I've been going through the book of John with some friends for a couple of months now. We are on Chapter 6. What a beautiful book, FULL of Jesus. But isn't that what all Scripture is? Isn't it His Story from cover to cover?
We've had some really amazing conversations about the words contained in this book. Verses that confuse, frustrate and out-right enrage. We've been challenged to dig, to research, to look back at other texts that bring fuller context, history and clarity to what we're reading. So far, we're reading a lot about those who believe in Christ and their guarantee of eternal life and those who don't. Seems so hard to think of God, who's very essence and description is Love, would keep some of us 'out' of the deal of eternal life. Sounds so contrary to His character, His heart, His desire to see His children come to Him and accept His Love.
But then I wondered if we were asking the wrong questions? Questions that only lead to more questions...
What if we go back to the beginning. Back to when we meet Him, as He is making and creating everything we can see (and not see.) Back when He affirmed it all by saying, 'It is good!' And even better, when He proclaimed at His prize creation (us), 'It is VERY good!' What do we know about Him? What can we find out about His character, His heart here?
First of all, we know He wasn't alone. He's never been alone. Just as He said it wasn't good for Adam to be alone (and therefore created Eve) God, has always been a party of 3, who exist as 1. In the beginning, God. God, our Father, God the Son-Jesus, and God the Spirit-aka Holy Spirit. Three distinct personalities, who exist as One. Whole. Perfect. As in...without sin. None. ZIP. Not even a little!
No sin. Our human minds can't even comprehend this...even as we try, we sin...by thinking that we COULD come close to comprehending a blemish free God...enter that terrible day in the Garden, when everything went awry. Eve thought she ought to be able to comprehend what God could, see what He sees, know what He knows. And the creepy, lying snake deceived her into actually believing that was a possibility. In case you're confused...let me clarity...IT'S NOT.
So, for the first time in the beautiful, perfect and whole existence that God made...destruction entered the scene. (Little known fact: Did you know that some scholars don't believe that it even rained prior to sin entering the world?? That before sin, creation was so perfectly put together, it didn't NEED to rain!) Sin. Church-y word, but what does it mean? Dictionary.com defines it as: 'any reprehensible or regrettable action, behavior, lapse,etc.; great fault or offense'
Reprehensible and regrettable are easy enough to decipher...something really really bad, you wish you could take back...NOT do...undo. What about 'great fault or offense?' Who is offended?
God. Perfect, unblemished, Holy-God. The One who IS. Who will always be. The One by Whom and for Whom all things are made and put into existence! The One in Whom is LIFE. Our lives are not our own. We didn't give ourselves existence, breath, souls. It was given to us, by the very Maker of Life and Love. Perfect Love. Love that has NO end.
Except with sin. Sin destroys. Sin...that terrible terrible delusion that Eve thought she could know and BE her own god (her own purpose for living, her own judge, her own security and wisdom---sound familiar?) That moment of sheer stupidity when her heart's affection went from fullness and abundance in all that is good, pure, holy and what she was made for...to herself. That moment, that delusion, that stupidity didn't hurt God's feelings. It ripped what once was One, into brokenness. So much so that in His perfect, holy, goodness...the very creation He made for Love became unlovable...unreachable. Because to remain in unity with sin would alter His very God-ness. His very essence of all that is good, loving and Holy.
To understand why it is so important to 'believe' in Jesus Christ for eternal life...we have to go back to the beginning. We HAVE to understand, not just in our minds, but in our very souls...that we are hopeless, depraved and fooling ourselves thinking that this life that we live is ours. That we can ever truly breathe, truly Love, truly LIVE outside of that perfect, beautiful relationship with our Maker, Creator, Giver of All. But with sin now in the picture, with our hearts full of deceit, adultery and more than we care to actually look at...what do we do? Where is our hope?
Enter Jesus. We 'believe' in Him because HE makes ALL things new! Because He IS indeed God (remember, He was there as it all began!) only HE can right the wrong, make clean what was abused, close the gap between us and our Father. And He did. And He continues to do so, every day. When He gave His life on the cross 2000(ish) years ago, His death paid the ransom for our crime. And when He rose again, He proved that not even death itself could defeat the power of LOVE that He'd given with His Life, His sacrifice...His gift. God Himself reclaimed His prize creation! Jesus came that we might LIVE, love, and know fully the goodness of the heart of God...be restored to our Father, together as a family...forever.
It's not about doing good things...we can't ever 'do' anything worthy of a perfect God. It's not about church attendance or Bible reading or fighting injustice. It's ALL about Jesus. Our need for God is beyond our need for air, whether we can admit that to ourselves or not...it's true. And Jesus came, that we could be with Him...breathing Him in, living life abundantly...eternally, forever.
The question isn't about God. It's about me. And you. Do we know how much we need Him? Do we care?
