Leaving Their Faith?

I have read a number of stories over this past year concerning people leaving their faith or how the Church is loosing people in vast numbers. I can believe churches have seen numbers of people leave or move on to another church. This happens all the time but people losing their faith or leaving Christianity? There is a lot of grey area here and it takes in the old argument, "Can I lose my salvation?" I firmly believe the Bible does not teach us that we can forfeit or lose our salvation.

But, let's look at the claim of Christians walking away from their faith. If the Bible teaches us that when we are saved, we are saved for eternity, then how can one walk away from this or why would they want to, if they are truly saved? If a person has truly and sincerely acknowledged who Jesus is and what he has done for us concerning our salvation and has received Jesus as Lord and savior of his/her life, there is no way salvation is forfeited or lost. I know, to many people, the following scripture examples, defending eternal security, are simply cliché but these words are from Jesus Himself and there is nothing cliché about them.

All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.  JN 6:37

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.  And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand.   JN 10:27-28 

“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.  JN 5:24 

Now, I know these verses have been twisted to meet the agenda and teaching of those who would want Christians to believe they can lose what God says He will never take away, your salvation. In the verses, JN 10:27-28,  Jesus tells us nobody can snatch us from His hand and nobody, or anyone, includes us. But this verse is twisted and explained that nobody else but we can take ourselves from His hand. I think, in this verse, that the word, anyone, includes us, we or ourselves. There's no tricky translation here and regardless of the Bible translation, NKJV, NASB, NIV, NLT, the meaning is the same.

So, why bring this up or why make a point of this age old argument? Well, as I mentioned at the start, so many posts and articles about Christians losing their faith and leaving the Church or teens going off to college and losing their faith, when their professor smashes their belief system, could lead some to believe it is actually possible to lose their salvation. Let's take the teens as an example and why or how they 'lose their Christianity' when they attend a secular college or university.

I want to present two boys, Kevin and James, and quickly track their growth, in years, prior to attending college. Both have attended church from the time they were born. Kevin attended church with his parents and progressed from the nursery to the youth group. In Sunday School, he had learned about Jonah and the big fish, Joseph and his coat of many colors and a bunch of other really neat Bible stories.

As he progressed into youth group, the youth leader was a really cool guy who acted and talked like the youth in the group. He was fun to be with and around and he taught them some really cool games and activities when they met twice a week. Kevin really liked youth group and had many friends there. Sometimes, they would go to a local amusement Park on Saturdays and that was really fun.

At home, Kevin's parents both were working hard at their individual careers and were busy with their social life but they made sure the family was in church at least once a week. At home, Kevin kept up with his school work and did well enough to get into a good college. In his spare time, he played the latest popular video games and watched his favorite TV shows. Kevin had a good life but nobody had ever told him about the true meaning of the cross. Nobody had ever explained, thoroughly, the gospel and what it truly means to be saved.

All those years in church programs and youth programs and he never heard the gospel message. Oh, he heard some stuff about Jesus and the other really neat Bible stories but never what God's love letter to us really says. His parents never talked about Jesus or God at home; there were never any discussions about faith or how he was doing in his walk or lack of a walk, with Jesus. There was never any Jesus in that home.

Now, let's look at James. He, too, was in church from the time he was born. He, too, progressed from the nursery to youth group but there was a big difference in what he was taught and what he was learning. His Sunday School classes were filled with the message of the gospel, presented in a way a young person can understand. His advancement into youth group was a continuation of that teaching. The youth leader wasn't the focus of the meetings, Jesus was. By the time he graduated from high school, his faith in Jesus was as solid as a rock and couldn't be moved.

His home life did not lack the gospel. His parents made sure there was always time for family devotions and activities which reflected Jesus in each of them. The learning of the gospel didn't end at the door of the church, it continued in the home in a variety of ways. He was prepared to go out into the world.

