Many Jews today continue to reject God’s plan, as mentioned in the above scripture passage, but whether Jew or Gentile, atheist, Buddhist, Mormon, Islam, or any other religion, faith in Christ often comes with a price as well, but one that we can afford even though it might be difficult. We might lose a job, friends, a spouse, or family members because of our faith. Suzanne, you might have a lot to lose by becoming a believer in Christ, but the benefits are for an eternity. This earth is so temporary, but unfortunately, ignorance doesn’t trump accountability. We all have to stand before God one day and won’t have opportunity to blame anyone else or pass the buck. It amazes me that while on earth, we always want the best odds working for us, but when it comes to eternity, we’re willing to gamble with bad odds, take enormous risk and lose everything permanently.
From the perspective of an atheist, Buddhist, Jew, or any other religion, if Christianity is wrong, I really don’t have much to lose. But if Christianity is true, those who reject Christ have EVERYTHING to lose and nothing to gain in the end. I don’t know about you, but I want the best odds possible, and God made those odds to work in my favor even though I don’t deserve it.
I leave you this last passage in closing: “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, RATHER than according to Messiah. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form. And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Messiah. Having been buried with Him in baptism (of the Spirit), in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions. Having cancelled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.”
God, Creator of the universe, who hung the sun, moon, and stars and spoke the planets into place, desires our fellowship, not because He needs us, but because He loves us. The same way we desire fellowship with our children and husbands because we love them. In order to make that fellowship possible, God was required to hang something else, His precious Son, Jesus Christ, on the cross and shed His blood as the LAST and FINAL sin offering. What a picture of God’s incredible love for us, the same love Abraham showed for God when he was willing to offer Isaac, his only son to God.
As you enjoy the warmth of God’s sun there in beautiful Arizona, I pray one day that you, too, will enjoy the warmth of God’s Son, Jesus, in your heart. If you sincerely seek God through the reading of Scripture, God promises to reveal His truth through the conviction of the Holy Spirit. If through your searching, God doesn’t reveal anything new, you haven’t lost much other than time. But, if through this, God does reveal truths, you have EVERYTHING TO GAIN.
⇛ return to Jew-Israel ⇛