One of the central foundations of Christianity that differentiates it from many other world religions is the fundamental belief that life is not fair. In Christianity, the universe is not conspiring to guarantee you the same outcome as everyone else, or balancing the outputs you achieve with the outputs received by others, or even returning to you whatever you offer from yourself. In the Christian worldview, the universe is not a zero sum game, dispensed and reclaimed in proportion with your personal interaction with it. Instead, at the heart of Christianity is an infinite God, with infinite resources and infinite love, who is infinitely invested in infinitely blessing you if you will accept what He has to offer. In other words, at the heart of Christianity there is an awareness that there is no limit on what God can do — the game of life isn’t fair, the game of life is actually rigged by the creator in your favor.
Unlike the common thread of karma found in other religions, Christianity is not based on the premise that you get what you deserve. In fact, Christianity explicitly refutes the idea that your eternal life is the result of your own efforts, behavior, or merit. Unlike the karmic beliefs of universal balance and recompense found in other religions, the good news at the heart of Christianity is that salvation and eternal life are not the result of personal holiness, purity, or accomplishment. In fact, in the Christian worldview, salvation and eternal life are simply the direct result of an actual, meaningful, and mutual relationship with Jesus.
As Jesus explained it,
“For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in Him. But anyone who does not believe in Him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son. And the judgment is based on this fact: God’s light came into the world, but people loved the darkness more than the light, for their actions were evil. All who do evil hate the light and refuse to go near it for fear their sins will be exposed. But those who do what is right come to the light so others can see that they are doing what God wants.” – John 3
This is an intrinsically unfair view of the world. Regardless of what you have done or what has happened to you — rich or poor, good or evil — if you have a relationship with Jesus there is no judgment against you. And what’s more, God offers the light of salvation to anyone who will step into it, enjoy it, embrace it, and appreciate it. Essentially the only way to stay condemned under judgment and live in the darkness of fear and sin and death is to refuse the light of salvation by rejecting a relationship with God because you don’t like what God is all about. Jesus highlights this fact when He notes that the only substantial reason that people reject God’s blessings is because for some reason they actually prefer evil and want to remain in the darkness because of the false sense of security it provides.
So, here’s where this is going. If you don’t want God to know about something in your life or if you don’t want God involved in some aspect of your life or if you are hoping that God will overlook some area of your life — than you are choosing darkness instead of light and likely don’t have a very robust relationship with God. And since salvation and eternal life are only available by means of a relationship with God — holding back, hiding, or protecting yourself from God should be matters of serious concern and reflection.
Maybe you think you don’t have time or are just not a very religious person. Maybe you think you aren’t deep enough, smart enough, compassionate enough, or spiritual enough. Maybe you think you are damaged goods or not good enough. Maybe someone told you that you had to clean up your act first before you would be ready for God, or that you had to repent of your sins and change your life before God would want to have anything to do with you. Maybe you think you have been corrupted or condemned by what has happened to you. Maybe you think you aren’t holy or pure enough to deserve God’s attention or care. Maybe you feel ignored or isolated, alone or afraid, doubtful or skeptical, or somehow think you need to alter who you are, what you believe, or some other aspect of your circumstances or personality before pursuing a relationship with God.
Whatever your excuse, explanation, or belief — whatever is keeping you in the supposed safety of the darkness today, let me be the one to tell you that life in the light is so much better than life in the dark. And what’s more, there is absolutely nothing stopping you from stepping across the line, into the light of a more meaningful and effective relationship with God right now, today.
Maybe you are not a Christian today, or maybe you grew up a Christian but let it go, or maybe you are currently going through the motions, practicing your faith, but somehow you can’t find or have lost the genuine and authentic connection with God that you hoped you would find in your Christian walk. Wherever you find yourself today, Jesus Christ is the answer. Jesus wants a relationship with you. Jesus wants to know you and be known by you. Jesus wants to serve you, connect with you, provide for you, coach you, mentor you, support you, heal you, love you, inspire you, lead you, and bless you.
Jesus said,
“I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the true sheep did not listen to them. Yes, I am the gate. Those who come in through me will be saved. They will come and go freely and will find good pastures. The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.” – John 10
Life isn’t fair. You don’t get what you deserve. You get more and better.
Life is more than what you make of it. The beautiful truth about how you were created is that you were designed, you were planned, and you were promised more and better than you deserve, deeper and richer than you could earn, and more abundant and joyful than you could possibly provide for yourself because the God who made you loves you.
So, wherever you find yourself today, don’t settle for the darkness. Don’t accept defeat and failure. Don’t relinquish your passion or let go of your desire to boldly step into the light. Salvation, health, abundance, peace, joy, fulfillment, and eternal life are ready for you — prepared and offered by a God who doesn’t want to wait any longer because His love is ready for you now.
God wants to bless you today, love you today, connect with you and start a meaningful, mutual, and specific relationship with you today. God is standing in the light, looking warmly and intently in your direction and saying,
“Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and He will give you everything you need. So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.” – Luke 12
There are no prerequisites or conditions, God places no reserve or qualification on His offer. God simply wants to have a relationship with you, and He is ready anytime you are.
You don’t have to be afraid or alone anymore. God is good. God is ready. It’s time to realize that life isn’t fair, life is an opportunity to receive eternal life, life is a chance to experience infinite goodness, life is a container into which God is looking to pour unlimited favor, boundless love, overflowing joy, irrevocable peace, and super-natural abundance.
The light is better than the dark. Make the choice to step into God’s light of salvation right now.
“Jesus, I don’t deserve it, I certainly haven’t earned it, I can’t give you any good reason to do it, and I can’t even say that I understand why you would — but I have heard that simply because of who you are, you love me and want to be close to me. I have been distant, afraid, worried, reserved, and unavailable. That stops today. No more excuses. I would like to be your friend. I want to know you. I want to spend time with you. I’m ready for a real relationship. I’m ready to invest in listening to you, connecting with you, learning about you, and collaborating with you to make this world a better place. I’m ready to share my life with you. I believe and declare that I will not hide, I will not run, I will not turn from you again. I am dedicating my life to seeking a relationship with you, accomplishing your purposes, pursuing your interests, receiving your blessings, and achieving your promises starting right now because you are Jesus Christ, and I choose you.”
If you prayed that prayer then I believe you were born again. So get in a good, Bible-based church, keep God first, and He is going to take you places beyond your biggest and best dreams.
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