Manliness as Soft & Tender?

What is manliness? What is manhood?

A friend of mine recently gave me his copy of Fathered by God, by John Eldridge. Have you ever received a book half marked up and underlined, with an abrupt end to the markings? If you have, you know the special privilege of receiving a book from someone while they are still in the middle of reading it themselves. If you’ve ever given a book away like that, you know the sacrifice parting with your beloved copy containing all of your meaningful notes and markers. When you receive a book like that, you know one thing: if it meant that much to the giver, such that they would abandon their personal copy in the middle of reading so that you could have it, you know that you need to begin reading it right away.

And so I have recently begun reading Fathered by God, which has been both very instructional and very enjoyable. As I was reading tonight, I came across this passage:

“ ‘Oh! Ephraim is my dear, dear son, my child in whom I take pleasure! Every time I mention his name, my heart bursts with longing for him! Everything in me cries out for him. Softly and tenderly I wait for him. (Jer 31:20 MSG)’

Put your own name in this verse, in place of “Ephraim” (a name for God’s people, and that includes you).”

As I put my name in place of Ephraim, the verse really does come alive. So much so, that at the end of the verse, I didn’t get a warm-fuzzy feeling…instead, I found myself saying, “That just doesn’t sound very manly.”

Now, these are God’s words to His beloved children—if there is any conception of manliness as we understand it that is good, God certainly is the source! Therefore, these words aren’t just manly; they are above and beyond manly! Yet, I found myself a little uncomfortable with being told “softly and tenderly I wait for [you]” by my Father God.

And that’s when I was convicted of how far off-center my personal view of manliness has been warped. That is when I realized the answer to the question, “What is true manliness?”

Gen 1:26 – “God said, let us make man in our image…”

If man is made in the image of God, then true manliness is “image-of-God-liness.” True manhood is “image-of-God-hood.” When we as a culture and individuals stop looking to other men to define manhood and manliness and instead look to the pursuit of God, then and only then will we as a culture and individuals lay hold of what it truly means to be a man.

And so, what is manliness? True manliness, as we were created to be, is nothing other than the character of God. If man is created in the image of God, then the character of God seen in men would be the image of true manliness. And so the question of "what is manliness?" is answered by the character traits of God. God is Good. God is Just. God is Strong. God is Tenderhearted. God is Full of Grace. God is Steadfast. God is Faithful. God is Love. You, my fellow man, were created to be all of these things, too.

So man-up and receive the love of your Father God who “softly and tenderly” waits for you. Reject that part of you that says, “that doesn’t sound manly” and embrace it as the only true manhood. I pray that we both live up to our image-of-God-liness legacy, passed down from our Father God, such that we, too can one day say to our sons, “softly and tenderly I wait for you. I love you.” Amen.

Relating to a Dimensionless God: The Conclusion

Continued from Relating to a Dimensionless God: Part 1...

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

...One day, the most gloriously peculiar thing began to happen. It all started when the Sphere once again entered flat space fully. In flat space, the Sphere appears as a circle, just like everyone else, except it is the only perfect circle without a single irregularity. Yet, it maintains its properties as a sphere existing beyond the dimensions of flat space. Therefore, we see that the Sphere exists as fully circle and fully Sphere at the same time.

The Perfect Circle points out some of the most obvious imperfections of many prominent irregular circles, beckoning them to draw near again to the Sphere. In fact, the Perfect Circle slowly begins to reveal that he is the Sphere! However, except for a very few, most of the irregularity ridden circles despise the Perfect Circle, convinced that he is not indeed as perfect as he claims and certainly not their Creator the Sphere! Eventually, all but a few imperfect circles come to hate the Perfect Circle and plot to kill Him, but they cannot, for they have no power over the Sphere. Instead, inexplicably, the Perfect Sphere/Circle submits Himself to erasure and allows the irregular circles to erase his apparent imprint on flat space. The sinister, perfectly irregular entity has never been nearer to the Sphere than now, cackling and insulting the Perfect Circle until finally the last of him is erased from flat space. The last Perfect Circle. The only Perfect Circle. Gone.
...

