin today…I dare you! Image

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Crushed, Mushed, Yet Persistent

crushing your head

Ok I admit it, I used to love this sketch, but today it reminds me of something more than just comedy…although HA! This sketch still makes me laugh.

“In every way we’re troubled, but we aren’t crushed by our troubles. We’re frustrated, but we don’t give up.”

(2 Corinthians 4:8)

This has been one of my favorite passages for a long time, and I’ll tell you why…one word ‘Hope’.  Not ‘hope’ in the sense of wishes, like “I hope it will be warmer tomorrow”, but rather the confidence in something so much more absolute and dependable.  The hope that is conveyed here by the apostle Paul is a confidence in God and in the mission of this great truth of Christ.

If someone who had been beaten for his faith could relate to such an emotion as hope, then there must be something to it for us as well.  Paul had been obsessed with eradicating these heretic followers of Christ when he was known as Saul, before the blinding celestial lights on the highway to Damascus came on.  His experience there transformed him into a “won’t back down” kind of missionary and evangelist.  He wasn’t in it for fame, certainly not fortune because there was none and his political and notoriety took a nose dive following his decision to declare Christ’s message to the known world.  Paul knew that this road he was on would lead him to his eventual death…yet he didn’t take the next exit off this highway.

It kind of boggles the mind doesn’t it?  This dude was beaten for his faith; he had been put in chains, and was serving Christ in various house arrests, ship wreaks, and eventually his ultimate sacrifice of execution.   If there was ever a “who’s who” of hard-core Christ followers, Paul would most definitely be on that list!  Yet in his difficulties, in his personal struggles and leadership struggles, he writes this letter of encouragement and hope to a church he hadn’t seen in a year.

The very first chapter he writes; “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in ALL our afflictions so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, which the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”(2 Cor. 3-4).

Not only was Paul confident in this hope that was in God, but he wanted others to know this comfort, confidence and hope too.  His love for others placed him in danger yet he didn’t quit, withdraw, or deny his allegiance to God through the Messiah Christ Jesus.

Have you been crushed, pressed on all sides?  Do you feel discouraged, let down, torn by life circumstances?  Have you considered throwing up the white flag and giving up?  You are not alone!  I’ve been there, might be there again tomorrow…I don’t know.  But what I do know is that this message that Paul wrote a looooooong time ago, is for me and you too!  We may not face certain death for our convictions or declarations of faith, but we do face trouble because of it.  Your struggle might be spiritual, physical or a little of both.  Whatever you’re going through today, you are not alone, and God does NOT want you to give up either!

I’ve never been or wanted to be on the “who’s who” list of Hard-core followers of Christ, but I know still today, God calls us to take giant stands for Him, and whatever comes of these convictions and proclamations…we won’t back down or quit.  This isn’t some call to arms, or some strange militia rant, this is a declaration of faith, and the knowledge that God will comfort you and me even in the most difficult of circumstances.

So stand firm, be bold, and don’t give up!

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Les Miserables: A story of intervention, redemption and hope.

Their hands and feet are in chains.   The scenery begins with the misery of deplorable labor camp conditions; and if a prisoner dies, another takes their place.  Life is expendable and short lived in this hell on earth.    Their words echo and resound in our hearts: “Look down, look down don’t look ’em in the eye.  Look down, look down, you’re here until you die…The sun is strong It’s hot as hell below, Look down, look down, there’s twenty years to go. I’ve done no wrong! Sweet Jesus, hear my prayer! Look down look down, Sweet Jesus doesn’t care.”

Spoiler Alert…

This is the opening scene of Les Miserables, a book by Victor Hugo, transformed into a world renown musical and now a soon to be academy award winning movie.  The content of this story pulls at our heart strings, makes us weep at the human condition and lament the loss of love, life and hope.  But within the narration of this classical tale dwells a redemptive element that is personified in the character of Jean Valjean.  At the beginning of this tale,  Valjean is a prisoner because he broke into a bakery and stole a loaf of bread for his sister’s children who are starving.  He is convicted and sent to work in this labor camp prison and now identified by the law as prisoner 24601, his life is a perpetual hell…until he is paroled.  The story picks up following his release and his trouble only continues because of his identity as a convicted felon with his yellow identification card – indicating his post prison status.  He is taken in by a Bishop only to give into temptation and steals some valuable silverware, but Valjean is caught and brought back to the bishop.  At this point a first time reader might assume Valjean is doomed by his guilt, but the Bishop does something remarkable, he tells the police that he gave Jean Valjean the valuable silverware.  Following the departure of the police, the Bishop tells Valjean to take the valuable treasure of silverware and use it for good.  Jean Valjean is amazed, conflicted and broken by this gift of generosity and forgiveness.  He vows to use this gift for good and within this amazing story He keeps his promise by redeeming and saving others.

This is more than just a story of hope and salvation in humanity; this is our own redemptive story of grace and reconciliation given to us by God through His Son Jesus Christ.  We can identify with the character of Jean Valjean in many ways.  We too have been a prisoner, our prison is sin, condemned to live a life of hell without the hope of true salvation.  Living in our fallen world, we have all seen the evidence of the hopeless condition in humanity by just watching the news and witnessing horrific acts of violence, selfishness, greed, envy and so much more.  Conditions in parts of our world are deplorable and it even infects the very communities in which we live…there is no place on earth that we can escape these effects of sin.  Many, even those who have resources and are affluent, feel the weight and burden of such hopelessness.   Henry David Thoreau once said; “rather than love, than money, than fame, give me truth.”  The truth is this: we are hopelessly shackled to this life of depravity and sin without an external intervention breaking through and saving us.  The character of Jean Valjean is you and me.  What would have happened if that Bishop had not intervened?  He was the very hand of God in Valjean’s life.  We too need an external intervention.  Jesus was that intervention for you and for me.  When He came to this world He took upon Himself our sin and our shame…He took our place…that execution on the cross – should have been ours.  Can you feel the shackles breaking yet?  We have been given hope, a release from our death sentence; we’ve been taken in, cleaned up and restored in right relationship with God himself…because of Jesus’ intervention.  So what do we do with this grace, this forgiveness?  I think Victor Hugo had it right in Les Miserables!  His character Valjean doesn’t disappear never to be heard of again, instead he extends that hand of God, grace, hope and love in his intervention to others.  That is the essence of Redemption!  First it comes to us from an external intervention, and then we in turn extend that intervention to other…we become the very hands and feet of God.  Mark 16:15 says; “He (Jesus) said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.”   We become God’s intervention to the world…we don’t become God, but rather we are used by God to spread this good news!

So how about it, is it time of an intervention in our world?  Do you want to be a part of God’s redemptive plan in your life as well as the lives of others?  It begins with accepting this gift of redemption and grace that Christ gives to us all, then from there be a part of spreading that good news of His redemptive love to those around you!  This tale of Valjean is you and me…and we have been redeemed for a purpose…so do something about it! Image

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