If we examine what the world is like today then I'm pretty confident that none of us would give it much praise. It is far fom being the perfect world that we would like to envision. We can examine the lives of many people and see evidence for this: depression, loneliness, a sense of meaningless direction, anger, hate, jealousy, envy, bitterenss, fear, war, suffering, death...the list could go on! But why do these things exist in the world when in reality we do not aim for these things to happen?

WE HAVE TURNED AWAY FROM GOD! As Christians, WE KNOW THE TRUTH. Because God has revealed the truth by speaking to us through The Bible. He tells us that when we (mankind) were created all these bad things did not exist in the world. No sadness, depression, hunger...nothing of the sort...the world was a 'veritable utopia'. We hear from 'Genesis' (the first book in the Bible) that God was with human kind and lived with them in perfect relationship and without ANY hardship. He set down for us the way to live, commanding us to be obedient to him. But this failed to last. Not becasue God failed, but because WE failed. We rebelled against God from the very beginning by turning away from him and the way he commanded us to live, choosing to live our lives our on way rather than God's way. This rebellion against God is called SIN.

Some people would like to think of 'sin' as doing bad things. Hence, many people go through life trying to do good things...donating to charities, being nice to other people, mabey go to church on Christmas Day, not stealing and try to be honest. But it is possible to live out a life being 'the model citizen' thinking that you're not sinning, yet if they have ignored God, then all their 'good deeds' are for nothing. Becasue sin isn't just doing bad things. Sin would be more acurately defined as 'rebelling against God'. And every single one of us does this everyday...we remove God from being the head of our lives. We choose not to have God as the ruler of this world and we decide that WE want to be the rulers. Hardship can only follow after sin. And so the world experiences all of these hardships because we fail to live the way God wants us to. This is our rebellion - rejecting God, and we're all guilty of it...no matter how much of a 'good model citizen' we are.

But this rebellion (sin) against God gets even worse! 'Roman's' (another book in the Bible) declares that "the wages of sin is DEATH" (Romans 6:23) This means that we are going to be punished for our sins....the punishment is death! Not only that but this punishment is coming to everyone, "for ALL have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). What bad news this is for the model citizen who thought they could be good enough. The fact is 'you can't earn your own way into heaven'! We do not deserve eternal life in heaven. We've all sinned and must now be punished for it! We want the world to be that wonderful and problem free utopia? The only way for that to happen is for God to wipe out all the things that are wrong with the world...and right now WE are on the list of what's wrong with the world. As long as we're in sin that means we're marked to be destryed too. What are we to do!?

The answer to this is: nothing. We cannot do anything to save ourselves. No good works, no good deeds...nothing! God knows this and sees the dilemma we're in. But in perhaps the most amazing revelation the world has ever known we hear these words, "For God so LOVED the world that he gave his one and only SON." (John 3:16) & "God demonstrates his own LOVE for us in this: while we were still sinners, CHRIST died for us." (Romans 5:8). How can this be!?? Could God really love all of mankind this much that while we were his enemies he would sacrifice his son Jesus Christ for us?? The answer is YES! Amazing grace! Only God could love like this! And he can love like this because he is God, and God is perfect and God is love. God does not want us to face judgement and death. Yet it was his promise that if we sin and turn away from him that we would face judgement. This judgement must now be carried out otherwise God is a liar and not perfect. But he IS perfect and cannot lie so God's judgement remains on us.

This is where Jesus Christ comes into the scene. God, seeing that we're doomed, sent his son Jesus to take our place and to take our deaths...our punishment so that we may not experience God's judgement, which had to be carried out. Jesus Christ, born of a woman, fully man, yet fully God, lived a perfect and obedient life to God around 2000 years ago...never committing even a single sin! He lived the life that we should have! When the right time had come in God's plan, Jesus was wrongfully arrested and falsely accused before the ruling Roman Govenor, Pontius Pilate. The ones who made the accusations of blasphemy against him were seeking permission from the Roman Govenor to have Jesus executed as a traitor, though he had done nothing wrong. After much pressure the Govenor agreed to have Jesus crucified (nailed to a cross). At no time did Jesus fight for his freedom, but wilfully alowed all this to happen, knowing that this coarse of action was the only way for mankind to be freed from their sin and judgement. It was on the cross that Jesus experience the most severe punishment that anyone could experience and cried out "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" ... God had turned his back on Jesus and abandoned him to the grave. Jesus died the death we deserved and paid the price we should pay.

But the good news os that Jesus did not stay dead! In fact three days later God raised him from the dead! And with Jesus now alive and risen, he has been exalted by God, given authority to rule heaven and earth. The price for sin HAS BEEN PAID! God's plan has been fulfilled. We can think of Jesus as the rock..."The Lord is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer...in whom I take refuge." (Psalm 18:2). It is Jesus who bares the weight of our sin "he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him...the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5,6). And so it is Jesus Christ who takes the load of our sin off us!

It is this Jesus Christ Son of God that we as Christians put our faith in. A Christian is simply this: a person who recognises that they have sinned against God. They recognise this judgement that's coming from God to all those who have turned away from God and they repent (say sorry) to him. You see, Jesus is the one who suffered the deaths that we deserve and overcame the sins of the world. Therefore HE has been given the authority to forgive ANY PERSON who calls on his name for forgiveness of their sins. Through Jesus and NO OTHER is the way to be forgiven of our sins and gain access to eternal life in heaven. A Christian knows this and calls on Jesus that they may be saved. That his death may substitute their own and that God's punishment may be taken away from them and placed onto Jesus...our Lodestone. And so a Christian now has an opportunity to live their lives a new and dedicated their lives to God in thanksgiving for all that Jesus has done for them when God could have just left us to die.

What about you? Do you think about what Jesus has done for you? Would you like to become a Christian? If you would then the following prayer below is for you. Prayer is just talking to God. That's all it is! How great is it that we can do that! Talk to the God that loves us enough that he would die for you and me. The prayer is a prayer admitting to God that you have sinned, that you seek to be forgiven of your sins through Jesus and what he has done on the cross, thanking God for what he has done and asking God that he now help lead you in your new life as a Christian. You can pray this prayer anytime...why not now? And of course this prayer, like forgiveness from God, is for EVERYONE no matter what you've done. God loves you! And no matter what sins you may have committed God will forgive them if you just ask it of him:

"Dear God, I humbly admit that I have done wrong.
I confess that I have not followed you in my life,
and that I have sinned by turning away from you.
I pray Lord that I may recieve the forgiveness you offer me
which is only given through your son Jesus Christ.
Who lived a perfect life obedient to you,
who suffered the death that I deserve,
but was raised from the dead three days later,
and now rules from heaven and has the authority to forgive the sins of all who call on him.
Lord Jesus I turn to you in repentence. Forgive me of my sins.
Thank you Jesus that you died for me
and that through you I am saved.
Help me now to live a new life in obedience to you,
and please protect me through your Holy Spirit.
Amen"

If you have prayed this prayer and mean't it in your heart YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN! Congratulations! What to do now? You may like to start by finding a church in your area and telling them this news. They would be more than happy to explain any questions you have and help you in whatever way they can. If you have a copy of The Bible in your house then why not read about Jesus and his life. One of the best books in the Bible to read about this can be found in the Gospel of Mark which is in the New Testament. It's a great place to start and one of the more easier books to read and understand. OR if you like we would be more than happy to hear from you via email: [email protected]
or post any questions on the forum...either way, it'd be great to hear from you! :)

Thanks for visiting and God Bless!!
-RW