Regardless of your beliefs or your feelings about religion, we can all admit that we have been drawn to the questions of “what’s the meaning of life”, “how did everything come into existence”, and “is there anyone else out there”.
We can see through the history of mankind that these very questions have had men and women from different nations and backgrounds struggling to explain and understand these higher things, these questions that surpass our measuring and examination. And it has resulted in all kinds of differing and partial understanding of those things spiritual that transcend this physical world.
“His purpose was for the nations to seek after God and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him—though he is not far from any one of us. For in him we live and move and exist. As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’ And since this is true, we shouldn’t think of God as an idol designed by craftsmen from gold or silver or stone. “God overlooked people’s ignorance about these things in earlier times, but now he commands everyone everywhere to repent of their sins and turn to him. For he has set a day for judging the world with justice by the man he has appointed, and he proved to everyone who this is by raising him from the dead.”
Acts of the Apostles 17:27-31 NLT
http://bible.com/116/act.17.27-31.NLT
You see, for a time man only had a partial revelation of God – so we looked to fill in the gaps with our own traditions and rituals and religious structures. And some of this was for much good, and some of it was for much evil – because it was partial and incomplete. And even now, there are those who practice the “Christian religion” who are not born again followers of Jesus Christ – they too have only experienced that partial revelation which has not permanently changed their lives, their direction, their focus.
And for a time, God excused the ignorance of people to the truth, but now He has fully revealed His purpose of reconciling the world to Himself – and He has made it clear that everyone, everywhere must repent of our sins and turn to Him. He’s not looking to sell heaven tickets for a handful of silver, He’s not looking for sacrifices, He’s looking for you to realize the mercy extended to you so that you will repent of your sins and turn to Him. He’s also not looking for you to call upon His name and remain in your sins – He’s calling you to repent and turn to Him.
And there is a day of judgement coming, and you will find that God is a just God, He is faithful and true, but the mercy has been extended to you today and now, for you to repent and turn to Him – do not wait until the door is closed and you face only judgement.
He has proven His power and glory and honor and righteousness in the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. So today we must choose whether we will cling to our sins and go with them into the pit of eternal flames, or whether we will repent of our sins, turn to God, and accept a new life, born again and alive with the very Holy Spirit of Christ alive in us teaching and guiding us along the narrow path – so that we might listen and follow and see this race to the finish, where our prize and our portion awaits us – not a house of gold, not treasures beyond our wildest dreams. Yes, these things will be added to us if we are seeking the only treasure worth having, but they are nothing in comparison to a life reconciled into the very presence of God.
So let’s strive towards repentance and righteousness, let’s see this Word of God being exercised in our lives to cut out those things that are not worthy to bring Him honor and glory, let’s turn our lives to God in every way, and let’s pray to the Lord to make us pee of heart and to guard our hearts from becoming cold, so that we might know Him and see the very face of God. Is it bold to ask for such a blessing, such an honor? Or is it just evidence and proof that we are now more fully revealed to the glory and wonders of our amazing creator, our Father God, the one who breathed life into us, and the one who draws us home into His presence.
Now that you know, what will you do?
Harold J. Ballinger 