| Do You Trust in Christ Alone?
If you accept that true joy is found in Christ alone, then wouldn't you
agree that it is important to learn more about Him?
Dead in Sin
The Bible clearly says that you and I have a problem if we don't have
Christ. It says everyone is "dead in trespasses and sins." Look at the
following verses:
· Ephesians 2:1, "And you were dead in your trespasses and
sins..."
· Romans 3:10-11, "There is none righteous, not even one,
there is none who understands, there is none who seeks after God..."
· Romans 3:23, "For all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of God."
· Isaiah 53:6, "All of us like sheep have gone astray, each
of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the iniquity
of us all to fall on Him (Jesus Christ)."
Do you see a theme developing here? According to God's Word in Genesis
1-3, Adam and Eve sinned in the Garden of Eden. From their sin, sinfulness
passed to all mankind. This sinfulness separated Holy God from sinful man.
All people fail when they try to reach up to God. All people fall
short when they try to "earn their way to heaven" by doing "good works."
They are dead, and dead people can't do anything for themselves.
That is why you and I need a perfect, sinless Savior.
You might be saying to yourself, "I'm not that bad. I don't kill
people. I don't steal. I tell the truth most of the time."
But the point is that God requires perfect and absolute obedience. He
also requires that a punishment be paid for sinfulness. Are you perfect?
Can you absorb the wrath of God on all sin?
You and I cannot do that. God demanded a sinless sacrifice. He demanded
that someone come into the world and live a perfect and sinless life.
Jesus Christ did that. He demanded that blood be shed to satisfy His
wrath. That blood sacrifice would only work if it was offered up by this
sinless, perfect person. Jesus Christ is that person.
Alive in Christ
The following verses describe who Jesus Christ is and what He has done
for you and me:
· Romans 5:8-9, "But God demonstrates His own love toward
us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more
then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from
the wrath of God through Him."
· Ephesians 2:8-10, "For by grace you have been saved
through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not
as the result of works, that no one should boast; for we are His
workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God
prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them."
· I Peter 2:22-24, Jesus Christ "committed no sin, nor was
any deceit found in His mouth...and He Himself bore our sins in His
body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness;
for by His wounds you were healed."
· 2 Corinthians 5:21, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin
on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
· 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if any man is in Christ,
he is a new creature; old things have passed away; behold, all things
have become new."
The Bible make it very clear that sinners can come to a Holy and
sinless God, not on the basis of their own goodness, but on the basis of
the sacrificial death and perfect righteousness of Jesus Christ. Christ is
the mediator between God and man. When you trust in Him, God declares you
not guilty forever. He looks at you like you kept His law perfectly and
died for your sins. He sees Christ in you.
God lays our sin on Christ and He lays Christ's perfect righteousness
on us. He is our substitute!
The Beginning of Joy
When all of this happens in your life, you are then reconciled
to God. You can then have a personal, loving relationship with God, and
your true joy begins.
For the Christian, life does have a purpose. That purpose is to glorify
God and enjoy Him forever! You have begun to seek Him, but you are not
finished. It is only the joyous beginning of an eternal life with Him. God
the Holy Spirit now lives within you and puts within you a desire to have
more and more fellowship with Jesus Christ.
You are in Christ and He is in you. Still, you can grow to appreciate
His presence more and more.
Remember what Psalm 16:11 talks about:
"In Your presence is fullness of joy..."
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