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WHEN I was a kid, I used to think Jesus Christ was one of the many gods that we worshiped and whose pictures hung on the walls. And that was it! I never got a fair chance to look closer until recently. But when I did, the world turned upside-down, inside out. It took God however, a good lot of knocking on my head to get my attention. I was too engulfed with the things of the world. Matters pertaining to "GOD" had little or no impact on me. I was almost an agnostic, believing that God is unknown or unknowable. As for indulging in pleasures, there was no end to it. And it came to pass that I went through a period of great trauma. I was financially, socially and psychologically bankrupt. I even ended up in a homeless shelter. But it was in confinements such as this, that all worldly noise faded away, God alone came into the limelight. Indeed, I thank God for all the pain I went through. He jerked me to attention all right, but I got to find who Jesus Christ really is. I could have never woken up to this fact if life had been just business-as-usual. |
It is not so much in the information itself as it is in the perspective. Practically everybody in the world has developed some kind of an idea about Jesus Christ, but if you would only care to stop and reconsider, the revelation is mind blowing and the benefits(1), even more.
This is my perspective and of many other, around the world. Let me begin it this way: for all we know, there is a somebody intelligent behind all that we see. Take for instance the design of the eye, let alone the nerves that carry the message to the brain. It will take a substantial amount of reading on the theory of optics to unravel it. A person, who says this is "chance," is like one who thinks he will get a quartz watch if he bangs his old mechanical watch up against the wall. It is easier to believe than to disbelieve but we are products of His creative genius. Further, there is something inside of us that seems to resonate with this creation that tells us this Creator is personal too, who has tastes similar to that of ours. For instance, one cannot help but be awed by the fragrance and beauty of a lily in the garden.
As for life after death, I can give you ten reasons to believe that there is. Just as a new born baby lives with it's new found senses even after the very source of life-- the umbilical cord -- is cut off, so will we, after we breathe our last in this womb of time-space. And where we will be born into, is NOT altogether opaque!
This Creator (God) has set out an order for us to live with lots of freedom. Any straying(2) on our part from that order hampers/disrupts His good plans. He loves us much, so He is willing to forgive(3) us, but since He is also just, He will punish us or will require us to pay an "atonement" for our sins. While this has been the history of the general relationship that man had with God, something else was in the making. Genetically(4) or otherwise, man brought with him through the centuries this "straying behavior" that we call sin. Instead of putting a leash to it, man found himself continually toying with it and became utterly sinful. Sin now had a leash on him instead. Such was man's condition I believe, when God despaired the most. He saw man was about to perish in His Justice. He could not bear to see that, as He loved him much. He saw one sure means to save him: give(5) away His beloved Son who would die for the sins of the world. The sacrifice was acceptable, as He was fully man (e.g.: could experience the same pain like man) and never sinned(6). This precious gift would be available to all, but only those who humble themselves and receive it, would get to have it. This way, imparting both love and justice to mankind -- the perfect plan of God!
In essence, the primary mission of Jesus Christ on this earth was to lay down His life for us. Someone once told me this real life story, that helped me a great deal to understand what Jesus Christ had done; and what "love", "sacrifice" and "propitiation" really mean. It happened in the early 1900s in the state of California. Two Chinese brothers lived together in San Francisco. The older of the two was of good character and high moral standards. However the younger one was into all the wrong things. One day when the younger Chinese man was gambling on the street, a fight broke out between him and his opponent and it ended with the Chinese man killing his opponent. With a view of going into hiding, he went home, put away his blood stained clothes in a closet and ran out. The older brother returned home from work and found the blood stained clothes. He concluded that his kid brother was in trouble again and quickly wore those clothes himself to protect him. When the police came searching, he surrendered himself in place of his brother. The court ordered capital punishment, and the Chinese man was executed by a firing squad. After getting wind of his brother's death, the younger Chinese man came to the judge pleading guilty, confessing that he was the real killer. Can you guess what the judge had to say? "The crime has already been paid for. We cannot do anything to you. You are free to go" was indeed the judge's response!
