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On
firm foundations
Finding true security in a shifting world
 e
all come to times in our lives when we see changes all round.
What do we do when we feel that everything is changing? What
would we do if we found ourselves in an earthquake? We’d try to
find something to cling to that is firm, that won’t be shaken,
that will be secure. We need something more powerful, larger than
we are so that we can be protected, so that we can be safe. First
off though, we have to find something that is bigger, more
powerful, more secure, more stable than little old us!
I’ve
found that the only thing in life that doesn’t change is God.
I’ve found that He never changes in the slightest degree in His
love for me, His care for me and His plan for me. He wants me
to become as perfect and holy as He is! Wow, if you only knew
what a job He has set Himself! The amazing thing is, He does know,
but He’s going for it anyway. He has unlimited power, and He has
enough wisdom to change me as He needs to in order to achieve
His purpose in my life. And that purpose is to make me into a
representation of Jesus but wrapped up in my skin. And He wants
to do the same thing with you.
The
Bible says that followers of Jesus were first called ’Christians’
in Antioch. The word ’Christian’ means ’a little Jesus’. Put another
way, if anyone watches me - how I behave, how I speak, how I conduct
myself generally - it’s the same (or it should be) as watching
Jesus himself. Being a Christian doesn’t mean just believing in
Jesus, it means being willing to follow him. It means doing as
well as believing.
 ow,
as many people close to me can testify, I often don’t represent
Jesus in what I do and say. Sometimes I try to be like Jesus
and fall flat on my face; and sometimes I don’t even try. And
that’s when God’s mercy and forgiveness comes in. He knows my
faults and my weaknesses (He sees them much, much better than
I do!), but He has compassion on me and still desires good for
me (see Psalm 103, verses 13-18). As soon as I acknowledge my
mistake, my outright disobedience - my sin, in short - to Him
and ask for His forgiveness, He gives it.
This
isn’t because God doesn’t care about sin. All sin offends God;
all sin is deserving of His anger and His punishment. Punishment
for sin isn’t an idea that sits comfortably with us. I’d guess
most of us would say, OK, we’re not perfect, but we’re ’good enough’
(and certainly better than a lot of people we could mention).
Yet if most of us are as good as we think we are, why are there
so many problems in the world? Someone once told me that he believed
the planet would be better off if the human race wasn’t on it.
To an extent, the Bible agrees: however ’good’ we may be compared
to other people, by God’s standards ’even our best actions are
filthy through and through’ (Isaiah 64, verse 6). You don’t have
to look at the world for too long to think that if there’s one
species on the face of the earth that needs to be forgiven, it’s
ours. What can we do?
hen
Jesus suffered the agony of crucifixion, he took the punishment
for sin that we all deserve (Romans 3.23). It is only by believing
in Jesus and his sacrifice for us on the cross that we can approach
God and begin the process of becoming as good and perfect as He
is. Making that decision isn’t easy. It demands that we put down
our pride - our belief that we can be ’good enough’ on our own
merits; that we acknowledge our failings and ask Him for the gift
of forgiveness and a new life that His Son earned for us on the
cross.
If
we want a life that is secure, we need to be linked to the only
unchanging personality in the universe and have Him in charge
of our lives. Jesus is the only way to God - as he himself said,
"No one comes to the Father except through me" (John
14 verse 6). You can reject that statement, deride it, ignore
it or challenge it. Or you could accept it. Accept the offer of
a completely new start for your life; an offer made by the Creator
of the universe; the Creator who knows you (and your mistakes
and your failings) better than you do; and who still loves you
and longs that you come to Him for a relationship that will last
into a glorious eternity. Why not ask Him for that gift now?
If
you want to begin a personal relationship with Jesus, please pray
this prayer:-
"Lord
Jesus, I invite you into my life. I want to stop living life my
way and start living it your way. I believe you died for me and
that your blood pays for my sins and provides me with the gift
of eternal life. By faith I receive that gift and I acknowledge
you as my Lord and Saviour. Amen."
If
you’ve prayed the prayer and aren’t sure what to do next, e-mail
or phone us on 01822 833844 or 01822 612100, or look up a local
church in the Yellow Pages.
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