Both of these boys went off to college and were actually attending the same school. They had never met and were from different locations but both had been in church all of their lives. There are so many stories, true stories, concerning Christian students having that one professor who is an arrogant atheist and defies any Christian student to prove God is real or alive. Most of the Christian students are afraid to be made a fool of in front of everyone so, they sit quietly and say nothing.

This professor makes it a point, in his lectures, of driving home points which attempt to tear Christianity apart and make it look foolish. He believes the earth is billions of years old, evolution and the Big Bang is how everything came to be. He is very good in articulating these points and soon, Kevin begins to have doubts about what he heard in church or what he thought was true and before long, he knows he has been lied to about Christianity and what it stands for. His 'said faith' has been destroyed and he walks away from everything he was taught or thought he was taught.

James, on the other hand, is not shaken one little bit. He knows that Jesus died for him on the cross and has been with him since the age of nine when he was saved. He totally understands why the professor is doing this and he understands that the professor is actually weak and he prays for him in hope that he would find the truth of the gospel message. He is not shaken in his faith in Jesus and he has not doubted the power of God. He knows that God is real and alive and at work in his life. He's not upset with the professor, he doesn't exchange jabs with him, he prays for him.

By the end of the first year in college, Kevin has walked away from what he thought was his faith. But it was nothing more than a system of religion which had no effect at all on his life other than the time he put in and the fun times he had. James, at the end of the first year, was solid as a rock in his faith in Jesus. His faith had not been moved at all and he actually became stronger as a result of all the attacks by this professor. It drove him into the Bible even more and his studies in the word intensified. He is truly and sincerely saved and has a solid relationship with Jesus.

So, teens going off to college and losing their faith? I would submit the two examples above (both fictitious) as a reason why some think so many are walking away from their faith. Their faith was never real, never a real relationship with Jesus. It was based on some feel good stuff and fun times. When a real faith in Jesus resides within us, we can be rattled, shaken a little, knocked off balance and even knocked down, but we are never broken. As Jesus helps us back up, we dust ourselves off and continue the walk but we never turn back.

I would like to finish with a few scriptures which relate to this.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. MT 7:21

“But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?  Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.” LK 6:46-49 

What kind of God will allow us, after He has saved us from sin and eternal death, simply allow us, to walk away. At the end of Romans Chapter 8 (8:35-38), Paul asks what can separate us from Christ and then goes on to provide a long list of things and circumstances which we all might face in this life, and then declares that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. He does mention in that long list, any other created thing, and that includes us. We can not separate ourselves from Christ.

So, when we read articles about the masses leaving their Christianity or faith, we must ask ourselves if they were ever really saved or if they were just playing church for a while. And the reasons for that are lengthy and a topic for another time.  

Defend The Faith

Some people might look at this title and wonder what it means to defend the faith. What faith? Or, maybe your not sure what your faith is really based upon. A defense of the faith, or why you're a Christian, is basically being able to tell people why you believe in Christ or why you are a Christian. In our American society, Christianity takes a beating every day. Around the world, Christians are dying because of their faith in Jesus or because they are Christians. The gospel message is all about what Jesus did for us. He died in our place to pay the debt and price for our sin and rose again to new life that we too may have a new, eternal life. Christians should be excited about this and eager to share this good news.

But let's come back to the good ole USA; the culture in this country has made an extreme shift toward secularism in the last 50-60 years. It has been a slow but steady move in that direction. It has been so subtle that some actually believe this is still a Christian country but that couldn't be farther from the truth. It is so obvious to see just from the reactions of people when the name Jesus is mentioned or maybe the rolling of the eyes when you tell someone you are a Christian (someone who is not saved). Another indicator are the strict secular attitudes of our major universities and college campuses. Even at the lower levels of the public educational systems, it is so prevalent and easy to see.

