Synopsis of the Gospel

God is.  He is holy, meaning that He is without blemish, pure, and unlike anything else that has ever been.  He made human beings and commanded them to live by every word that flowed from His mouth.  But His creatures were unable and unwilling to adhere to those commandments and thus became tainted by sin, which needs to be washed in order for a right relationship with God to be restored.

Only a truly atoning act could overcome the sin of man in order to reconcile creation to God and for God to remain just and holy.  This is the story of the Gospel.  Jesus is the perfect, atoning sacrifice that has restored humankind to a right relationship with Him.  God remains just as He judged all sin in Christ.  While God also proves to be faithful, fulfilling all of the covenant promises that He had made for centuries.  This is the profound beauty of the Gospel.  Remember: "For God so loved..."

It is through faith that this reconciliation is received and applied to the person.  And while faith is a good thing and worthy of consideration at a later time, we should not forget the distinct content of our faith.

This is the Gospel in a nutshell.

A Time to Remember

Most of the Holy Scripture is dedicated to the singular task of remembrance.  There is a certain power to memory as if the heart is activated by remembering the past.  Biblically speaking, though, remembering is all about bringing God's previous acts of grace and mercy to bear upon our present circumstance.  When we remember the Lord and all that He has done, we are in a place of faith and worship.  We have faith that God is good and trustworthy to fulfill all of His promises.  Remembering is part of that faith.  Therefore, today let us spend time in the simple practice of remembering the Lord and all that He has done!

A Memorial for Memorial Day

Memorial Day, an American national holiday, is a day in which Americans remember the significant and costly sacrifices made by those who have fought for this great country.  It is a day when the nation pauses, like Veterans Day, to solemnly recall the great deeds of men and women of the past who, through their sacrifices, have secured America, past and future.

On this day, a day of memorial, it seems ever more appropriate and fitting to remember the ultimate sacrifice that has secured, for all who confess and believe, eternal life in the holy presence of God Almighty: the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ Jesus.  While this holiday has been set apart for the purpose of remembering the offerings of Americans, it is right for us also and always to recall the great offering that Christ made upon the cross, taking the sin of all mankind in His flesh and nailing it to the cross.  

Now, we who come to Him in humble faith, may enter into the presence of God by the blood of the lamb.  This is the pinnacle sacrifice in all of history that has made sure our heavenly personhood, a national heritage of holiness and heavenly nature that is secured by Christ and He alone.  Therefore, on this Memorial Day let us take a solemn moment to pause in remembrance of Christ.  Praise be to God for bringing us close to Himself by His own sacrifice!