Entrée 2 of 3
We try to appear good-or better than we really are. Or we may try to run away and hide from Him. But nothing is hidden from God.
Psalm 139:1-4
1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.
2 You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off.
3 You comprehend my path and my lying down And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.
After Adam and Eve sinned, God set in motion His plan to save mankind. We can find verses in the Old Testament that hint at this plan.
Isaiah 53:6 says,
6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.
This verse foretold the one and only solution. God’s only Son, Jesus, would free us from sin. Jesus was the sinless One.
He was not separated from God like the rest of us. He was the only One who could measure up to God’s standards.
God sent Jesus to us as a baby. He gave a human body to His Son. Jesus was a human person as we are. He ate, slept, got tired, laughed, wept, and worked. But He never sinned. He did something no mere human like us could ever do. He died for us.
The story is told of a man who borrowed a large amount of money from a friend.
When the time came to repay the loan, or note, the man was in deep financial trouble and was unable to pay. His friend invited him to dinner. There was a candle burning on the table. Before they began to eat, the friend took the note out of his pocket, held it to the flame until it was burned to ashes. The man threw his arms around his friend and wept.
We owe God a huge debt. But we can’t pay it. Jesus’ death was accepted by God as a substitute settlement. Jesus is qualified to pay for our sins. He is able to repair the broken relationships we have with God. He can pardon us and set us free.
Romans 3:23, 24: 23 For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
24 Yet God freely and graciously declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.
Grace is a key word in this verse. Fritz Ridenour gives us some illustrations of grace:
“Grace is like getting two more days to complete an assignment even though you ’ve goofed of for six weeks and missed the deadline. ”
“Grace is like getting a warning from a traffic officer instead of a $50 fine and suspended license. ”
“Grace is getting another chance, even though you haven’t earned it or deserved it.”
None of these illustrations fully explain God’s grace. We can never in this world understand why God is so patient with us. It is a mystery, but, nevertheless, it is true.
God’s great gift of His Son, Jesus, is available for all.
Will continue in the next entrée, look for it…………
Σχόλια