So, we face it every day when we go to work, to the gym, to the store and to school. But does that mean we stick our heads in the sand and hide the fact that we are a Christian? I sure hope not. One of the biggest problems in the Church these days is most Christians have not spent enough time reading or studying the Bible. They don't spend time a group Bible study or they are in one but they don't study the Bible, they talk about a book someone wrote. Rick Warren's books, all the Purpose Driven stuff and some that followed, were very popular small group discussion tools. Other authors of Christian topics have also been used in these type of settings. But what about studying the Bible in a Bible study? Although the quote and stat below is six years old, I can't imagine it has improved and if it has it wouldn't be by much.

In a fresh study of "Bible engagement", LifeWay Research surveyed more than 2,900 Protestant churchgoers and found that while 90 percent "desire to please and honor Jesus in all I do," only 19 percent personally read the Bible every day.  -Jeremy Weber,  Christianity Today   September 7, 2012

When Some of these Christians are asked a Bible question, they freeze because they don't know the answer and then don't know how to say, "I don't know but I will find out and get back to you." That's the best answer you can give anyone if you don't know. Regardless of how much time we spend in God's word, this could easily happen to any of us and that is the best answer. But what do we do in defense of our faith?

For the Bible student or person who reads the Bible consistently, there will always be a time when someone will challenge them concerning their Christian faith. I'm sure many of us have encountered a skeptic at one point in our Christian life. Most of these are not really looking for an answer, they simply want to make you look stupid or poke imaginary holes in your faith. A mature Bible reading Christian will be able to spot this and put an end to the questions. He/she will be able to politely end the discussion letting the skeptic know they are not seriously interested in knowing anything about Jesus but simply trying to poke holes in Christianity. I have had to do this before and it usually ends the conversation.

Instead, you must worship Christ as Lord of your life. And if someone asks about your hope as a believer, always be ready to explain it.  But do this in a gentle and respectful way. Keep your conscience clear. Then if people speak against you, they will be ashamed when they see what a good life you live because you belong to Christ.           1 Pet 3:15-16

 Jehovah's Witness love to knock on doors and question Christians about the trinity or Jesus as the Son of God. They have been trained on specific questions to ask or things to say. A Christian who is a Bible student will see right through these attempts to make Jesus and our faith in Him look silly. In these cases, the JW may be more interested in arguing a point but we have to be mature enough to recognize this and not get caught in the trap. It's not about winning an argument, it's about winning a soul. Give them the true gospel, not an argument.

Other cults will do this and use similar techniques; Mormons will also knock on your door and insist that there are discrepancies in the Bible and that is why they have the book of Mormon. They will tell you that the Apostle John never died or they might want to attempt to tell you about the burning in their bosom. Years ago, I encountered two young Mormon missionaries on my front porch one day and they insisted there are contradictions in the Bible. So, I asked them to give me one and they did. After I asked them to show me one, I realized I better be able to explain in thoroughly and properly or I would be the one who was clueless. It was an easy explanation; I was actually surprised at the scripture they thought was a contradiction and how easy the explanation was. And then, I asked why they would think it was a contradiction.

They gave me a half hearted explanation and I used the opportunity to tell them about the real Jesus and what the scripture in question was saying when tied into the context of the passage. From that point forward, we had a good conversation and they appeared to be listening and taking it in. They wouldn't break although they had bent quite a bit. That was alright because God had allowed me to plant some seeds.

Maybe a person at work has a lot of questions about Jesus or the Christian faith. This person might be going through some problems or issues at home or some other part of their life. It's been my experience that Christians in the work place are always a target for information when co-workers are struggling with something. We gain the trust of these people and they are attracted to us like a magnet when the problems start. They need to know how to get through it, how to handle it or just what to do. They know we have answers and they think we can help. It is the perfect time to be there for them and be able to share with them why we believe what we believe and how big our God really is. I've had this opportunity more than once.

