Don't think there's a God? Take some time and read this.. Just This Once.
"Just This Once" by Dr. James W. Blanchard PhD.
Is There A God?
Thousands of books have been written about it. Philosophers have dedicated their entire lives to studying the question: Is there a God? Before we actually consider that question, it might be beneficial to first ask, "Does it really matter?" Think about it this way. If you walk to the ocean and dip in a cup, you could let the water in the cup represent the time period of you r life here on this planet. The water left in the ocean would then represent the time period of your physical death and absence from this world. If there is a God, or such a thing as life after death, it only makes sense to believe that most people would be interested in learning about Him. Our fate throughout eternity is VERY important. Does it really matter? Of course it does!
One of the more convincing arguments for the existence of God is called design theory. It basically states that the complexity of life proves the existence of a designer.
For example, consider the odds of a tornado winding its way into a junk yard and then through a random assembling of parts, producing a working model of the US Space Shuttle. They are about the same as the odds required for life on this planet to have developed by chance. Similarly, imagine that you are walking through a desert region.
Suddenly you see a flash of light reflecting from the sand. You reach down and lift up a beautiful quartz watch. It is running and is set to the correct time and date. The unique thing about this watch has to do with its history and origin. No one lost it. No one even made it. Rather through a combination of the sun, wind, and other elements of nature, over a period of many years, the watch was spontaneously formed in the sand.
If you believe this sounds like a "fairy tale" without anything to do with reality, you are right! However, you should also conclude that the theory which insists that life on this planet came into being by chance is also nothing more than a fairy tale as the odds for their occurring is about equal to those of the watch being spontaneously formed in the sand.
The most logical conclusion is that somewhere along the line in the development of life on this planet, a directing force, God, entered into the equation and brought forth order out of chaos. God's Interaction With Us
If God does exist then certainly there should be recorded somewhere in history some evidence of an interaction between Him (and I use the masculine pronoun without being gender specific, no offense ladies} and the creatures He caused to develop here. Even a child interacts with an ant farm and a master interacts with a pet. Where then is there to be found some evidence of God interacting with mankind?
Certainly the answer is not to be found in religion. Religions come into existence as individuals seek to reach out to the god they have created. Depending upon their culture, parents, and a host of other social, economic, and geographic factors concerning any particular individual, the god that is worshipped by that individual is most often a god of his or her own creation. That kind of god is no more than a "god in a box," that fits nicely into someone's own neatly formed
point of view.
In reality, it is not at all improper to think that in all likelihood, God in His fullness is beyond our finite ability to comprehend completely. It might be helpful for you to think of God as a large brilliant diamond with many facets shining forth from his being. You could spend your whole life studying and searching Him out and still only come to a partial understanding of a few of the facets that make up his fullness. Like three blind men trying to describe an elephant: one insisting the elephant is like a large hose, as he was the one touching its trunk; a second insisting that the elephant is like a feather duster, as he was the one touching its tail; and the third insisting that the elephant is like a wall, as he was the one touching its side; we as human beings grope at God in the darkness and develop various points of view regarding Him.
This brings us back to the original question: Where is there evidence of God's interaction with mankind? There must be some kind of supernatural, miraculous event that stands out in history. It must be something truly unique that we can point to as being a reliable manifestation of God interacting with the race of man. Throughout history, many great spiritual leaders have emerged. Confucius put together a group of thoughts about life, relationships, and how things work. Yet he never made any supernatural claims about himself. In fact, most major historical religious leaders have refrained from making any miraculous claims about themselves. Also every great religious leader throughout history has ended up like everyone else who has ever been born and lived. They have all ended up DEAD, with one claimed exception: Jesus Christ is said to have risen from the dead.
We know from evidence and historical materials even outside the framework of "religious writings" that Jesus lived as a real person and was not just some mythical creation. Heathen historians testify of His followers.
