The Purpose…
Purpose. Everyone is looking for it. Without it you end up lost, confused and disoriented. Any person that has ever set out on a mission or journey has always needed a good one. Recently, I was reminded of the grand purpose of this year-long trip, the World Race. My good friend and squad leader Jake Morris got a chance to speak during church a week ago. His sermon was awesome…it was basic, simple and reminded me of the purpose of this trip….the gospel.
Throughout this trip I have gotten the chance to feed the homeless, care for orphans, play with street children and do a ton of other really awesome things. However, without the gospel these are merely humanitarian acts. While charity and humanitarian acts are great and provide much for the needy, they fail to address the greatest issue at stake….eternity. You see, I could feed and clothe all of the needy people of the world but the result would be well-dressed, well-fed people who, without the hope of Christ are doomed for an eternity separated from God. That is why the most important thing and the grand purpose of this trip is to present “The Good News”. And it really is good news because it has the power to transform mind, body and most importantly soul! In case you’re reading this and have never actually heard the “Good News”, here it is….
The first thing to know is that God is Holy! He created us and loves us but he is a Holy, Awesome and perfect God! However, as fallible humans we are prone to sin. Sin is when we choose disobey God and are not obedient to how he has called us to live. We sin not only through our actions, but also in our wrong thoughts and attitudes. In the Bible it states:
“…for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3:23
and that…
“… the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23
Therefore our sin causes separation between us and God. As sinners, the just punishment for our wrong thoughts and actions is death. However, because of God’s great love for us he sent his Son, Jesus Christ to take the punishment for our sin. The Bible states:
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:4-5
When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, he showed his great love for each and every one of us! Although it is great news that Christ was willing to die for our sin, there is still even greater news! He rose from the dead. The Bible states that Jesus Christ took our sins and when he died on the cross he took them away from us. Three days after he was crucified, he was raised from the dead. He conquered sin and death! Because of his sacrifice, all he requires from us is that we believe that He is who he says he is and he did what he said he did. We are not saved because of the “good” things we do, or because we are “good” people, or even because we go to Church. The only way that we are saved is through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not by works so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:4
Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death into life.” John 5:24
“If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9
Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
God loves each and every one us very much. He created us and desires to have an intimate relationship with us, despite our past. He desires to call us into the fullness to which we were created! The evil one, Satan comes only to “steal, kill and destroy” but Jesus Christ came to give us abundant life and an amazing eternity in heaven with Him! Because God loves us he gives us free will to choose to love him or not. The question is:……Which will you choose?
“For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” John 3:17-18
