In the film, The Matrix, there’s a great scene right before Morpheus offers Neo the choice of red pill or blue. The dialogue goes like this:
Let me tell you why you’re here. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life—that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad. It is this feeling that has brought you to me. Do you know what I’m talking about?
Morpheus
Spoiler alert!
The words of Morpheus have the ring of truth about them, which is what makes the movie so engaging. We nod our heads in understanding because we feel the truth of what Morpheus says. Deep down we know there really is something wrong with the world! In the film, what’s “wrong with the world” is that A.I. has taken over, and has imprisoned mankind in a computer simulation, but in reality the problem stems from something else.
Deep within you is an instinct that tells you how the world should be. You recognize it when you watch a sunrise, or gaze up at a star-filled sky. When you listen to a piece of music that moves you. When you embrace your lover. You can almost taste it when you share a meal with the people you love most. In these moments, you catch glimpses of what you know the world was meant to be.
But the ugly side of life is never far away, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t fix this broken world. The problem with the world is not a mystery. The Bible spelled it out for us thousands of years ago. The problem is sin.
In the beginning, God created the world as a perfect paradise. A place where God and man dwelt together. But man’s willful disobedience (the original sin) resulted in our separation from God and the corruption of all that is good. Because of sin, our world, and everything in it, is under righteous judgement. Sin is a curse that has brought misery, pain, and death.
A Divine rescue plan.
God could have scrapped His creation and started over. He didn’t. Instead, He chose to redeem it. Why? Because He loves His creation. He wants to redeem you for the same reason: He loves you. But there’s a problem: You’re a sinner.
As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one;
Romans 3:10
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Romans 3:23
God hates sin. It’s true that “God is love”, but He is also just, and His justice demands that sin be punished. As a sinner you owe a debt that you can not pay.
For the wages of sin is death…
Romans 6:23, a
Then [Jesus] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’
Mathew 25:41
The good news is, your debt has been paid for you! Jesus, God in the flesh, took your sin upon Himself and shed His blood on the cross. He conquered sin when He died. He defeated death when He rose from the grave.
But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8
…but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23, b
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16
Through Jesus, you can have eternal life. This means life in a renewed body, on a renewed Earth, where there is no more sin, no more curse. (For a glimpse of how awesome this will be, I recommend the book “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn.)
What must I do to be saved?
Salvation from sin/death/hell is a free gift, but like any gift it can be accepted or rejected. God will not force you to turn away from your sin and towards Him. You must freely choose to do so.
Perhaps for the first time in your life, you understand the situation you’re in. You realize that you are a sinner separated from God and destined for eternal punishment. You realize you need a Savior. You’re next step is simple:
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Romans 10:9
Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,
Romans 8:1
There is no other way. You can’t save yourself. You can’t earn your way into Heaven with good works. Jesus is the one and only way.
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.
Ephesians 2: 8-9
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14:6
Once you admit that you are a sinner in need of a Savior. Once you believe that Jesus died for you. Then proclaim with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, ask for the gift of salvation, and you will be saved! At that very moment you become a follower of Jesus Christ. You become a new creature. You become a Christian.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
II Corinthians 5:17
If you took that step, I welcome you as my brother or sister in Christ! Jesus said there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:10).
This is only the beginning. As a brand new Christian there is much to learn. Try to find someone who is mature in the Christian faith to help guide you. You are more than welcome to contact me, and I will give you all the help I can.
Not there yet?
If you still have not accepted Christ as your Savior, consider this: You found your way to this post for a reason. The fact that you read this far tells me that you are searching. It is God you are searching for. He is the missing piece in your life. Don’t give up your search! Ask questions, study the Bible, search your own soul, but don’t wait too long. This life, your window of opportunity, is short.
