Why did Jesus have to die? Part 3

Again, I don't usually use this blog in this way, but i have thinking about this anyway, so here it is.

The last thought we have to ask ourselves is this. "Are my sins really bad enough to deserve eternal punishment, where we are constantly deteriorating and being eaten alive, but never are consumed, where the anquish and agony are so thick and deep that it feels like an unquenchable fire is always burning us, insanity is always over taking us, but yet we never die and are conpletely coherent of exactly what is happening? Complete Separation from God, FOREVER. Really"

If you write down all the "bad stuff" you think you have ever done. Most of us don't even have enough against us to end up in a regular old jail here in this physical world ruled by men. What would we have ever done to deserve eternal torment? The majority of Americans believe in a heaven (85%) and 85% of Americans believe they are going there. Why? Because if you ask a room full of people to have all the bad people raise their hands, no one will. People basically believe they are good and that they may not be as bad as some, but they surely aren't as bad as some either. Good enough fo heaven right?

Here is a great example I will end with ...

I was listening to a man tell a story about his 3 year old daughter. She took a stick and procedded to draw a picture of whatever on the hood of his car. She scratch the hood into something silly. Could he sit the 3 year old down and say: "What were you thinking? I now have to take off work and take the car down for an estimate, miss work (and money), waste time on the phone with the insurance company, pay the $500 deductable, take the car back down to the shop for the actual work to be done, get a rental car for a week (more time and money), get the car back only to realize that they didn't do everything right, take it back in ..." You get the picture. She won't be able to comprehend any of that and she will never be able to repay it (no job, no money). All he could say is: "Sweety, please don't ever do that again. It makes daddy very sad"

We truely have no clue. Our little sin causes a complete separation from God and it demands Justice, but we can't truely understand and could never pay the price. We absolutely deserve eternal separation from God ... Mercy ... Justice ... Grace (see part 2)

This is the most "fair" system in existance.
1. Everyone is Welcome
2. Everyone must enter the same way.
3. Everyone can meet the requirements

Why did Jesus have to die? Part 2

I don't do this much here but ... woohoo! Bible Study time. Don't worry, I will give the elevator version.

This is a great question. The answer is found in Romans Chapter 3.

Verses 20 and 21 state:

20Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin. Righteousness Through Faith 21But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.

Righteousness is "Right-standing" before a holy God ... right. This is the goal of nearly every religion around the world. In almost every religion it is also obtained by doing "good" works and sometimes physcially paying for the wrongs they have done. In these two verses Paul is saying to them that everything that they thought was true about getting right before God was wrong. He is saying that it is impossible to be righteous ... Impossible. It can only be granted by God completely apart from anything that we could do to earn it or push it away.

So how does Righteousness come then? verse 22 says "This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference," This says it all, then the next verse goes on to say ... 23"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," What does this mean. In essense ... say there was a archery match and you must get 5 bulleyes in a row to progress to the next round of the competition. Let's say you miss the first bullseye by a smidge ... well you are out anyway. It doesn't matter if you shoot 15 more perfect bulleyes in a row! You still missed the first one and can't progress. In the same way, we have all sinned at least once (in my case, too many to count) and from that point on, it makes no difference how much good we do, we can never be good enough to make it to heaven on our own. There is no price we could ever pay to re-gain right standing before a perfect and Holy God.

It then says: "24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus."

Here is where the answer then lies ... Jesus had to die, because God is Just ... perfectly Just ... it is against his nature to be anything but Just! Someone must pay for the injustice commited, there is absolutely no way around it, He can't break or change the rules or change the rules! ... that would be injust. Even if no one else ever knew or found out? Yeah ... He is perfectly Just and not capable of being Injust. This is so encouraging ... in a world where there are no "absolutes" and no pure justice, it is refreshing to know that we serve a God that is purely Just.

These are very heavy and complicated scriptures, but if we are to simplify it. All it is saying is:
1. Mercy - the thing that delayed God from exacting justice for as long as it could. At some point, the sin must be paid for!
2. Justice - Eventually all sin must be completely paid for, completely ... no way around it.
3. Grace - God brought perfect justice out on his sinless son ... the only one that could actually pay the price.

Jesus had to die. It is the only way.

See part 3 for the final thought...

Why did Jesus have to die??

We are having another "Connect Group" tomorrow night. I haven't really written any notes down for the discussion as I have barely enough time to sleep right now. I did however manage to watch American Idol as I was working though ... more of the same, but still interesting. Anyway, The subject is "Why did Jesus have to die?". Really ... If He is God and can do anything right, why would he choose to kill his son, instead of just declaring everyone forgiven. He could just do that right? I mean I have forgiven quite a few people of fairly cruel things and I didn't have to sacrifice our cat (which isn't that bad of an idea ... haha) or kill their first born son to do it to make that forgiveness happen, right. I just forgave them. It is done ... not really going to think about it again, except for right now when i am actually trying to remember these things. God is better and higher than I right? And He can't just forgive? How does that make sense.

Here is another one for you. If Jesus took my place so that I wouldn't have to burn in hellish torment for the rest of eternity, what could I have done to deserve that. Think about it ... but not too long, it gets wierd. Hell, eternal burning flames, constantly decaying, screaming in isolation with no one to hear me, complete separation from a God who created me and wanted to spend forever with me, but who now can't, on and on and on and on. I didn't even do anything to deserve a natural night in prison, let alone the death penalty. Did my little lying, drinking, swearing kind of sins really warrant an eternal death that I must pay for without end? Seriously?!

I will give my answer in a couple of days ... After the Connect Group has met. It is these types of questions that can't just go left undone. We need to wrestle with them, they always make faith stronger.

I am not dead!

So wow ... December hit like a tsunami and I have ignored the blog-o-sphere since. Since then I am now back to more than full time at faithHighway and the intership at my phenomenal Church, Celebration, seems to be in a more of a demanding stage and Venue stuff and transitional elements are in full swing. So what is 80 - 90 hours a week, a family of five and sleep really have to do with ignoring the blog anyway ... just a trite excuse. I know ... I am lame, right?! Anyway, I am back and hopefully have regained my sanity.

All that said, life is great! The kids are an amazing and so much fun! Life could not function without my incredible love - Faith! And I am an incredibly blessed man in more ways that I can count. This year is going to be an exciting one.