Jesus was apparently born a simple man. He became well known as a teacher and charismatic leader. He was arrested as a heretic and accused as a leader of an insurrection, and was summarily executed. This is not at all an uncommon series of events. Even so, unlike other martyred religious leaders, Jesus represented himself differently. Other religious leaders taught their followers to be carbon copies of themselves as they sought a deeper relationship with god. Jesus on the other hand did not seek to have his followers do what he did. Instead he said things like "Where I am going, you can not come." He also made some very astonishing claims about himself saying: "No man can enter heaven unless He comes in through me." "God and I are one, " and "I will die and three days later rise from the dead." Where some people get the idea that Jesus was nothing more than a "good man" or a "great prophet" I do not know. Jesus was either crazy, or He was exactly what he made himself out to be: A VERIFIABLE POINT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND! The key is in His claim that he would return from the dead. If he did indeed come back from the dead we then have a reason to believe He was what he claimed to be. Further more, if he did come back from the dead, we have a reason to further explore what He taught. Once again volumes have been written on this subject, but to summarize on concept in a few short pages will be sufficient.
When Jesus' followers saw him arrested and condemned they did as most of us would do. They feared for their own lives. They even denied ever knowing him at all. When they gathered together after his death they met only in secret. After all, they had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the man who would lead their nation in victory over the oppressors. Now he was dead. They were bewildered and perhaps even felt somewhat betrayed by him. From their own earthly perspective he had "let them down." Then something happened.
This weak, fearful and discouraged little group became militant and bold. They stopped hiding in fear and shame. They started proclaiming Jesus once again as the Messiah, declaring to everyone that he had risen from the grave. They did this openly and defiantly. For their actions they died horrible deaths and suffered unimaginable torture such as being dragged by horses, impaled by swords, crucified upside down, and even dropped alive into boiling oil.
Something had happened to them. Something so dramatic and life changing that it took them from being defeated, fearful, whimpering weaklings to dramatic, dynamic, dogmatic warriors. What could possibly bring about such a change? The solution is obvious. They actually had seen Jesus alive three days after they had seen him dead and buried. He hadn't been resuscitated. Just prior to being crucified he had been beaten to an unrecognizable bloody mess. Then he was whipped by leather straps with little lead balls on the ends till the flesh was ripped from his back. After His crucifixion He was stabbed with a spear allowing his bodily fluids to poor forth from him. If those types of injuries had not actually been fatal, which they certainly were, it would have taken weeks, months, perhaps even years for him to recover from them; NOT THREE DAYS. No! He had actually died and been resurrected from the dead. Some people also clim that the disciples lied about seeing Him alive again, but for each of them to die for such a lie, isolated and alone is too far fetched to believe. There is only one conclusion that makes sense. Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, just like he said he would be. That clearly identifies him as a definite point of interaction between the physical world and another, supernatural world. It makes him a point of interaction between God and mankind. There may be and may have been other such points of interaction of which I am not aware, but this one, Jesus Christ, is certain. He was and is exactly what He claimed to be, the resurrection proves it.
The True Purpose of Christ
Whether or not you believe the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the disobedient act of Adam that brought separation between God and mankind is at this point not that important. A dog sometimes bites his masters
hand or a cat sharpens its claws on the new furniture. This causes serious repercussions. Similarly, somewhere in the past there has been a rift created between God and mankind. It has strained the relationship between the two to the point of almost total alienation. As a result, Jesus said that those people who were members of this "wicked and adulterous generation" would be cast into "outer darkness" at a time of coming judgment.
The thought of being separated from God forever, or enduring some type of eternal punishment isn't a pleasant one. For that reason the concept of "hell" has been denied by many religious groups and many individuals. It is important once again to remember that the opinions of various religious groups are not to be taken too seriously by themselves. You need to go to the source, study the situation, and make your own , educated decision. Since the only verifiable interaction point between God and mankind is Jesus Christ; and since he said that there would be some people who would depart into "everlasting fire:" it becomes important to take what He said seriously. I personally would like to avoid such a fate and so would, I assume, many other people.
An in depth evaluation of the teachings of Jesus will bring you to an understanding of His mission. He came here to provide mankind with a way to avoid the perils of outer darkness and everlasting fire.
Perhaps this can best be illustrated with three short stories. First, imagine you and a friend go out to a fine restaurant to eat. After the meal you discover that you don't have the money to pay the bill. There are two possible outcomes I want you to consider in this situation. You could be thrown in jail, or your friend could pay the bill for you. Imagine your friend does pay the bill. Now you no longer owe the restaurant, but instead you owe your friend. You would most likely apologize, tell your friend you never want this sort of thing to happen again, and ask your friend to forgive you. Your friend would then most likely accept your apology and perhaps even forgive the debt, not requiring that you pay back the amount you owe him at a later date.
