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From the beginning of time, all that God created was good. Man enjoyed perfect relationship with God. That is until, he decided to go his own way and disobey God. Man’s disobedience created a division, a separation of this perfect relationship that God had created. (God was Holy, man was not.) Unfortunately, ever since that time, man has inherited this separation from God. We want our own way, the way that seems best to us (or should I say for us). Anyway, ever since that first sin, that first selfish act that said I don’t need God and the resulting separation, God has been pursuing mankind and trying to fix this broken relationship. The problem is relationships are two way. God can’t force us to love Him. He can only love us. And that he has and does. From that very first moment of separation, God promises us that He will provide a way to fix the relationship. Then he pursued us through Noah, Abraham, Moses, and the like. Unfortunately, we humans are sometimes slow, stupid, and selfish. It wasn’t enough. We still wanted our own way. But, God still loved us. Here’s comes the heart wrenching part. Children are precious. Our children are even more precious. They are more valuable than anything to us. Yet, God decided that He loved us enough to give up his own Son, Jesus. So, he sent Him to earth, to live, to teach us, to show us the way, to provide an example, to experience life as we experience it, and ultimately to die, a cruel death of a criminal on a cross, so that we can be forgiven of our sin, our selfishness, our desire to go our own way. But, the story doesn’t stop there. On the third day, Jesus rose again. From the dead. He was, and is, ALIVE! What’s the big deal? Well, for one, he conquered the grave. This proved he was the Son of God, he was God. Secondly, His resurrection provides a new life for us and an eternal life for us. And thirdly, this resurrection provides the power to love God fully and to love others as ourselves. We really cannot do that without the resurrection, without Jesus, and without the Holy Spirit living in us. So, does that mean we are off the hook and reconnected into this perfect relationship with God now? Well, yes. And no. We can be. Here’s what it takes. It doesn’t take being good and going to church and giving money. That won’t cut it. The only way to regain this perfect relationship with God is by putting our faith and trust in Jesus Christ. How amazing is it that God provides the way. But, he leaves the choice up to us. He doesn’t force us. He doesn’t make us. He loves us. If you want to know God personally, if you want a new start in life, if you need to be forgiven and made new, if you want eternal life, if you want this relationship with Jesus, put your faith and trust in Him. Turn from your selfish ways and ask God to forgive you and help you to love Him and others fully and completely. Then start a whole new life of pursuing Christ with passion and loving others to Life. If you’ve put your faith and trust in Jesus, tell someone about it, please email shawncongo@woh.rr.com and join us this Sunday at our 10:15 am worship gathering. |
