Key for the Reader:
- Narrative is shown in black.
- Bold italicized text are my observations, thoughts and commentary.
- Bible citations are abbreviated as (Book, Chapter:Verse). For example Genesis, Chapter 3, Verse 6 is shown as (Genesis 3:6).
- Bible quotes are underlined and have quotation marks (“”) around them, and citations are provided.
- NIV = New International Version of the Bible.
- NASB = New American Standard Bible.
INTRODUCTION
This project started because I was having a difficult time explaining why I believe in God during discussions with my very best friend. This person has many reasons for not believing, some of which I am sure I can’t even imagine. He is a giving, loving person and a survivor of things growing up that might well have broken me beyond repair. Unfortunately, what my friend feels when he experiences modern Christianity is judgment and condemnation, not forgiveness and mercy. During our discussions about life, aging, death, and what is really important, I have struggled ineffectively for the right words to show him that he is stumbling over the faults of imperfect human beings, even those who profess to be “Christian.” So I started this journey about three years ago. I wanted to understand, to learn, to grow and finally to explain to my friend in a way he would understand why I believe, even if he doesn’t agree.
We must remember that even Jesus himself said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matthew 7:21-23 NIV)
History is full of examples of horrible things that have been done in the name of many different religions, including Christianity. I believe that humans avoid harm by drawing quick conclusions about cause and effect: fire burns, so don’t get too close to it. Religion hurts people or is all about rules and limits, so avoid it.
There are many examples of good things that have been and are done by people of faith, but our minds seem to be wired to generally focus on those things we perceive are an immediate threat and overlook the good things that happen to us because they don’t threaten our survival. Isn’t it ironic that we often focus on improbable risks, such as dying in a plane crash or shark attack, and ignore things that are truly real, long-term threats to our health such as smoking, obesity, drugs, drinking, promiscuity, and eternal separation from our creator?
There are many themes and plot lines contained in the Bible including history, geography, genealogy, prophecy, promises, poetry, revelation, and others. Each of these is worthy of independent study, but that is not the purpose of this effort.
There are subjects discussed in the Bible that are confusing, controversial, and that can be argued over until we are exhausted without resolution. I still have many questions. I contend that those subjects are not really all that important when weighed against those things that really are.
There is one theme contained in the Bible that rises in importance above all others: human separation from God, the consequences of that separation, and how God has acted to ensure that the relationship can be restored. That is the only topic that has eternal consequences for each of us, and that is the one subject I feel compelled to share with my friend because God tells me that I will be held accountable if I don’t share it:
“But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet to warn the people and the sword comes and takes the life of one of them, that man [who is killed by the sword] will be taken away because of his sin, but I will hold the watchman accountable for their blood.”
(Ezekiel 33:6 NIV)
Does God Exist?
The first four words of the Bible are: “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1). We are all faced with the choice to either believe that God exists or deny that God exists. I believe that there is plenty of evidence around us that God does exist, and I choose to believe it. As the apostle Paul says in the book of Romans: “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” (Romans 1:20 NIV).
As challenging as believing in God can be for me at times, it is still the explanation that I keep coming back to based upon what I observe. And consider this: If God does not exist there are no truly horrible intrinsic consequences for choosing to believe in God. But if God as he is described in the Bible does exist, there definitely are terrible eternal consequences for denying that existence.
Faced with this choice, I would rather believe in an eternal, creative God who has expectations of me and be wrong about God’s existence, than to not believe in that God and run the risk of being wrong when I find out God does exist. What have I really lost by believing? I do give things up by choosing to follow the path of faith in God because God has clear expectations of those that choose to follow him, but I have not really “lost” anything. By choosing to not believe, in the end I lose everything.
For a much more in-depth and eloquent discussion of this subject look up “Pascal’s Wager” (1623-1662). It is a classic philosophical argument in favor of the value of believing in God.
God created everything we know and observe (Genesis 1:1 through 2:1).