Keep this story in mind as we move on to the next one. Imagine yourself as a young child playing ball in the back yard. Suddenly you take a great swing with the bat and make perfect contact with the ball. You watch gleefully, but your joy turns to fear as the ball sails over the fence and breaks through your neighbors window. As you could expect, your neighbor would be angry and want his window replaced. You however are a child. There would be no way you could
possibly pay such a debt. Then, just when it seems there is no way out, your brother steps forward and offers to pay for the damages in full. Your neighbor doesn't care who pays, he just wants his window fixed. Once the broken window
is fixed, your strained relationship with your neighbor would once again be restored. On the other hand, you would still owe your brother for the window. In all likelihood, because your brother loves you and knows that it isn't possible for you to repay him, when he hears you tell how sorry you are and hears you ask him to forgive you, He would say "Forget it, it's OK." He would probably even explain that you don't have to pay him back.
It is important to remember here that your brother has every right to forgive you. Your neighbor has been completely taken out of the situation. Your brother has personally taken care of the problem. That gives him the right and the power to forgive you if he chooses to do so.
Finally, imagine you are sitting at home and the phone rings. On the other end is a famous athlete, a real sports hero. You have seen this person play on TV. You have read about this person in the news, but you have never met him. He explains to you that he has a ticket for the big game tonight and wants you to have it. He invites you to meet him at the gate. You get ready, drive to the game and sure enough there stands the star, waiting for you at the gate. He has one ticket in his hand. It is HIS TICKET. You come to the gate and He gives you his ticket so that you can go in. Then the guard at the gate lets him in anyway, without a ticket. After all, he is the star and he really doesn't need a ticket. They know him at the door.
So you say, what do these three stories have to do with God, His relationship with mankind, and the work of Jesus Christ? Consider this. We come into this world, God's creation. We partake of life as individuals with free will. Along the way we break God's laws, accumulate a debt that we can't possibly pay, and throughout life develop a desire for something better. We owe our very lives to God and hope for an opportunity to go from here to a new life.
God in his infinite mercy has demonstrated a great love for mankind. Even though ancient manuscripts testify that "death" is to be the result of disobedience, God has provided a means of escaping that "death sentence" through Jesus Christ. Because of his unique birth and flawless life, Jesus Christ owed no debt to God. He broke no laws and therefore possessed the right to go forward from this world into an eternal life with God. Because he owed God nothing for himself, he possessed the "value" required for the disobedience of others, His life! He willingly allowed himself to be put to death in our place. God allowed our punishment to be placed upon him instead of us. He then was cast into darkness and tormented in separation from God.
Many people fail to realize that the Bible says Jesus "descended into hell" after his death. Three days and three nights later, because he truly didn't deserve to be there, God brought him back from the dead. He then went forward into the life with God that he deserved.
As our friend, He paid the price we owed to God for the life we partake of here on earth. As our brother He has restored the broken relationship we had with God. As the greatest "hero" who has ever lived, he offers to us "his right" to enter into a future life with God. Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God and mankind have been reunited. We no longer owe God anything. The debt has been paid in full. Our strained relationship has been reconciled. The "ticket" is in the hand of Jesus and He is offering it to each one of us. This is certainly Good News! It is the true message of Christ!
Your Next Move
The next question you should be asking yourself is, "What do I need to do to make sure that I can go forward into a future, better life with God?" First of all, I can tell you that the answer has nothing to do with your stand on abortion, your sexual preference, what you drink, how you dress, how you war your hair, or any other earthly physical, "fleshly," thing. Don't get me wrong. God is very interested in holiness, and righteousness! What is important to understand is that He alone will help you work through any problems that HE SEES with your life as you grow closer to Him You need to work out the details of those changes with God, not man. He will change you into what He wants you to be as you meditate, study, and grow spiritually. Physical perfection here in the world is not the starting point in any relationship with God. Furthermore, man's definition of spiritual perfection is not the same as God's definition. This takes us back to the question, what do you need to do now. The starting point is simple. Just like a friend who apologizes for being unable to pay his restaurant bill, we need to apologize to Jesus Christ for our part in making him pay our debt to God. Just like a child would thank a brother for taking care of a problem with a broken window, we need to thank Jesus Christ for taking care of the problem of our broken relationship with God. Just like a fan might receive a ticket to the "big game" from a star athlete, we need to receive from Jesus Christ the right to enter into a new life with God.
