The Greatest Story

You were created to walk with God.

That is what it was like in the garden of Eden, until...

Satan got Adam and Eve to buy into the idea that God was unjust, untrustworthy, restrictive, and ultimately self-serving. Through eating of the fruit from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they not only disobeyed God but they bought into this picture of God, and it caused them to run from Him in shame. Here begins a story of separation between God and humans.

God was always seeking after humans, and they were always running. Not only that, but they continued to choose evil, to serve themselves, the play God over morality, to rule and be ruled by fear and violence. So, God put His plan into action. A plan that would demonstrate His character. A plan that would make God fully known to human kind. A plan that would offer a way for humans to be saved from death. And a plan that would put an end to sin while allowing created beings to maintain their freedom of choice, and choose to love him for loves sake, not out of fear.

So God set about the process of making himself known to people. Satan was allowed to demonstrate who he was, and whether the accusations against God that he made were true. And God set forth to prove Himself fully just, fully merciful, fully powerful, and fully loving.

He did this through working directly on Earth - Through miracles.

He did this through people who were willing to listen to Him and follow Him – read through the Old Testament and you will find prophets, poets, shepherds, kings, carpenters and courtiers: all who, though most of them were far from perfect, knew God as He revealed Himself to them. They learned to trust Him as He demonstrated Himself trustworthy, they learned to love Him as he demonstrated His love for them.

And they looked forward, preached, taught, and wrote of one they called the “Mashiach,” the Messiah. The Anointed One. The One who was with God, the One who was God, as John 1:1 says, "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us." God became a human, Jesus. He showed- person to person, relationship to relationship - who God was. He loved all people: perpetual sinners and priests, fishermen and rich young men, old and young, women and men. He taught of the destruction that sin causes, and called people to live free from its chains. And yet He stood with the authority to forgive the sinner, over and over again. Jesus did what humans could not do. He walked a righteous life, tempted as we are yet without sin. He made Himself known. He was not above our pain, our struggles, He was right there with us. And then he did the most unimaginable thing.

Jesus submitted to those who hated Him. Those who wanted to kill Him because He challenged their power, their hypocrisy. He allowed Himself to be beaten, and tortured, and dragged outside of the city. There He was crucified. There He showed what God’s love was like. It was a love that never stops chasing after you. A love that does not force itself on you but draws you with self-sacrifice. A love that proved there was no end to its faithfulness. not even death.

But it doesn’t end there. There was still that sin thing to deal with. You see anyone who choses sin; who choses to cross over the lines and principles that God has set, who operate not out of love but out of deceit, fear, hatred, anyone who has ever sinned carries the penalty. The natural consequence of choosing to reject God, the one who gives us life, is death. It is to cease to exist.

So what about us? What about all of us who have sinned?

Jesus. Jesus steps into our place. Jesus, who is God, took the penalty of our sin on Himself. He was willing to die. Jesus was willing to experience the separation from the Father that comes as a result of sin, even though He had not sinned, so that we could experience the righteousness that comes from walking in the perfect love of God, which we could not accomplish. And so, Jesus took on himself the penalty of your sins. And He died for you. At that moment, the impending separation from God, what Galatians 3:13 calls the curse, was removed. And anyone who believes and accepts Jesus' sacrifice is saved from sin and has the hope of eternity with God.

But the story does not end there. Three days later, God uttered the all powerful word, "arise!" “Death where is your victory, oh death, where is your sting.” And from the grave Jesus rose, victorious over death, victorious over sin, victorious over Satan. Jesus came forth from the grave, death no longer had dominion over Him. And death no more has dominion over us. For Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins, died, and was resurrected. And in Him we have hope that those who know God, those who are willing to accept his free gift of forgiveness, there is no more fear of death because we can look forward to eternal life with Christ.

In case you did not here the end of the story, I am going to spoil it a little for you. Jesus promises that He is coming again. And that time is not far away.

1 Thessalonians 4:16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord."

John 17: 3 “And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.”

God knows you fully. He knows your sins; He knows your success. He knows where you are weak and where you are strong. And He Loves you. And He is still seeking after you, He wants to by known by you. He wants you to experience the freedom of knowing that through Jesus your sins are forgiven. He wants to help you experience the freedom of growing into the person He made you to be, who functions in full health, in peace, in love.

For somebody this might be the first time you have heard of God like this. If that is you, I have good news for you, the more you know about God the more beautiful the picture becomes. At this point in my life, I see no bottom to the depth of His love and goodness.

If you have accepted God, but you have drifted away. Whatever your reasons, I want you to know that it is never to late. God never stops seeking after you, He never stops running after you, all He asks is that you turn to Him and He will accept you with open arms no matter what you think might be holding you back.

If you have accepted God and stayed with Him. I want to invite you into a deeper relationship with Him. There is no bottom to His love and no shortage of room for growth in Him.

You are Fully Known, and Fully loved.