Reason To Rock

Allow me to take time out to introduce you to the reason I rock - Jesus.

I agree with Bob Hartman when he once explained the whole point of Petra: "Jesus is everything". In my life, Jesus is everything too - my reason to live, to love and yes, to rock.

Why is Jesus so important to me? Well, to begin with, my life hasn't all been meat and potatoes. I've experienced what it's like to be "in the pit" and mired in the darkness of sin. I used to be hopelessly chained to bad habits and unsavory behavior. I once lived a lifestyle that wasn't very pleasing to people - worst of all, it wasn't very pleasing to God.

That was my problem - I was estranged from God, corrupt, stray, and terribly lost. Have you ever felt like that? It's possible you have. The Bible has something simple to say in regard to this: "There is no one righteous, not even one." Romans 3:10. So it isn't just me who's bad - everyone is! To use a heavier description, everyone is evil (yikes!).

Now that may seem like a strange statement coz there are obviously a lot of good people out there in the world today. But what it really means is this: everyone is bad in the sense that he or she fails to live up to the standard of God's righteousness. Theological gobbledygook? To some maybe, but it's the truth.

Left to ourselves, we wouldn't follow God, love Him, trust Him, obey Him, and live lives that are pleasing to Him. We'd rather do our own thing, right? I mean, let's be honest here - watching basketball, flirting with members of the opposite sex, going to parties and getting drunk is far more appealing than going to church, praying, serving and loving others. That's the way it is folks! The Bible is correct - we are lost sinners. There's no way around it.

So where does Jesus fit in to the picture? We'll get to that shortly. Before I tell you why Jesus is so special to me and millions of other people, you have to understand the rest of our situation as hopeless human beings.

In the hit Tom Cruise film "Mission Impossible-2", the scientist at the beginning said something to this effect: "For a hero to exist there must first be a villain." Well, imagine Jesus is the hero. The villain? Sin and the penalty for sin.

People don't like talking about sin. It's uncool and it strikes a nerve. Another thing people hate talking about is the price we have to pay for our sin: eternal punishment in the fiery flames of hell. "Move out of the dark ages man, hell ain't real!" I hear you say. I don't think so - I've just been reading the Bible. And according to the Word of God, hell is a very real and frightening place . Make no mistake.

Ok, so the picture is clear enough - hell exists and most people (unwittingly) are on their way there. Y'see, because of our deep and dark sin we have absolutely no hope of surviving a tribunal before a righteous and holy God. Therefore, all we can expect is punishment. He's perfect - we're not. And we never will be on our own effort. We can do as much as we want - give hundreds, even thousands of dollars to churches, be as good and kind and loving as possible - but it'll never add up to what God's holy character requires: perfection.

Those who are found to be imperfect (all of us!) will have to pay for it in hell (Rom.6: 23; Matt. 25:31-46). That's the terrible price.

Ok, here's where Jesus figures in (my favorite part!). God, who is not only wrathful, righteous and holy, is also LOVE. He represents the highest form of love in the universe - perfect love, untainted by evil and the ways of the world. And it was because of His great love for us that He provided a solution to our problem. He sent His only Son Jesus to live a perfect life and die on our behalf as payment for our sins. (John 3:16).

Now that's a pretty astounding truth, something that most people fail to grasp straight away. So allow me to elaborate slightly.

Jesus was God in human flesh. He came to earth, lived a perfect life (something He achieved on our behalf because we could never do that) and eventually died the most painful and humiliating death possible - crucifixion. Bleeding and suffering profoundly on the cross, Jesus suffered the wrath of God in our place. It should have been me and you hanging and dying that day. Instead, it was Jesus. He did it because He loves us and wants us to be reunited with God, safe from the torment of hell.

After dying that cruel death He later rose from the grave and returned to the Father. He completed His mission - to provide a way of escape for us from our sins and to make eternal life in heaven possible. It can be summed up in one shining verse:

But God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.

Dude's, dudette's, there is only one way to heaven - through Jesus Christ. He said it clearly Himself: "I am the Way, and the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14: 6). He is the way of escape - we must look to Him for salvation!

All that remains is this question: when you die, where are you going to spend eternity? There can be only two places - either in the eternal bliss of heaven or in the eternal fires of hell.

If you would prefer heaven, (I'm hoping you would!) you need to do only one thing. You must surrender your life to Jesus. "That's all?" you say. Yep. Pretty amazing huh? One would think you have to perform all these good deeds and attend church and stuff first. No way Hosay. All God wants from us is that we reach out in faith to Him.

Jesus wants to come into your heart and reign in your life! He wants to change you, give meaning to all that you do, give you a purpose for living. If you want Jesus to save you from your sins and set you on the right track, just follow these simple instructions:

Pray to God and confess to Him that you are a sinner. Admit that you need salvation and ask Him to forgive you of all your sins. Repent (turn away) from all the wrongdoing you have done. Invite the Lord Jesus into your life and ask Him to sit on the throne of your heart. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for you and was risen from the grave that you might have eternal life.

Pray these things from the bottom of your heart - mere words won't do. If you have trouble believing, ask God to help you believe! Don't be afraid to talk to Him - He's there to listen and save all that trust Him sincerely. Then end your prayer in Jesus' name.

…If you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. (Romans 10: 9-10)

And here's another cool verse:

Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Rom. 10: 13.

If you've just prayed to God and asked Him into your life, then congratulations! You have made the most important decision of your life. You are now a member of God's family - loved and secure forever in the arms of the Father.

But don't stop there. Find a Bible believing church and learn more about Jesus. Be absorbed in him. Think of only Him. Live and dedicate everything you do to Him. Rock for Him!

I do. And I assure you, ever since I gave my life to Him, things have never been sweeter.

To know more about Jesus and to grow properly in Him, read the Gospel of John and the book of Romans. Pray that God will enlighten you as you discover for yourself the truth that sets us free.

Also visit one of my favorite Christian websites, Grace To You. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to email them - they will get back to you with the hard-hitting answers you are looking for.

You can also write to me. I'll be happy to entertain your questions and will try my best to answer them.

Your friend in Jesus,

Dan Abbey