We are all tri-part beings: body, soul and spirit. Our present body is made up of corruptible, mortal flesh and bones, and will one day return to the dust of the earth. Our soul and spirit, however, are eternal. Once they are joined with our bodies at the moment we are conceived, they will exist for eternity. But one day our mortal bodies will die, and our soul and spirit will await the resurrection when they will join a new, incorruptible, eternal body. Think of it as a computer: your soul and spirit are the invisible, eternal software, and your body is the computer hardware that will eventually grow old and need to be upgraded.

Human beings were made in the image of our Creator to have fellowship with him, and Adam and Eve were initially created sinless and perfect in his image. This Creator God walked with and had fellowship with Adam, but that changed when Adam disobeyed and committed sin. The result of this sin was separation from God. Beginning with Adam and Eve, every human being brought into the world was born into the curse of sin. That includes you and I. It is important to understand that sin cannot dwell in our Creator's presence. We were initially created to live with God in eternal perfection, but the separation caused by sin left all human beings in need of atonement. In need of something that could bridge the gap left by Adam's sin. That bridge is sinless blood.

We all know that the source of life that is in our flesh is the blood that flows through our veins. In order to break the curse of sin referred to above into which each human being is born, God required a human being with perfect, sinless blood would have to shed that blood. This happened in the life of his Son Jesus Christ. Through his fully human, yet completely sinless blood, mankind has atonement for the sin into which we are born. This is the message of the gospel, or good news for all of us! This sinless blood was required to bridge the gap to our Creator God left by Adam's sin. If you simply acknowledge that you are in need of this sin atonement, believe that Jesus Christ died to provide it, and believe that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead, you have salvation. Jesus Christ's mission was to break the curse into which we were all born by shedding his innocent blood. We can now dwell with our Creator for eternity...the separation has been bridged.

Often, you hear people from other cultures who question 'how Christians can claim that their religion is the only way to God, to paradise, to heaven'. The audacity that Christians have in claiming the sincerity of the Buddhist, the Muslim, the Hindu will not also lead them to paradise. But Christianity is NOT a "religion": it is a relationship with our Creator, just as God intended in the beginning. Many of those religions teach that we must earn our way to heaven through our good works, or repitious things that we say and do. In stark contrast, Christianity teaches that there is nothing we can do to save ourselves, but that Christ did it all for us. Christianity is a relationship with your Creator through his Son Jesus Christ with complete faith in his atonement; religion fails because it places reliance on our own works to save us.

But let's answer that question: how can Jesus claim that "no man comes to the Father, but by me"? How can Christians claim "there is no salvation in any other but Jesus Christ"? The answer is the resurrection from the dead. Jesus Christ rose from the dead and is alive today before God to make intercession for our prayers. In the process, he conquered the grave for all of us: death of our mortal bodies is NOT the end, as is so often portrayed by Hollywood. He is not still in the grave, as are Muhammad, Buddha, Hari Krishna, Reverend Moon, Zoroaster or any other who have claimed to offer "the" way, or at least an alternate way, to God. These religions deny that Jesus Christ provided our redemption from sin, which is the key to our faith. If there was no resurrection from the dead, our faith is in vain.

Many see hypocrisy in Christians: gossip, fornication, lies, revenge, hatred and even criminal acts that are committed by those who claim to be Christians. Others remember the horrific bloodshed throughout the centuries performed by those who claimed they were doing it by authority of Jesus Christ. These are unfortunate and undisputed facts. However, one should never judge a message based on the actions of those who abuse it. Jesus Christ's message of salvation and hope should not be based on the actions fallible human beings. Judge it simply by the words he spoke recorded in the Word of God, then decide whether you believe the message.

If you look at Christians in deciding whether you want to accept the atonement he provided, you will be disappointed. Don't look at preachers, and don't look at the church. Look at Jesus Christ and the words he spoke. Then aspire to live your life by the example he gave us. Treating one another the way we ourselves would want to be treated; forgiving others for wrongs committed against us, realizing those wrongs are the product of sin and temptation; sharing this message of life and hope with others. That's the message of Christ, and not what so-called Christians throughout history have made of it.

One day, we will all receive an incorruptible, eternal body. You will live forever in that new body. It is your decision if you will accept the salvation Jesus Christ provided to spend your forever in the presence of our Creator in paradise, or if you will spend your eternity in separation from God, in place prepared only for the fallen angels. Sin cannot exist in God's presence, so you must accept the atonement in order to avoid this eternal separation. Your new body, soul and spirit will live somewhere eternally: either in paradise or separation. Jesus Christ paid the price and bridged the gap of separation that was in place since Adam, and you must choose whether to accept it or reject it. Your response today will be recorded in eternity, and if you die today without making this commitment, you do not get a second chance after you die.

My purpose with this message was not to offend, but to cause you to think. You may be going through a very difficult time in your life right now, but he told us we can lay all our cares and problems on him. He promised us more abundant life on earth, and eternal life in paradise with him when our time on this earth is finished, if we will only accept his gift. Our time on earth is but a moment compared to the timelessness of eternity; don't pass up the chance to make your decision today.

Sincerely in Christ,

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