For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing… O wretched man I am. St. Paul
No one understands the above confession as well as someone who tries to change himself or herself for better. As Rosa Luxemburg said, ‘Those who do not move, do not notice their chains’.
We have always felt limited somehow. We always felt we are better than what we are, what we can do and achieve. The feeling we are short selling ourselves has a universal consensus. We have always “felt short of the glory” we should have and attain. Therefore, self-help books have existed since writing existed. They originally came in the form of religious and philosophical writings. Now more than ever they are bestsellers and becoming necessities for a better life. Yet, all this avails little when it comes to our soul. The ideal self is trapped in our mind. Our exaggerated sense of importance and some remarkable abilities we possess have their roots in our origin – God. We push ourselves to its limit as if a superhuman lived in us.
It was in paradise man made the greatest sin that gave birth to the pain and suffering humanity had to endure. It was breaking a simple commandment that brought unimaginable consequences. The knowledge of good and evil has made people define good and evil in their own terms and wreak each other. Therefore, God gave us laws to live by. We have ignored God’s traffic rules for our lives and driven recklessly and hurt others in the process. We have crushed into each other, sped, parked on the highway, and driven on the wrong side of the one-way street. And we all have been found to be transgressors, sinners, and criminals. The world has become unsafe, paradise has become a war zone.
War, crime, poverty and other ills come from our vices. There is no saving of the world without saving the individual. Whoever said they saved the world has only put a fabric plaster on it. It is not long before someone else peels it off and it bleeds again. The best of men saved people’s lives, but Jesus went deeper and saved them from their flaws. Because we broke one law, we must keep thousands.
We tried for thousands of years to eradicate the personal and societal vices. However, we could not rid ourselves of them. It is not in us to save ourselves. Vices will always be here until we are reborn or recreated. We are always seeking for a savior that can save us from the fermenting perils. Politicians, experts, role models, celebrities and leaders who can make the best of us are the manifestation of our need for a savior. History left us statues of such men. Yet, such men can only inspire and save a moment. Though we have such men and women as examples, they had their own struggles and weaknesses. Even their inspiration came from God.
The world needs a savior. We all need a savior from the internal and external vices that contribute towards the pain and suffering of the world. We all are guilty; we lied to someone which made them distrust others and live a life of suspicion creating an ever-snowballing confusion in the world. We all seem to contribute to the pool of evil in the world. We all said unkind things to others that crushed the self-esteem of others, made them hard to believe in themselves and suffered in doubt for a period or their lifetime. If our words can create such havoc in other people’s life how much our actions? Our sin is the evil things we did and the good things we ought to do but we didn’t. It seems our inaction can have devastating effects on someone’s life for generations to come. We all are walking swords that can cut a soul at any time.
We are in need of salvation from our vices and consequences of them. Since the devil made Adam and Eve rebel against God, humanity is still rebelling against each other, the law and God. That is why we fight each other and wage war. We made havoc on each other, and we all found guilty of contributing to the pain and suffering.
The little sins can often have the greatest consequences. The imprint we leave in this world is great. We meet thousands of people in our lifetime, and they meet thousands of people in their lifetime. The impressions and effects we live affect many either in good or bad. Only God can pick up the thousands of pieces of pain and suffering we initiated and bring restoration and healing into our lives.
It is an overwhelming thought to think of our contribution to the pain and suffering of the world. It is a road paved with guilt, shame, and condemnation. No one wants to travel that road. Often our failures and hurt lead us to substance abuse. Our conscience can be our worst critic. Instead of appeasing it with repentance by accepting the good news that Jesus Christ died to pay for sins, we drown it in alcohol, drugs, and indulgence. This hurts our mind and body even more. God has not set us up to destruction. He provided us a savior and an escape goat to our failures. A savior who saves us from our sins that led us to create hell in us and in this world while granting us eternity.
We make laws to curb the sins that ruin our life. However, these laws only restrain to an extent, since we are criminals in thought, speech and in action in secrecy. We do not need laws but inner reformation, change of mind and transformation. It is the inner transformation that makes the outer transformation. Jesus told the religious leaders of his time who committed no outward sin, “You look clean on the outside, but you are full of hate and greed”. These sins of the heart and mind lead to murder and exploitation of others.
It was never the outward observance that saved humans for their vices but the change in inner desires, motives, and attitude. Jesus said that we should first cleanse the inside then the outside will be clean. Jesus did not come with His perfect self to lecture us about our sin but save us from its power and consequences.
Just like the traffic rules, God’s ways seem restrictive to us. However, they are ways of better life and protection for us. We have broken them and fractures each other’s minds and hearts. And God is hurt with every hurt, cry and suffering of the world, and He is afflicted with every broken heart. We are convicted guilty and are in debt of the ever- spiraling effects of our sins that have no end to their damage. 2,000 years ago, God had enough, and He demanded everyone everywhere to change their way. This was impossible without His help. That is why He called us to Himself through Jesus. Without Him we are a hazard to each other. He would rather we repent now and know Him than judge us in the end for all the pain and suffering we caused in other’s lives.
