Struggling with the Truth
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NOTES FROM THE VALLEY
January 22, 2005

"Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil for you are with me." Psalm 23.

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It seems "religion" is becoming an ever more popular topic of
discussion among politicians and the stars of movies and television
these days. Perhaps the 2004 election results are partially to
blame. But, invariably, when their conversations turn to matters of
faith, there's a glaring omission in their professions. They firmly
believe that "good" people who live "good" lives, loving and caring
for others, are going to get into heaven. As if to validate their
beliefs, a growing number of them are very active and vocal in
charitable endeavors. But you seldom, if ever, hear any of them
mention Jesus. It seems very few of them have any room for Him in
their varied systems of belief.

The fact is, this questioning, or at least omitting of the New
Testament doctrine of salvation through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ
seems to be spreading. The words vary, but the central theme
remains, "How can God (at least the one Christians worship) say He is
love and then condemn so many people to Hell on a technicality?
Isn't that just plain hypocritical!" I don't doubt that some of you
may have heard similar statements from friends or relatives and are
struggling to give an answer. We've struggled to give those we love
an answer too. What follows are the results of that struggle,
prefaced by three things God set as the anchor points for His
response:

(1). God loves all of us, with a love that knows no boundaries in
space or time.

(2). His heart aches that we are struggling with His truth. And,

(3). His desire, absolute and unchanging, is that NONE of us should
perish.

God's will for His children was the Garden of Eden. Children created
in His image and likeness so the God who is love could pour out that
love on them. Children who loved the Father in return as an act of
their free will. Children unblemished by sin who could walk with Him
in the Garden and talk about the wonders they discovered and enjoyed
each day; the wonders He had created for them. But because of the
deception of Satan, a serpent talked, a woman ate, and man made a
choice. He chose to follow Eve rather than be separated from her by
sin. Instead of standing on the authority he'd been given by God,
which included the serpent and the sin, he bowed his knee to sin and
gave his authority away.

The loving God wanted to spend time with His kids in the Garden. But
the just God knew that He could not. He had given them dominion and
they had made a choice. Now the price of that choice had to be
paid. Separation from Him and death. Not God's will, but man's
choice. But God loved us so much that He wasn't ready to let go of
us so easily. He issued a promise at the instant of man's fall, to
man and the devil, that He would recover that which was lost through
the seed of a woman. A just God required that the price for sin be
paid. A loving God provided the one who could pay that price in full
for us all. Jesus Christ, Son of God and Son of Man, the seed of a
woman, became the fulfillment of that "seed" promise on the cross at
Calvary. A free gift given for us and to us all.

Which brings us back to our beginning - man's free will and OUR
choice. Do we accept the gift? Do we accept the sacrifice that was
made for us on the cross at Calvary and the one who was that
sacrifice? Or would we rather pay the price for our sin ourselves?
The price is death. It's the law. It was the law in the Garden of
Eden and it is the law today. And there aren't enough good deeds and
kind gestures in any person's life that can equal the price of that
payment. God knew that. Jesus knew that. They made their choice.
Christ died on the cross and suffered three days in the grave to pay
the debt in full. So now the choice is up to us..

In the Garden of Eden, the serpent hissed "obedience or knowledge?"
Man responded "knowledge."

In the Roman courtyard, Pontius Pilate shouted, "Jesus or Barabbas?"
Man responded "Give us Barabbas."

Now, in men's hearts, God is whispering, "life or death, heaven or
hell?" The father of lies and prince of this world argues that such
a question is an unreasonable threat. God the Father and the Prince
of Peace tell you it's an invitation sealed with their love and none
who accept it will be lost. The sole criteria for where you will
spend eternity is the response you give to that invitation. God has
made His choice. What's yours?

Sheltered under His wing and overwhelmed by His love,

Steve

SOME FINAL WORDS

"Our destiny is not determined for us, but it is determined by us.
Man's free will is part of God's sovereign will. We have freedom to
take which course we choose, but not freedom to determine the end of
that choice." Oswald Chambers

"Whoever is on God's side is on the winning side and cannot lose;
whoever is on the other side is on the losing side and cannot win.
Here there is no chance, no gamble. There is freedom to choose which
side we shall be on but no freedom to negotiate the results of the
choice once it is made. By the mercy of God we may repent a wrong
choice and alter the consequences by making a new and right choice.
Beyond that we cannot go." A. W. Tozer

"This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I
have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose
life, so that you and your children may live" Deuteronomy 30:19