Grace!
A word that plays a huge role in the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It's the Grace of God that we are saved and reconciled to God. Not by good works or merit.
Grace is the freely given and undeserved favor you can offer to someone.
It is the thing that is so hard to do nowadays. In a loveless world. People just have to bring upon judgement on each other.
In fact the two most important commandments are totally erased in this perverse world that we live in.
In Matthew 22:37-40, it is written:
37Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'
38This is the first and greatest commandment.
39And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'
40All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."
All the law and prophets hang on this two commandments huh? Anyone can see why the world is the way it is now. Honestly speaking, no one can call this world good. However, it was once called Good. In fact, God referred to his creation as good several times in the beginning. When He created Earth.
How come then is it like that? How come there are so much suffering ? How come we cannot see God? How come there is so much confusion and pain?
Shortly after the chapters of creation, in Genesis 3, the third chapter of the first book in the bible, we see man turned their face from God. They went against God's clear instructions and then blamed God for it.
It must have been really painful for God. A tree placed there as a test. Eve chose to be be independant and ate to fruit . Believing that God was keeping good things from them. In fact , there were two trees in the Garden of Eden. The Tree of Life and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. They were asked to stay clear from the second tree. They have full access to the first tree. It's really sad for them to have not trust God.
I typed them because Adam was there when the serpent tempt Eve. He did nothing. They chose to believe the serpents words over God's words. ouch.
God came to walk in the Garden. They hid from God. It's cleared that they have already severed themselves from God. They cannot face God anymore. Then there was the opportunity to repent and ask for forgiveness. Adam. blamed God for putting Eve with him and Eve blamed the serpent for decieving her. I guess you can see how much God must be grieving in his heart.
He came down searching for them. He offered a chance for them to return to Him. They claimed innnocence and Adam...the first one God created in His image blamed and accused him unrighteously. I can sort of empathise with Father here. He gave me my shaare of such experiences. Such behaviours are still displayed today. People chose to put God out of the picture. When everything starts to fall , they blamed God and claimed that He do not exist because of all that has happened. The first mistake is still carried out.
However, in the same chapter right after God metes out discipline and judgement, He showed his grace and mercy. Do you know that the third chapter contains the first hint of God's plan of Salvation to redeem man through Christ Jesus?
Just one verse after the judgement verses of 14- 19 at verse 21 to 24, God showed that He still loves us. Adam and Eve covered themselves with leaves. A rather bad attempt. God made garments of skin for them. Which are more lasting and better as clothes. Big deal? Imagine having to destroy what you have created and what you have called good. God have to kill.
Can you imagine the grief of God? That is how serious the situation is. turning from God means death and not long after Adam and eve left God's prescence, the first murder occurs. Without God, the only role model for humanity, humans cannot hope to live a normal life. In fact, one of the greatest lie the devil place in our head is the we are living normal lives.
The truth is, we are far from normal. We are children without parents. On our own to decide what is right for ourselves. The reason this is the worse case senario is because we cannot live a righteous life without God. unfortunately the knowledge of Good and Evil contains neither batteries or the wisdom to choose the right.
In short, we are doomed. Be glad that God kicked Adam and Eve out of the Garden. if they were to eat from the tree of life, they'll live forever and forever suffer for their mistakes as they grow increasingly wicked and hardened. God's plan was to give his life and take our place in judgement as he is now the only righteous one . The only one who can take our place.
A friend once told me this. He cannot understand how God can love us so much.
This are his actual words. " Yu Ki. I don't know how God can love us so much much. I mean, look around you. If I am God, I'll would have flush everything down the toilet and made little green men."
God has that decision. The Power to eradicate. To restart. he didn't chose it. He didn't throw the relationship aside just because it did not work out. He chose to gave His life up to redeem what has become hostile to Him. A people who has become unholy and wicked. Totally opposite of God.
For a people deserving death, He chose to give His life.
2000++ years ago, God came and walked the earth as a man. He clothe Himself with frail humantiy . He open himself to pain and suffering. To walk among His creation and ultimately, He is going to die for them. He gave Himself a name. That Name was Jesus Christ.
In Acts 4:12, It is written.
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."
God's plan is to come to live a righteous life a a human. Then He'll be the sacrificial lamb. The righteous one, the only worthy one to take our place. I cannot take your place....neither can you take mine for we are all imperfect. We are all unable to save ourselves.
Romans 3:9-18, it is written.
9What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.
10As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one;
11there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.
12All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one."
13"Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.""The poison of vipers is on their lips."
14"Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness."
15"Their feet are swift to shed blood;
16ruin and misery mark their ways,
17and the way of peace they do not know."
18"There is no fear of God before their eyes."
In Romans 3:23, It is written,
23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God
We are unable to save ourself. God came for us instead. Suffered in the hands of His own creation, was murdered by his own people, decended to hell for 3 days and on the third days, He rose again. having victory over death, He offer this gift of salvation to all. That whoever believes in Him, will not perish but have eternal life. True Life that begins the moment you place your faith in Him.
John 3:16
16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 17:3
3Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.
No amount of works will saved you for you just cannot meet God's perfect standard. Neither are you good enough to return to God.
In Isaiah 64:6 it is clearly stated.
6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.
So how do we recieve this gift of Salvation?
In Romans 10:9-13 it is written.
9That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
11As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame."
12For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him,
13for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Yes...You'll have to call upon God and believe in Him.
God is real and He hears His people.
A simple prayer of asking God to come into your life is enough.
Prayer is like a means to talk to God. Really simple and when you get to know God more, you'll understand how it actually works and it'll be more natural to you.
It starts with calling upon God's name(Of course) and then ending in Jesus Name. Why so? We are speaking through Jesus Righteousness.
A simple prayer to recieve salvation is :
Heavenly Father,
I thank you for loving me and dying on the cross for me.
I confess that I have live my life indepenant of you.
I believe you and I accept you as my Lord and Savior.
Thank you for forgiving me, giving me eternal life and making me whole.
Lead me as you know best.
In Jesus name I pray.
Amen.
Hmm...Gotta Go...Time is running out. I have a meeting at 12!!! Argh!!
Hmmm....Guess Desmond you'll need to talk to me then. God must have decided that I should save that for person to person only.
I will not give up. I'll hold on. Fail I may at many times. Imperfect as I am. I will push on. My prayer is this that God you'll use me.
Lord.
Bless me and bless me much that I may be a blessing to others.
Equip me and Strengthen me. Expand my territories that I may glorify you in more aspects of my life.
Yet Lord, be with me always for I cannot stand without my tower, my refuge, my stronghold, my righteousness. Father...may your hand and favor rest upon me for I dare not move without you first moving before me.
Lastly Lord...keep me from evil. Keep me from all wickedness. Keep me from sin that so easily entangles. That Lord I will not cause pain. Not to You, Not to those around me and not to me for my soul is weary from all the pain that I have caused.
Lord, do not take your holy spirit from me or turn your face from me. Hear my cry ... Against all unrighteousness and myself.
In Jesus name I pray.
Amen