Breathtaking Reality

The Purpose
Why do you and I exist? We were created for one purpose: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. He didn't need us. He wanted us. God Almighty desired someone who know and experience the breathtaking reality of Himself that had existed for eternity. Someone He could share His attributes with. Therefore, He created humanity. God had us in His Image with the ability of knowing the awesome God of the universe. This is the greatest thing anyone can experience. God wants what is best for us. And what's best for us is Him.

The Problem 
So, what's the issue? If God wants us to know and experience Him why does He feel so distant? Well, our first parents joined in the devil's rebellion against their Creator. They shunned God's offer of a relationship and instead chose to live for themselves. Likewise, each one of us has shunned God's offer by choosing to please ourselves through sin rather than please God through righteousnes.

Sin is the opposite of all God is. Sin and God are like water and fire. They cannot coexist. One them has to give. Therefore, as sinners we cannot have fellowship with God. Thus, we were all doomed to spend eternity separated from Him. But praise God, He made a Way for us to come to Him.

The Plan
God is so amazing. He doesn't have this vague armchair love that whispers sweet nothings but doesn't have anything to show for it. His love is relentless and steadfast. Therefore, before the foundations of the world were laid, He developed a Plan. This beautiful master plan began with the laying of a foundation. 

God worked through patriarchs and prophets to reveal to us His characters and desires. He gave us a daunting Law. This Law was so pure and holy that it is impossible for us wicked sinners to keep. But, by showing us His standard, God made us realize that there is no hope within us. We cannot save ourselves. We need someone to do the saving for us.

The Penalty
Just as God is Love He is also Justice. And just as He doesn't have armchair love He doesn't have armchair justice. His justice is holy, undeluted and perfect.Without the shedding of blood there can be no - yes, literally no - remission for sin. That's the price of our rebellion against a relentlessly just God. We needed someone to take the punishment for our sin. So the Lord sent His Beloved Son to be sin for us. He suffered and died at the Place of the Skull so that we could have fellowship with the Father.

On the cross, Jesus traded places with us. We armchair theologians call this penal substantiationary atonement. Jesus took our sinful status and was judged by God, satisfying His relentless justice. Inversely, we took on Jesus' righteous status and allowed us to have fellowship with God, satisfying His relentless love. However, Christ is not a victim. He's a victor. He triumphed over the grave. As that old hymn says, He lives that death may die. Just as we died with Him on the cross, we also rise with Him so that we may have eternal fellowship with God.

The Promise
The penalty for sin is paid. However, we are still responsible for accepting that gift. We must admit our sinful state and accepted Christ as the substitutionary payment for that sin and believe in our heart that the Lord has raised Him from the dead. It is then that we trade places with Christ Jesus and can enjoyed God forever.

What a breathtaking reality!
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