But what is that?! Something previously unseen! Has that been there the entire time or did it just appear? Flat space is not alone! Below it are two more sheets like it! But they seem as peculiar as flat space in many ways. The bottom layer is black space, and in it is the imprint of multitudes of very irregular circles, almost unrecognizable as circles…yes, their irregularities seem to be amplified compared to those in flat space. But between black space and flat space exists a most wondrous red space. And look! There! The Sphere! It is now residing in red space, perfectly cross-sected just as it once was in flat space! And it seems to be surrounded by a great number of circles…but wait, these circles are all perfect…and at times they occupy the same red space with the Sphere, such that they are indistinguishable from each other and the Sphere. What is this place? A place of restored perfect unity not seen since the very beginning!
...

Back in flat space, the Perfect Circle looks as erased as any circle ever has been...except those in flat space still don’t comprehend that his nature is truly a sphere, external to the 2D flat space that he in fact created. Even still, flat space has never seemed so irregular, so ugly, so full of certain and utter erasure. That is, until the most amazing thing happened…

It is the third day since the erasure of the Perfect Circle, the Sphere in flat space. Suddenly, MMMP! The Sphere slams the black and red spaces together against flat space! And just as suddenly, the Sphere appears again in flat space, a perfect circle! But there is something different, the Sphere is different…no, he is the same…but his appearance is now red. He seems to have somehow connected the perfection of red space with flat space!

A few irregular circles that once followed the Perfect Circle come near and seem almost magnetically attached to him, yet most of the flat space circles stay far away. In only a short time, the Sphere leaves flat space again, to the disappointment of the circles that had clung so closely to him. But again, a most peculiar happening: all who had connected to the Perfect Circle after His erasure have been changed…they have received his red color! What could this mean? They do not fully know, but it becomes apparent that those who know the Perfect Circle can be easily distinguished from those who never knew him.

Furthermore, slowly, but surely, all irregular circles that have been colored red begin to lose their irregularity. It is almost imperceptible…but yes, it is there! The irregularity is being healed! Meanwhile, as the healing, not-so-irregular circles mill about, some irregular, non-red circles begin to have contact with the red ones and they too become red. Others never become red. It is all a bit mysterious, but the red circles recall the Perfect Circle’s instructions to “Go and make red circles of all nations. I am with you always, to the very end.” As mysterious as it sounded, it seems to be true! That by simply carrying the Red Gift of the Perfect Circle, they have the power to share his healing Red Power with all who will receive it. What an amazing course of events!

Something good seems to be happening to these still irregular spheres with the Red Gift, because they are becoming less irregular every day. As good as that may seem, most shockingly, these red circles still begin to fade or suddenly disappear from flat land...the same as all irregular circles, whatever their color. But as they are erased, we see the red space receive their image—but look, this is perhaps the most amazing part! They are instantly transformed to a perfect red circle! And in the center of the red space? The Sphere, in majestic perfection and glory.

All circles that have not received the Red Gift at erasure are transferred to the black space, never having received the only passage to red space that comes through the Perfect Circle alone. Conversely, as many as have received the Red Gift at erasure are transferred to red space. In the black space, all irregularities are enhanced...in fact, they are perfectly irregular, just as the dreadful, perfectly irregular entity that now resides in the center of black space. In the red space, all irregularity is gone. And amongst them is the Sphere, the Perfect Circle, and the Red Gift is everywhere. In fact, they have all come to occupy the same space, such that you can no longer perceive one circle from another, nor any circle from the Sphere...they are as one! All circles are as one, and the Sphere is as one with all circles. Perfection, just as it was created in the beginning.

All praise to the Sphere, the Perfect Circle, and the indwelling Red Gift. All praise to God the Father, Jesus Christ our Savior, and the Holy Spirit of God. Forever and ever. Amen.


*Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this metaphor is not theologically perfect, omitting some of God’s character, and imperfectly representing other parts of his character. It is meant to articulate a greater perspective and help to understand God, Creation, Man, Sin, Heaven, Hell, Substitution, Intercession, and Sanctification…but it is not meant to explain each of them fully.

