What's Your Label
by Nancy Harry
A holy, righteous God looked upon the perfectly created man and woman. But with the passage of time, His perfect creation turned their face away from Him. Their hearts turned from trusting in Him; from the very one that gave them life. Mankind, who was to bring to earth the kingdom of God, began to trust in his own abilities and lost sight of his purpose. The rift continues to widen between a loving God, a compassionate creator, and the spiraling of sinful generations of men and women.
God looks at us and sees our sin. We have all become sinners (1 John 1: 8-10). Even the best of the best may have failed in loving God with all their heart, and all their mind, and all their soul. Sin is the rift between us and our creator. It is what separates us from a holy, righteous God (Isaiah 59:2).
But even so, God still loves the world (John 3:16) – His creation, His masterpiece. A Messiah, a Savior was chosen to heal the rift. He would come to take the punishment of death for mankind’s sins upon himself (Isaiah 53:8, 11-12). His sacrifice would bring degenerating mankind back into the loving arms of God.
As a result, the label of “sinner” is torn off by the Son of God, who was named Jesus and called Immanuel meaning “God with us.” (Isaiah 7:14). Jesus fulfilled the many prophecies relating to the one God would send into a broken world to bring the cure. And as was also prophesied, he was raised from the dead and returned to his first abode in heave. But, he will return once again to us, and at that time he’ll stay to reign, bringing in the full embodiment of the Kingdom of Heaven to earth.
A new label is now available to those who accept the sacrifice of Jesus and are willing to repent of their sins. A Savior and forgiveness is for us all. And now, because of Jesus, we can wear a new label: “Child of God”.
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