We had visited one of KALeB’s sponsorship children in the countryside. We were shown the inside of her typical Cambodian countryside house. The house was on stilts. We climbed the ladder into the house. When we went inside, we noticed the floorboards had holes in between each one for ventilation.
We were walked around the fields to see where the rice grows. We met children who were afraid of our white skin. Eventually we were able to win them over and play with them a little.
It was interesting to compare Buddhism with Christianity. Buddhists are always striving to gain more knowledge but they will never know if they have enough. I thought this was very sad.
One of my former pastors would say Christianity is the only religion where it is already done. All the other world religions require you to do things (ex: continually gain wisdom, die for their cause, go on a pilgrimage, etc). They then hope that they have done enough to get you to their heaven or next life. There is no way of knowing for sure if they have achieved their goal.
This is the difference with other religions and Christianity. We never could do enough to take away our own sins. Sin according to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary is “an offense against religious or moral law.” These are the things that separate us from God like any of the Ten Commandments (like lying, stealing, putting other people or things before God, not loving other people, etc.). They can also be things that we don’t even say but only think (like lust, mean thoughts, etc).
God could not look at us because of the stain of our sin. Because we have done these things, God cannot help us without a pure offering. In the Old Testament, the Israelites had to sacrifice pure animals (like sheep or birds) to restore their relationship with God. They would have to have a priest present the offering to God for them. The priest would offer the sacrifice for the person. They could not offer it themselves. After their sacrifice (and giving the sacrifice with a pure heart), they could then have fellowship with God again because their sin was no longer a barrier. Although the next time they sinned, they would need to repeat the process.
God sent his son Jesus to be the permanent sacrifice for our sins. Jesus took away the divide between us and God by dying on the cross for our sins. Jesus was the pure offering. He gave up everything (heaven) knowing that, when it was time, he would be persecuted, beaten, and killed in a painful death. Why? He loved us enough to pursue us. He gave up his life so we could know God in a personal relationship. Because He did this, we can approach God with our thoughts, prayers, wants, desires, and praises.
“God [set things right] for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ. God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public- to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now– this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.” -Romans 3:24-26 (MESSAGE)
We are no longer separated from God any longer if we accept Jesus as our Savior. How do you do this? Tell (or pray to) God all the wrong things you have done. Ask God to forgive you for (or take away) those things. Ask Jesus to be your Savior. Do your best to live a life God would be proud of by loving others like Jesus loves you. If you mess up and sin, ask God for forgiveness. Become involved in a bible-believing church who can help you learn more about God.