We are still on the very first verses of the bible, and I know some of you are already thinking, “Do you expect me to accept that there really is a being that has always existed, will never end, and created everything? That is just crazy, and I can’t possibly accept it! You just believe that because you don’t have a better explanation!” Yes, I agree that it takes faith to believe that an eternal God exists and created everything we know. That is my dilemma. But here is yours: you need to convince me that it takes any less faith to believe that either the universe always existed (infinity past), or that at one time nothing existed and out of absolutely nothing, matter just appeared. And then this matter developed by pure random chance, surviving countless false starts and dead ends, into the complex world we know today. You need to convince me that believing THAT explanation for why we are here doesn’t require just as much faith as my believing in a creator-God!
God creates humans (male and female: see Genesis 1:27) in his image, in his likeness, to rule over all the living creatures (Genesis 1:26) and placed them in the garden he planted (Genesis 2:8).
The fruit of the garden is good to eat (Genesis 2:9) and it provided all the nourishment man needed.
God tells man:“You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.”(Genesis 2:17 NIV). Note that God did not prohibit man from eating from the tree of life that also grew in the garden…until later.
I imagine man thinking something like “Okay, there are lots of good things to eat here, and I really don’t know that I understand this concept of dying, but God is good to me, so I can live with this.”
God determines that it is not good for the first human (man: Adam) to be alone, so God creates a partner suitable for him (woman: Eve) (Genesis 2:21-22). Man wakes up, looks around, sees woman and thinks, “Oh WOW! She is perfect!”
“The man and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame.” (Genesis 2:25 NIV)
The serpent, by questioning Gods reasons and authority, convinces the woman that it is good to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. (Genesis 3:1-6)
[This is disobedient act #1]
Every translation I checked, including English translations of the original Hebrew, uses the word “serpent” here. In the last book of the Bible, Revelations, John describes many things that he sees in a vision while exiled on the island of Patmos because he refused to stop preaching the death and resurrection of Jesus. One description is relevant here:“And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. The great dragon was hurled down – that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him.” (Revelation 12:7-9 NIV). Satan means “accuser.” The use of several different terms (dragon, serpent, Devil, Satan) to describe a specific being raises questions: Can Satan take different forms for different purposes? Do visions and prophecies occur in a dream-like state where the visions observed are symbolic, representing the true nature of the being described? In the book of 1 Kings 22:19-23 (NIV) the Bible describes a spirit within the “host of heaven” that says to the Lord,“I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all [King Ahab’s] prophets,”and the Lord tells him to do it. In the book of Job (Job 1:6), Satan is identified specifically by that name as one who also came with the angels to present themselves before the Lord. Satan challenges the Lord (God) regarding Job’s faith, and the Lord allows Satan to torment Job. So there definitely are spiritual beings. Some are messengers of God (Daniel 8:15 and 9:21; Luke 1:11 and 1:26) who sometimes appear to carry out specific tasks for God. Others are“roaming through the earth and going back and forth in it” (Job 1:7)apparently pretty much on their own. In the forbidden fruit incident described in Genesis 3:1-15, God curses the serpent, leading me to conclude at this time that God did not permit the serpent to deceive humans into eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil as he later permitted Satan to torment Job.
You might ask: “If God is all knowing, God would have known that humans would be deceived and disobey him.” That is a possibility. It is also one of those things that I am not able to explain and I believe falls into the category of “what if” or “unimportant.” For whatever reason, it happened. But consider this: there is absolutely no evidence presented in the Bible that the angels who rebelled against God can ever be restored to their previous position of fellowship with God. That is why they are so desperate to win their war against God. In the end, they will be destroyed. Humans, on the other hand, have been given the unique opportunity by God to return into fellowship with Him, if they choose to, and avoid destruction. This might just be why Satan and the angels who rebelled against God with him hate humans with such a vengeance. They seek to make us miserable, keep us separated from God, and I believe, celebrate our individual destruction when those who are separate from God pass from this world.
Womanshares the fruit with man and tells him it is good to eat, and knowing what it is he willingly eats it (Genesis 3:6).
[This is disobedient act #2]
It is unclear if the man was with the woman when she was deceived by the serpent. But clearly they both knew which fruit God told them not to eat, he was with her when she “took some and ate it” (Genesis 3:6) and they both chose to eat it, disobeying the single limit God had placed on their behavior.
