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Come now and let us settle the matter...
The world offers many views on how to live our lives and what happens after we cease to be biological (die).  I use the term "biological" because it is a fact that we are born, we grow, we age and ultimately we die.  What we do and how we live our lives has some degree of impact on what happens after we die. Every choice we make has consequences. Consequences can be beneficial or detrimental. Every word we say or don't say ... every action we take or don't take - these all have consequences. We do not live in a bubble, meaning in some form or fashion, we touch and interact with others at some level.  Our world, our existence is but one conscientiousness in a sea of other conscientiousness.  Do you ever consider how humanity got to this point?  There are in excess of 8 billion people in the world today.  How did we get here?  What was the beginning?  Our physical bodies are a wonder in the levels of complexity at the macro and micro scale.  From the human eye to a strand of DNA, complexity prompts the question of how we got here. Our environment sustains our bodies.  From the food we eat to the air we breath, there is a one-sided synergy that allows our bodies to live on this planet, but not on any other planet. Our universe is majestic and vast, and yet we have not found a second earth or other biological beings, given all the knowledge and technology in our possession.  The "scientific method" that is supposed to tests all questions and what we see with our eyes does not explain how we got here. And if how we got here is a mystery then how we live our lives and what happens after we die remains a mystery as long as we do not look for answers.

There are two main answers for how we got here:  With a creator or without a creator.  Either a creator designed the incredible complexity we see, or random forces and mutations happened to create the universe, our environment and our bodies at just the right moments. Let's start without a creator.  What are the chances that random forces formed the universal to what it is today? One blog says 1/10^230 (that is one chance in 1 with 230 zeros behind it or over 19 "trillions"), another says 1/10^123 or over 10 "trillions", still another stated "if we play a 1-in-a-billion lottery a few billion times, don’t be surprised at the few occurrences where we actually hit the jackpot."  The scientific word "evolution" used within academia refers to a concept whereby a simple organism with a group of simple organisms will spontaneously mutate to become more complex incrementally over large amounts of time by impacts related to its environment. Statistically speaking, evolution is a remote possibility.  One article gives a good example of complexity and the probability of only one mutation occurring, stating "the chance that a 200-component organism could be formed by mutation and natural selection is less than one chance out of a trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion, trillion! Lest anyone think that a 200-part system is unreasonably complex, it should be noted that even a one-celled plant or animal may have millions of molecular "parts." In other words, it is very improbable that the universe or humanity was formed by chance." Science cannot disprove God exists nor can it offer any other plausible evidence that "chance" formed the complexity of life.

What if there was a creator? The concept invokes resistance from our freewill because it implies that there is a supernatural and that there is an authority greater than ourselves.  Faith in a creator does not require a probability because a creator would function outside the realm of nature and mathematics because the creator would have created both.  If there is a creator then what am I, and why was I created? How do I get to know and understand this creator?  What evidence is there for a creator?  On this website, information regarding a creator (God the Father) can be found on the God is One page.  God referenced here is not Allah (Islam), Nature/Universe (Hinduism, Shintoism), Man/Self-Enlightenment (Science/Buddhism/Atheism/Agnostics), or a blend of other religions (Zoroastrianism). This creator is the God of Judaism and Christianity.  Why pick that one over all others? Because only God the creator within Judaism and Christianity is a loving father who provides and wants the best for his children yet will hold them accountable and discipline in correction. Among many of His attributes and qualities, He gives us free will, desires relationship, invites and pursues us, and offers eternal life not based on our works, but as a gift of His grace (through Jesus, His son - see below).  The combination of these shows love; not physical intimacy, not brotherly, not just doing what you think is "good" within your own definition, but a "give everything for the benefit of others" love that is defined and a standard outside of yourself. This love that believers are called and commanded to emulate is known in the Greek as "agape" and it is not found anywhere other than its source, God the Father.