Whatever the circumstance, we must always be prepared for the moment when we will be asked to defend the faith. It might be as blunt as, "Why do you believe that nonsense. It's nothing more than a fairy tale and people who fall for that are just plain gullible." God can be seen all around us. He is visible in the creation and in our lives. One of the easiest ways I can tell people about God's existence in my life is to share my testimony with them. I've had other Christians look at me with their jaw dropped and say, "I could have never imagined you that way." That's a compliment to Jesus because He's the one who changed me.

We should be more interested, or eager, in knowing how to defend our faith in Jesus than hiding it from the world. Another issue which pops up a lot in the Church is other Christians saying we shouldn't be so critical of or judgmental to others or those who attack our Christianity. When a person begins to share something about a cult or how to share Jesus with them, they are quick to tell us we should just leave them alone. Statements like, "We just need to be concerned with what we are doing" or "It's not our place to tell them they are wrong." Really? I have heard these statements and I just shake my head in disbelief. A sense of political correctness has crept into the Church which says we need to let those people alone.

I heard an analogy years ago I always liked to use in these cases. If you're aware of a doctor who is dispensing poison instead of medication, won't you tell others about him? It's the same thing; those who might be spreading a false teaching or gospel are dispensing poison and not the real thing. It will lead people down a wrong path and not to Jesus. That's a prescription to death, not life.

Don't allow anyone to discourage you with this attitude or with these comments. If you're aware of a movement or cult making the rounds in your area, warn people. Don't be a harsh critic, just explain the issues and why it is not Biblical. Some people have been caught up in some abhorrent movements and teachings because nobody took the time to warn them. We must be the watchmen because the enemy is always on the prowl looking to destroy someone (paraphrase 1 Pet 5:8). Be a Berean and study the word, be ready to defend your faith in Jesus and always be ready to tell those who are not saved all about Jesus and what he has done in your life and the lives of others.

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people.  Jude 3

God's Perfect Timing

Have you ever considered God's perfect timing in your life? Has it ever occurred to you that God has presented Himself in his perfect timing? You might be wondering what I'm trying to get at with questions like this. Well, I learned a long time ago that God does everything in our lives according to His time table and not ours. Now, He will allow us to forge ahead and do things or try to do things on our own time table but that doesn't usually work out.

Let's look at Abram and Sarai; God had promised Abram a child to carry on His name and be his heir (Ge. 15:1-5). About ten or eleven years later, Sarai told Abram that God was keeping her from having children and he should go in to her maid servant Hagar and she could have a child through her (Gen 16:1-2). And, Abram did and Hagar presented him with a son, Ishmael. Abram was 86 years old at that time and it had been eleven years after the promise which God had made with Abram to give him a son.

So, Sarai had come up with this plan and Abram went along and it resulted in Abram having a son but it was not a son of God's promise. They had become impatient and forged ahead on their own. Eventually, God did fulfill His promise and provided Abraham with a son, Isaac, and he was the son of the promise which God had made to Abraham. What Abraham had not understood about God and His promise was God was going to fulfill the promise according to His time table. He was going to wait until Abraham was 100 years old and incapable of fathering a child on his own. He was going to wait until Sarah was 99 years old and incapable of having a baby on her own. God was going to make this happen at a time when He and only He could get all the credit for this miracle. Both Abraham and Sarah knew only God could make this happen in their old age. It was all done according to God's time table.

We need to also take a look at this, God's timing, from another angle. Most Christians are familiar with the story of Joseph who was the favorite son of Jacob and Jacob was a son of Isaac. I'm sure most are familiar with the coat of many colors Jacob had given to Joseph and his brothers had a strong dislike if not hate for Joseph because they knew he was the favorite of their father. Joseph had a few dreams which he saw himself as ruling over his older brothers and he told them about these dreams.  This only added to their hatred for him; he was the next to the youngest and he was going to rule over them?

Through a series of events, Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and he was eventually sold into slavery in Egypt. Anyone who knows this story (Gen 37, 39-50), knows the trials which Joseph endured in Egypt before God rose him to a position of second in charge for the entire nation of Egypt. He was a household servant for Potiphar whose wife attempted to sexually seduce him and then blamed him for trying to assault her. All this landed him in prison for about 13 years. But God continued to bless Joseph and Joseph was obedient to God and waited.