Throughout history, the most relied upon means of communication with God on a Spiritual level has been through meditation and prayer. The same methods can be used today to communicate with God in Christ. The exact words are unimportant. If you have difficulty praying, here is a prayer for you to read that will help get you started. Relax, take a deep breath and read the following prayer, softly, out loud, as though you were standing face to face with God and our Savior Jesus Christ!
"Father in Heaven I thank you for sending Jesus into the world. Jesus, I apologize for putting you through all the pain and suffering you went through for me. I know you paid the price to God for my failures. I understand that you suffered in my place and I am sorry for all that I have done to cause that. Please forgive me. I receive the gift of life you offer me and I am glad God brought you back from the dead. You certainly didn't deserve to die. I truly thank you for everything you have done, and want you to come into my life and give me a place in Heaven. I pray in your name Jesus. Amen"
That's it! That is all it takes to begin your new life! On the other hand if you've just read through that prayer like you've read the rest of this article, STOP, go back, and read it again, this time with sincerity. It is like turning on a light in a darkened room. You will never be the same again.
It is important to know that beginning a new life with Jesus Christ is a lot like planting a seed. A seed needs sunlight, warmth, and care in order to grow and flourish. The seed of Christ that is planted in those who receive Him needs similar things for it to grow also. A combination of studying the Bible, prayer, and regular contact with other faithful Christians in Church or Bible study will help provide you with what you need to grow spiritually. You have to learn to walk in Faith, trusting God with every aspect of your life.
People have a basic need to be productive in this world. The same is true on a spiritual level. You NEED to get involved in some form of Christian service. Membership in a local Bible believing and Gospel preaching church will provide you with opportunities to join other Christians in ministering to the needs of your local community.
Is There A God?
Thousands of books have been written about it. Philosophers have dedicated their entire lives to studying the question: Is there a God? Before we actually consider that question, it might be beneficial to first ask, "Does it really matter?" Think about it this way. If you walk to the ocean and dip in a cup, you could let the water in the cup represent the time period of you r life here on this planet. The water left in the ocean would then represent the time period of your physical death and absence from this world. If there is a God, or such a thing as life after death, it only makes sense to believe that most people would be interested in learning about Him. Our fate throughout eternity is VERY important. Does it really matter? Of course it does!
One of the more convincing arguments for the existence of God is called design theory. It basically states that the complexity of life proves the existence of a designer.
For example, consider the odds of a tornado winding its way into a junk yard and then through a random assembling of parts, producing a working model of the US Space Shuttle. They are about the same as the odds required for life on this planet to have developed by chance. Similarly, imagine that you are walking through a desert region.
Suddenly you see a flash of light reflecting from the sand. You reach down and lift up a beautiful quartz watch. It is running and is set to the correct time and date. The unique thing about this watch has to do with its history and origin. No one lost it. No one even made it. Rather through a combination of the sun, wind, and other elements of nature, over a period of many years, the watch was spontaneously formed in the sand.
If you believe this sounds like a "fairy tale" without anything to do with reality, you are right! However, you should also conclude that the theory which insists that life on this planet came into being by chance is also nothing more than a fairy tale as the odds for their occurring is about equal to those of the watch being spontaneously formed in the sand.
The most logical conclusion is that somewhere along the line in the development of life on this planet, a directing force, God, entered into the equation and brought forth order out of chaos. God's Interaction With Us
If God does exist then certainly there should be recorded somewhere in history some evidence of an interaction between Him (and I use the masculine pronoun without being gender specific, no offense ladies} and the creatures He caused to develop here. Even a child interacts with an ant farm and a master interacts with a pet. Where then is there to be found some evidence of God interacting with mankind?