God the Father is not only the creator and the ultimate authority, but he is also holy, holy, holy.  Regarding His holiness, it is a primary characteristic of God the Father and it reflects a pure supremacy in judgment, righteousness, virtue, justice, mercy, love and power. He spoke through those whose hearts responded to Him in obedience and with the intervention of the Spirit of God, that they could write down His interactions, instructions and the biblical history of God's chosen people ... the Hebrews / the Israelites / the Jews.  These words were ultimately compiled into a book called the Holy Bible; holy because the word of God reflects Himself - holy. It includes what God wants everyone to know about Him, His expectations for how we should live, how we should love God and one another, and most importantly, His plan of redemption to bring humanity back into a relationship with Him. The first book of the Holy Bible (Genesis) gives an overview of the beginning of His creation and the fall of Adam and Eve that brought sin into the world. Adam and Eve, along with all creation, was innocent, perfect and holy.  Adam and Eve committed the first acts of sin, which made their eyes open to their nakedness and then they felt shame, the evidence of guilty.  Sin is a condition rooted in selfishness and disobedience; it is hostile and disloyal in a relationship with God or anything in us that is contrary to the holy, holy, holy character of God. Their acts of disobedience against God's command not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil resulted in a damaged relationship, subjected them to God's wrath, and it brought death and decay to God's creation and to all generations that followed. Romans 5:12 "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned—".  Sin is a debt and so repulsive to the holy, holy, holy God that its payment requires death or a substitution for death from the sacrifice of something that is pure / without blemish on behalf of the sinner. In other words, the sinner has nothing to offer as payment and must find a worthy substitute to die in order to repay the debt.  To not understand this required payment for sin is to not understand the truth of just how holy, holy, holy is the LORD God Almighty.

To further explain this need of a sacrifice for redemption, the books of Exodus and Leviticus in the Holy Bible outline the introduction of the sacrificial system to the Israelites. It involved a number of offerings, regulations, purification requirements and sacrifices needed to atone for the sin of the Israelites on a daily basis.  The process required the butchering of large amounts of animals with specific qualifying attributes of the animals to be acceptable (such as an unblemished male lamb).  It must have been very unpleasant to witness all of the death and blood spilled by and for the sinner, the priests and all others involved.  Without this unpleasantness, no one can begin to understand how repulsive sin is to God.  This process also showed that this way of atonement was only temporary and could never reasonably pay for all sins in order for a proper relationship with God's people so God told of the coming Messiah (from the Hebrew word "mashiach" meaning “anointed one” or “chosen one”) that would address this issue on a permanent basis.  The Holy Bible is replete with prophecy about the Messiah in the Old Testament, which are the first 39 books of the Holy Bible.  God speaks to us in the Holy Bible through those He chose by means of the Holy Spirit. Zechariah 7:11-12 "11 “But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and covered their ears. 12 They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry." 
 
The Messiah came and fulfilled all the prophecies of the Old Testament.  The New Testament (the last 29 books of the Holy Bible) provides an overview of the Messiah and the teachings of his apostles. The Messiah was physically born by the Spirit of God (which is the power that created life at the beginning), not of a human father as there was no intimacy involved with the woman who was Jesus's mother, Mary.  God the Father was the true "father" of Jesus.  The word "Messiah" in Greek is "Christos" or "Christ". It is Jesus' Messianic title, not his last name. His purpose was to be obedient to God the Father's will.  God's will was for Jesus to provide a permanent solution to sin, addressing the relationship issue so that everyone would have the opportunity to be in fellowship with God the Father through his Son, Jesus.  The sacrificial system was fulfilled by Jesus, (he was without sin and male, known as the Lamb of God), who was crucified on a cross and shed his innocent blood as an atonement for sin.  God approved of this atoning act, by raising Jesus' body from the dead (the resurrection). The fullness of grace that forgives the sin of the world is not from Jesus; it is from God the Father.  The sacrifice that Jesus provided in obedience to the will of God the Father was the display and the means (gift) for grace to be given from God the Father.
 
Jesus is both fully human and fully God (see Trinity and God the Son under God is One page). This concept is hard to understand without the Spirit of God (Holy Spirit) to help comprehend (see God the Holy Spirit under God is One page). When Jesus left, he sent the Holy Spirit to reside in, empower, counsel and advocate for believers with God.  Those who believe the words of Jesus and accept his gift (sacrifice) are marked by the Holy Spirit so that when God sees believers, he does not see their sin, but the atoning blood of Jesus.  This restores the broken relationship and allows believers to pursue God.

