LIFE CHOICES

Why the Bible is important to me  #7.

Choices 

In an African town Mary and I went to their supermarket. There were on the shelves the basics with few choices. Returning home and going to our local shop we were overwhelmed by the choices offered. It struck me not so much about our affluence but how limited are life’s choices to the world’s major populations.

I’m not thinking about supermarket selections. Rather it was on the opportunities to choose spiritual, moral and educational options. We in the Secular and Christian influenced Western world have the privilege of making rational decisions in the light of debate, discussion, reading and reflection. Not so in Islam. Its people are bound to do as they are told. To choose to believe in Jesus (or anyone or anything else) is a death sentence. Any system of belief that makes slaves of the mind and denies a person a choice is little moral than a penal code. Hinduism with its caste system steals a person’s right to choose. It is the creator of human ‘tools’ rather than human beings.

Regardless of living in the secular west, or under atheistic communism, Islamic repression or Hindu determinism The Almighty God can step in with Truth to consider. Such Truth offers the right to choose between eternal life with the Lord or eternal separation from God. It does not overturn the caste system but provides personal dignity which empowers a life within it. Accepting the Truth does not safeguard you against the ‘guards’ of the sharia penal system. It does liberate your heart and mind and brings peace with God and the assurance of forgiveness.

Where is such Truth found? It is in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That’s the message of the Son of God coming to our realm to identify with us. The Gospel gives the eternal God flesh and community and proclaims such a mystery of grace and love. He created you to know Him, enjoy Him, be with Him. When untruth led people and nations astray the Lord God acted to reclaim them. How far did He go to express His grace and love? To the Cross on Calvary’s hill! How do we know this actually happened? It was proclaimed over five hundred years before the deed in Isaiah 53. On Passover day in A.D. 33 it happened. Three days later Jesus rose from the tomb as victor over sin, death and holy wrath.

Christ Jesus’ instruction to His followers was to make the news known and offer the hearers a choice. The decision a person makes has eternity in the consequences. It is a choice between a relationship with God or separation from Him. Jesus called it a decision between walking the broadway of unbelief and rejection, or choosing the narrow way, through the cross, which leads to life now and eternal.

In some countries and cultures they might rightly say how can we know the Truth which sets us free. The first requirement is to have a heart to seek the Lord God whose word is Truth. He made a promise that any who honestly seeks Him will find Him. If you can talk with a Christian and obtain a Bible you can be helped to know Jesus, who is the Way the Truth and the Life. Otherwise I believe the Lord Jesus will make Himself known to you in His own way and time.

That is another reason why I believe the Bible is so important. It has the message of Truth which leads to God and eternal acceptance. Why not call out to Him right now!

(Ray (who knows the Way, the Truth and the Life) Hawkins.

Next week – Why should we respect the aged?