It occurs to me that since this blog appears on the internet, someone
using a search engine with questions about Jesus might just find Jesus
here.
So, what would they ask? Who is Jesus? Why Jesus? Is Jesus real? Why
should I believe in Jesus? What can Jesus do for me?
Maybe, such a person wouldn’t even ask about Jesus. Maybe they
would simply ask, “Why is my life so bad?”
And, since one of the purposes here is to foster discussion about Jesus
and our faith, it also presents an opportunity for many of us to share
what we find in Jesus that works for us.
For me, Jesus is the Savior who pulled me up out of the pit I had dug
for myself. He saved me. He turned my life around and gave me a hope
and a future. He restored me and healed me. Jesus is worthy of all my
praise because he took all the bad stuff (Yes, the real name for that is
“sin.”) I had done in my life and nailed it to a cross. Even though I had
hurt myself and many others, He gave me that precious forgiveness and
amazing grace that I did not deserve and that I could not in any way
earn on my own. He took away the pain.
Yes, Jesus is real. He is the one and only Son of the Living God. It’s
Jesus because there is no other God that forgives sin. I believe in Jesus
because He is real and He really did conquer sin, death and the devil.
What Jesus did for me was die on a cross and rise from the dead,
making me right with God when I could not. In doing so, He guaranteed
me eternal life in heaven where my relationship with the creator of the
universe will be perfect in every way.
The reason my life used to be so bad was because I had driven a wedge
between myself and God with sin.
It’s not that I don’t sin any more. We all do and I am no better than
anyone else. I am far from perfect. But, my heart does not desire to sin.
That is how I am changed. My heart desires to praise God and bring Him
glory and gratitude because He alone is worthy.
So, the question about what Jesus can do for me is deeply flawed
because it is rooted in selfishness and the desire to make up our own
rules as we go along—to each be our own personal god. One of the
miracles of being saved is that when we stop asking what God can do
for us and start asking how we can bless God and His people, we find
ourselves blessed.
So, how about you, brothers and sisters in Christ? What are your
answers to these questions? What would you say to someone who
wanted to know, ‘What’s the big deal with Jesus anyway?”
Today’s Praise
For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but
in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:17 )