Certainly the answer is not to be found in religion. Religions come into existence as individuals seek to reach out to the god they have created. Depending upon their culture, parents, and a host of other social, economic, and geographic factors concerning any particular individual, the god that is worshipped by that individual is most often a god of his or her own creation. That kind of god is no more than a "god in a box," that fits nicely into someone's own neatly formed
point of view.
In reality, it is not at all improper to think that in all likelihood, God in His fullness is beyond our finite ability to comprehend completely. It might be helpful for you to think of God as a large brilliant diamond with many facets shining forth from his being. You could spend your whole life studying and searching Him out and still only come to a partial understanding of a few of the facets that make up his fullness. Like three blind men trying to describe an elephant: one insisting the elephant is like a large hose, as he was the one touching its trunk; a second insisting that the elephant is like a feather duster, as he was the one touching its tail; and the third insisting that the elephant is like a wall, as he was the one touching its side; we as human beings grope at God in the darkness and develop various points of view regarding Him.
This brings us back to the original question: Where is there evidence of God's interaction with mankind? There must be some kind of supernatural, miraculous event that stands out in history. It must be something truly unique that we can point to as being a reliable manifestation of God interacting with the race of man. Throughout history, many great spiritual leaders have emerged. Confucius put together a group of thoughts about life, relationships, and how things work. Yet he never made any supernatural claims about himself. In fact, most major historical religious leaders have refrained from making any miraculous claims about themselves. Also every great religious leader throughout history has ended up like everyone else who has ever been born and lived. They have all ended up DEAD, with one claimed exception: Jesus Christ is said to have risen from the dead.
We know from evidence and historical materials even outside the framework of "religious writings" that Jesus lived as a real person and was not just some mythical creation. Heathen historians testify of His followers.
Jesus was apparently born a simple man. He became well known as a teacher and charismatic leader. He was arrested as a heretic and accused as a leader of an insurrection, and was summarily executed. This is not at all an uncommon series of events. Even so, unlike other martyred religious leaders, Jesus represented himself differently. Other religious leaders taught their followers to be carbon copies of themselves as they sought a deeper relationship with god. Jesus on the other hand did not seek to have his followers do what he did. Instead he said things like "Where I am going, you can not come." He also made some very astonishing claims about himself saying: "No man can enter heaven unless He comes in through me." "God and I are one, " and "I will die and three days later rise from the dead." Where some people get the idea that Jesus was nothing more than a "good man" or a "great prophet" I do not know. Jesus was either crazy, or He was exactly what he made himself out to be: A VERIFIABLE POINT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN GOD AND MANKIND! The key is in His claim that he would return from the dead. If he did indeed come back from the dead we then have a reason to believe He was what he claimed to be. Further more, if he did come back from the dead, we have a reason to further explore what He taught. Once again volumes have been written on this subject, but to summarize on concept in a few short pages will be sufficient.
When Jesus' followers saw him arrested and condemned they did as most of us would do. They feared for their own lives. They even denied ever knowing him at all. When they gathered together after his death they met only in secret. After all, they had believed that Jesus was the Messiah, the man who would lead their nation in victory over the oppressors. Now he was dead. They were bewildered and perhaps even felt somewhat betrayed by him. From their own earthly perspective he had "let them down." Then something happened.
This weak, fearful and discouraged little group became militant and bold. They stopped hiding in fear and shame. They started proclaiming Jesus once again as the Messiah, declaring to everyone that he had risen from the grave. They did this openly and defiantly. For their actions they died horrible deaths and suffered unimaginable torture such as being dragged by horses, impaled by swords, crucified upside down, and even dropped alive into boiling oil.
Something had happened to them. Something so dramatic and life changing that it took them from being defeated, fearful, whimpering weaklings to dramatic, dynamic, dogmatic warriors. What could possibly bring about such a change? The solution is obvious. They actually had seen Jesus alive three days after they had seen him dead and buried. He hadn't been resuscitated. Just prior to being crucified he had been beaten to an unrecognizable bloody mess. Then he was whipped by leather straps with little lead balls on the ends till the flesh was ripped from his back. After His crucifixion He was stabbed with a spear allowing his bodily fluids to poor forth from him. If those types of injuries had not actually been fatal, which they certainly were, it would have taken weeks, months, perhaps even years for him to recover from them; NOT THREE DAYS. No! He had actually died and been resurrected from the dead. Some people also clim that the disciples lied about seeing Him alive again, but for each of them to die for such a lie, isolated and alone is too far fetched to believe. There is only one conclusion that makes sense. Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, just like he said he would be. That clearly identifies him as a definite point of interaction between the physical world and another, supernatural world. It makes him a point of interaction between God and mankind. There may be and may have been other such points of interaction of which I am not aware, but this one, Jesus Christ, is certain. He was and is exactly what He claimed to be, the resurrection proves it.