I have so many questions, such as why didn’t Adam stop Eve from eating the forbidden fruit? If he was the same as men today, he was probably distracted by her naked beauty, thinking about sex, and not paying attention! Or it could have been as simple as Adam’s desire to please his wife overcame his desire to please God. I think it is important to recognize that women have great power over men because of their sexual attractiveness. Many men struggle with this today and resent the power women have over them. This leads to many problems between us.
Man and woman become aware and ashamed of their nakedness (Genesis 3:7). Here the consequences of disobedience were immediate. That isn’t always the case, but disobedience always catches up with us.
God is out walking in the garden and calls out, “Hey, man and woman, where are you?” (Genesis 3:8-9)
“Here we are God; we are hiding in the bushes.”
God asks, “Why are you hiding in the bushes?”
Man replies, “Because we are naked and afraid” (Genesis 3:10).
God: “I know you are naked; I created you! Who told you that being naked is bad, and what are you afraid of?Have you eaten from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil I told you not to eat from?” (Genesis 3:11)
Man: “The woman you put here with me — she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.” (Genesis 3:12 NIV).
Do you understand what is going on here? Man, instead of taking responsibility for breaking God’s one and only limit, immediately tries to cover up his personal disobedience. First, he blames the perfect companion God created for him (woman), and then he blames God because God created woman to be with man in the first place – so now it’s all God’s fault! Eve follows Adam’s lead and immediately tries to cover up her disobedience by blaming the serpent!
Traditional church teaching is that disobeying God was the original sin, and – if they teach it at all – the act of blaming God was only the immediate outcome. I understand that conclusion, but at this time it is my personal belief that the act of blaming God was as significant as the disobedience, and that is what separated us from God. We have been blaming someone else – including God and his greatest gift to men aside from salvation – women – for everything ever since. Do you get upset when someone breaks an agreement and then blames some circumstance, someone else, or even you for it instead of taking responsibility? That is not surprising, because God created us in his image. We instinctively recognize a violation of trust no matter how good or wicked we are.
What do you think might have happened if man, instead of blaming God, had fallen down before God and cried out, “Yes, I disobeyed you; I ate the fruit, and I now am ashamed to stand before you because I did what you told me not to do. I’m sorry, and I wish I could take back what I did but I can’t, so now what do I do?” Well, man didn’t do that, so we will never know how God would have responded, and now we are stuck with the results.
God: “Man, I am really grieved by your actions. I gave you everything to have dominion over and only limited you in one thing, and you didn’t obey that. Then you blamed me because I created woman to make you happy, and you listened to her instead of me.Well, because you were disobedient here is what is going to happen. First, because you were so disrespectful of me after everything I have done for you, I’m kicking you out of this garden where you can get all the food you desire just by picking it, and from now on you are going to have to work and struggle to find the food to feed yourself and your family. Further, I’m going to set angel guards around the garden so you can’t get in and eat any of the fruit, including the fruit from the tree of life that you could previously eat.(Genesis 3:17-19)
And you woman, when you get pregnant and have babies, giving birth is really going to hurt you (Genesis 3:16) to remind you of how much you have hurt me. And after all that pain, when that baby finally is born, you are going to look down at your baby, and your heart will be filled with awe and love for this beautiful thing you have created just as I have loved you. Over the years that beautiful thing is going to worry you and break your heart over and over just as you have broken mine.
I am going to create a longing in your heart for man so that you feel incomplete without him, but he will rule over you. No one seems to think that God’s punishment for man is terribly unjust, but this part of God’s punishment for woman elicits very strong reactions. What does it mean? Historically, in general women had very little power or control relative to men. In many cultures women were treated as property, sold and lived lives very much like slaves. Unfortunately, many still do so today. Is this what God intended? In the New Testament book of Galatians, chapter 3, verse 28, it says “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” I do not believe that women are inferior to men or there is any justification for them being mistreated by men. I believe that what God is saying to woman here is this: you will desire to be loved by a man, and his affection for you will lead him to try and please you. That in turn will lead you to try and control him and this will lead to discord in your relationship. For this reason, man has the responsibility/burden of being the leader in the relationship. He should have stopped you from eating the forbidden fruit in the garden. Preventing you from eating the fruit wouldn’t have been mean; it would have been protecting both of you. He didn’t, you both disobeyed me and this is one of the consequences of that disobedience.
