One day I was watching the movie Zombieland with my buddy, and he asked whether I would want to be in a “zombie apocalypse.” I thought about it for a second, and realized I probably wouldn’t want to. At first I thought it would be nice to have the time and freedom to do whatever I wanted. I mean, I wouldn’t have to work, I wouldn't have to wait in lines, and I wouldn't have to obey the speed limit. It seemed like the early retirement I was always looking for, but then I realized that would get bored after a while. I would have no purpose, no goals, and no direction. In my opinion, zombie apocalypse seems futile.
My buddy had just the opposite reaction though, he thought a zombie apocalypse would be extremely fulfilling. He told me that he would drive to different cities, rid the world of zombies, and try to find people to save. The people would then work together to build a new world. Ultimately, he was telling me that he would have a mission in life.
As he was telling me his perspective on zombie apocalypse, I realize that I live in zombie apocalypse right now!
I know this sounds a bit weird, but listen to what Ephesians 2:1-5 says about the world:
As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved.
The bible says that people are dead if they follow their evil desires. This is because God has created us to be in a relationship with Him, and because God is perfectly good, we are separated from Him if we do evil things. We have all done evil, but thankfully God came to earth (as Jesus) and made a way for us. The bible says that Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, or in other words; Jesus is the way we come into a relationship with God, Jesus’ words about God are true, and life is found only when we are in relationship with God. People who aren’t in relationship with God are living without life.
This passage also shows that God brought us from death to life, but how does that happen?
Romans 10:9-10 says:
“If you declare with your mouth, that “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 profess your faith and are saved.”
I believe that there comes a point in everyone's life when they realize that they are sinful, and that their sin has separated them from God. Once that happens, people are brought from death to life if they submit to Jesus as a living Lord and savior. That life that starts immediately and continues into eternity: they will live forever with God.
So Christians are blessed to be alive, but it doesn’t stop there. We were also given a mission and purpose in this life, just like friend thought that zombie apocalypse would provide him.
This is what 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 says:
So we have stopped evaluating others from a human point of view. At one time we thought of Christ merely from a human point of view. How differently we know him now! This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!
And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ.
I realize that I’m a new person who has been given life. With that life, I’ve also been given a mission to tell people that God wants to do the same for them! Do you believe that? Are you ready to receive the gift of life and a new mission from God? Then admit your sin, thank Him for His mercy, and ask Him to give you a new life.
No comments:
Post a Comment