Salvation is having eternal life. A life filled with peace, joy with all the goodness you couldn’t imagine without the negative, and ills of this world. This is available by believing in Jesus Christ. You can experience it here on this earth in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.
The last judgment is eternal separation of the good and evil. The good will be concentrated in one place called heaven and all bad will reside in hell. It’s a life of eternal bliss in heaven or eternal torment in hell. We must make the choice here and now. The way to salvation from eternal damnation is Jesus whom God sent to the world to pay for the sins of those who believe in Him so they can reconcile with God.
If you believe Jesus is the Son of God and that He died for your sins and was raised from the dead, you shall be saved from condemnation, guilt and hell. The day of salvation is now not later. Tomorrow might be too late because no one knows when you will die. You need to accept salvation the moment you hear the good news of Jesus Christ. No preparation is needed except to believe in Jesus Christ and having willingness to change from your sinful ways with the help of God. God has provided the power required to overcome.
Salvation can only be achieved by believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many religions teach that we can be saved by being good or doing good works. However, self-righteousness is the most damnable sin before God. It is the height of pride to stand before the perfect God and say that you are a perfect person. You might as well say you are God. The only person who could say that went to the cross so those who believe in Him can be saved.
We can’t pay with good works for the sins we have committed because the penalty for a sin is death. Do you remember the lamb to whom people transferred their sins and sacrificed? Your sin lives in you and it needs to be atoned for and it must be cleansed from. Good works would not clean you from your sin. As Jesus said to the Jews, “If you don’t believe in me you will die in your sins”. Then it will be too late and its consequences is hell. And the Jews were the most pious people on the planet. Our sin has to be transferred to someone blameless and that person has to pay the penalty, so we can be clean. God has transferred our sins to Jesus which caused His death on the cross.
Salvation is by faith in Jesus Christ only so everyone can have the chance to be saved. If it is by being a good person it would not have been possible and not fair because being a good person requires the right belief system, family, society, and education. Not everyone has the right upbringing to live a moral life. There are people who lack the wisdom to live a righteous life.
Sociology shows us that those who have educated parents commit less crimes. On the other hand, those who are not educated, or wealthy commit more crimes. If so, the rich and educated go to heaven while the poor go to hell. God would not allow the poor and uneducated to go to hell. God is not like that. That is why salvation is free for all who believe in Jesus Christ.
People do not go to hell because of their sin but because they did not accept Jesus as their savior.
None of us can achieve the standard required to enter heaven, but God made it free for whoever believes in Jesus Christ who sponsored us. As Adam, one man caused us to be kicked out of paradise, God accepted the perfect life and sacrifice of one man-God, Jesus to get us in.
Jesus saves us from hell which we deserve after a lifetime of sins that hurt and made others suffer. Knowing we have all sinned, God sent Jesus Christ to pay for our sin and save us from the pain and suffering that awaits us in hell.
While we were heading to hell, we were under curse that caused us to be in torment, sickness, and poverty. Jesus came to be cursed for us, so we can be delivered from any form of torment, sickness, and prosperity.
The book of Isaiah tells us the Messiah was wounded so we might be healed. The sin that causes us to be sick was judged on the body of Jesus so we can be free of its consequences.
Most of us try to be and do good and seem to fail, because without Jesus and the power He gives we are powerless. As the apostle Paul who used to be the most religious person put it:
“For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do… Oh wretched man I am who shall deliver me… I thank God for Jesus Christ!”
We need to abandon the improper mentality towards people, things, and life itself, so God can help us overcome the temptations, give us power to overcome our weaknesses and be better for ourselves and others. We can only do this when we turn our eyes, mind and heart to the values and ways of God.
As a just God, God cannot forgive your sins just like that. It would make him an unjust God. That is why Jesus, the son of God, came to pay for the sins committed by those who believe in Him. Even God is subject to the law He made. He forgave us paying for it dearly to show how much he hated sin and what worth we have before Him.
Jesus Christ is everything. Faith in Jesus Christ is the entrance to eternal life and the power that enables us to conquer the obstacles and temptations of this life. He is the start, the middle and the end of our faith. He is the model we look up to, to emulate the best desires, motives, characters, and attitudes. He is the perfect example. We find the failures of all the prophets and leaders of all religions but never of Jesus. That is why He can be the perfect role model for anyone.
Therefore, by believing in Him, modeling after Him as the situation requires, growing to know Him through the Bible and prayer, we grow in righteousness, and godly character. The Christian walk is increasing transformation into the image of Christ without guilt, while making a change for good in our life and others.