So God clothed man and woman in skins (Genesis 3:21).This is the first documented sacrifice of an animal life which seems to demonstrate that there is a relationship between disobedience to God and physical death.
Then God drove man and woman out of the garden (Genesis 3:24).
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The remainder of Genesis and the other 38 books that make up the Old Testament contain remarkable stories of God’s interaction with humans, God’s frustration with humans, God’s covenant (promises) to faithful individuals and his covenant people, God’s covenant people’s repeated rejection of God over and over and over, God’s promises to mankind, and stories of God’s judgment for disobedience.
Here are some of the highlights and stories you may be familiar with in case you want to go back later and read them. I am also going to share specific sections or verses that explain how God prepared for the redemption of mankind. Key characters are shown in CAPITALIZED/BOLD text.
The first documented children are born: CAIN AND ABEL (Genesis 4:1-2).
The first documented animal offering by humans (Genesis 4:4).
The first documented murder (Genesis 4:8).
NOAH and the flood: “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become, and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only on evil all the time. The Lord was grieved that He had made man on the earth and his heart was filled with pain. So the Lord said, “I will wipe mankind, whom I have created, from the face of the earth” but Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:5-8 NIV).
God ensured Noah’s and his family’s safety. After the flood waters receded, God blessed Noah and his sons and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.” (Genesis 9:1 NIV). God made a covenant with humans to never destroy life by flood again (Genesis 9:8-10).
THE TOWER OF BABEL: God blocks the arrogance of mankind (Genesis11:1-9).
ABRAM/ABRAHAM: a life of faith. God promises Abram (who later is renamed Abraham by God) “I will make you into a great nation,” (Genesis 12:2 NIV) “and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3 NIV). Abram “believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6 NIV). God’s covenant with Abram: “this is my covenant with you: you will be the father of many nations. No longer will you be called Abram, your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” (Genesis 17:4-7 NIV)
Abraham’s nephew, LOT – God hears of the evil occurring in SODOM AND GOMORRAH and decides to destroy the cities if it is true. Abraham persuades God to not destroy the cities if ten righteous people can be found…God’s sends angels warn Lot to leave and then destroys the evil cities. (Genesis Chapters 18 & 19).
God tests Abraham with a terrible choice. Abraham he passes the test (Genesis Chapter 22) and God tells him “and through your offspring all the nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me.” (Genesis 22:18).
GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL: “And now, O Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?” (Deuteronomy 10:12-13 NIV).
SAMSON: Samson was set apart by God before conception to deliver Israel from the hands of the Philistines. He led Israel to many victories for 20 years. But he had a tendency to seek sex with women who weren’t his wife and fell in love with one who tricked him into telling her the secret of his strength. She betrayed Samson to the Philistines, who blinded him and made him a slave. In the end, Samson turned back to God, and used his regained strength to destroy the Philistine temple and their leaders. This started the process of freeing the Israelites from the Philistines (Judges Chapters 13-16).
SAUL (1050-1010): The nation of Israel was ruled by judges for over 200 years after they departed Egypt. The people of Israel ask Samuel, Israel’s last Judge, to “Give us a king to lead us” (1 Samuel 8 6 NIV). Samuel was displeased at the request, but the Lord told him, “Listen to all that the people are saying to you; it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected me as their king. As they have done from the day I brought them up out of Egypt until this day, forsaking me and serving other gods, so they are doing to you. Now listen to them; but warn them solemnly and let them know what the king who will reign over them will do.” (1 Samuel 8:6-9 NIV). But the people would not listen to Samuel. “No!” “We want a king over us. Then we will be like the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles.” (1 Samuel 8:19-20 NIV). Saul was an impressive young man without equal among the Israelites–a head taller than any of the others. As king, Saul was a skillful soldier and successfully led the nation in many battles against their enemies. But Saul had a habit of disobeying God and doing things his own way (sound familiar?), so God eventually rejects Saul as King (1 Samuel 13:8-14).
After one incident when Saul disobeys God, claiming to do it to honor God, Samuel the Judge says to Saul:
“Does the Lord delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the Lord? To obey is better than sacrifice and to heed is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23).
