What does God have to say about Himself? If we were to start from scratch and read the Bible for the first time, bringing no previously formed assumptions with us, we’d make certain discoveries very quickly, for instance…
God is Big!
If we started at the beginning of the Bible, we’d discover with the very first phrase that God must be big. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) He formed the vast universe in which we exist. Not too far into your journey through the Bible, you’d also quickly discover that…
God is Holy!
We try to define “holiness” by adding up all the good qualities of mankind, but God is really in a class all by Himself. He’s perfectly free from even the possibility of sin and error. Because we have discovered God’s greatness and holiness and moral perfection, we must certainly be struck by the reality of our own sinfulness. Paul wrote in his letter to the Romans that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)
Because God is the holy and just Creator, He must hold every one of His creatures to the same standard, and that standard is defined by His own definition of goodness. So, are you good enough?
The best way to find out is to take God’s test, the Ten Commandments. Have you ever told a lie? Have you ever stolen anything, no matter its value? Have you ever used the Lord’s name in a vain or meaningless way? Have you ever lusted for something or someone you weren’t supposed to have? Then you’ve failed, along with the rest of humanity. Paul went on to state that “the wages (fair payment) of sin is death.” We are dead already because of our sins. Spiritually, we are separated from God and if we die in our present condition, we’ll spend eternity apart from this holy God in hell forever. Why? Because that is the fair sentence for our crimes. However, you would also discover…
God is Love!
The Apostle John said it plainly, “God is love.” (1 John 4:8, 16) That doesn’t simply mean that God loves us, it means that His very nature defines love. To prove that His love is greater than any we could offer, the Bible is clear that God went to the greatest possible extreme to show His love for people by giving His Son, Jesus… “But God commendeth His love toward us in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)
Even though we’ve failed His “perfection” test for us, He still loves us, and He’s done everything necessary to make a way for us to know Him personally and to enjoy Him for all of eternity in heaven. Our sins have interrupted any possible relationship we might have with God, but Jesus died for our sin, in our place, to pay its penalty. But we aren’t saved automatically. We are expected to respond to all that God has done for us. We also need to discover that…
God is Wise!
We often miss this because when we think of wisdom, we think of the smartest people we know. Truthfully, God’s wisdom trumps ours infinitely. God always has a better plan than we do. This is true in spiritual matters as well.
Left on our own, we would devise all kinds of religious systems to use as our vehicle to pleasing and appeasing God, but He has a better plan. God’s plan is rebirth! “Jesus answered and said unto Him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.” (John 3:5) So how can you be “born again?” God has given us two important words: repent and believe. Turn and trust. We must forsake our own way of salvation and by faith, embrace Jesus’ death as the sacrifice for our sins.
Do you want to receive Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and have the free gift of eternal life today? Acknowledge your own sinfulness and receive Him as your Savior. You can express your heart to Him in a prayer like this… Dear God, I admit my sinfulness and I know that I don’t deserve heaven. But I believe that Your Son Jesus died on the cross and rose again to pay my sin penalty. I receive Him now as my Lord and Savior. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.
If you’ve made that commitment, or if you have more questions, use this form to start a conversation!