Pharaoh's chief butler and his baker were in prison with Joseph and each had a dream and Joseph interpreted both of their dreams. The interpretation for the chief butler was he would be restored to his duties and the baker would be killed. The events of the dream happened exactly as God had interpreted through Joseph. Joseph asked the chief butler to remember him to Pharaoh and the butler said he would but he didn't. It was when Pharaoh had a disturbing dream that the butler then remembered Joseph and informed Pharaoh of his ability to explain what the dream meant.

Joseph was called out of the prison and explained to Pharaoh that only God could explain the meaning of the dream. Joseph then explained what Pharaoh had seen in his dream and what it meant (Gen 41). The dream was about 7 years of great plenty followed by 7 years of famine. Joseph suggested a plan for Pharaoh to use in which to prepare for the famine and how to get through it. Pharaoh decided there was no one better than Joseph to make it all happen and promoted him to his second in charge.

This famine was so great that Jacob and his family were feeling the effects of it. His brothers made two trips to Egypt to buy grain from the Egyptians and spoke directly to Joseph and didn't recognize him but he recognized them. It was after the second trip to Egypt and a series of events which Joseph had over seen, he presented himself to his brothers and told them who he was. It had been many years since they had sold him into slavery and he was dressed as an Egyptian.

But one of Joseph's dreams was about his brothers bowing down before him and that's exactly what they had done before he told them who he was. He was at a position in which he was a ruling authority over them although he never used that over them when they went to Egypt to survive the famine. But what was the big picture here concerning God's perfect timing? The nation of Israel was God's chosen nation; it was the nation from which the messiah would come from and He couldn't allow that nation of 70 people die off. He used Joseph to save the nation of Israel from this famine and preserve it for God's use .

 Then his brothers came and threw themselves down before Joseph. “Look, we are your slaves!” they said. But Joseph replied, “Don’t be afraid of me. Am I God, that I can punish you? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people. Gen 50:18-20

How many years had it been since Joseph was sold into slavery? How many trials had he been through? How many years in prison? And all this time, Joseph continued to trust in God and wait on Him. How many of us today would be willing to do that? We might hold out a few months and then it would be time to start finding a way out. God knew from long before Joseph was even born what His plan was for him.

Joseph never forged ahead on his own; the closest he might have come was when he asked the butler to tell Pharaoh about him which he did but not right away. God was Joseph's only source of fellowship while he was in prison and his source of faith and trust. But he waited on God patiently.

Allow me to share a couple of these occurrences in my life and they are minor in comparison to what Joseph went through but still show God's perfect timing. I can think of two recent trips I made to a Home Center for certain materials for home repair. Now, I'm not the youngster I used to be and with another condition I am experiencing, I can't lift the way I used to. On two separate occasions, I had the items on a flat cart and was able to do that on my own but was wondering how I was going to be able to get them into the truck.

On both occasion, as I was getting ready to attempt the lift, a man came by and offered to help. You might not find this so unusual but if we really think about it, it was God's perfect timing to have those two guys on two separate occasions, walk by and offer to help me. On both occasions, I had asked god to send someone and He did.

When we moved from Pennsylvania to Texas, I hired two guys to load a moving truck but it took longer than was planned and they bailed on me. That left me to load, by myself, some of the heaviest items left. I had loaded a few things when a young man, who lived next door, came home from work. I didn't really know him but as he pulled into his driveway, I found myself asking God to send him over to help. I couldn't believe it when he got out of his truck and came over to offer his help. The guys who bailed had not been gone that long when he came to offer his help. Had they stayed until he came home, he would have seen the help and more than likely thought I didn't need the help. That was God's perfect timing.

