If you could have written your life story in advance, would it be a lot different from the actual events of your life?
Would you leave out some mistakes you鈥檝e made? Would you leave out some of the disappointments you鈥檝e experienced? Would you have written in some things you would like to have achieved, but didn鈥檛? We know that is not possible, but God has provided some wonderful options today, no matter where we find ourselves.
The Bible tells us that 鈥渁ll things are possible, if we believe鈥�. That is in play because Jesus came to change the future, and remove the cause and effects of our many blunders. If that sounds far fetched, allow me to share some stories that prove these claims. The Bible happens to provide some of the greatest records of some awesome changes plus some amazing reversals.
First, consider that if any job, or machine, or program worked error-free, it would be considered a success. What if you could remove all the mistakes like an eraser on a pencil? When God sent His only Son into the world to completely pay the cost of everyone鈥檚 mistakes, He said that if you choose to believe Him, you receive eternal life. Sound incredible? The truth is that by erasing the cause of everyone鈥檚 mistakes, God changed the outcome. The problem with this is that it requires every individual鈥檚 permission for this to work. That permission is called 鈥渇aith鈥�. All who, by their own choice, accept God鈥檚 Son, and thereby God鈥檚 perfect plan, receive complete freedom. It鈥檚 called 鈥渞edemption鈥�.
It sounds too easy for most people so they let it pass by. But it wasn鈥檛 easy. First, God had to locate a woman who would believe God鈥檚 offer for her to participate. We don鈥檛 know that any other person than Mary was given this option. We only know the Bible record that Mary 鈥渂elieved鈥� the angel - that amazing requirement for a miracle. Then Jesus had to die. That was equally impossible since if no sin (mistake, error) existed in God鈥檚 Son, he would continue to live on. It required a betrayer, a court decision, obedient participants - soldiers. But it also required the Son鈥檚 will, to permit it. The rest is history. Jesus (who could have called 10 legions of angels to stop it) submitted to the death on the cross.
Now your faith, and His faith, combine to remove all your faults. An ancient prophet said 鈥淗e was wounded for our wrong choices, He was injured for our bad judgments, the penalty that would restore peace with our Creator was on Him, and then the beating he took, gave us healing. So every minute, of every day of our lives, we can choose to believe, beyond our understanding, that we are forgiven, wise, peaceful, and healed and will live forever. Death will be just a bridge to a life outside of this world of failures. What a way to live!
I have personally witnessed many 鈥渞edeemed鈥� lives, but I will only tell my own story. As a young person, I turned my back on God, my parents, and all authorities. I fought, took substances that intoxicated me, hurt people in my life. I resisted efforts of people to restore me until someone died. Even then I had no intention of accepting God or any authority, but a series of miracles put me at a church altar one day, that turned my life 180 degrees. I discovered this Jesus who loved me, no matter what I had said or done. I became one who lifted and loved others. Then I discovered a world of people who had also rediscovered the Divine Plan and turned to follow Jesus, as I had.
Although my reversal may not sound too dramatic to some, it was to me. I discovered a love greater than any love in this world, a love that changes any and all circumstances. I want to share a Bible text with you that says 鈥淕od so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him gets everlasting life鈥�.
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