I spent a lot of years trying to author my own life and interpret its purpose and meaning by my own limited understanding. I didn’t have the operator's manual to figure out this complicated thing called my life. I needed to talk to the designer and creator of me.
Jeremiah 29:11 says: “I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you future and a hope.”
Have you ever thought about how unique and individual we are? Look at our finger prints. Every one is different and unique. No two are alike. How about our hair? It is different color and different texture. What about the rest of the stuff that makes us who we are? Our personalities and our DNA makeup determines our physical and emotional makeup. One thing we all have in common is the love our Designer, our Creator, our Father in heaven has for each of us. No one knows us better than the Author of our individual uniqueness.
God’s greatest desire is to be in a loving, intimate and personal relationship with each and every one of us. He wants to have that kind of relationship for eternity with us. We’ve all seen those movies where the blood hounds get on the trail of someone. You can hear the barking in the distance. Someone is trying to escape the blood hounds by running through the creeks, up the trees across the fields. But the dogs keep coming. They are on your trail.You can still hear them coming after you. It never ends, no matter what this person does or where he runs. He can’t shake the hounds. You can still hear the hounds after them. I once heard God described as the Hound of Heaven and He is on the scent of your heart, always calling, always wooing you. Whatever it takes, God keeps tracking us, wooing us, calling our name. God uses whatever means that it takes to get our attention. Sometimes it is through failure, sometimes it’s through a tragedy or loss, and sometimes through a family member or a friend.
There is one thing that stands in the way of that relationship. Sin! God’s standard for us is perfection, to be sinless. Sin is a word that I really struggle with. It conjures up a vision of being a bad person. YOU SINNER!!!! Sin is actually an ancient term used in archery. It means to miss the mark, to miss the bull's eye, an imperfect effort. That is what we do when we sin. We are missing the mark of perfection. Sin is anything that is displeasing to God. It could be something we do that God tells us we should not do. It could be something we don’t do that we should. We shouldn’t candy coat SIN just to make it easy for us to talk about. Sin is more than just displeasing to God. God sees sin as ugly and distasteful. He will not tolerate it in his presence. Let me assure you that it is only the sin that God hates. How could the Creator hate his creation? It‘s not the person He hates. It’s the dirt and filth of sin we allow in our lives that he can not allow in his presence. It would be sinful if I decide to walk according to my plans or what the world says is right rather than what God desires for me.
Wow!! Here’s the dilemma. God loves us so much and he wants to have a personal, loving, intimate relationship with us. But if we are even just a little sinful, he can’t even look upon us. What do we do? God solved this problem in the Person of Jesus Christ. The model for how we are to live our lives is demonstrated by the example set by Jesus Christ, a life of perfection, the perfect God - Man. Jesus was and is fully God, fully divine, completely capable of doing God’s miracles and God’s work here on earth. But he was also fully man. He had pain , He had hunger, He even bled. Jesus was sent here for our benefit. God already knew us. He created us. He knows and loves every hair on our head. Jesus was sent that we might know our loving Father better. OK here it is ...
John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
God gave up his son, his only son, to suffer and be crucified for our sins. He offers His son as a free gift. Jesus didn’t just die and shed his blood for us on that cross. Many have died for a cause or others. But Jesus rose from the dead and ascended into heaven where he sits at the right hand of God. Look what it says after John 3:16.
John 3:17 God did not send his Son into the world to condemn it, but to save it.
God knows our uniqueness so well and loves us so much that we can enjoy a special relationship with him through somethingcalled GRACE, which is God’s unmerited,unconditional, unlimited, LOVE.
GRACE: God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense
Ephesians 2:8-9 For it is by GRACE you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works.
God’s Riches - all his love, blessings, mercies, and loving relationship
At Christ’s Expense - The one who suffered and died on the cross for us
Revelations 3:20 says: “Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.”
Have you ever had a little kid come to the door to sell you a candy bar. They are looking in the windows. They can hardly wait to see you open the door. I can just see Jesus at the door looking through the glass, anxiously saying, “I know you’re in there. I’ve got something for you. Come on. You don’t want to miss this. I’ve got a special gift for you. It’s already paid for. Come on, open the door.”
How do we accept God’s gift of eternal life? How do we enter into the kind of relationship with God that He has designed and desires for each of us for eternity? How do we accept the grace he offers us as a free gift? We receive this gift through faith when we open our hearts through prayer and confess our sins, accept Jesus Christ as our resurrected savior, acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord of our life and turn away from our old ways.
If you are in need of more information about how to receive God’s gift of eternal life or clarify any questions you might have, please contact one of the people listed below.
Owen Dolin: Senior Pastor Covenant United Methodist Church - 222-9925
Mel Wilhelm: Associate Pastor - 222-9925
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