The True Purpose of Christ
Whether or not you believe the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and the disobedient act of Adam that brought separation between God and mankind is at this point not that important. A dog sometimes bites his masters
hand or a cat sharpens its claws on the new furniture. This causes serious repercussions. Similarly, somewhere in the past there has been a rift created between God and mankind. It has strained the relationship between the two to the point of almost total alienation. As a result, Jesus said that those people who were members of this "wicked and adulterous generation" would be cast into "outer darkness" at a time of coming judgment.
The thought of being separated from God forever, or enduring some type of eternal punishment isn't a pleasant one. For that reason the concept of "hell" has been denied by many religious groups and many individuals. It is important once again to remember that the opinions of various religious groups are not to be taken too seriously by themselves. You need to go to the source, study the situation, and make your own , educated decision. Since the only verifiable interaction point between God and mankind is Jesus Christ; and since he said that there would be some people who would depart into "everlasting fire:" it becomes important to take what He said seriously. I personally would like to avoid such a fate and so would, I assume, many other people.
An in depth evaluation of the teachings of Jesus will bring you to an understanding of His mission. He came here to provide mankind with a way to avoid the perils of outer darkness and everlasting fire.
Perhaps this can best be illustrated with three short stories. First, imagine you and a friend go out to a fine restaurant to eat. After the meal you discover that you don't have the money to pay the bill. There are two possible outcomes I want you to consider in this situation. You could be thrown in jail, or your friend could pay the bill for you. Imagine your friend does pay the bill. Now you no longer owe the restaurant, but instead you owe your friend. You would most likely apologize, tell your friend you never want this sort of thing to happen again, and ask your friend to forgive you. Your friend would then most likely accept your apology and perhaps even forgive the debt, not requiring that you pay back the amount you owe him at a later date.
Keep this story in mind as we move on to the next one. Imagine yourself as a young child playing ball in the back yard. Suddenly you take a great swing with the bat and make perfect contact with the ball. You watch gleefully, but your joy turns to fear as the ball sails over the fence and breaks through your neighbors window. As you could expect, your neighbor would be angry and want his window replaced. You however are a child. There would be no way you could
possibly pay such a debt. Then, just when it seems there is no way out, your brother steps forward and offers to pay for the damages in full. Your neighbor doesn't care who pays, he just wants his window fixed. Once the broken window
is fixed, your strained relationship with your neighbor would once again be restored. On the other hand, you would still owe your brother for the window. In all likelihood, because your brother loves you and knows that it isn't possible for you to repay him, when he hears you tell how sorry you are and hears you ask him to forgive you, He would say "Forget it, it's OK." He would probably even explain that you don't have to pay him back.
It is important to remember here that your brother has every right to forgive you. Your neighbor has been completely taken out of the situation. Your brother has personally taken care of the problem. That gives him the right and the power to forgive you if he chooses to do so.
Finally, imagine you are sitting at home and the phone rings. On the other end is a famous athlete, a real sports hero. You have seen this person play on TV. You have read about this person in the news, but you have never met him. He explains to you that he has a ticket for the big game tonight and wants you to have it. He invites you to meet him at the gate. You get ready, drive to the game and sure enough there stands the star, waiting for you at the gate. He has one ticket in his hand. It is HIS TICKET. You come to the gate and He gives you his ticket so that you can go in. Then the guard at the gate lets him in anyway, without a ticket. After all, he is the star and he really doesn't need a ticket. They know him at the door.
So you say, what do these three stories have to do with God, His relationship with mankind, and the work of Jesus Christ? Consider this. We come into this world, God's creation. We partake of life as individuals with free will. Along the way we break God's laws, accumulate a debt that we can't possibly pay, and throughout life develop a desire for something better. We owe our very lives to God and hope for an opportunity to go from here to a new life.
