I Believe

My name is Bruce and I am just an ordinary Christian. This post is NOT addressed to my fellow Christians.
I am writing this post in the hope that someone who is not a Christian will come across it, read it and consider.

This is Easter Sunday but it’s not just another day. We all know that, but for far too many, some never stop to consider, what or why in fact, the reasoning is, behind this day, being the day that it is.

I’ve read over a good number of times what Jesus said, as recorded in the New Testament.
I’ve considered many times what Jesus did.
I’ve considered and studied the history of Israel and their Holy Scriptures.  
I’ve evaluated the accuracy of Prophecies as articulated in the Bible.
I’ve evaluated the accuracy of the copies of the original texts of the Holy Scriptures.
I’ve looked at the accuracy of the archaeological and historical evidence.
I’ve considered the friendly and hostile witnesses to Jesus and the Church in secular and Christian history.
I’ve acknowledged that no matter how smart we have become, we cannot create life from non-living materials.
I’ve acknowledged that life as we know it, in all of its many forms, does not and cannot, happen by chance.

I believe that God exists.
I believe that Jesus, the Christ, the promised Messiah, is the Son of God.
I believe that Jesus was sent by our heavenly Father God to show us of Himself.
I believe that Jesus did that perfectly, in all that He said and all that He did.
I believe that Jesus is in fact, the only way, the only truth and the only life. 
I believe that Jesus initially came not to condemn us, but to save us and show us the way to be reconciled with God. He is coming again, whether you believe in Him or not. And when He returns, this time He will be coming as judge.
I believe that Jesus willingly gave His life on the cross, as willed by His Father, to cancel out the transgressions we all have committed against God who is truly Holy (fair and just in all that He does).
I believe that Jesus did in fact rise again from the dead after three days and appeared numerous times to His Apostles and disciples for a period of forty days, before He was taken back to His home with His Father in heaven.

I know that I am far from perfect, especially to this very day. The thing is, none of us are perfect, in and of ourselves.
I know that I have committed many wrongs against others and against God and His Holy goodness.
I know that I did call out to God to show Himself to me if He existed and that He did.
I know that it took me a long time to begin to understand myself and begin to know of God, His love and His mercy.

I have tasted of God’s mercy, patience and love.
I have tasted of God’s Holiness and goodness.
I have tasted of the wonder that God our Father, Jesus His Son and His Holy Spirit is.
I have tasted of God’s unmerited grace, made possible solely by Jesus, the Son.

I am still not without sin, which means I still sometimes transgress God’s goodness, in some of my dealings with God and with others. Nothing like I used to, but still far to go. The brighter the light, the more one sees.
I am still not nearly what God would have me be in Him, but I am far different from what I used to be.
I am still a work in progress and He who began His work in me, will bring it to completion.
I am but one totally insignificant man who testifies to the goodness and love that God is. 
I am in fact, a transgressor of God’s Holy being, the way that He is, who has been saved by the grace demonstrated and made available through the shed blood of Jesus Christ on the cross for my sins. By faith in what Jesus has done for me on the cross, His righteousness or perfect obedience to God’s will, which is Holy and just to all, is imputed or given to me. This is God’s testimony to all of us who believe in His Son. But it doesn’t stop there, nor can it. If we in faith decide to follow and trust in Christ, we are commanded to follow Him in all that we say or do and by doing so, it is here that we begin to learn of the riches that are to be found in Jesus. His faithfulness, His strength, His mercy and His patience. 

Jesus, the Christ, The Messiah, the Chosen One, rose from the dead and now lives. How could He not, He is God.
After three days His tomb was empty. And if He does not live in you, if you have not taken the time to actually hear what He says and consider what He has done for you, you unfortunately, are empty too, because His life is not in you. Jesus did say that we must in fact, be born again. What that means is that by faith, we believe and trust in Jesus and by doing so, His Spirit is joined to our spirit and we are indeed, alive in Him. His tomb is empty for a reason. Jesus is not there, death cannot hold Him because He is in fact, the giver of all life. His resurrection is a proclamation from God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, that His forgiveness, His love and His life is available to you, if you only consider and then make your decision to say yes or no to Him. 

If YOU have never taken the time to consider, please do. And whether you realize it or not, this decision that you make, to consider or not to consider, it is the most important decision that you will ever make. 

Worthy is the Lamb! Blessings!