We have a lot of fun with this site. In many ways it’s a light-hearted way to discuss some pretty serious issues. It’s our hope that our efforts help keep things in perspective. Let’s face it, this world will pass away. All our efforts in this lifetime will be weighed against eternity one day. In that light, does your life matter? That’s a weighty question; and one we all need to ponder regularly.
Central to how much your life really impacts others is your relationship with your Creator. Most of us simply deny Him and try to make a life for ourselves based on the wisdom of men and ingenuity of the world. We can know some happiness this way. But, in light of eternity, happiness is elusive. It’s based on what’s happening now rather than our eternal condition. What is much more important is our level of joy. True joy is found in a heart that’s right with God. And the only way a heart can be right with God is through Christ Jesus. As He stated, “Nobody comes to the Father except through Me.”
All right, so what does that mean? I’m glad you asked. For the answer, we need to go back a bit… at least 6,000 years. Now, this isn’t the place to debate the age of the earth. I can tell you how long it took for everything to be created. There’s no guesswork there because God already told us. But I’m really not sure of the age of the earth, other than that the biblical record accounts for about 6,000 years. It could be a little more, but not less. And as for millions, I’d suggest you talk to Ken Hamm or Dr. Morris about those things. They’re more qualified than I am and can offer the scientific proof that clearly agrees with God’s Word.
While we’re at the beginning we need to consider a few things. God created the heavens and the earth. In other words, it all belongs to Him. When He made it He also laid claim to it. The pinnacle of His earthly creatures was His image bearer, man. We were created to bear the very image of God in creation. And, in many ways, we still do. We are builders. We aren’t satisfied with the same routine year in and year out for our whole lives. We want to advance, to help others, to interact, to move, to shake and to make things with our hands and minds. No other creature is like us. None of them break out of their instinctual habits. They’ve been doing the same thing for all of those 6,000 years now, with very little variance.
What this all means is that we’re accountable to God. The fact is, He calls the shots. It’s our role to obey. And this was our first blunder. Adam stood by as his wife partook of the forbidden fruit when Satan tempted her. He failed to protect her. She failed to submit. They both defied God’s command and mankind fell. In effect, man said, “We have a better way and don’t have to do what you tell us to,” to God. And we’ve been doing the same thing ever since.
But the wages of sin is death. God made it clear that if they partook of the tree then they would die. So, if a just God must kill His image bearers when they’ve sinned against Him, what hope have we? If He fails to kill us then He’s not just. If He’s not just then He’s not God. But He is God, so our sin cannot go unpunished.
Oh, you might think you can do enough good deeds to make up for your sin against God. But the reality is that even your most noble deed is tainted by your sin. Isaiah states that our righteousnesses are as filthy rags. Have you ever tried to wash a dirty windshield with a filthy rag? What happens? You just smear the mess around without getting anything clean. So we have a dilemma. We can’t clean ourselves and God must condemn all unclean people.
But what if there was a clean person? Could that person not clean me? But then would he get dirty too? These are the kinds of questions that we need to ask. And they’re questions with real answers too. You see, Christ did just that. He fulfilled all righteousness. He fulfilled the law and the prophets. He obeyed in every area that we’ve sinned. He was perfectly righteous, obeying God the Father in every way.
But how can He clean us of our unrighteousness? Wouldn’t He just get dirty if He cleaned us? This also is a good line of questioning. In fact, this line of questioning leads us to a glorious answer.
We have to keep in mind God’s justice. He must kill transgressors – all who rebel against Him. But what if someone was willing to take your guilt upon himself? I can’t do it. Nobody you know can, because they’re stained by their own sins. But Jesus is sinless. And what He did on the cross was exactly what needed to happen for mankind to escape the condemnation he deserves from God the Father. You see, when Jesus hung on the cross He took the punishment we deserve. An eternity of God’s wrath that each one of us deserves was condensed and poured out onto Him in just a few hours. He did in those hours what we couldn’t accomplish in an eternity in hell. He paid the price. He fulfilled the requirement. He who knew no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Remember Jesus’ words just before He died? He said, “It is finished.” In other words, nothing else needs to happen in order for sins to be paid for. It’s done. You can’t do any more than He’s already done. And nothing less can accomplish what you need. This is known as atonement; when Christ paid the price we owe through His sacrifice.
Not only that, but He defeated the effects of sin, death. Buried in the tomb for three days, He defeated death by rising again. Through His sacrifice and resurrection the way is made clear for all of us to be forgiven for our sins and raised from the dead to live sinless lives for eternity.
Now, what do you do about it? You can go your merry way and suppress the truth in unrighteousness. Or you can receive the truth through faith alone in Christ alone. You can pay the penalty for your rebellion against God by enduring His wrath in hell for eternity. Or, you can agree with Him that you can do nothing and that Christ accomplished it all on your behalf. In other words, you come to the table as a beggar bringing nothing but need while Christ sets the table and provides everything that’s needed. So you can either feast on Christ or bear the Father’s wrath forever.
Regardless of what else we say in our blog and elsewhere, this is the most important thing we could possible share with you. This has eternal ramifications. Every man must answer, “What will you do with Jesus?” Most scorn Him. Some respect Him, but on their own terms. A few bow before Him and receive Him on His terms. Our prayer is that you will be one of the few.