Relating to a Dimensionless God: Part 1

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," says the Lord. "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:8-9 (NKJV)

Borrowing the old preacher's metaphor of humans as two dimensional circles and God being a three dimensional sphere, I am inspired to build upon that imagery more thoroughly, for I believe that it is useful for understanding, if only slightly better, man's relationship to and infinite God.

We exist in a three dimensional world, four if you count time, as some do.  If there is a supreme God, then He created this three dimensional world and time itself, therefore being superior to any created dimension.  We cannot adequately describe anything that exists in dimensions beyond ours (though many have fun trying, and I enjoy the genre of movies and stories that spring forth from such creative thought); therefore, we may seek to build our understanding in reverse, placing our world anecdotally as the highest dimension and exploring the relationship to a created world with fewer dimensions.  We can then take our understanding of that scenario and place ourselves in the perspective of the world of fewer dimensions, God in the "world" of greater dimensions, and understand more fully our relationship to God.

Imagine a sphere existing in open space.  There is a sphere and nothing else but black space.  This sphere sheds what looks to be an outer covering and spreads it flat in the open space below.  Peculiarly, this sphere enters into this flattened out used-to-be-covering, such that it perfectly cross-sects the sphere.  MMMP!  A burst of light and the paper is gloriously stained.  The sphere moves sideways in the flat space, leaving behind the imprint of a perfect circle.  But that is not the end of this peculiar scene.  The sphere and this created circle have a strange interaction, with the ability to occupy the same space such that the sphere and the created circle cannot be distinguished from one another.  Even still, even greater peculiarity awaits.

Next, the sphere extracts a small portion of the created circle, such that it fades ever so slightly.  With this small extracted ink-like material, the sphere moves sideways in flat space and MMMP!  Another circle is created.  Now there are two circles and the flat space cross-sected sphere existing together, each abiding in the same flat space, with the ability of full overlap such that they are indistinguishable from one another.

If that wasn't intriguing enough, what happens next is quite disturbing.  Another entity, three dimensional and of abnormal shape...in fact, perfectly irregular if there ever was such a thing, with no two sides the same length, no two angles the same, and honestly ugly compared with the perfect circles...this entity descends to newly created flat space, entering such that it cross-sects just as the space did with the sphere.  This entity lacks the Mmmp! power to create its image in flat space...but this perfectly irregular entity has other, sinister power.

The perfectly irregular entity begins to encroach upon the two perfect circles.  The entity convinces the circles that if they allow it to be a part of their circles that they will know what it is like to be three dimensional!  They can become just like their creator, the sphere, he says.  Further, he says that the sphere does not want them to share that privilege, but that he can grant it, if they will embrace him.  Tricked, both spheres embrace the perfectly irregular entity.  Mmmp!  What's that?!  Horrifically, the once perfect circles look at themselves and see large, jagged imperfections!  They are still circular in nature, but their borders are characterized by irregularities.  "What a terrible thing has happened!" they cry, as the perfectly irregular entity cackles and flees the scene.

The sphere comes near.  The once perfect, now irregular circles seek to hide themselves, but they cannot.  As the sphere comes near, it becomes painfully obvious that with their jagged irregularities, they can no longer occupy the same space as the sphere.  The sphere desires to share the perfect unity again, as do the circles, but without being made perfect again, they simply cannot.  In fact, the sphere now withdraws itself such that it is no longer perfectly cross-sected by the flat space, but instead maintains a tangential relationship with constant contact to flat space, but much less intimate space sharing. The sphere, though unable to unite with the irregular circles as they once did, remains near, guiding them as closely as their irregularities allow. However, the irregular circles inexplicably begin to slowly fade.  This is quite disturbing and they grieve as they realize that only by their prior unity in flat space with the sphere were they able to remain fully vibrant in color.  But they are helpless against the fading that slowly persists.

The imperfect circles begin to multiply and multiply, until much of the once seemingly infinite flat space becomes occupied with imperfect circle after imperfect circle.  They find, heartbreakingly, that the circles they produce together carry imperfections, and no perfect circle is ever seen again.  Still, the sphere remains near to the imperfect circles that will remain near to him.  He never leaves, yet no circle, nor the sphere itself experiences the blissful unity they shared in the beginning.

