Follow-up remarks

Earlier this month, I reported how I had endured another loss; a friend both of the Bauer family and of my father.  This loss was a painful reminder of mortality.  In that blog, I mentioned how I had heard a sermon from Jonathan Evans where he relayed that the Dallas Cowboys had faced a painful loss; Jerry Brown Jr. had tragically passed away at age 25 from a car accident in 2012.  Jonathan stated that, as chaplain of the Cowboys, he decided to change what he was originally going to share with the team, and he decided to share the gospel instead.  It dawned on me that someone may wonder what “the gospel” even means.  Thus, I began to map out a blog with these questions: 1) What is the gospel?  2) How does one obtain it?  3) What difference does it make?  So that’s where we are going today.

#1: What is the gospel?

The gospel literally means “good news”.  God created us to be in an intimate relationship with Him, but that was wrecked by sin.  We humans are sinners, both by inbred nature, and by personal choice.  Greg Laurie once described sin as missing the mark.  One archer may come closer to the bulls-eye, but we all can’t hit it perfectly.  But Jesus, God in human flesh, lived the perfect life we could never live.  He died a bloody death on a cross as payment for all of humanity’s sin; and then He rose again, unequivocally proving His divinity as God.  Because of Jesus and His death and resurrection, humanity can be restored to a relationship with God.

#2: How does one obtain it?

The truth of the gospel is powerful and profound.  One does not obtain the gospel message through trying harder to be good or practicing works of merit.  No, it’s through simple faith and trust in Jesus.  The Bible says, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name” (John 1:12).  We can have our sins forgiven, washed away, and remembered against us no more.  That really is good news!

#3: What difference does it make?

Someone may be wondering what all of this means for a person today.  Sure, it’s great to have sins forgiven and assurance of Heaven one day, but what about everyday life today?  There are multiple answers that could be given here, but my answer is it makes all the difference in the world, even on a daily basis.

Life can be painful.  We can be thrown curveballs we never thought possible.  For example, as I was preparing this blog today, I was thrown a curveball regarding the health of a loved one.  Health is so fragile.  And I’m learning that it’s worse to see someone you love sick than to actually be sick yourself.  A few hours later, I found myself sitting in an emergency care clinic, waiting on the diagnosis.  That venue is just dreadful because your mind can race with hypothetical situations, the dread of the uncertainty, and wondering what is going to happen next.  In the midst of all this, I had to remind myself, more than once, to practice what my pastor had just presented at church.  He had said, in the midst of the stress, fear, and uncertainty of life, Jesus Christ has this offer:

“Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29).  

I’m not making myself the hero here, but I can attest to you that there is rest for a weary soul, through Jesus.  This particular health challenge isn’t over, but my point here is simply this: there is nowhere else to go in the midst of the crushing blows of life but to Jesus.  Where else can you go?  Stress eating?  A bottle of alcohol?  Illegitimate sexual encounters?  Pornography?  Drugs?  All of these leave you empty, longing for more.  Nothing else makes sense but running to the God of the universe whose name is Jesus.    

Kevin