“This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives.” 1 John 1:5-10 (NIV)
If we are not Believer’s in Christ Jesus and He is not our Advocate, the very bad news is that we remain sinners in need of a Savior in the eyes of a Holy, Righteous and Just God. No morality, strength, intelligence, heritage or treasures of this world can secure any one of us from the rages and horrors of Hell apart from Christ. We all need an Advocate because none of us can save ourselves and none of us are without sin. But the very good news is better than the bad news is bad – we do have a Savior who died for our sins – every. last. one. of. Them. - and His Name is Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus we are no longer alienated from God – separated, alone, confused, guilty and wandering in a “trackless waste” through this dusty earth. When God looks down upon a believer in His Son He sees the perfect life of Christ, as all Christians are robbed in the righteousness of sweet Jesus. Believers seek to keep our accounts short with Him – confessing and turning from our sins – and running to Him for forgiveness and cleansing. And His sweet mercy and grace washes over us. “Amazing grace how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost but now I am found, was blind but now, I see”, as the great hymn goes.
And if we do not have a Savior, we are doomed to be separated from God both in this life and throughout all eternity, remaining unforgiven in a place that is terrifyingly horrible and dreadful. Contrasting to an eternity in heaven which is take your breath away amazing, on your face overwhelmed, jaw-struck, blessedly wonderful. A prepared place “no eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived”, Scripture states. This is not fiction. This is True Truth. God is not whimsical. Nor does He veer from His plans and He remains in total control on His throne just as He always has been and just as He always will be. He has a prescribed way for forgiveness and that is through the great sacrifice of His Son. He redeems our lives from the pits of our own poor choices. When man allowed sin in Paradise through disobedience it brought separation from God which began - and continues to - wreak havoc through disunity, discord and blatant evil in all its various forms. Jesus came to change that. And in His merciful pursuit of the lost, He left the powerful Holy Spirit indwelling every believer in Jesus to be His eyes, His hands, and His feet in each of our spheres of influence. Believers are to walk as Jesus walked through His power and for His glory and for our good turning many to Him. Jesus was to be the firstborn among many brothers.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)