Even worse, since receiving irregularity, the spheres seem to continually fade until one day they completely disappear, never to return again!  Furthermore, that dreadful, perfectly irregular entity continues to wreak havoc, amplifying the irregularities of the once circular that remain the farthest from the sphere.  Interestingly, the perfectly irregular entity dares not come near the sphere.  Worst of all, the perfectly irregular entity wields what every circle fears most: The Eraser.  Suddenly, and without warning, circles are erased, never to be heard from again!  It seems that whether by slowly fading away or suddenly, all circles are erased in time, and the cumulative irregularity of the flat space circles continues to grow. In fact, some circles become so jagged, so marred, that they are hardly recognizable as circles at all, much more closely resembling the perfectly irregular entity that seems to be at the root of everything imperfect in flat space.

With such irregularity and separation from all that was once perfect, many circles lose hope.  But others remember the promise given by the sphere throughout their generations: the promise of one that has the power to restore the circles to the sphere.  But when?  How?  And so they waited...

...To be continued...

Find the Conclusion here: Relating to a Dimensionless God: The Conclusion


*Disclaimer: I acknowledge that this metaphor is not theologically perfect, omitting some of God’s character, and imperfectly representing other parts of his character. It is meant to articulate a greater perspective and help to understand God, Creation, Man, Sin…but it is not meant to explain each of them fully.

Have You Learned to See God?

John 12:21 - Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, “Sir, we wish to see Jesus.” 

2 Chron 7:14 - if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

For the past 2 weeks I have been blessed with a very rare extended vacation, and have taken the opportunity to spend about a week with my parents at their home in rural Tennessee. It is a beautiful place in a beautiful part of the country. Blue skies, lush green grass and trees, abundant wildlife with birds, rabbits, deer, and more.

Also partaking in the blessed homestead is a stray cat and her kittens. Understandably, the kittens are very shy and scatter at the first sight of a human. They have a healthy, well-founded fear of things bigger and stronger than themselves. However, they don't realize that this giant is gentle with no desire to harm them. 

I've been watching one of the bolder kittens and her mother this week, and something very simple happened that spoke of a much deeper meaning. This afternoon, I was sitting on a comfortable porch chair with the mother cat lying in the sun in front of me. The mother has been providing for her young, weaning them off by bringing back mice and attempting to draw them out further and further from underneath the porch area. She is trying to introduce them to the world, so that they can survive on their own. Part of that effort has been trying to get them to accept the presence of humans.

Well today the kitten came right out to its mother, directly in front of me. I was literally watching right over the top of them as the kitten played with its mother less than 2 feet from me...but the kitten was completely unaware of my presence. The kitten even looked directly at my feet, but did not recognize it as a human. The little kitten did not even know to raise her head and look at my face, and even if she had, she would not have recognized me for who/what I am--a human, a fearsome creature to a kitten, at least without having any interaction with me.

It struck me that in this moment, so many of us are living as this little kitten, oblivious to the presence of God, seeing Him only as a fearsome being and one that is certainly not good or for us, but is rather an adversary. Without knowing our Creator, we run at the first sight of Him and we want nothing to do with His presence, feeling threatened by even the mentioning of Jesus name. Have you not noticed this response to the name and character of Jesus being mentioned in a public setting? Nevertheless, just because a person has not learned to recognize God does not mean that He does not exist. In fact, He is right there, literally watching over you. Do you perceive Him just now?

The truth is that if I was as maliciously inclined toward this kitten as it feared, I could have done the worst to it. I was in position and it was oblivious. I am stronger, bigger, and had full opportunity. The only thing saving that kitten from the immediate death that it feared was that I allowed it to live. And of course, my only desire was for it to live, as I enjoyed watching it play. The point is that many of us are so oblivious to God's presence, power, and goodness. God's presence and power mean that at this very moment, He could remove the breath from your lungs and you could perish, physically and eternally...but only in His goodness does He allow us to live...and for all of us who have lived before His eyes sinfully, His grace through Jesus Christ for those who believe is the only thing that allows us to live eternally.

