A Perfect Plan--or Two
As I recover from eye surgery, I am in awe, once again, to think how perfectly our eyes have been created. I am convinced that such intricate organs as our eyes don't just evolve! We are blessed to see the world in great detail, in three dimensions, and in glorious colors. And God, in his infinite wisdom, gave each of us two eyes, so if one is injured, the other can still see. Perfection like this can't happen merely by chance; it requires a plan.
Not only did God plan everything and everyone he made on the Earth, but he had another perfect plan, from the very beginning of time, to rescue us from the messes we make because of our sin. Jesus came to fulfill God's eternal plan. Some people may question Jesus' purpose on Earth and his ultimate death and resurrection, but scholars can't deny Jesus' existence or his lasting influence here on Earth. Just think--what would life be like if Jesus had never come?
Jesus treated the world's outcasts as equals. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He talked to women. He played with children. He healed the sick and fed the hungry. He cured people's blindness--both physical and spiritual. He challenged his followers to care about other people, just as he did.
Then, Jesus did the unthinkable--he died. His death was not just an ordinary death; it was a dramatic, shameful, politically-motivated death by crucifixion. He died a slow, painful death on a cross. He didn't deserve such punishment, because he hadn't done anything wrong. Still, he died willingly, because he knew that it was God's perfect plan to rescue his people from sin.
Now, there's a foreign word--SIN. When I was a child, everyone knew the meaning of sin--"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3: 23) These days, many people deny sin's existence. They say that mistakes are a normal part of life and any behavior is acceptable as long as no one else gets hurt.
The Ten Commandments might no longer be displayed in our nation's courthouses and capitol buildings, but I am thankful that they still form the basis for most of the laws in most of this world's countries, including our own United States. No matter what you think about the whole creation/evolution controversy, you can't deny that the whole world's moral values and systems of government have been greatly influenced by the Judeo-Christian philosophy of life, as presented in the Bible. As badly as people treat each other sometimes, I am horrified to think how much more chaotic and just plain awful our world would be without the influence of the Bible.
And I shudder to think how chaotic and awful my life would be without the hope that Jesus gives me. It is only because of his death and resurrection that I can say, with these words from the timeless hymn, Amazing Grace, "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see."
We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure--Jesus.
Hebrews 6: 19-20
Not only did God plan everything and everyone he made on the Earth, but he had another perfect plan, from the very beginning of time, to rescue us from the messes we make because of our sin. Jesus came to fulfill God's eternal plan. Some people may question Jesus' purpose on Earth and his ultimate death and resurrection, but scholars can't deny Jesus' existence or his lasting influence here on Earth. Just think--what would life be like if Jesus had never come?
Jesus treated the world's outcasts as equals. He ate with sinners and tax collectors. He talked to women. He played with children. He healed the sick and fed the hungry. He cured people's blindness--both physical and spiritual. He challenged his followers to care about other people, just as he did.
Then, Jesus did the unthinkable--he died. His death was not just an ordinary death; it was a dramatic, shameful, politically-motivated death by crucifixion. He died a slow, painful death on a cross. He didn't deserve such punishment, because he hadn't done anything wrong. Still, he died willingly, because he knew that it was God's perfect plan to rescue his people from sin.
Now, there's a foreign word--SIN. When I was a child, everyone knew the meaning of sin--"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." (Romans 3: 23) These days, many people deny sin's existence. They say that mistakes are a normal part of life and any behavior is acceptable as long as no one else gets hurt.
The Ten Commandments might no longer be displayed in our nation's courthouses and capitol buildings, but I am thankful that they still form the basis for most of the laws in most of this world's countries, including our own United States. No matter what you think about the whole creation/evolution controversy, you can't deny that the whole world's moral values and systems of government have been greatly influenced by the Judeo-Christian philosophy of life, as presented in the Bible. As badly as people treat each other sometimes, I am horrified to think how much more chaotic and just plain awful our world would be without the influence of the Bible.
And I shudder to think how chaotic and awful my life would be without the hope that Jesus gives me. It is only because of his death and resurrection that I can say, with these words from the timeless hymn, Amazing Grace, "I once was lost, but now am found, was blind, but now I see."
We have this hope as an anchor for our lives, safe and secure--Jesus.
Hebrews 6: 19-20
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