One last thing; when we decided to make that move, I decided to sell or give away a set of older golf clubs I had. I couldn't get anyone to just take them so those clubs ended up in Texas. About a year ago, I decided to try once again to either sell them or give them away but there were no takers. Last week, I was getting some Christmas decorations out of the shed and there were those clubs, in the way again, and I decided to try to give them away. I had no takers the first week but finally, today, I received a text and then a call from a man who said he wanted them.

We made the arrangements where to meet and when he showed up, I found out that he is a Christian who likes to play golf but has not been able to afford to buy a set of clubs. When he told me this, I knew God had been working on His time table with these golf clubs. Now, I'm sure there are some who will say that God has bigger things to be concerned with than a set of old golf clubs. But if He knows the number of hairs on each of our heads, then He is a God of finite things and nothing is too big or too small for Him to be concerned with in our lives.

This man had not forged ahead and went into debt by buying an expensive set of clubs and God knows his heart and blessed him with these clubs. The man was happy and didn't even look at them or inspect them. He threw them into the back of his car and was satisfied. When these things happen in my life, when I know it is God, I am blessed to know He is always there for us regardless how insignificant it might appear to someone else.

And, we can't talk about God's perfect timing without mentioning His son Jesus Christ. At just the right time, God's time, He sent his son to die in our place. That was God's perfect timing for us because without Jesus dying on the cross for our sin, there is no salvation and we all spend eternity suffering in hell. For those of who are saved, God saved us at just the right time, in His perfect timing. 

Why Jesus Was Born

I realize most Christians understand the real meaning for the Christmas celebration but have you ever asked or been asked why Jesus was born and what's the celebration all about? The secular society, for the most part, couldn't care too much about the saying, 'Jesus is the reason for the season.' We have all been in the stores and have seen Christmas stuff beat the Halloween stuff to the store shelves. So, what has Christmas become? It is a money maker for the retail industry and the Christmas season is depended on by many of them to make a big difference in their profit margin.

But if Jesus is the reason for the season, why was He born and what's all the hoopla about concerning His birth? Christians recognize Easter, or Resurrection Sunday, as the time we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus. It is the time we celebrate what those events mean to us as Christians. His death on the cross was a sacrifice, Him dying in our place, to pay the price and debt for our sin. Without His death on the cross, there is no means to salvation for us. His resurrection was Him defeating death and giving to us eternal life. All who have asked for His forgiveness for their sin have and will be saved. Receiving this salvation promises us eternal life with Him; death has been defeated and for those who know Him as savior, will experience a physical death (of these physical bodies) but will have eternal life with Jesus.

That's what we celebrate at Easter but what do we celebrate at Christmas? The answer is so simple. Without Christmas, there is no Easter. Without Easter, there is no means to salvation from our sin and we are doomed to suffer an eternal death. Following a statement like this, it is common to hear a statement that goes something like this, "I'm not a sinner; I am a good person and I treat people good. I'm not a criminal or an abusive person so, why do I need a savior or why do I need to be saved from this sin thing I don't have?"

Excellent question and it is asked by many people and when answered, many still don't want to accept what they are told. But here we go. We are all born with sin or as it is sometimes referred to as, 'original sin.' When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden, sin entered into the world and contaminated all human beings from that time forward (Gen 3). They had received a command from God to not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil. There was a purpose for God telling them not to eat from that tree, as was obvious when the realized they were naked and embarrassed by it, but the reason sin entered into the world was because they disobeyed Gods command.

God did not suggest they not eat from the tree, He commanded them not to eat from this tree. God is sovereign; He's is superior over everything and in charge of everything. He is all powerful and the creator of all things (Col 1:16). He's a just God who doesn't waver in His actions and commands. He does not lie, he is the same today as He was on the first day of creation and He keeps His promises. Who do you know who is like this? God is the only one I know who can check all of these boxes. So, regardless if we like it or not, we are all born with original sin and it is obvious to see. Have you or someone you know who has children ever had to teach a child to say, "No." Have you ever had to teach them to say, "Mine, mine, mine." Have you ever had to teach them how to lie?