The truth is that even as believers in our supreme God, we will not see Him unless we learn to look up at His face (that is, His character, what distinguishes Him as recognizably different from any other person, being, or god). And furthermore, we often have eyes that look but do not see. Just as the kitten, if we do not know what to look for or how to look, when even our eyes perchance look up toward the heavens, how will we even know to recognize God? But for so many of our fellow-men on this earth, they refuse to even look up. I implore you, do not resign yourself to a life of denying God's existence, never even looking in your mind's eye toward Him. I assure you, you may be as the kitten, claiming your perception to be reality, but how do you know if He isn't right there above you, looking squarely at your every behavior, word, and thought? I will conclude with a few attributes of God's very character...his face, if you will...that distinguish Him from all other persons, beings, or claimed-to-be gods:

 - My God is Creator of all things (Gen 1:1, John 1:1-4)
 - My God knows all things (even the thoughts of all men) (Job 34:21, Psalm, 33:13-15, 94:11, Prov 20:27)
 - My God is the unconquerable sovereign King of all things (Deut 32:39, Prov 19:21, Eph 1:11, 1 Tim 6:15-16, Rev 17:14)
 - My God is unadulterated love (1 John 4:8-10)
 - My God is just and full of grace at the same time (Rom 3:22-26, Col 3:25, Heb 6:10, 1 Pet 5:10)
 - My God is perfectly righteous and good (2 Sam 22:31, Psalm 100:5, 107:1)
 - My God made Himself to walk fully as man and God at the same time (John 1:14, Phil 2:5-11)
 - My God suffered and died to save sinners like me (Rom 5:6-11)
 - My God conquered death, and rose to life in a new body eternally (Acts 2:23-24, 1 Cor 15:20, 23
 - My God offers the same resurrection to eternal life for those who know and abide in Him (John 3:16-18, John 5:24, John 14:2-6, 1 Cor 15:20, 23, 26)
 - In my God is life, and apart from Him is only death, final and eternal (John 3:16-18, Rom 6:23)

Do you have questions about any of these statements? They are all from the Bible (a few references listed). I encourage you to find a Bible or go online to www.biblegateway.com, find someone who claims to know Jesus Christ, or speak with a pastor at a local Christian church and ask them to explain the claims I have made above. For those who already believe in Jesus Christ: We have just as much to learn from the kitten. We must mature. We must learn to look up. We must learn to look for God's face. And we must learn to recognize His face. And even those of us who might consider ourselves mature, we must practice daily discipline to seek His face, lest we find ourselves as the little kitten, walking through life before the presence of God, but missing out on the joy, peace, and rest of not just being in His presence, but abiding in it. As we abide, we begin to see Jesus, and nothing on earth or in Heaven is sweeter than the unity granted to us in the Spirit to abide in the presence of God the Father through the Son Jesus Christ. May such a life be yours this very day. Amen.


Scriptures Referenced:


My God is Creator of all things

Gen 1:1 - "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."
John 1:1-4 - "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the light of men."

My God knows all things (even the thoughts of all men)

Job 34:21 - "His eyes are on the ways of men; he sees their every step."
Psalm 33:13-15 - "From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind; from his dwelling place he watches all who live on earth, he who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do."
Psalm 94:11 - "The LORD knows the thoughts of man; he knows that they are futile."
Prov 20:27 - "The lamp of the LORD searches the spirit of a man; it searches out his inmost being."

My God is the unconquerable sovereign King of all things

Deut 32:39 - "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand."
Prov 19:21 - "Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails."
Eph 1:11 - "In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will"
1 Tim 6:15-16 - "which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen."
Rev 17:14 - "These will make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb will overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings; and those who are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful."

My God is unadulterated love

1 John 4:8-10 - "He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. 9 In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins."

My God is just and full of grace at the same time

Rom 3:22-26 - "even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Col 3:25 - "But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality."
Heb 6:10 - "For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister."
1 Pet 5:10 - "But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you."

My God is perfectly righteous and good

2 Sam 22:31 - "As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him."
Psalm 100:5 - "For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations."
Psalm 107:1 - "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

My God made Himself to walk fully as man and God at the same time

John 1:14 - "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."
Phil 2:5-11 - "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7 but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. 9 Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

My God suffered and died to save sinners like you and me

Rom 5:6-11 - "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet perhaps for a good man someone would even dare to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. 10 For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation."

