When asked by the philosophers of Athens to explain what exactly it was that he believed, the apostle Paul put it this way:
“God that made the world and all things therein… commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.” (Acts 17:24-31)
What does all that mean?
- First, there is one true living God who created everything – including you! As the creator, he is Lord, or Master, over all creation and has the authority to determine how we are to live.
- Second, this Lord commands all to repent. This means to turn away from our sins (violations of God’s laws).
- Third, we must understand that whether we have repented or not determines what will happen when God judges us after this life. We are told that “…it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” (Hebrews 9:27).
- Fourth, the standard by which God will judge us is Jesus Christ, the Son of God and God manifest in the flesh. He was ordained (chosen) by God the Father, and was the only man ever to live a life of sinless perfection. Because he perfectly fulfilled God’s law, when he was crucified in the 1st century AD, God raised him from the dead.
- We will never measure up to Jesus’ perfection, but fifth, God gives assurance to all men because of Jesus’ resurrection. God’s offer is that if we’ll acknowledge Jesus to be Lord and trust in his death as payment for our sin, we can face judgment on the merits of his perfection rather than our sinfulness! It’s phrased this way elsewhere in scripture: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved… For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:9-13).
If you have questions regarding salvation, eternal life, and the gospel of Jesus Christ – please get in touch with us via either call or text to (253) 237-6050. We’d love nothing more than to answer your questions from the Bible!