This is the way of Mercy God has set out for us. All our wrong doings were upon Jesus ("He became sin for us")(7) and He endured death on the stake God prepared for Him. Think about it--"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." He has made His move; now it's your move. Respond to His love today! Recognize that you are indeed a sinner. Receive Him as your savior. Repent from your sin. The fact that God raised Him from the dead on the third day is proof that we are justified fully in His death. The only thing that is asked of us from hereon is to lead a blameless life, keeping God's Commandments. Indeed, I see this saving principal as a Law of Nature too.
You cannot help taking a closer look at this man Jesus. If you look beneath His down-to-earth humanity and consider His birth to a virgin woman, "see" Him healing a paralytic, giving sight to a blind man by birth, even raising a man from the dead, commanding the winds to calm down, walking on water, feeding thousands with five loaves of bread and two fish, getting His tax money out of the mouth of a fish caught at random by His disciple, and breaking the barrier of death itself in His resurrection, ... you will find that you cannot help but acknowledge Him as Christ, the Anointed One in whom the fullness of God dwelt! Indeed He is the Son of God the Most High.
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At first, I didn't think anything much about this sacrifice because I didn't see myself as a sinner. As long as I didn't hurt anybody I was Ok. I didn't need a savior. On the contrary I wanted someone to bolster me up. Not until later, did I realize that just as a speck of dirt can make a glass of water unfit for drinking, God too sees us unfit to enter His presence if we harbor the guilt of even one sin. And I realized all were sinners(8) including me. The message of the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ became all-relevant. Even as my soul was panting for hope and life, my burden became light when I read "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest"(9) among many other verses that Jesus spoke while He walked on this earth. Seeing Jesus sacrificed on the stake opened up my eyes to how degenerate I was. It was in the month of August 1989 that I surrendered to Jesus Christ and was baptized that December. I do not think that I have been made perfect already, but I press on toward that goal. All my wrongdoings (sins) have been wiped out clean! I can now look to start my life afresh! Indeed I am supernaturally born-again(10)(11) (as a butterfly from a caterpillar) by the Spirit and of water to live forever. This is real freedom, not like what the world offers. It is a first class ticket to heaven. And, it's free(12)! (But don't forget it's not cheap -- it cost Jesus His very life and the Heavenly Father His only begotten Son.) This new found freedom and Grace does not give me a license to sin but rather motivates me to do good deeds, starting with the keeping of the Commandments of God. If we falter He is faithful and just to forgive us when we confess our sins(13)
To accept Him as your savior means, you are with Him through thick and thin, even as you are changing your mind about the things of life and starting to obey God (which is repenting). Moreover the Holy Spirit of God by whom you were conceived again will also reside inside you and help you in your growth. What you will witness at the onset is an exercise of faith(14). This faith, remember, unlike others, is one that you can taste(15) before you take a plunge into it. Try Jesus!
If you find Him to be good don't forget to share Him with others. This is the greatest good you can ever do to someone.
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I strongly urge you to find a fellowship where the Word of God is taught. Get yourself also a good translation of the Bible preferably the New International version, New American Standard version or the New Jerusalem Bible. (I use a Scofield Study Bible and love it.) The Bible is a volume composed of many books each with their own theme, so don't start reading from Genesis. I suggest you start with Mark's Gospel and the references below. But do read the Bible from beginning to end at least once as it forms one story. May the Lord God richly bless you and guide you into all truth. Amen! |
March 29, 1999 Caleb Suresh Motupalli.
References:
8For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God -Romans 3:23 (The Bible)
9Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and and learn from me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.-Matthew 11:28-30 (The King James Version Bible)
13If we acknowledge our sins, He is trustworthy and upright, so that He will forgive our sins and will cleanse us from all evil-1 John 1:9 ( New Jerusalem Bible).
Note: Words of Jesus in Red and from the Bible in Green.
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