My God conquered death, and rose to life in a new body eternally

Acts 2:23-24 - "Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; 24 whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it."
1 Cor 15:20, 23, 26 - "But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming...The last enemy that will be destroyed is death."

My God offers the same resurrection to eternal life for those who know and abide in Him

John 3:16-18 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
John 5:24 - "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life."
John 14:2-6 - "n My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also. 4 And where I go you know, and the way you know. 5 Thomas said to Him, “Lord, we do not know where You are going, and how can we know the way?” 6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."
1 Cor 15:20, 23 - ""But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep...But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming."

In my God is life, and apart from Him is only death, final and eternal

John 3:16-18 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. “He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Rom 6:23 - "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

*All quoted scripture from the Old Testament is the NIV (1984) and from the New Testament, NKJV

The Gospel of Christ--A Systematic Exploration

Our bodies bear evidence of sin.  Disease, affliction, decay.  If our bodies carried no sin in them, they would cease to decay and no disease or affliction would be manifest.  This is how we were created--in the image of God.  Adam and Eve, and the human race, were created to live forever in perfect harmony with God, each other, and all creation.  That is, until they sinned in the Garden.  At that moment, the human body took on sin, by choice, and began to decay.  From this point forward, there is an irreparable rift between God and man, the perfect from imperfect, eternal from dying.  But just as through one man (Adam) sin entered the world, so through one Man (Jesus), sin is conquered and we can be reconciled (Rom 5:12-21).


Show me one man who has defied the decay of the human condition.  Show me one man that has lived even 2 generations, let alone eternally.  You cannot.  But I will show you Christ, who lived, has lived and forever will live.  Jesus is the only God-man to have ever lived and therefore lives forever, being fully God, and gives opportunity for all flesh to be saved--being fully man Himself--the only bridge of this gap between dying man and eternally living God.

Our bodies testify that we are born into sin.  For all flesh is grass and perishes (Isaiah 40:6, 1 Pet 1:24), i.e. all flesh contains sin and is therefore decaying.  If all flesh was not with sin, then not all flesh would be decaying...but the scripture, as well as our experience, testifies that all flesh is dying. Therefore, there is no difference in circumstance, moral code,  in perception or reality--all men have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23). All flesh is grass.  All flesh is dying.  All flesh has sin.  All men are dying as a result of being covered in their sins.

Make no mistake--God is incorruptible.  He is too consistent to allow sin to survive.  Therefore, as He has decreed, all sin will die.  And therefore, all men will die.  And though He loves us, He cannot deny Himself.  He has too great of character...perfect character...He will not "change the rules," so that we might live.  We cannot offer any goodness or action such that He says, "I love this one too much to let him burn eternally in Hell.  I will let Him live."  No, God's desire for us to live does not give rise to Him compromising!  He would cease to be God if He could be compromised.  No, God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Heb 13:8).

How then will we be reconciled to a perfect God?  How will we who are dying ever hope to live more than our short 100 years, if we are so lucky to live even that long?  If we are born into sin, what chance do we have, and how is it fair that God would allow us to be created and born into sin such that we have no chance of avoiding Hell?  God would certainly cease to be good, infallible, and sovereign if the truth was anything short of this: Jesus is the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Rev 13:8, 1 Pet 1:20, Matt 25:34).  Let's look at this closer.

First of all, God created us knowing our ability to sin.  Not the unavoidable affinity to sin...no, just the possibility and our ability to choose.  Jesus Himself knew what was in man and did not entrust Himself to them (John 2:24).  In the same way, God has never, from the foundation of the world, entrusted His perfect care for the human race to man alone.  No, He is too good, too sovereign, too infallible.  Instead, reconciliation was conceived from the very beginning.  Let's examine free-will, God's foresight, and the means of reconciliation to Him.

