The Manufacturers’ Handbook (my name for the
Christian Bible) reveals the reasons why the world is as it is today.
2000 years ago a man by the name of Saul,
born in Tarsus in Asia and writing with his new name of Paul, wrote:
But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has
been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness
from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no
difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He
did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the
sins committed beforehand unpunished—he did it to demonstrate his justice at
the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have
faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:21-26 NIV)
Paul, a late appointed
apostle of Jesus Christ, was reflecting on the reality of man from the
viewpoint of the Creator of the Universe. Earlier in his letter to Christians
in Rome, Paul countered some very faulty logic on the part of some who had
heard about this God worshipped by the Jews and some convinced Gentiles. He
wrote for all to consider:
What advantage, then, is there in being a Jew, or what
value is there in circumcision? Much in every way! First of all, they have been
entrusted with the very words of God. What if some did not have faith? Will
their lack of faith nullify God's faithfulness? Not at all! Let God be true,
and every man a liar. As it is written: "So that you may be proved right
when you speak and prevail when you judge." But if our unrighteousness
brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is
unjust in bringing his wrath on us? (I am using a human argument.) Certainly
not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? Someone might argue,
"If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory,
why am I still condemned as a sinner?" Why not say—as we are being
slanderously reported as saying and as some claim that we say—"Let us do
evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved. (Romans 3:1-8 NIV)
The apostle suggests that our conclusion must
be one more consistent with reality, as he said:
What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at
all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under
sin. As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one; there is
no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have
together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one." "Their
throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit." "The poison
of vipers is on their lips." "Their mouths are full of cursing and
bitterness." "Their feet are
swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they
do not know." "There is no fear of God before their eyes." (Romans
3:9-18 NIV)
Note the list of failings he cited:
- None are righteous.
- All lack understanding.
- None seek God.
- All have turned away [from God] and become worthless.
- None do good.
- Like open graves, full of death, they practice deceit.
- They run to shed blood.
- Ruin and misery mark their ways.
- They know nothing of peace.
And the ultimate denunciation:
- They do not fear God.
The unbelieving world is “hoisted on their
own petard”. Like the builders of the ancient Tower of Babel, unbelievers
attempt to do what they want, ignoring their Creator, and fail to achieve their
goal of omniscience and omnipotence. Such shall be as many are, being judged
for their arrogance.
God reminded the Israelites that they should:
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he
is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him
turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will
freely pardon. "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your
ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the
earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:6-9 NIV)
As a world, we are missing the mark. God’s
ultimate judgment is closer now than at any time in history.
If we are driving and see the flashing lights
at a train crossing, the obvious intelligent thing to do is to obey the sign and
avoid being crushed by the coming train.
There is a train approaching the world and
God is flashing signs warning us. What will we do? How will we respond?
Will we decide that we can risk crossing in
front of the train and become road kill? Or will we take heed, seek God and
live?
The choice is yours! The answers are clearly
shown in the Manufacturers’ Handbook. Fool or wise man or woman. Which shall it
be?
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