But WHY did Jesus die for our sins?

Jesus's sacrifice on the cross was just the beginning of a spiritual journey

It's been far too long for me since my last post. Many distractions including business travel and life have interfered.

Not an excuse, just reality for me.  In the time since my last post I have had many words given me from God, but one that hit me square between the eyes a few months ago while I was in service at Gateway Church in Southlake, TX.

Over the years, I have spoken to many people on faith and have had many discussions about salvation, even taught a few Sunday School classes about the cleansing and salvation of Christ's sacrifice for us to wash us of our sins so we can enter Heaven.

One's salvation is of utmost importance in the long-run of course, but I feel it is a bit myopic, particularly when you consider the gravity of our society's degradation and moral collapse.

Everywhere we look we see "intellectuals" lean on their own understanding and worldly wisdom as they conjure up policies and legislation concerning Americans. 10 years ago if you were to ask the average American we would have a need for transgender bathrooms and most would not have known what was being asked. What are we to do in the mean time as a world hell-bent on running from the Bible rather than to-it?

A few months ago it became crystal clear to me what our faith in Jesus was all about:

 A RELATIONSHIP!    

Pastor Robert Morris was talking about having a personal relationship with God and the importance of it in his life and how important it is for each of us. expecting God to come looking for him. God communed with them each and every day since their creation. Now we don't know how long that period was, and it doesn't matter. Once man ate of the fruit we could no longer be in God's presence so we were banished from the garden to the fallen world.

Suddenly I recalled Genesis 3:10 when God came looking for Adam & Eve in the cool of the evening. God revealed to me this was a recurring event since Adam went to hide, he was obviously expecting the visit. He gave us but ONE law and we failed that.

God then gave us the law which we tried to live under for centuries but failed miserably with only 10 simple commandments. True to our nature of worrying about EVERYONE else and seeking greater restrictions, we inundated society with overly-pious rules. You know, the ones the Pharisees created to justify their positions in ancient Judea?

In those days, only a high priest could enter into the Holy of Holies to commune with God one on one, which is not what God wanted for us. We all seek to replace Him, but sadly many turn to materials to do so and are never satiated.

In the Gospels we see Jesus explain this to Satan who is tempting Him with material things and comfort (food, perhaps most notably), His response is succinct and clear to us today:
 "it is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.  - Matthew 4:4

What this simply means is wordly sustenance is not enough for us. It sustains the physical body, which is important of course, but this body is only temporary. A popular secular thought seems to have some sage insight: Where the mind goes, the body will follow." In other words, if we think low, we act low. Expect the most from your subordinates at work or your family and they will grow. Think poorly of them and they will prove you right. That's the self-fulfilling prophecy.

Knowing this, we can easily understand what was being said at our creation.  Genesis 1:26 reads "Let us make man in our image" which, when you read it in perspective, means we are actually spiritual beings in an earthly body. 

God is triune, our families are supposed to be triune, and to take it a step further, even Jesus had 2-3 people He relied upon during His ministries, but that is a topic for another article. So important is the relationship with the Father in fact, I believe it was this impending separation from the Father which caused Jesus to suffer from hematohidrosis, or sweating blood, on the night of his betrayal. THAT is how profound and vital to Jesus a direct and daily communion with our Father was to him.

We are social creatures and need to be poured into as we pour into others. Whom better to pour into you than your heavenly Father?  He is waiting. Talk to Him right now!  You won't be sorry.