What’s It All About?

What do you think of the Bible? Do you have an opinion at all? The constraints of this tract do not allow me to address the many positions, both informed and uninformed, taken regarding the Bible. Thus, I will simply state that it is my belief, held also by many others, that the Bible is God’s inerrant, inspired Word, written by means of human agency. I say that because I want you to understand that what follows is not simply my opinion, but a message given from God to humanity in general and to you in particular. It is, if you will, God’s love letter to us.

The message of the Bible is one of explaining how we came into existence, and thus our relationship with God who created us. It explains how sin (the breaking of God’s law) came into the world and the consequences that followed, i.e. man’s spiritual separation from God. It tells how that God in His love did not leave us subject to the consequences of our sin. He provided a way in which each individual could be reconciled to Him. In addition to being reconciled to Him, or not, the Bible informs us that eternity exists for all humanity. That eternity will be either in God’s presence where there will be no more sin and its consequences of death, pain, disease, sadness, hatred, etc. or it will be in a place of eternal separation from God. The Bible refers to that latter place as “hell”. Just what exactly that entails is debated by theologians. What is generally agreed upon is that it is a place of eternal separation from God and all that is good. It will be a place of torment and sadness. This is a concise summary of the Bible’s main message. Of course, that message is amplified and detailed through historical events and other teachings in the Bible, but they serve to point us back to the central theme of the Bible, i.e. man’s fall into sin and God’s intervention to bring him back to Himself.

To make this personal, I would like to share a few selected Bible verses and concepts with you based upon what was written above.

The first is that all of humanity are sinners and are born with a sin nature. Romans 3:23 states “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”. This tells us two things. One, there is no exception to all having sinned. Further, in sinning we have all “fallen short of the glory of God”. That simply means that we have all missed the mark of God’s required perfection. There are consequences for having sinned and missed the mark of God’s required perfection. Romans 6:23 states that “the wages of sin is death”. This death is both physical and spiritual. We will all die physically and all have died spiritually beginning with the sin of Adam (see Genesis 3 and 1 Corinthians 15:22). Spiritual death results in separation from God. In God’s judicial system sin must be paid for. In His system that payment must be made by one who is sinless. It is for that reason that He sent His Son, Jesus, to provide substitutional payment for our sins. 1 Peter 2:24 states that He bore our sins in His own body on the tree (cross) and that by His stripes we are healed. He was the just One dying for the unjust ones. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John 14:6).

For you, however, to become a partaker of the merits of His sacrifice you must by faith believe this message, surrendering your life to Christ. Ephesians 2:8-9 states that we are saved (from the consequences of our sins) by faith because of God’s grace and not of our own works. Romans 10:9 states “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

I invite you to believe this message. Place your faith in Christ. Pray to Him, acknowledging to Him your need for salvation and receive Him into your life. Let this moment be the time of your salvation. Coming to Christ does more than making right your relationship with God over the sin issue. It will increase your capacity for love. It will give you peace knowing that God is in control both now and in eternity. You will know the joy of sins forgiven and the release of guilt associated with that.

Whether you do this or not, may I encourage you to find a Bible believing church for further information and growth.