While driving south on the 405 freeway this morning, I saw an overhead sign that read "San Diego," with the "Die" part in "Diego" darkened with brown paint or mud. It appeared to be purposely done so that drivers would see the word Die clearly highlighted from the word.
Isn't that nice?
Sheesh!
I got to thinking about what God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was originally a beautiful place; paradise, in fact, unmarred by evil, sin or death. God warned what would happen if they "ate of the forbidden fruit" that contained the knowledge of good and evil. He told them "in the day that you eat of it, you will die."
They didn't immediately die physically on that day, but they did die spiritually. Recall that Adam tried to hide from God after he took of the fruit and ate it. Next, he blamed "the woman you put here with me."
That's sinful man for ya! Hide and blame. Such tactics have been happening ever since.
Over the years that I have been writing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one of the questions that skeptics often ask (or state) is why did God have to sacrifice His Son, Jesus Christ? Couldn't He have done salvation for our souls in another way?
Answer: no. The Old Testament Scriptures shared how the ancient Israelites sacrificed unblemished animals at the altar of the temple in order to be temporarily forgiven for sin. This was done as a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice - the Lamb of God - Jesus Christ, at the cross of Calvary for the redemption of mankind from their sins. If there was any other way, God would have done it.
I also think that the brutal beatings of Jesus, the crowning of the thorns, the agony of his burdensome walk to Calvary while carrying one of the most awful execution methods ever devised by man was purposely done so that people might see that this is what evil, sin, and death does.
Today's culture of death is obvious. It gets worse every year that goes by. People do not learn from history. History has the terrible habit of repeating itself. Why? Because man, given to his own devices never learns. He needs a spiritual heart transplant that only God, through His Son, Jesus Christ can provide. Every other spiritual leader will disappoint. What's worse is the fact that any of these other spiritual leaders cannot save your soul. None of them rose from the dead. Only Jesus Christ accomplished that feat.
Jesus told us that "I am (He is) the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me (Him)." He said it. It is recorded in the Bible for all generations to read and realize. There is no other who can forgive sins - except the One who took what we deserved - death - on the cross for the redemption of our souls.
It is only when a person confesses and repents of sin, and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over his/her life, that reconciliation back unto God can happen. If this ONLY provision, offered by God the Father is rejected, then the individual soul who rejects it is lost forever and will spend eternity separated from God.
There is a place called Hell. Jesus spoke of that destination even more than he spoke of Heaven. Go to any online Bible source and type the word "hell" or "hades" into the search. You will see how many verses of the Bible come up. Read the descriptions. Jesus always warned us that it is a place to be avoided.
There is a hole in the heart of every person on earth. It can only be repaired and made whole through being filled by one Person - and one Person alone. His name is the name above all names - Jesus Christ.
What we ALL ultimately desire, whether we want to admit it or not, is YOU, LORD!
All I Want by Michael W. Smith
And all the journeys I have walked
I know You've walked them too
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is You...
Isn't that nice?
Sheesh!
I got to thinking about what God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. It was originally a beautiful place; paradise, in fact, unmarred by evil, sin or death. God warned what would happen if they "ate of the forbidden fruit" that contained the knowledge of good and evil. He told them "in the day that you eat of it, you will die."
They didn't immediately die physically on that day, but they did die spiritually. Recall that Adam tried to hide from God after he took of the fruit and ate it. Next, he blamed "the woman you put here with me."
That's sinful man for ya! Hide and blame. Such tactics have been happening ever since.
Over the years that I have been writing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one of the questions that skeptics often ask (or state) is why did God have to sacrifice His Son, Jesus Christ? Couldn't He have done salvation for our souls in another way?
Answer: no. The Old Testament Scriptures shared how the ancient Israelites sacrificed unblemished animals at the altar of the temple in order to be temporarily forgiven for sin. This was done as a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice - the Lamb of God - Jesus Christ, at the cross of Calvary for the redemption of mankind from their sins. If there was any other way, God would have done it.
