LOVE: it’s a big word, but one that is appropriate. It defines the Christian faith in a unique and more powerful way than any other religion. God loves you. How can this be? How much does he love you? This is how, he sent his son to die to make things right between you (cf. John 3:16). It’s astounding, that much love, to give up a child, a perfect child, your only child, just like you, for someone else’s benefit… That’s love.
EVIL: it’s real. We see it every day and we may even blame it on God. In fact, the existence of it is used in some twisted logic to show that God doesn’t exist, but does that work? How can you have the heights of God’s love demonstrated without the deepest darkest evil? Evil is most certainly real, and it is in each one of us. We all have been gripped by it, even seduced to some degree… Yes evil is real, and it keeps us from God.
RESCUE: this is the good part. This is how God demonstrates his amazing love for us, he saves us! It’s out of the depths of our evil and wickedness that we are lifted and saved. Totally and utterly, from outside of ourselves, rescued. Christianity is not a self-help guide to making your life a little bit better by adding a helping of Jesus. Our faith is about someone outside of ourselves saving us.
CHOICE: each one of us has to choose, do we stay with our evil inclinations and a life opposed to God and all that he did for us, or do we choose to accept his gift, his salvation, his son. You know this is the answer, you have either dealt with him or you keep putting him off, why not today? Why not now? You know the arguments, you’ve heard it all before… Just stop. Choose Jesus. Place your trust totally in him. Admit that Jesus is the Lord of everything and turn the keys of your past, present, and future over to him. It’s the evidence of things that we look forward to… faith.
RESTORATION: he not only saves us from our own evil, he steps into our lives to change us and make us new, from the inside out. He washes you clean, restore the past, and gives you power for the future. He takes us and gives us the ultimate do-over. You want to change, but you can’t… alone. You know this, give your life to him, he can do it… he will do it!
Not advice about what you can do in the future, but GOOD NEWS of what’s already been done for you in the past. God loves you, so much, take him up on his generous offer today… Hasn’t it been long enough?