DAVID (1010-970 B .C.): God chooses David, a shepherd in his family, to be king in place of Saul. David served Saul as an armor-bearer and soothed Saul by playing the harp when Saul was afflicted by evil spirits. As a boy, David fights and kills the giant GOLIATH, the Philistine army’s champion, with a sling and stone, telling King Saul, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:37 NIV). David was described by God himself as a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13:14). Yet David did some horrible things. He committed adultery with another man’s wife, Bathsheba, and had her husband Uriah killed so he could keep Bathsheba for himself. David suffered consequences: the child he fathered with Bathsheba while she was another man’s wife died (2 Samuel Chapters 11 and 12). David repented of the evil things he had done and acknowledged his horrible sins to God. Read Psalm 51 to hear it in his own words. As a result, the Lord took away David’s sin (2 Samuel 12:13) and promised David “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” (2 Samuel 7:16). David later fathered SOLOMON who built the first temple in Jerusalem and wrote Proverbs. David wrote many of the Psalms which are songs of praise to God.
ISAIAH (700-681 B.C.): Isaiah speaks more about the coming Messiah than any other Old Testament prophet. The fact that the Messiah was to be both a sovereign Lord and a suffering servant could not be understood clearly until New Testament times. Many people still refuse to accept it today because it didn’t happen the way they expected it to happen.
The Messiah as sovereign Lord:
“For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.” (Isaiah 9:6-7 NIV).
The Messiah as suffering servant:
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53: 4-6 NIV)
DANIEL (605-536 B.C.): his life is an example of the triumph of faith over adversity. Drafted to serve in Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar’s palace after the siege and defeat of Jerusalem, Daniel interpreted the King’s dreams when the King’s personal astrologers couldn’t. Nebuchadnezzar elevated Daniel into a position of power in his kingdom, and Daniel’s friends SHADRACH, MESHACH, and ABEDNEGO were appointed administrators over the province of Babylon. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were betrayed by the king’s jealous astrologers and thrown into a burning furnace when they refused to worship the image of gold as NEBUCHADNEZZAR commanded. Their faithfulness to the God of Israel protected them from the fire, and Nebuchadnezzar praised the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and decreed “that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego be cut into pieces and their houses be turned into piles of rubble, for no other god can save in this way.” (Daniel 3:29 NIV).
Daniel himself was cast into a lion’s den after more jealous members of the king’s court tricked King Darius, who followed Belshazzar, son of Nebuchadnezzar, as King. But Daniel was protected by God. After he witnessed Daniel’s protection from the lions, Darius threw the accusers of Daniel, along with their wives and children, into the lions’ den where they were killed by the lions before they even reached the floor (Daniel 6:16-24), and then King Darius issued a decree that in every part of his kingdom people must fear and reverence the God of Daniel:
“For he is the living God and he endures forever; his kingdom will not be destroyed, his dominion will never end. He rescues and he saves; he performs signs and wonders in the heavens and on the earth. He has rescued Daniel from the power of the lions.” (Daniel 6:26-27 NIV)
Daniel had many visions and dreams of prophecy including events to occur at the end of the current age.
SUMMARY
Man and woman were created to walk with God, but they broke God’s single restriction and then blamed God, resulting in mankind becoming estranged from God. That broken relationship, and our rebellious nature, is passed on from generation to generation. Throughout the Old Testament there are examples of individuals who, though not perfect, were faithful to God and were blessed by God. It also tells how, over and over again, mankind in general, including God’s covenant people, refused God’s commands and suffered the consequences. But, God had a plan when he promised Abram, “And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3).
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Time passes, and then sometime around 2000 years ago something truly spectacular happened. God determined that it was time to reach out to mankind with his path for redemption that is available to all who choose to accept it. God sent a redeemer, a savior — the Messiah foretold in the Hebrew Old Testament — the one we know as Jesus.
The books of the NEW TESTAMENT document the fulfillment of prophecies, reaffirm God’s plan for forgiveness, point the way towards restoring our individual relationship with a living God, and provide guidance on how to live a life that is pleasing to God after you have surrendered control of your life to his leadership.
Here are some references from the New Testament:
- JESUS was a descendant of Abraham (Abram) through JOSEPH (Joseph is the English translation of the Greek translation of his real Aramaic or Hebrew name), fulfilling God’s promise to Abram, “And all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3).
