The greatest and most important thing in my life is not the great outdoors,fishing or hunting. That which means most to me is the fact that "God so loved the world (including little ol'e me) that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life". Have you ever wondered how the world and all the beautiful things in it came about? Perhaps you believe that it all just evolved from some slimy goo in some ancient seabed? Have you stopped to consider that all the fossil evidence points to sudden and complete arrival of "complete species"? There are no fossils of half creatures.
I believe the biblical account of creation. That being the case, I must also believe in the Creator. Did you know that Jesus Christ is the Creator? John 1:1-3 and Colossians 1:16,17 tell us that all things were created by Jesus and that without Him was nothing made that was made.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.
There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. The same came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all men through him might believe. He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.
That was the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. And the Word was made 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. [John1:1-14]

For by him (Jesus) were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him: And he is before all things, and by him all things consist. [Colossians 1:16,17]

What about all the evil and injustice in the world, did God create all that also? If God was such a loving God, how could He let all that happen? We live in a fallen world and not everything in the world is fair or just. The bible tells us that there is a very real devil and real demons whose sole purpose is to destroy and corrupt all that is good and precious to God. The bible describes Satan as a thief that comes to kill, steal and destroy. "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly".[John 10:10] Jesus, when confronting the self-righteous pharisees, described Satan this way, " Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." [John 8:44]

When man sinned in the garden of Eden, all of creation fell under the curse of decay and death. God gave man a free will and by that will, man chose to disobey the commands of God. The bible states " Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:"[Romans 5:12]. Much of the grief and wrong in the world is a direct result of man's choices. Again the bible states "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord".[Romans 6:23]. You sow sin, you reap death. Romans 3:23 tells us that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The term "sinned" can be literally translated "missed the mark".

What mark? The absolute pure holiness of God. You may say that God is a God of love and therefore should overlook our failures. True God is love, but He is also absolutely holy and just. Sin cannot enter into the presence of God. If God were to allow sin into heaven, it would corrupt and defile all of heaven. Can't we earn our way into heaven? Won't our good works outway our bad works? No! Good works do not and can not deal with the sin problem. Every one of us is born a sinner. "But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away".[Isaiah 64:6] What can we do? Is there any way that we can be saved?

Absolutely yes ! "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement". Romans 5:8-11.
God so loved mankind that He sent Jesus Christ to die in man's place and make atonement for our sins. Think about that for a moment. The holy sinless Son of God came and took our sins upon Himself and gave us His righteousness. Did you ever wonder why Jesus had to be born of a virgin? As we just read, sin entered the world by man and was passed on to each following generation through the man. Jesus had no earthly father and thus was born sinless. None other than one who was sinless could atone for the sins of man.
" For He [that is God] hath made Him [that is Christ] who knew no sin; to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him [that is Christ]".2 Corinthians 5:21 Jesus died on the cross for your sins and mine. He not only died, but rose again the third day and is even now seated at the right hand of God the Father, interceding for those who are His. This same Jesus will one day come again to set up His kingdom and rule in righteousness and power.

Consider these verses.

"Therefore as by the offence of one, judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous".Romans 5:18,19

" Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith". Romans 3:19-27

What does the bible say? This is what Jesus said. "Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God".John 3:3

" And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God". John 3:14-18.

Jesus also said " And said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, and to rise from the dead the third day: And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem".Luke 24:46,47.

"But He [Jesus], because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore He is able also to save to the uttermost all that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever lives to make intercession for them".

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