Gospel: Good News to those who believe...

I just read an article that spoke out against murder. It hit home in a new way how twisted our minds can get and how easy it can be to justify things that are clearly sin and wrong. It's so easy to want to explain away God so that we have no one to be held accountable to. If there is no God then I can do what ever I want. That is the lie that we are tempted to believe. That is the lie that got Eve way back in the beginning...that it would be better if there was no God or that He was not truly committed to our good. I do not mean to condemn. That is not my place. I do not know other's hearts and I trust God to work in heart and minds. I'm sure many questions of God's fairness and goodness may arise when issues of God's truth regarding abortion, acting on and living out homosexual desires and temptations without repentance, being honest, the list could go on.  I'd encourage you to ask them. Jesus said, "...the truth will set you free." There is forgiveness and compassion to those who come to Him in repentance and faith. I wish I could say that I am not guilty of the same sin that is committed (Murder) when an abortion is had. But I cannot. Jesus said, "who ever has hated his brother, has committed murder."  Jesus also said, "You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery'; but I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Matthew 5:27-28. I wish I could say I'd never given into even lustful thoughts, but I have. God says, "You shall not steal". I've stolen a piece of candy from the grocery store. There is no sin scale as to how "big" a sin must be to count as sin. Sin is sin. It is not about the consequences, it is about His glory, and we fall short of it every day. God defined sin in this way to the Israelites .." My people have forsaken me the spring of living water, they have built for themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water." Jeremiah 2:13. The outward sinful actions we make come from a sinful heart that has not regarded God as God. So even if we "cleaned up our act", which I don't think anyone can do perfectly, we all have hearts bent against God, making ourselves above Him in reason and authority and worth. In essence we have made ourselves out to be god. The same thing could be said about Satan who was originally an angel. He said in his heart, 'I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly in the recesses of the north. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." Isaiah 14:13-14 He sought to and continues to fight for a place above God. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23), the wages for this sin is death (Romans 6:23), eternal judgement and condemnation apart from God (the very source of life, and joy, and peace, and worship). But God who is RICH in mercy and catastrophic in His love, gave His own Son, sacrificed His life, shed His blood, and took my sins on Himself, and in turn took the punishment I deserved on Himself. God turned His face from His only beloved Son so that who ever would believe in Him would be SAVED from His wrath. God saved me from Himself. He is a just judge but a loving one, who offers a way out of condemnation. Now anyone who would call on the name of the Lord, repenting of their sins and placing their faith in the perfect life and death of Jesus on their behalf can be saved. It is NOT by works, we can not boast at all. It's not that we need to just live better from now on. We need forgiveness and the ability to love God. What relief to hear the words, "come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). If you think you can do something to earn or gain salvation you will either pridefully face Him someday and bow (Philippians 2:9-11) or you will go crazy(possibly literally) trying to please Him (personal experience). For the later, I say this, you don't have to try any more. He knows you, your sin did not surprise Him. Yes it is ugly, but that is the beauty of His love. When God knew even before you had an opportunity to choose to sin that you would commit the things you've committed He chose to die for you. Romans 5:8 Sin has to be judged. God would be a bad judge if He let criminals off the hook. But God demonstrated His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures," I Corinthians 15:3-4 You were created to know God and enjoy Him forever. If you know Him, rejoice, if you do not, the invitation stands to take Him up on His call "Come to me all who are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest for your souls." Turn from your sin and pride and receive His gift of forgiveness and new life.  "For by grace you are saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast." Ephesians 2:8-9 "For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, but the righteous man shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17 "Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 What motivated God work on the cross for you? Pity? Frustration that we botched things up? Bitterness and duty? An egotistical need for power? OR For God SO LOVED the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him would not perish, but have eternal life. John 3:16. He made a way for us to enjoy the life that we were created to enjoy in the beginning. This is our joy right now and our hope for the future.