I Believe in Jesus

This is an essay that I wrote for my English class. My teacher asked us to write a one to two page essay on what we believe in. And I, of course, took the opportunity to write about Jesus, God and the gospel. She got the idea from National Public Radio (NPR). You can browse through some essays here or just read mine :). I didn't fully conform to the "rules" (according to the website), but what I've written is what I believe and want others to believe as well.

One more thing. I encourage everyone to do this! It's a great way to sort through the flood of information we receive daily and see what truly matters in our lives.

I Believe In Jesus

            He was mocked, hated, spat on, beaten, scourged, and brutally murdered, yet he committed no crime nor was any deceit found in his mouth. He preached a paradox that some claim to understand, but rarely practice. This man is Jesus. This is who I believe in and to whom I owe everything. No one is greater, and no one deserves the devotion he deserves; but what does it mean to believe in him? And who was he really? The answer lies in understanding God, man, and the cross on which Jesus died.

            Of all the attributes used to describe God in the Bible, only one is repeated three consecutive times: the attribute of holiness. But what does it mean that God is holy? It means he’s wholly other and completely separate from his creation. He is different, because unlike his creation, he is uncreated and eternal. He always was; he never was less, and never will become more than what he’s always been. If God could change or become more perfect, then he is not God, and therefore not infinite. Holiness also brings together everything we know about God. Since we tend to think of attributes and characteristics according to our point of view, we often complicate the being of God into something more like us— a compound of many parts. God however, is not composed of parts. He is one, therefore when attributed love, we must understand his love is a holy love that is just, righteous, kind, and perfect all in one. Furthermore, giving God the attribute of holiness is admitting that man cannot and will never fully understand who God is. For we always look through a scope that singles out parts, parts that, in reality, aren't really parts, but the whole.

            Now, if God is holy, in what condition is man? God speaks to our state through his word setting a standard by which we can see who we truly are. The standard is God’s law found in the books of Moses. One book in particular, Leviticus, tells of an astounding command that goes like this, “You shall be holy, for I the Lord your God am holy.” (Lev. 19:2).  Thus we see God calling man to a perfect standard of living that is a reflection of who he is. But what happens if man sins? James, one of the twelve apostles, gives insight to this question: “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not commit murder.”” (James 2:10-11). This verse directly corresponds to God’s holiness. Transgression in any point is transgression of the whole. It’s like popping a balloon; no matter where a hole is made, the balloon will pop. So the question arises, is man holy? The answer requires no critical thinking, for all have been guilty at some point; however the Bible gives a deeper insight to the condition of man in Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” This is frightening; because knowing God is holy, we cannot expect him to overlook that sin. His justice must be upheld, and the objection that “God is love” does not mean he can contradict himself. Man’s state is one of guilt of sin before a God who must punish it to uphold his justice.

            This is where the cross finally comes in. The cross is where God is seen most explicitly and clearly. For at the cross on which Jesus died we get the most clear manifestation of God for who he is. At the cross we see Jesus, God in human flesh, suffering the wrath of God in fullest measure. We see the love of God in giving his only Son to suffer in the place of sinners. We see his compassion, mercy, righteousness, grace... We see the unsearchable God doing the unthinkable, killing his son in the place of sinners. This is where we must continue the passage mentioned previously:

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, so that He would be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. (Romans 3)

God is “just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” What more does anyone need to believe? Redemption is a gift of God and not dependent on my works. This is the gospel. This is life. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying for sinners. But the story doesn't end there, for God raised Jesus from the dead showing the acceptance of his sacrifice. What a story. What a God!

            I believe in Jesus. Without him, I would die in my sins. In him, I have eternal life and it is my joy to testify of the great God who saved me. My passion and zeal comes from these truths. Most of all, my life is now lived in full submission to this God-man, Jesus. For through him I have been reconciled to God, the most holy and most high God in “whose presence is fullness of joy and at whose right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16).