How High Should I Jump To Get To Heaven?
The Case for Salvation…
“Jesus, the Son of God, came to Earth, lived a sinless life, died on the Cross to pay the penalty for humanity’s sins. And rose from the dead and conquered death.” Believe that and you have eternal life.
I’m sure you’ve heard of that one. It’s what we call the Gospel. The shed blood of Christ washes our sins and makes us righteous and Heaven-bound.
#1 You’re A Sinner
Different cultures, traditions, and peoples, living at different times, seem to inherently know what “sin” is.
For example, people instinctively know that murder is a sin. It’s bad.
It’s as if somebody put a Natural law/Universal Law (conscience) on man to know “magically” what is good and bad.
[If you believe that, then you’re a step closer to Heaven.]
#2 You Need A Savior
Humanity’s sense of justice, our conscience, demands something must be done.
In the case of murder, somebody must pay. Life is required for the life taken.
This is where a Redeemer is needed.
In Jewish tradition, this “redeemer” came in the form of spotless lambs killed and sacrificed on the altar for sin. Blood was shed. But instead of the murderer being killed, an innocent lamb took his place. (Life for life.)
#3 Enter Jesus
History reports of a man, whose details of birth interestingly align with the string of prophecies written hundreds of years before him.
He is said to be SINLESS.
He died. (In the exact manner prophesied well ahead of time.)
#4 He Rose After 3 Days
It is said that the risen Christ was seen by at least 500 firsthand witnesses before he went back to Heaven.
(Where were they, and why didn’t they shout to the highest heavens that somebody who was prophesied to come back to life did come back to life?)
They did!
They were so convicted they even died for it. They were the first Christian martyrs who stood their ground even unto death. (One can only wonder about people who are willing to die for a lie.)
At least four of Jesus’ disciples wrote accounts of his life, death, and resurrection. They were, after all, firsthand witnesses.
But as soon as the Romans heard that they were the disciples of Jesus, they were branded as “BIASED” witnesses with an agenda and should not be believed.
People were looking for “UNBIASED” witnesses.
(But how? Because the moment you say you believe because you saw…you immediately get branded as a “biased” witness with a religious agenda.)
#5 A Math Problem
Now we have an Accounting problem here.
Somebody SINLESS died. Blood was shed.
But whose sins did this man pay for? (Certainly not his own. He was sinless.)
We now have an extra “credit.” A life was taken without a sin-debt.
As it turns out, that death was credited, as is written in the Scriptures, to YOU & ME.
That means our sins are paid for!
It’s called “grace” because we did nothing to deserve it. We need ONLY BELIEVE what was done on our behalf.
And that’s good news for you and me.
The Cross. The Blood.
The gospel of our salvation.
