Sunday, November 8, 2009

Good News


This is still the best news we could ever hope for.

Although each person’s idea of proper behavior may vary a little, we all share two things in common. 1) All reasonable people agree good attributes include selflessness, love, humility, justice and courage – all agree their antonyms, such as selfishness, prejudice, arrogance, injustice and cowardice are bad; and 2) on a regular basis every person fails at certain points to live up to the standards they intuitively know to be right. In other words, no reasonable person claims to be perfect – even by their own standards.

Now, there is a God who made the universe and all creatures, including us. In Him we live and move and have our being – and this is where our intuition of morality and right and wrong come from. But in the course of human events we have developed in ourselves the instinct to rebel and seek our independence from Him. We are designed to be with Him, but perfection is a prerequisite.

However, because God loves us, and because he knows our happiness can only be in Him, he seeks each of us out. He pursues us. Being God’s offspring, he calls all people everywhere to stop where they are, and turn back on a path toward Him, and away from self. In fact, He has set a day on which he will call everyone into account for their conduct, judging fairly and impartially.

He will do this with a man who He has appointed – and this man is unmistakable because, as a sign to humanity, God raised him from the dead. There is convincing historical evidence of this.

This man is Jesus the first-century Jew. His life, death and resurrection were foretold hundreds of years before it happened in numerous ways and places.

Those who look into these things, and – based on their findings – put their trust in Jesus, will not be held accountable for their offenses. Jesus’ suffering and death is sufficient propitiation to win us back, because he was without fault, but willingly paid our debt by enduring God’s wrath.

An open door back to our creator is certainly good news – especially when we realize it is we who shut the door. But Jesus opened it back up.

These things are worth looking into. The claims of Jesus are too bold to ignore: “I am perfect.” – “I am God’s only son.” – “I am your only hope.” – “I have swallowed up death.” – “I AM The Way, The Truth, The Life.”

If he was wrong, it is worth debunking, and his words are those of a lunatic. But, if he is right – it changes your life.

(Image: photo of a portion of Jerusalem's Western Wall of the first-century Temple mount. It is the place where Jesus came to teach. It still stands today. In the cracks of the stones are letters, written to God.)

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