God's Perfect Love

The Apostle John tells us in 1 John 4:8b that "God is Love". He is the very definition of Love. This is how He expressed His love toward us, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." ~ Romans 5:8. Let me explain it this way. 

From the very beginning God always knew what needed to take place in order for His creation, His children, to have a relationship and peace with Him. Never once did He think it was too high a price to pay for a relationship with us. You see, God made the earth for US, you and me. In the creation process described in Genesis, God created the earth and every living thing on it. The last to be created was man. Created in God's very own Image and man would have dominion over the whole earth. The very expression of this creation is LOVE. God didn't have to create anything. His being is eternal. His Joy is eternal. His Love is eternal. God is complete without anyone or anything. God did not create out of necessity, but out of LOVE.

The fall of man to sin was not a surprise to God. God knows the end from the beginning, so there is nothing He doesn't know or expect. Yet, He still followed through with His creation. He loves us so much that even before He created light He knew He would have to die a humiliating death at the hands of the very people He created. And yet, He still went through with it. At just the right time and just the right place He sent His One and only Son Yeshua (Jesus) to us. The physical representation of Himself. To teach us and to help us see and understand the power of God to SAVE US. 

Yeshua taught us that the two greatest commandments were "to love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, and the second is like it, love your neighbor as yourself." He also taught us to forgive one another. If we are ever to expect God to forgive us of our offenses and debts (sin), then we need to forgive others who have wronged us. He also taught us to not think too highly of ourselves but to serve one another, "just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." ~Matt. 20:28. He left us a blueprint on how we are to live our lives in faith. Yeshua's public ministry only lasted three and half years, but the gift He left us has endured for centuries. 

You see, even though Yeshua knew that the hearts of men were wicked, He still went to the cross. At any moment He could have called down a legion of angels to destroy His enemies, but He went to His execution like a lamb to the slaughter. As He was about to lay down His life, He asked His Father in heaven to "forgive them, for they no not what they do." He never made it about Himself. He was humble and followed through with His Father's plan even though none of us deserve(d) it. It is said that even if there was only one person in the history of mankind that would accept His free gift of salvation, He still would have went to the cross. I believe that. 

If you believe in Christ Jesus and His plan for salvation and want to know what to do to be saved (Jesus said "unless one is BORN AGAIN, he cannot see the Kingdom of God"), then REPENT (turn from) of your sins and turn to Yeshua, put all your faith and trust in Him like a child trusts his/her parents and be baptized in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Yeshua promises us that if we endure till the end we will be saved. Never lose faith in Him who conquered death and the grave. AMEN! HALLELUJAH!!!

Is "truth" absolute or relative?

Is truth absolute or relative? Merriam - Webster defines truth as "the real facts about something: the thinges that are true." If I say "truth is relative" I am making an absolute statement which means my statement is contradictory. Again, if I say "I always lie" my statement is an absolute truth. If then my statement is true that I indeed always lie, then my statement contradicts itself. If I always lie, then my statement cannot be true which means I don't always lie.

You see the ONLY arena where "truth" becomes relative is faith and morals. "What's right/good for you may not be what's right/good for me, or "you believe what you believe and I'll believe what I believe." So, if truth is absolute which we've already established it is, then there is no such thing as multiple beliefs or moral/ethical  codes. Morality and ethics can only be good or bad, not both.

If morality/ethics are an absolute truth, where did we get those truths from? Our parents? If so, where did they get theirs from? Obviously the answer is their parents, and so on and so forth. But, we must come to an ultimate beginning. Where did the first humans get morals and ethics from? According to the theory of evolution all life is a struggle of survival of the fittest. So at what point did man say it is wrong to kill another person, or it is wrong to steal or rape?

You see we are the only beings on this earth that are born with a conscience. Con means "with" and science means "knowledge". We are born "with knowledge" that is wrong to kill, steal, and rape another person. So who gave us this knowledge? Was it all a part of our evolutionary process? If so, why did we develop these ideas and why haven't any other creatures on earth developed these ideas?

So as you I can see even morals, ethics, and beliefs are an absolute truth. So, which beliefs are true and which are false? God says in Malachi 3:6 "For I the Lord do not change". Jesus said in John 14:6 I AM the Way and the TRUTH and the Life, no one comes to the Father but through Me." And again in Hebrews 13:8 the author said "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." We all know the story of Moses and the Ten Commandments. God Himself gave us the rules, morals and ethics that we govern ourselves and our behaviors today by. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is the One True and Only God. He has written His laws on our hearts and seared them into our conscience. That is why we know it is wrong to kill, steal, rape and destroy. Those who violate His Laws are in rebellion against Him and He will punish everyone in rebellion to Him. Peter says in 2 Peter 3:9 "The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance." If a person goes to hell it is because they chose their sin over God. They chose rebellion to God over obedience to Him.

Are you in rebellion toward God? Are you a slave to your fleshly lust, and earthly desires? We are all slaves to these masters. Jesus is asking us to change masters. Jesus says "Come to me all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." ~Matt. 11:28-30. Once we do that He promises to set us free. "Truly truly I say to you, everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever;  the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Jesus came to give us eternal life. We can never pay God for the sins we've committed. We all need a Savior. That is the Man Christ Jesus who died so that some may live. His whole purpose was to come and suffer by the hands of them that He created so that we may have life and peace with God Almighty. No other religion, faith, belief can say that. "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

If you have come to the Truth that you are a sinner, that you see just how badly you need a Savior then I would ask that you repent (turn away from your sin, and turn to God) be baptized, and obey Jesus. If you do that Jesus promises to give you everlasting life. That my friends is the TRUTH! AMEN!!!HALLELUJAH!!!