-
7 Deadly Questions Study. Question 3.

Question 3 John 3:16-17, Genesis 3:22-24 Does God really care?  
How can we know if God really cares?  Look at His cross!      
“22 ¶ Then the LORD God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” 23 So the LORD God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. 24 After sending them out, the LORD God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.” (Genesis 3:22-24 NLT)

“16 “For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. 17 God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.” (John 3:16-17 NLT)

Death.  We talked about the gift of life but have you ever thought about the gift of death.  Yes the GIFT of death!

After the Fall if we had eaten of the Tree of Life and continued to live forever that would have been a horror movie of all time.  Growing weaker, frail by disease would be a non-ending nightmare.  God protects us from ourselves with a guard to keep us from eating our way to hell on earth!

When our loved ones die we blame God and want them back.  Yet do we really want them to suffer again? Do we want them to be with us at such a cost to them?

Death becomes a gateway back through the sacrifice of Jesus for you.  Death is a doorway to true life itself.

YOU ARE A SINNER!  Does that amaze, astound or even anger you?  GOOD!  For you must know you are a sinner if you are to ever know you need His forgiveness.

So how does God respond to our rebellion and fall?  The God who is absolutely Holy cannot accept sin so He must reject everything and everyone touched by sin.  WE ARE SINNERS!  WE DESERVE HELL!  God should reject and destroy us for destroying the goodness of His creation!

But God chose a more radical way.  God gave His only begotten Son to die for you in your place! Knowing we are sinners God chose not to condemn us but to save us!

Save comes from the Greek word sozo which means to make safe, to deliver or protect, to heal or preserve, to save or make while.  God in Jesus Christ offers to make you safe, to deliver and protect you (even from yourself), to heal and preserve you and to make you whole!  This is the fullness of what God is doing for you and in you through Jesus Christ!

The deepest meaning is healing and making us whole.  We all die from sin which like cancer destroys and kills!  Jesus came to heal us not only of the infection of sin, but the symptoms and disabilities of our sin.

God chose forgiveness over condemnation, life over death and hope over despair.  Why?  Because that is who God is!  God not only cares but does something about it!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

-
April 3, 2018 Tuesday “But Mary stood outside by the tomb weeping, and as she wept she stooped down and looked into the tomb. And she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus had lain. Then they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” Now when she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there , and did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” She, supposing Him to be the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if You have carried Him away, tell me where You have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I am ascending to My Father and your Father, an
Read more
-
September 3, 2017 Sunday             Even after a long Saturday I was able to go to Asbury and receive Communion and to worship my Lord and My Love.   We stayed for Sunday School and Peggy had a great lesson from Dr Kalas’ book Parables From the Backside Volume 2 .   A great class, a great teacher and a great book.               In the afternoon I tried to sleep but just was able to rest some.   VERY worn out by being so busy but it was good.   Bonnie remembers when we would visit Gramps, her grandfather; he would say that he would enjoy the memory of our visit for weeks.   Now I understand what he meant.   So many wonderful memories nourish me every day.
Read more
-
May 19, 2017 Looking back             As weeks turned to months the memories grew and even connected together.  A dark memory from my time in the Navy connected with a dark memory from my childhood.  Each one as I explained to my counselor and to Bonnie had a “ghost” with it.  A person who seemed to haunt my life.  Watching the news connected to a memory and suddenly I could smell, taste and see the memory and it became more real than my daily life.              At the same time I was growing weaker and the pain in the body was increasing.  There was a general weakness that began in my fingers and toes and moved upward more rapidly in my legs than arms.  The cramps became an agony and happened at least two times a night.  Lasting for about an hour each time I became more and more sleep deprived even with my C-Pap machine.             I contacted my Staff Pastor Parish Relations person and the District Superintendent to let them know about the trouble I was having as I was sl
Read more