02 September 2009
Do you want the good news or the bad news?
One sunny day a man decided to jump from an aeroplane. When he jumped there was good and bad news...
Good news: He had a parachute.
Bad news: It didnt work.
Good news: There was a haystack down below.
Bad news: There was a pitchfork in the haystack.
Good news: He missed the pitchfork.
Bad news: He missed the haystack.
The Bible has bad news and good news for us.
The bad news: because of our sin, we're in big trouble with God
The good news: because of his love, he's sent Jesus to rescue us
We need the bad news for the good news to make sense. If we don't realise the ship is sinking we won't head for the lifeboats. If we don't see that our sin angers God, then we won't see the trouble we're in, and we won't see any need for Jesus' rescue.
The bad news of the Bible is offensive isn't it? It tells you and it tells me that we do not make the grade, we are not good people, that inside we're rotten and full of sin, that we have rebel hearts that at best ignore God, and at worst shove him out of our lives. And it tells us that, however hard we try, we cannot rescue ourselves.
But once the truth of that bad news sinks in, the good news of Jesus' rescue becomes wonderful, life-changing.
Being a Christian is not about impressing God, it's not about keeping laws to win a place in God's good books. The difference between a Christian and someone else is not how good they are as a person. The difference is whether they are in the helicopter or the sea. Whether they have been rescued by Jesus, or are drowning in sin.
Christianity is NOT about us showing God how good we are. Christianity is about God showing us how good he is.
The bad news is we're bad people. The good news is that he is good and he has sent a rescuer. And that really is good news.
When Jesus died on the cross it wasn't a tragic accident, or a noble example. It was a rescue. A rescue death. He died so we might live. He took punishment so we could have freedom. He was separated from God, so that we might be able to come to him.
Take his outstretched hand of rescue. Put your trust totally in him. Leave the sea of sin behind and welcome the new life and new hope that come with Jesus as your rescuer.
