What makes you “you”? Is it your kindness, appearance, special talents, or maybe a unique sense of humor? Some of us prefer to blend in with everyone else, and some of us love to amplify our individuality.
The thing is, fads come and go, beauty fades, and eventually our bodies wear out and die. Surely, then, it’s important to also think about something that goes deeper and lasts longer – even as long as eternity!
That “something” is your soul. At that root level, we have much more in common with one another. We’re all born with souls that are very much the same. That’s because we are all born with a sin nature. It’s in our nature as humans. It all began with the first humans, Adam and Eve, who chose to rebel against God, to disobey Him and go their own way. They thought they would find autonomy, but they only found a life full of difficulty, physical death, and eventually the eternal death of their souls. This is because apart from God, we have no life; He is the source of life!
“For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist” (Colossians 1:16-17).
“…he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things…in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:25, 28).
So, apart from God, Scripture speaks of all humans being “dead” in sin, causing us to act in sinful ways in the world, “fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind” and making us enemies of God, who is perfectly holy and righteous (see Ephesians 2:1-3).
And so, we are all very much in the same boat – we are all lost in sin and our spirits are headed for eternal death. We’re all in need of rescue! And, we are also very much the same in that God loves every one of us far too much to leave us there without a way to be saved.
This is why He sent Jesus Christ to earth. Jesus was the physical manifestation of God on earth – He was, uniquely, both fully God and fully man. He is called God’s Son because He was born into the world through God’s Holy Spirit (see Matthew 1:18-20 and Luke 1:35). Through His humanity, He became the representative for all of us before God, taking our sin upon Himself and dying in our place. And not only that, He rose from the grave – showing that He was eternally able to overcome that eternal penalty for sin and make a way for us to be in God’s holy presence forever.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
God did not wait for us to make ourselves more righteous, before He offered us forgiveness. He knew that we couldn’t!
“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:6-8).
If God did not love us and did not want us to know Him, He would have left us in our sin and in eternal hopelessness without Him. Instead, He offered us a way to be rescued, and He gave us the choice to accept that rescue.
“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God” (John 3:17-18).
Jesus Himself prayed, while on this earth: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).
Knowing and believing implies action on our part. Receiving forgiveness and the promise of eternal life means more than just intellectually agreeing with something; it means taking hold of these great gifts by wholeheartedly recognizing our sinful state, turning from it, and trusting fully in Jesus Christ for salvation.
In that salvation, you will also find that not only were you once like everyone else, in need of saving, you will actually become more like Jesus Christ. He will send His Holy Spirit to live in you, to renew your spirit, to teach you, to give you the power to overcome sin’s temptations, and to give you the sure hope of eternal life.
“…the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness” (Ephesians 4:21-24).
In this new life, you will stand out in the crowd, because you will become a light in the darkness and point others to the One who saves. He will use your unique background and talents to do things only you can do:
“For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light” (Ephesians 5:8).
“…be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world” (Philippians 2:15).
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
Are you ready to stand out? Turn to Jesus for forgiveness and eternal life!