Free-will.  This is the capacity to love.  Think about it: can you force someone to love you?  You can force another person to do many of the outward showings of "loving" behaviors in its various forms, but you have no ability to force a person to love from their heart.  This is by design.  Love, it turns out, requires a voluntary choosing of another.  And with any voluntary choice, there are two possibilities: the choosing of someone or something, or the rejection of that same someone or something.  This is free-will.  This is the gift of God to the human race to have the capacity to love!  Anything short of this and we become robots; and we ourselves, as well as God Himself, are deprived of the richness of love, as characterized by freely choosing Him.  And so any question of God's goodness in that He has "allowed" sin (inherently also death and decay, and even Hell that comes with it) to persist is easily answered in the beautiful gift of love made possible by having the choice.  The real question then isn't of God's goodness--the question is of our obedience or rebellion.

However, since God is perfect in foresight and sovereignty, he would have known that all men would sin--all men would choose sin and not Him, and therefore all men would inherit death, both physical and eternal.  "What a flawed system!" you might say.  And you would be correct if not for this truth: God prepared a way for atonement--a way to be reconciled to Him even after experiencing sin and the curse of decay.  This is His Son Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world.  This is critical because we might otherwise think God had a moment like this: "Oh no, they are all sinning.  Oh no, through Adam all men have inherited sin and death.  What have I done?  How can I save this?  How can I rectify this?  Oh, I know...I've got it, I'll send my Son to die."  Nonsense. This is not what God did, as it would fall well short of His uncompromising character and power.  Instead, He, from the foundation of the world, made provision for reconciliation through Christ.  Let's examine that at last.

We have established that God is perfect.  Furthermore, He cannot be compromised and is unchanging.  He can accept nothing into His Kingdom except perfection (absolutely zero sin).  The problem arises that all men have sin, and are even born into sin.  This is sin that resides in our flesh, inherited as we are born, as well as willing sin committed as we ourselves have not chosen to love Him by obeying Him (John 14:15, 21, 23-24).  And so every single natural man being born to man is condemned to death.  Therefore, there is a naturally irreconcilable rift, for you can show me no man that has ceased to die, not even Jesus Christ Himself.  This is critical that even the perfect God-Man, the only God-Man, Jesus Christ had to die; though not a natural death of decay in sin--He Himself being perfect and without sin--but rather at the hands of sinful men, willingly taking on death, i.e. voluntarily taking on the sin of man with such sweeping fullness that He being without the curse of death from sin would die, death being the fruit of sin.

Putting it all together, the paradoxical sacrifice of a perfect God-Man is the only Hope of rectifying the chasm between God eternally perfect and man eternally sinful.  There must be a go between--someone or something with a foot on each side, something itself as incorruptible and perfect as the side of God, yet something as perfectly identified with the flesh of Man such that they could exist together and thereby provide a bridge across this great eternal chasm.  In this we see that as Christ's body was crucified, the punishment of death, the inherited death of the flesh was fully upheld and satisfied.  Now, this is satisified in every individual who dies: the body has perished in sin, and the soul is cast eternally into godless Hell for he cannot be reconciled with God.  That is, until through Jesus, something different happened.  In His death, He was still perfect...being perfect, He was the first to ever be reconciled to God after death of His own accord.  Suddenly the gap between God and man has a link, a bridge, a tie-line.  And as Jesus was again raised to life, He secured this passage, this link, this bridge to God--for in His resurrection to life, He did what no natural man could do--He demonstrated the power for perfect God to be greater than the sin of human decay that leads to Hell.  In this, He now remains at the right hand of the throne of God and through Him all can now pass from death to eternal life.

But that's just it--through Him alone.  Without choosing Jesus Christ as Lord, it is as if He never came for that individual...there is no reconciliation, there is no bridge to perfect God--we still have the free-will to choose or reject Him.  But with Jesus--the way, the truth, the life (John 14:6)--we have every fellowship with God the Father and are made perfect in Christ alone, being welcomed into His Kingdom forever.

Questions to consider:
When will you die?
Why will you die?
What will you say to God when you die?
Are you 100% sure that God will accept you?

In Jesus Christ my savior, I can say the previously unthinkable: Yes, I am 100% sure that God will accept me when I die, and I will live eternally with the King.  All the glory to Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, God the Father, and the Holy Spirit who preserves us through the final day of judgment.  Amen.