I also think that the brutal beatings of Jesus, the crowning of the thorns, the agony of his burdensome walk to Calvary while carrying one of the most awful execution methods ever devised by man was purposely done so that people might see that this is what evil, sin, and death does.
Today's culture of death is obvious. It gets worse every year that goes by. People do not learn from history. History has the terrible habit of repeating itself. Why? Because man, given to his own devices never learns. He needs a spiritual heart transplant that only God, through His Son, Jesus Christ can provide. Every other spiritual leader will disappoint. What's worse is the fact that any of these other spiritual leaders cannot save your soul. None of them rose from the dead. Only Jesus Christ accomplished that feat.
Jesus told us that "I am (He is) the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father but by Me (Him)." He said it. It is recorded in the Bible for all generations to read and realize. There is no other who can forgive sins - except the One who took what we deserved - death - on the cross for the redemption of our souls.
It is only when a person confesses and repents of sin, and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over his/her life, that reconciliation back unto God can happen. If this ONLY provision, offered by God the Father is rejected, then the individual soul who rejects it is lost forever and will spend eternity separated from God.
There is a place called Hell. Jesus spoke of that destination even more than he spoke of Heaven. Go to any online Bible source and type the word "hell" or "hades" into the search. You will see how many verses of the Bible come up. Read the descriptions. Jesus always warned us that it is a place to be avoided.
There is a hole in the heart of every person on earth. It can only be repaired and made whole through being filled by one Person - and one Person alone. His name is the name above all names - Jesus Christ.
What we ALL ultimately desire, whether we want to admit it or not, is YOU, LORD!
All I Want by Michael W. Smith
And all the journeys I have walked
I know You've walked them too
All I want is to be faithful
All I want is You...
Posts
4 comments:
CJW: ”Over the years that I have been writing about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, one of the questions that skeptics often ask (or state) is why did God have to sacrifice His Son, Jesus Christ? Couldn't He have done salvation for our souls in another way?”
You mean only skeptics have ever asked that question? I'd have thought that 'baby Christians' or even grown-up ones, might have wondered about it too.
”...the brutal beatings of Jesus, the crowning of the thorns, the agony of his burdensome walk to Calvary while carrying one of the most awful execution methods ever devised by man was purposely done...”
Umm...Matthew 27:32 says that Simon the Cyrene was pulled off the street and made to carry Jesus' engine of execution. The implication is that he was just minding his own business, when the Romans swooped down on the street crowd and said, ”You! Yes, you! Carry this thing!” This tends to negate that old metaphor about shouldering our own burdens in life. I mean, if Jesus can't carry his own cross...
”Every other spiritual leader will disappoint. What's worse is the fact that any of these other spiritual leaders cannot save your soul. None of them rose from the dead. Only Jesus Christ accomplished that feat.”
You don't study other religions much, do you?
”It is only when a person confesses and repents of sin, and accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior over his/her life, that reconciliation back unto God can happen.”
In other words, if I do A, B, and C, I'm saved. And here I always thought you believed that works will not save us! If one has to do all that, then salvation is not the “free gift” you like to claim it is!
There's more, but you get the idea. There's too much inconsistency here for me to base my 'eternity' on.
”There is a place called Hell. Jesus spoke of that destination even more than he spoke of Heaven.”
Now there's a question: why is there Hell? Why did God build it? Because in his infinite wisdom, he knows that the great majority of people were going to end up there? Could be. That says volumes about his ability, or desire, to save people, doesn't it?
Thanks for sharing another interesting and informative post, Christine. Have a blessed week.
GMPilot,
Your questions have already been answered by me in the past. Go look them up on the message board.
You wrote:
"There's too much inconsistency here for me to base my 'eternity' on."
The Gospel message is so simple, concise, and documented as true - even a child can understand it. And that's the point.
Your choice to ignore it is just that - your willful choice to reject salvation. So be it.
Thanks Al! I love that Michael W. Smith song!
Post a Comment