- Jesus was a descendant of King David, also through Joseph, fulfilling God’s promise to David, “When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you”…”and I will establish his kingdom”…”and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.” (2 Samuel 7:12-13).
- Jesus was conceived within and birthed by a human mother, MARY. Mary is the English translation of the Greek translation of her real Aramaic (Maryam) or Hebrew name (Miryam). God caused Mary to become pregnant before she had sexual relations with a man, so Jesus was born by a virgin, free of the sinful nature passed on to all other human beings descended from Adam, fulfilling God’s promise that, “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7-14). Immanuel means “God with us.” Immanuel is a title, not a name.
- Jesus is fully human through his human mother, Mary. He lived as a human, walking the earth and experiencing human life for about 33 years, so he fully understands our experiences and struggles. “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (Isaiah 53:3 NIV).
- Joseph could have easily divorced Mary because she was found to be pregnant while she was pledged to, but not yet married, to Joseph. Under Jewish law at the time, she could have been stoned to death because she was pregnant before the marriage had actually occurred. Joseph was thinking about divorcing Mary quietly to avoid the disgrace. But an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:20-21 NIV).
- Jesus is the modern English translation of his actual Hebrew name which was likely Yeshua. Aramaic was the common language spoken throughout the Mediterranean region at the time Jesus lived, but the New Testament was written down in Greek, not Aramaic or Hebrew so we use the English translation (Jesus) of the Greek (lesous). The name was translated from the original Hebrew/Aramaic into Greek written text, to Latin text, to old English text, and then modern English. The direct English translation of Yeshua is Joshua which means “the Lord saves.” So, depending upon what language you speak, you may use a different name, but they all refer to the same person.
- Jesus was born in BETHLEHEM in Judea, fulfilling the prophecy: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Micah 5:2 NIV).
- HEROD, the Jewish ruler of Judea at the time, heard of the birth of Jesus from MAGI (wise men) who traveled from the east to see this Jewish Messiah. Herod felt threatened because they referred to Jesus as “the one who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2 NIV), so Herod ordered all the boys under two years old to be killed. This caused Joseph to flee to Egypt with Mary and Jesus until the death of Herod so the prophecy would be fulfilled, “Out of Egypt I called my son” (Hosea 11:1; Matthew 2:15 NIV).
- Jesus began his public life at about the age of 30. By about the age of 33, he had been crucified, buried, and returned to life from death, walking, talking, eating, and teaching until he ascended into heaven sometime later (Luke Chapter 24).
- Jesus often spoke to the general populace in parables (stories), because they were largely illiterate, usually explaining the deeper meaning to his TWELVE DISCIPLES (Matthew 13:10-23) who (except for JUDAS, who betrayed Jesus and then hung himself) would carry on his work after his death and resurrection.
- Jesus performed miracles and other “signs,” but many observers still didn’t accept who he was, fulfilling the prophecy:
“You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this peoples heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.” (Isaiah 6:9-10; Matthew 13:14-15 NIV).
- Jesus told the twelve disciples, “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.” (Matthew 13:16-17 NIV).
- “CHRIST” is the English word for the Greek “Kristos” translation of the Hebrew “Messiah” which means “chosen or anointed one.”
- Jesus healed many and performed miracles to fulfill the prophet Isaiah, “he took up our infirmities and carried our diseases (sorrows).” (Isaiah 53:4; Matthew 8:17 NIV).
- Jesus physically touched and healed many, but faith in Jesus’ ability to heal was often adequate for healing (see Matthew 9:20-21) and Jesus commented on that faith: “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” (Matthew 9:22 NIV), and “According to your faith will it be done to you.” (Matthew 9:29 NIV).
- Jesus has authority to forgive sins: “Some men brought to him a paralytic, lying on a mat. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Take heart, son: your sins are forgiven.’ At this, some of the teachers of the law said to themselves, ‘This fellow is blaspheming!’ Knowing their thoughts, Jesus said, ‘Why do you entertain evil thoughts in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say ‘Get up and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins…’ Then he said to the paralytic. ‘Get up, take your mat and go home.’ And the man got up and went home. When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to men.” (Matthew 9:2-8 NIV).
