As Easter approaches, I wanted to share a few thoughts that are on my heart. I heard a sermon the other day at my church that really stuck in my mind. The topic was on the character of God and the impact that our personal belief (or disbelief) in the Gospel of Jesus Christ has on our life. As a Christian, Easter is a celebration of the life, death and most importantly the resurrection of Jesus Christ – the living Son of God.
At some point in our life, we all must choose whether or not we believe that the Bible is the true word of God and what it says about who Jesus really is. “Is Jesus truly the living Son of God as he claimed and did He die as a sacrifice for our sins so that we could be saved from the penalty of our sins and have eternal life in heaven?”
Our beliefs, referred to as worldview, determines what we think is possible, and what we think is possible can certainly influence the outcomes of our lives. When forming the spiritual component of our worldview, we really have only three possible conclusions regarding Jesus Christ and those are; Jesus is indeed Lord and Savior as He claimed, He was a liar, or He was a lunatic.
With all that is taking place in the world today, the tone of the American Presidential primaries, the geopolitical climate, ISIS and the forces at play in the middle-east; our world view certainly has an influence on what we believe regarding the role of government in our lives, our laws, and our country’s security and wellbeing. The worldview we adopt as individuals and as a Nation is foundational to how we as a country will respond to terrorism and dealing with other governments across the globe.
But, most importantly, our worldview ultimately determines our eternal destiny.
Whether you think Jesus was a liar, a lunatic, or you choose to dismiss history and deny His existence altogether, brings me back to that sermon I referred to earlier and the reason it stuck in my mind. “What if you are wrong?”
The crux of the sermon’s message is this. If I believe in Jesus and Jesus taught that eternal salvation and a place in heaven is received by confessing my sinful nature and accepting His sacrifice for my daily sins. And If I believe that we all have an eternal spirit and failure to “confess and accept Jesus’ sacrifice” assures the opposite of eternal life with God (i.e. eternal damnation for denying Christ). And finally, if I believe in the reality of both heaven and hell… then shouldn’t I be passionate about sharing the good news of Jesus Christ with everyone I know and care about? In a nut shell, I was convicted in my spirit for withholding this truth and not sharing my passion for the hope and the peace that I personally found in having Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
In closing, it is difficult for me to share in a short note the reality of all the comfort and blessings I have received, or fully explain the truth that I have come to know as I learn and grow through the teachings of the Bible and the Christian faith. You may have very little firsthand knowledge of these teachings or you may choose to ignore or even scoff at the possibility of any truth in Jesus…. BUT I must ask you to ponder– “What if you are wrong? “
If your conclusion about who Jesus really is does not align with who He claims to be, Lord and Savior; it is my prayer for you that during the Easter holiday you will take the opportunity to visit a local Christian church and seek truthful answers to these questions yourself. What have you really got to lose, or better yet, what might you gain through a relationship with a forgiving God?
Gregory W. Page
ACCU-FAB, INC.
President
