So, you want to meet God?
Buddhism’s goal is to eliminate desire on the journey to nirvana. That doesn’t sound all that appealing to me. Hinduism’s goal is to repay the debt incurred by several incarnations, perhaps even previous ones. And Islam is about meeting Allah to settle a score with him and hopefully your good deeds outweigh your bad. I wasn’t a math major in school, so that calculus for me is likely not very good. Those ways are not how I want to meet God.
Jesus is not simply the only way to meet God, His way is the best way. Just who is this Jesus that is called the Christ? The Bible tells us that “the Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” The Bible says that God “wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” The Bible says that Jesus will never leave us or forsake us. That sounds pretty good to me. But, there’s more.
If you are really interested in meeting God, Jesus is not only the only way, but His is the best way to meet God. Jesus offers us real hope. All we have to do is realize that we have sinned, that Jesus has paid the price for that sin, and that He is Lord. Dear reader, how much do you really desire the truth? How badly do you want to know the truth? If I could show you proof that Jesus existed and lived and died and was raised again to be with the Father, would my answer make you happier, sad, or indifferent? If it would make you happier, I have an answer for you.
The Bible says that Jesus proclaimed His purpose in coming to the world: “In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.” If you really want to know the truth, you must first listen to Jesus. Your intentions to listen to Him must come before you hear what He has to say. People on the side of truth listen to Jesus. You must listen to Him. If you really don’t care about listening to the truth, you can make it out to be whatever you want it to be.
But, if you really desire the truth, and you are considering the Truth of Jesus, then you are making a commitment to the defining parameters of all of life. All of humanity is affected if Jesus is who He claims to be. In yesterday’s post, I showed you proof that He existed. So, will you listen to Him?
Who is this Jesus who is called the Christ? If we acknowledge Jesus and agree that He is who He says He is, then the fact that He is the only way becomes another of the truth claims we agree to. Jesus is the affirmation that we are at our core, spiritual beings. We may eat bread, but the Bible tells us that we should feast on every word that is from God.
Who is this Jesus? He is the truth claim. We have His imprint on our lives—a spiritual imprint. In matters spiritual, we separate what we know to be true from that which the world tells us to believe. We receive God’s “transponder,” His promised Holy Spirit, when we receive Jesus Christ as Lord. The Bible says that we were created in His image. We have a spiritual imprint. Whose image is on you?
These realities are what makes us human in a worldly culture that seeks to do away with God by trying to redefine what it means to be human. Without God, we give up our humanness to whatever our minds can conceive. With God, that question is settled and we can live more victoriously with God defining Himself to us through Jesus Christ. We will still suffer through problems, illness, pain, and worldly culture. But we will have our identity in the one who created us.
Who is this Jesus? He is the reality of how we think, act, and feel. Jesus has described the condition of the human heart and its desire for autonomy, deceit, power, and a propensity towards sin. Still, there is no more level playing field than the human condition laid bare before a loving God.
People will inevitably disappoint you. I will disappoint you. That makes us human, too. The Bible says that “the heart is deceitful and desperately wicked.” When you admit who you are, the answer will necessarily have to come from the spiritual dimension. But hear from me this great truth: when you die it’s not who you are, but whose you are that will matter most.
Who is this Jesus? He is the provision for the malaise of our sinful selves. Sin wounds, dismembers, and destroys our purpose in life—the purpose that God gives us for living. The Gospel message is the only message that gives you hope in this reality. That is embodied in Jesus on the cross.
Are you still interested in meeting God?
There are fundamental differences between religions but only superficial similarities. Some might try to convince you that all religions are fundamentally the same, but only superficially different. Actually, quite the opposite is true. And each one of those religions is exclusive. Some might try to single out Christianity as being exclusive, but all religions have exclusive characteristics.
To be sure, Christianity is about the exclusive unity of truth and love. At Easter, nothing embodies this union any better than the cross and the one who gave His life on it. If you are searching and still interested in meeting God, I’ve never known Him to turn away those who want to come to Him. Jesus is the only way. And the reason that His is the best way, is that Christianity is the only faith that offers you redemption, and not just grace.
Will you not consider it?
Thanks for reading.