That is a little about who Jesus was and some of the things he did. Here are some of the things he taught:
- “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17 NIV).
- “What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’” (Matthew 15:11 NIV).
- “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19 NIV). Jesus was speaking of his body, not the temple in Jerusalem.
- “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.” (John 3:3 NIV).
- “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:14-15 NIV).
- “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would not have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3 NIV).
- “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6 NIV).
- ”Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.” (John 14:11 NIV).
- “’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” This is the greatest commandment. And the second is like it ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.”
This is what I have learned. Now that I have shared it, I feel I have fulfilled my responsibility as a watchman and sounded the trumpet warning you that the sword is coming. There is more that needs to be done, but I can’t do that for you.
I hope you are starting to wonder if maybe there could be a God who created this world and has expectations of us. Perhaps you are thinking that maybe you really are separated from that creative being? Do you feel doubt? Are you burdened with anxiety that there may be more to life than you imagined? Are you ready to accept that there could possibly be a creative God that loves what was created? That you can see the evidence of that creation rebelling against God and the consequences of that rebellion all around you? Are you willing to accept that this God has provided you a pathway to redemption? You can’t purchase it. You can’t earn it through your good works. It is yours freely for the asking, but you have to ask, and it is definitely not free, but the horrible price has already been paid:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 NIV).
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil.” (John 3:17-19 NIV).
What follows is the path to your salvation and restoring your personal relationship with God. It is sometimes referred to as the “ROMAN ROAD” because these verses are found in the book of Romans in the New Testament:
“For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that mankind is without excuse. For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened.” (Romans 1:20-21 NIV). We must acknowledge God as the Creator of everything and accept our humble position in God’s creation.
“For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-24 NIV). We must realize and accept that we are sinners by nature, that sin separates us from God, and that we need to be forgiven for our sin to have our relationship with God restored.
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8NIV). Through the death of Jesus and the life blood he shed, God cleansed us if we claim it, redeeming us from the penalty of our sins and opening the door to restoring our relationship with God.
“For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23NIV). If we remain sinners, we will remain spiritually dead, and when we physically die we will remain separated from God. However, if we repent of our sins, accept Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross of crucifixion as the payment for our sins, and choose to follow Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our relationship with the eternal God is restored, and we will be reunited with God.
“That if you confess with your mouth ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified [made righteousness in the sight of God], and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. As the scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.’ ” (Romans 10:9-11 NIV). Just believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins, and that God raised Jesus from the dead; then say with your mouth that you want to claim Jesus’ death as the payment for your sins. Accept Jesus Christ as savior and Lord — you will be forgiven by God!
“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:13NIV). There are no religious formulas or rituals! Call upon the name of the Lord!
Are You Ready to Accept God’s Gift of Salvation?
If you truly accept the truth of this message, and want to accept God’s gift of salvation right now, it’s as simple as acknowledging your sins, being sorry for (repenting of) your rebellious (sinful) nature, accepting Jesus’ death as adequate payment for that sin, and turning the rest of your life over to Jesus Christ who died so you can truly live. This is not a ritual based on any specific words or prayers, but rather, a heartfelt and willful decision to put your faith in Jesus as savior.
However, if you need some words try these:
O God, creator of heaven and earth, I know in my heart that I am separated from you. I know in my heart that I have done things to displease you, and this disobedience keeps me separated from you. I am truly sorry, and now I want to turn away from those things in my life that displease you and embrace Jesus as my savior and Lord. Please forgive me and help me understand the difference between right and wrong. Help me resist my sinful desires. I believe that your son, who we call Jesus Christ, is the Messiah you promised mankind, that he died in my place and shed his blood to pay for my sins. I believe Jesus rose from the dead, defeated death, is alive today, and he hears my call right now! I don’t know how, but I want to relinquish control of my life and invite Jesus to become the Lord of my life, to rule and reign in my heart from this day forward. Please fill me with your Holy Spirit to help me obey you and to do your will for the rest of my life. I am asking this in Jesus’ name, believing in your promise that his sacrifice washes away my sin, and that this confession restores my relationship with you. Thank you for this precious gift!
GOD PROMISES THAT YOU ARE NOW FORGIVEN and YOUR GUILT IS WASHED AWAY BY THE BLOOD JESUS SHED AS HE DIED. “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.” (Romans 3:22 NIV).
