Do You Believe?

Yesterday's blog was entitled "Salvation is by Works" and I am truly disappointed that no one has commented on it. What I thought was stimulating and even provocative, has apparently been as awe-inspiring as most sermons which lead to empty alters. But, I will not be discouraged. I will press on to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and let the Holy Spirit choose upon whom to use it.

The Bible is very difficult to understand, at least it is to me. The Trinity, the death of the Eternal Christ, the fact that God existed in what would appear to be nothingness from the human perspective (after all, He said. "In the beginning...." Where was He before the beginning? He called David a man after His own heart, and yet he was an adulterous murderer. Fossils tell us something completely different from the Bible, and yet I believe the Bible. Strange, huh!

I guess the most difficult thing I have learned from the Bible is that God loves me. None of you reading this (if anyone is) knows what a despicable, hateful, evil person I have been, and probably will continue to be until He takes me home. I don't even like me! Why, "in heaven's name" (ironic use of the phrase, don't you think?) would a righteous, all-knowing, all-powerful, holy, and just God even allow me to exist, let alone love me? I guess the simple answer is that He is God, and God is love. He can't help Himself!

Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." He didn't wait until we straightened up, or repented, or anything else. He simply loved us. The old favorite of all verses, John 3:16 says, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." He not only tells us He loves us, but He put His "money where His mouth is" in that He gave His most prized and valuable possession for us.

Some might ask, "Do you suppose that He took a look at His creation and finding it broken, tried to fix it?" It is a good question. But God did not react to circumstances by putting a bandaid or duct tape on it. In fact, He didn't react at all. He knew what would happen if He created humanity, what it would cost Him, and He created us anyway. Ephesians !:4 says, "According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love." Amazingly, He had already written our names in a book before He created this world (Revelation 13:8). He is an awesome God!

So, while I cannot understand all that the Bible teaches, I do believe what I do understand. He loves me.
And since God is no respecter of persons, I figure if He can love me, He can love anybody, even you! He does you know, All He asks is that we believe Him. What follows in response from us will be for us to love Him back. It is impossible not to if you really believe.