God in his infinite mercy has demonstrated a great love for mankind. Even though ancient manuscripts testify that "death" is to be the result of disobedience, God has provided a means of escaping that "death sentence" through Jesus Christ. Because of his unique birth and flawless life, Jesus Christ owed no debt to God. He broke no laws and therefore possessed the right to go forward from this world into an eternal life with God. Because he owed God nothing for himself, he possessed the "value" required for the disobedience of others, His life! He willingly allowed himself to be put to death in our place. God allowed our punishment to be placed upon him instead of us. He then was cast into darkness and tormented in separation from God.
Many people fail to realize that the Bible says Jesus "descended into hell" after his death. Three days and three nights later, because he truly didn't deserve to be there, God brought him back from the dead. He then went forward into the life with God that he deserved.
As our friend, He paid the price we owed to God for the life we partake of here on earth. As our brother He has restored the broken relationship we had with God. As the greatest "hero" who has ever lived, he offers to us "his right" to enter into a future life with God. Because of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God and mankind have been reunited. We no longer owe God anything. The debt has been paid in full. Our strained relationship has been reconciled. The "ticket" is in the hand of Jesus and He is offering it to each one of us. This is certainly Good News! It is the true message of Christ!
Your Next Move
The next question you should be asking yourself is, "What do I need to do to make sure that I can go forward into a future, better life with God?" First of all, I can tell you that the answer has nothing to do with your stand on abortion, your sexual preference, what you drink, how you dress, how you war your hair, or any other earthly physical, "fleshly," thing. Don't get me wrong. God is very interested in holiness, and righteousness! What is important to understand is that He alone will help you work through any problems that HE SEES with your life as you grow closer to Him You need to work out the details of those changes with God, not man. He will change you into what He wants you to be as you meditate, study, and grow spiritually. Physical perfection here in the world is not the starting point in any relationship with God. Furthermore, man's definition of spiritual perfection is not the same as God's definition. This takes us back to the question, what do you need to do now. The starting point is simple. Just like a friend who apologizes for being unable to pay his restaurant bill, we need to apologize to Jesus Christ for our part in making him pay our debt to God. Just like a child would thank a brother for taking care of a problem with a broken window, we need to thank Jesus Christ for taking care of the problem of our broken relationship with God. Just like a fan might receive a ticket to the "big game" from a star athlete, we need to receive from Jesus Christ the right to enter into a new life with God.
Throughout history, the most relied upon means of communication with God on a Spiritual level has been through meditation and prayer. The same methods can be used today to communicate with God in Christ. The exact words are unimportant. If you have difficulty praying, here is a prayer for you to read that will help get you started. Relax, take a deep breath and read the following prayer, softly, out loud, as though you were standing face to face with God and our Savior Jesus Christ!
"Father in Heaven I thank you for sending Jesus into the world. Jesus, I apologize for putting you through all the pain and suffering you went through for me. I know you paid the price to God for my failures. I understand that you suffered in my place and I am sorry for all that I have done to cause that. Please forgive me. I receive the gift of life you offer me and I am glad God brought you back from the dead. You certainly didn't deserve to die. I truly thank you for everything you have done, and want you to come into my life and give me a place in Heaven. I pray in your name Jesus. Amen"
That's it! That is all it takes to begin your new life! On the other hand if you've just read through that prayer like you've read the rest of this article, STOP, go back, and read it again, this time with sincerity. It is like turning on a light in a darkened room. You will never be the same again.
It is important to know that beginning a new life with Jesus Christ is a lot like planting a seed. A seed needs sunlight, warmth, and care in order to grow and flourish. The seed of Christ that is planted in those who receive Him needs similar things for it to grow also. A combination of studying the Bible, prayer, and regular contact with other faithful Christians in Church or Bible study will help provide you with what you need to grow spiritually. You have to learn to walk in Faith, trusting God with every aspect of your life.
People have a basic need to be productive in this world. The same is true on a spiritual level. You NEED to get involved in some form of Christian service. Membership in a local Bible believing and Gospel preaching church will provide you with opportunities to join other Christians in ministering to the needs of your local community.