No, I'm sure you haven't so, where does it come from? The answer is sin. You might be laughing right now and thinking how ridicules this sounds but it is true. Have you ever had nasty thoughts toward someone who has hurt you or upset you? If so, those thoughts come from our sin nature which resides in us from the day we are born. Why are there serial killers, rapists, human traffickers, thieves, pedophiles and so many other evil lifestyles? Why do we grow old and die? Why do we suffer from deadly diseases? The answer is because when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, sin entered into the world and contaminated the blood which runs through our veins which has been passed down from generation to generation from the disobedience of the command in the garden.

This is not science fiction or a fairy tale, it's the truth and is verified every day when we watch the news or read about it. I have met and known some of the nicest people you would ever want to be around but I also know that deep down, they have that same sin nature which we all have. And, they are just as capable of the evil and nasty thoughts which all of us are. The sad truth is, we were all born this way; some more, a lot more, evil than others but still with a sin nature.

I've painted a pretty bleak picture so far in explaining the abilities of our sin nature and if anyone has had this capture their attention, it may seem hopeless. But there is good news; it is the answer to the question I asked in the first part of this writing. Why was Jesus born? He was born to die on a cross for our sin. He died to pay the price for our original sin which every human being was or will be born with. He was the only one born without sin and He was the only one who could die in our place and met the requirements of God to satisfy the penalty for our sin. It had to be a spotless and perfect sacrifice and Jesus was the only one who met those requirements.

The spotless sacrifice of the Old Testament Law was a representation of Jesus. The Passover Lamb, which is a direct representation of Jesus, had to be without blemish (EX 12:5). As Moses was instructed to apply blood to the door jams on each side and the overhead, it was a symbol of the cross and when the death angel saw it, he passed over that house. Jesus has done the same thing for us. His death on the cross, and the shedding of His blood there, has given us salvation from eternal death when we die. For those who realize what Christ has done for us and asks for His forgiveness, receives this salvation and eternal life. Our sin is washed away and never remembered by God again.

I always liked the analogy of a person washing an old blackboard. When it is wiped clean, it is gone and never to be seen again. That's how God treats our sin when we accept Jesus as our savior. Sin in our lives is a fact and it is real. Heaven is not a pie in the sky fairy tale, it is real and so is the place called hell. For all who come to Jesus and know Him as their savior, they will spend eternity with Him in heaven. Also, for all those who reject Him and refuse to accept Him as savior, they will spend eternity in hell suffering an eternal death. God doesn't send people to hell to suffer, they send themselves there by refusing to accept the free gift of salvation which Jesus provides for us as a result of His death on the cross.

Jesus didn't have to go to the cross and die in our place, He could have allowed us all to spend eternity in hell but because of His great love for us, He sacrificed His own life so we could be redeemed from our sin. What kind of love is that?  But He rose from the grave and defeated death so we could have eternal life and death has no hold on those who belong to Him. That is great news but sadly, there many in this world who will reject it and call it nonsense or a cult.

Jesus came for the lost souls of the world and knew what He had to do for their salvation. He is the Son of God and He left His throne in heaven to be born in a human body as a baby, born of a virgin woman. He experienced every temptation and suffering any of us past, present or future have or will ever suffer. He experienced the excruciating death by crucifixion on a Roman cross in order to provide salvation for us all. This is why we celebrate Christmas and this is why Jesus was born.

When Jesus heard it, He said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance.”  MK 2:17 NKJV

Christmas is not just about gift exchanges, parties and snow. Christmas is celebrating the birth of our Lord and savior, Jesus Christ, the Son of God who came to provide salvation from sin so we can have eternal life with Him. That's good news and a great reason to celebrate Christmas. Jesus is the reason for the season and He is waiting with arms wide open today for those who will repent and ask Him for forgiveness and receive salvation.

 

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.  They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son.   JN 1:12-14 NLT