Now you need to believe that this is true. “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” (Hebrews 11:1 NIV). “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those that earnestly seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6 NIV). Read Chapter 11 in Hebrews in its entirety to learn about faith.
What is next for you now? The acceptance of Jesus as your savior is just the start of your journey of faith. You are now part of the community of believers in Christ. You have not just chosen salvation, you have chosen a whole new way of life! He promised that we will receive the Holy Spirit to guide us, but it is important that you seek out fellow believers to support your continued growth.
CLOSING THOUGHTS
You can choose to deny that God exists, but that doesn’t make God go away. You can refuse to believe that God’s rules apply to you, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t. You can believe that ignoring God’s rules doesn’t have an effect on your current life and have eternal consequences, but it does.
One of the great mysteries is why people of great faith and belief suffer in this world, and why people who do horrible things sometimes seem to get away with it. Perhaps this life is nothing more than a proving ground where we are meant to be tested. We need to be careful that we don’t judge others too harshly–indeed we are warned not to judge people at all (Matthew 7:1-5). Who can tell if a particular individual has met the standard that God set for them? They are accountable to God and if they ask us we should tell them honestly what the bible says about behavior. But the important thing for each of us is to accept and reach for the standard God has set for us!
You have been shown the promise, and now you must make a decision about what to do with it. Will you enter into the light and struggle to live in the light according to your understanding of what God requires of you? Or will you remain in the shadows hiding from the light and hoping to escape detection? Living in the light frees you from always looking over your shoulder to see if someone is watching. Because someone is watching; someone is keeping track of your actions, and you will be held accountable.
What do you have to lose?
There are many teachings of various Christian churches-what I call dogma-which I have not touched on. Remember my original statement of intent: There is only one topic that has eternal consequences for each of us, and that is the subject I have chosen to look at. We can disagree about almost anything else based on biblical references, but God’s path to redemption that is available to all mankind is what really matters.
Not all of my comments or my interpretations may match some churches teaching. The real test is: do my comments and interpretations contradict what the Bible reveals, or only how people have been taught to interpret it? Don’t take my word for it; go read it and decide for yourself! If you sincerely seek God, He will reveal himself to you (Mathew 7:7). But seek Him with an open heart and beware of the potential for deception by Satan and his servants who only seek to deceive, discredit, and destroy.
A FINAL THOUGHT: It is not our responsibility to judge people. It is our responsibility to proclaim Jesus is real and alive, Jesus is Lord over everything, and Jesus is God’s path for salvation because he suffered, shed his blood and died to pay the price of our sins. Once a person makes the decision to accept Jesus as their savior and Lord, it is the work of the Holy Spirit to turn them into the person God wants them to be.
Acknowledgements
I wish to thank the following people who took the time to comment back to me: Marlene Arata, Laura Dunson, ML Norton, Kim Ashmore, Will Jones, and later after the initial review Von and Willow Martin. I especially thank Reg Larkin, my brother in law who spent hours gently steering me, my sister Kerry Larkin, who challenged me to modify my language in key areas and my niece Erin Larkin who commented on and edited this work
This has been written for the sole purpose of sharing my personal understanding of God’s plan for restoring our relationship. My understanding grows and changes as I study, pray, experience, and learn more. It was not written for profit and is not intended to be sold. Anyone may distribute it, and anyone may write their own opinion of it. But I do not give permission for anyone to change it and pass those changes off as my work. August 22, 2018
References
New American Standard Bible reference edition, Moody Press
Life Application Study Bible, New International Version, Tyndale House Publications and Zondervan Publishing House
Hebrew – English Translation of the Hebrew Bible (Tana”kh) and the RaMBam’s Complete Restatement of the Oral Law (Mishneh Torah), available through www.mechon-mamre.org
The Complete Jewish Bible, available through www.biblestudytools.com
Baker’s Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology, available through www.biblestudytools.com
Strong’s Concordance, the physical printed version originally published in 1890, unknown updated version
The “Roman Road” was adapted from information on the web site www.allaboutgod.com/the-roman-road.htm
The Lord delights in those who fear him,
who put their hope in his unfailing love.
Psalm 147:11 NIV