Real Things.

Archive
Gospel

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. Isaiah 1:18

I’m amazed at God. He puts up with so much pride, arrogance, flippancy, selfishness, and injustice from us. But, in the middle of all of that He has always had a plan in motion to make it all right for each of us. This (salvation) is not just a “macro” story either, it’s true in the micro sense and you see it play out in every saved person’s life.

We were God’s enemies and took him for granted, even denied He was real. So we lived however we wanted to and said “screw it!” to the future. All along, God has been planning to make every stain and stench of our sin no more and a clean, white crisp cloak of rightness in its place.

Salvation is found when we admit this is not only the story of humanity but our very own story. And then, salvation isn’t earned by our hard work or sorry feelings but by someone else doing for us what we could never do (Jesus – life of obedience, death on the cross, conquering death…)

Salvation is experienced by living a clean and righteous life we couldn’t live before but (because Jesus did it) we can’t help but live that way, too. The rebellion (inside us) ceases and we are ready and willing to serve God. Yep, serve God.

If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be eaten by the sword; for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Isaiah 1:19, 20

Read More

He truly is the only hope. we may have a sense of familiarity about him but we should be grieved if we allow familiarity or simplicity to detract from truth. If we’ll admit it, we are highly accustomed to familiar things possessing the power to sustain life – air, water, blood, heartbeat… It’s the rudiments of life that make it happen. Just as we thirst for water, our souls long to drink of something that will quench our thirst forever. The reality of this quenching is not something synthetic (like Gatorade or good works) but completely natural (water… and the One who made the water).

If we’ve failed to see Jesus thus far, perhaps we are just not looking. This could explain why the cross makes so much sense to those finally standing on the other side of it. Think of when you’ve purchased a new car or pair of shoes – suddenly you are aware of all nuance of car or shoe and can derive comparison and category with only a glance. When you’ve come to believe in the power of the Cross and Jesus’ work there you can then see the story unfolded all around you. It’s always been there, but now you see it.

Read More