This is salvation:  To believe in Jesus Christ, whom God the Father has given all authority in heaven and on earth:

  • John 14:6 "Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

  • Acts 4:10-12 "10 ... It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved."

  • Romans 3:23-24 " 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus."

  • Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

  • Romans 10:13 "... Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

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We have only the time that we are biological to make this decision to accept Christ.  Beyond that time, those who have not accepted Christ must endure the wrath of the holy, holy, holy God for the sins (disobedience) committed. Psalm 145:18 "The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth." You have the opportunity right now to "settle the matter" of your sin debt by praying like this:

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Dear Lord -

  • I acknowledge my sin and it is a debt that I cannot repay.

  • I acknowledge that God the Father is holy, holy, holy, the creator of all and is just in His wrath toward sin.

  • I acknowledge that Jesus is the Son of God, was obedient to death on a cross, shed his blood as an atoning sacrifice for my sin to repay the debt I owed to God, was buried and rose again by the power of Holy Spirit.

  • I accept this gift of grace through Jesus Christ and desire Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior.

  • Please forgive me for my sins and accept me as a child of God.

  • Thank you for the gift of your Son, for forgiveness and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

  • Help me by your Holy Spirit to grow closer to you and tell others about you.


This is sanctification: To be set apart for sacred use or holiness, through the power of the Holy Spirit and the truth revealed in the Word of God. If you prayed this prayer then welcome to the family of believers. You are a child of God. Believing in Christ as your Savior is, at least, a first step.  The next step is allowing Jesus to be Lord over your life and it requires not just faith, but an active faith that must be exercised. 3 John 1:11 says, "...do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God."  We start by obtaining knowledge then the application of that knowledge leads to obedience in Christ.  Psalms 143:10 Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground. This new way of living (Life by the Spirit, not the flesh) is an everyday battle against the thinking of the world. Finding a church home and engaging in bible study will greatly help to connect to the body of believers who would walk the same path.  Believers are saved sinners.  Satan is not concerned with those who reject Jesus, but he is always at work against those who seek and those who receive Jesus, and you will find that the Evil One will try to divide you from God.  People and circumstances may disappoint you, but your journey with God is not based on circumstances or the actions of others.  Stay focused on obedience and relationship with God. How do we accomplish this?

John 15:1-17 speaks about a gardener and his vineyard.  In the vineyard, there is a grapevine with many branches.  God is the gardener, Jesus is the vine, the Holy Spirit is the sap and humanity is the branches.  We accomplish obedience and relationship with God by "remaining" attached to Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit.  How do we know that we are doing this?  Because a branch that is alive and using the sap from the vine will bear fruit and the fruit will identify from what plant it came from.  Ultimately, branches that do not bear fruit are pruned from the vine. What are these fruits?  Fruits are not works, but evidence or qualities that show the Holy Spirit is working in us, to be more like Jesus Christ.  These fruits of the Spirit that reflect an active faith in God are listed below and can be found in Ephesians 5:1-21, Galatians 5:16-26 and 2 Peter 1:3-10.

 

FRUITS (EVIDENCE) OF THE SPIRIT:

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YOUR ACTIVE FAITH WILL UNDERGO TRIALS AND BE TESTED BY GOD:

  • Genesis 22:1-2:  "Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” "Here I am,” he replied. 2 Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

  • Deuteronomy 8:2-3: "2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your ancestors had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD."

  • 2 Chronicles 32:31 "But when envoys were sent by the rulers of Babylon to ask him (Hezekiah) about the miraculous sign that had occurred in the land, God left him to test him and to know everything that was in his heart."

  • Psalm 11:4-5: "The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes everyone on earth; his eyes examine (test) them. 5 The Lord examines (tests) the righteous, but the wicked, those who love violence, he hates with a passion."

  • 1 Thessalonians 2:4 " ... we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts."

  • James 1:3,12-15: "2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance ... 12 Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death. "

  • 1 Peter 1:6-7: "... for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed."

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In sum, your active faith should reflect an offering of spiritual and inward worship as outlined in Micah 6:8, "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly (do the right thing in all situations) and to love mercy (delight in helping others) and to walk humbly with your God (obedience to God's will and commands)."

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