Sanctification
The blood of Jesus washes us from our sins. Since our sins are paid for by the blood of Jesus that redeem us from them. The blood of Jesus can cleanse us from mental, emotional and physical sins. Though our past sins are forgiven, we need to be continually cleansed from our sinful thoughts, speech, habits, and temperaments. As our experiences smear us with sin, so the blood of Jesus washes us out of it, giving us a clean conscience that keeps us at peace with God and ourselves so we can be and do Better.
We are not without help when it comes to cleansing ourselves from our sin but Jesus who after saving us from hell, will cleanse us to the innermost part of ourselves. We will be cleansed through and through from the inside out. Our continued relationship with Jesus through prayer, studying and worship will continually enable us to cleanse us from the pollution of sin.
Healing
Over 95% of the world population has some kind of illness. If there are this many people who are sick now it must have been worse 2000 years ago. It makes sense that Jesus spent much of His time healing. Many are sick. From the asthmatic person who feels drowned in a dry land to the mentally tormented living a life of misery and suffering. Does God ever care? Of course, one of the things Jesus taught His disciples was to heal the sick to deliver those tormented by demons. He gave the authority to heal and deliver to all who believe in Him. We ought to pray and seek healing from Jesus if we need it, can’t get treatment or medication. Jesus healed everyone who came to Him.
The salvation that comes through Jesus provided healing to whomever believed in Him. Jesus was wounded so we can be healed of our sickness. Not only that we get healed, but we are protected from many illnesses that we might catch accidentally.
A study shows religious people live a healthy life because they pray to alleviate the stress and worries of life that take their toll on the heart and mind creating all sorts of illnesses. Jesus says to us, “All you who labor and heavy laden come to me and I will give you rest”.
Since the speed of our belief in Jesus is slower than our illnesses, those who follow Jesus built hospitals wherever they went, to heal those who are struggling. Not that we don’t need hospitals but some of these diseases we should not experience and could have sorted by prayer and faith.
He lived at the graveyard. He was untamable and broke off all the chains and shackles they could put on him. He howled in torment and bruised himself with stones. He was under the control of demons that inhabited his body. No man could deliver him from his captivity. A legion is a term used to describe a military division which comprised 5,400 soldiers. It was that many demons the man had in him. That was too much suffering for one person. When Jesus came close to the man the leading demons begged Jesus not to torment them before their time of judgment. Then Jesus cast them out of the man to the herd of pigs and the man was set free. Sitting in his right mind, he asked Jesus if he could follow Him. Jesus replied, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and what mercy he has shown you”. He was too joyful to keep it to himself. The man did proclaim what Jesus had done to him to the joy and amazement of those who knew him and heard him.
From the invisible micro-aggressions to the visible spiritual torment that can make anyone insane, many are suffering in the hand of demons. Only Jesus who holds all spiritual authority in heaven and earth can deliver us from their hurtful influences. Even some of the physical illnesses people suffer from are caused by demons. For those who believe in Jesus have the authority over demons to neutralize their power and cast them out. Fighting demons, the devil’s soldiers through prayer and spiritual warfare is common practices in Christianity.
New creation
We are always seeking more than mere progress. We sought for an ideal self, ideal life and ideal world. We sought transformation. We have an ideal self that is flaky and invisible to others. We know, envision, and perceive what we can become; perfect, lovely and the best. We believe we can do anything. However, most don’t seem to attain it. We have been told to be realistic and not have high expectations of ourselves. The truth is we all know there is a possibility but not the power. If there is no ideal self, life and world, we would not have a wish for them. Yet our mind and heart sees the best of what can become and create.
This is how we know we have an ideal origin and future. Children don’t have the same sense of limitation that most adults have: they have no lack of faith. It is those children who kept the faith to adulthood and through obstacles that create the ideal self and world. Many came to know there is no limitation but what is in us; the lack of faith. So Jesus came to restore us back to more than our ideal self, our new self. This new ideal self is being the children of God Almighty. As it is written, “If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation”.
Being saved from the precursors of our suffering avails little, if we are not changed for better. It is like bathing your toddler. It won’t be long before we find a smudge on them. Our change in identity, character, how we think, speak and act. Salvation gives us a new and higher identity as the children of God. This means we are infused with godlike divine nature and character that empower us to think, speak, and act as children of God.
Just like being a prince or a president comes with a set of higher standards or morality so bring a child of God. However, this identity and standard come with authority and power to do so. The grace of God helps us to overcome obstacles and walk as the children of God.
As the children of God, we model the character and purpose of God in our lives and bring many lost sons and daughters of God to his kingdom and influence them for better. The new identity as the children of God comes with a purpose. We save, heal, deliver and accomplish our purpose as God inspires, reveals, and empowers us.
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