It’s not supposed to be this way

Let’s face it:  we live in an imperfect world.  And it’s not just something that’s “out there” somewhere, you can see problems right here in Springfield.  But this isn’t the world that God intended for us.  We were created in God’s image, able to have a relationship with our Creator, but that dignity has been marred by depravity.  We’ve gone our own way, rebelling against God by doing our own thing.  The Bible has a word for that:  Sin.  

What is Sin?

When we think of sin, we might think of murder, adultery, stealing, or lying.  Those are just four of the ten commandments (Exodus 20), and even with just those you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who isn’t guilty.  It shows up early in life – nobody’s ever had to teach a toddler how to steal a cookie and then to lie to cover it up.  It’s simply in our nature, and no one is immune.  

However, sin also goes much deeper than that.  It’s clear that murder is a sin, but did you know that Jesus likened murder to thinking “you fool” about someone in your heart?  (Matthew 5:22).  The world would excuse it by saying “everybody has thoughts like that” or “it’s just a thought, I didn’t act on it.”  But the world isn’t its own judge – God is the judge, and he’s looking at the thoughts and intents of the heart.  (Hebrews 4:12)

Knowing that, it’s clear the we have a problem.  We are all guilty, and we all fall short of God.  (Romans 3:23)

Sin Separates Us

What is the result of our sin?  Sin separates us from having a relationship with God in this life (Isaiah 59:2), and prevents us from being with Him in Heaven when we die.  

The challenge we face is that there’s no way for us to “make up for” our sins.  It’s like a glass of dirty water.  No amount of dilution with clean water will ever make it 100% clean; the dirt will always be there, even if it’s a tiny amount.  The only way to make the water clean is to remove the dirt, as though it were never there in the first place.

With sin being part of our nature, and lacking any ability to clean up the dirt in our own lives, it seems as though there’s no hope.  But there is!

God Made a Way

Imagine yourself trapped in the middle of the ocean.  No boat, no life vest, no land for hundreds of miles, just you and the waves.  In that situation, you might be able to hang on for a little while, but it won’t be long before you succumb, and there’s nothing you can do to prevent it.  Your only hope is for someone else to come along and rescue you.  Suddenly, a hand appears – a rescuer!  You’re saved!  All you need to do is make a simple choice to grab ahold of that hand.  

That’s a picture of what God has done for us.  He loves the entire world (John 3:16), and sent Jesus to “seek and to save” (Luke 19:10).  By giving himself to die on the cross, Jesus took the punishment that we deserved.  (Romans 5:8)  He’s offering you a way out – all you need do is to accept the help.  That’s God’s grace, something that we don’t deserve but that is offered to us anyway out of love.  

I’m Too Far Gone – Aren’t I?

There is no such thing as a person who is “too far gone” or “unforgivable” or “unlovable”.  You don’t have to be perfect, you just have to be willing.  John 3:16 says that God loves the entire world, and that anyone who calls on Jesus will be saved!  

 

What Must I Do?

Like a drowning person who’s being offered a hand, the only thing you must do is accept the offer.  That comes in three parts.  (1) Acknowledge your sin and your guilt before God.  (2) Believe that Jesus has the power and authority to save you and to change you.  (3) Call on Jesus to save you!  

What does that last part look like?  It’s simply a prayer, which is just talking to God.  There are no magic words.  It can be out loud or silent.  It can be alone in your home, or in a church service surrounded by people.  It can be eloquent or clumsy.  It doesn’t matter if you’ve never prayed before in your life, or think “I’m no good at prayer”.  God understands your heart.  

What’s stopping you from making that decision today?