Jesus Christ came into this world to give His life as the satisfactory sacrifice that His Father demanded. He did that because of the love of God. It was not that man was pleading with God for a Redeemer. Man was not interested in a Redeemer. Man wants his own way. He wants to be told he is good and is going to live well and end well. He wants to know that at the end of it all there will be a good end. There are those who believe that we live and die and that is it. Most people have a hope for some type of restful place after death.
The Bible makes it clear that the only way to find rest is through faith in the true God. That is not a message that everyone wants to hear or believe. However, that is the message that God has given to man. There is a Creator God. That fact states that creation is accountable to the Creator God. That is what many find offensive. The devil found that offensive and sought to remove that reality. He has failed and he will be cast into the lake of fire one day. His lies and his craftiness will not erase that fact. Those who choose to follow his path will join him in that dreadful place one day. That is also a fact.
God does not want anyone to end up in the lake of fire. That is why God sent His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ to this earth to give His life a ransom for all. God created a beautiful world. He created a sinless man to dwell on this earth and enjoy His creation. Adam chose not to remain sinless. He chose to listen to the lie of the devil and he became a sinner. He was never a god. Satan suggested that man would be as god if he would eat from the forbidden fruit. Adam believed that lie and the result was that all people are born as lost sinners.
The conflicts we are facing are the result of being born as sinners. Children soon demonstrate their defiance against truth. They do not want rules unless they make them. Some children are more defiant than others, but all children are defiant against the truth. Many continue on that path and remain defiant as adults. They end up in hell and will eventually be cast into the lake of fire.
It is important to accept the true God as your own personal God and Saviour. It is important to submit to Him as Lord of your life. That is the way of blessing. The peace of God is available for those who will turn to God in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour. That is what those who are saved need to pray for Jerusalem and for the entire world. That is the message that needs to be central to all that every child of God does. Those who are truly born again, have an understanding that God is the Author of peace and He is the only provider of peace. His way is not an inconvenience for man. His way is the right way for man. There is no need to apologize for speaking the truth. Jesus Christ never apologized for anything because He is Truth. He was hated by the religious false teachers. They were able to convince enough people to join them in their hatred for Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ went to the cross due to the love of God for mankind, not because of the hatred of mankind for God. Many hated Him while He was on earth. Many still hate Him today. However, He is still loves mankind and He still desires that man be saved.
Every person has a set time on this earth. God knows that time, man does not. During that time, God wants man to listen to His work in their heart and then turn to Him in repentance and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation. We can look at our time on this earth and at times we might even suggest that it was a tragedy that some person had to die so young. What is a tragedy is when a person dies without knowing the love of God in their heart. Opposing God will not change Who God is or what He is doing. It is a futile effort to insist on having your own way. God’s way is right and it is the way to go.
If you are reading this but do not have God’s peace in your heart, why not stop right now and ask God to open your understanding that you might repent toward Him and be saved through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Follow what God says in His Word, not what you feel is good enough. Know the truth and be blessed.
Pastor Bartel