FACING A SECULAR WORLD today & tomorrow
In our daily life , we encounter lot of people from different walks of life. In a secular world, we need to shine as lights. We need to be well equipped. Perhaps if you are comfortable in asking someone , please invite their attention with a question - What will they do if they are in the courtroom of Heaven eventually?
Who is God- If you study the bible .He is personal, infinite, moral, first cause .
No matter, no physical concrete reality explains its own existence. Intelligibility- anywhere in any arena, in literature arena, scientific arena, historical always have a creator behind it. . If you go to another planet and see a pyramid, we can reason to that it can happen by chance. But if you walk 10 steps later & see a note mentioning , “Hey Dude, did you bring any recipe with you.” That note had an author or a creator.
What is Worldview? Set of assumptions or assertions you have made, especially values.
There is a saying, “ Greeks believe in logic , philosophy & science. The Jews trust on God, theologians . New age beliefs – has its roots from Greek culture.
Origin, meaning, morality & destiny--Questions to be asked in World view. It has to be tested.
“Some time ago I had the privilege to hear from a video , about a conference at Johns Hopkins University on the theme “What Does It Mean to Be Human?” Francis Collins, the director of the Human Genome Project and the co-mapper of human DNA, presented his talk.
PRESIDENT OBAMA has nominated Francis Collins to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health. It would seem a brilliant choice.
“Dr. Collins’s credentials are impeccable: he is a physical chemist, a medical geneticist and the former head of the Human Genome Project. He is also, by his own account, living proof that there is no conflict between science and religion.”
“In 2006, he published ‘The Language of God,’ in which he claimed to demonstrate “a consistent and profoundly satisfying harmony” between 21st-century science and evangelical Christianity.”
He spoke of the intelligibility and marvel of the book of life, filled with more than three billion bits of information. Human DNA. In a strange way, he became both the subject and the object of his study, both the designer and the design of his research. Extraordinary thoughts swarmed within me as I listened virtually tuning in and out of the talk in order to reflect on the wonder of it all.”
“[When Collins showed the slides at John's Hopkins University, one was the beautiful roof view of the rose window cathedral & another slide displayed later , was a section of the human DNA which was even more awesome and mind blowing] ; there was a genuine gasp in the audience. And it dawned on me (as I was looking at it) that I was looking at that because of which I was able to look at it. I was awe-stricken by that ,because of which I was capable of being awe-stricken. I realized the magnificence and the grandeur of the way God has fashioned us and woven us together. And Francis Collins, after presenting the two slides, had to say nothing about it , no words uttered ! He casually picked up his guitar and sang a gospel song. The only response could be that of worship.” Only worship can comprehend it..
That which I was looking at , was the reason because of which I am looking at it.
That which struck me an awe, is the reason for me being awestruck. You know how word became flesh.
What is justice or morality according to human standards? Does a standard set by man give an accurate definition for justice and morality.
Our world has come to such atrocities that men have become blind. Heard an agnostic say that , there is nothing called Evil. Its just dancing of our DNAs, he presumes .A bar in Thailand, concotion of hard liquor and snake blood was given to a man in that setting and he was told that his hearts desire could be fulfilled. An 18 month old baby was demanded after this concoction, smacked his mind & senses. Was it dancing of the DNA... or was it evil !!! What is justice and morality?
If we ask why God allows evil, that very statement means you assume there is something called evil. If there is something called Evil , then that statement assumes that ,there is also something called Good. Philosophically you may be able to diffuse that question.( But when Jesus was asked the question about heaven, he didn’t answer it philosophically. But he didn’t give a philosophical answer , he answered simply by pointing at a child, which is the glory of the Gospel. That is the marvel of the Gospel, your 5 year old child may know more than me or you ; despite with all the degrees accumulated in the world. The little child has a degree of heaven deposited in him . )
If there is something called Good or Evil, then definitely there is a Moral law, which decides and defines between good and evil. If there is a moral law, then definitely , there needs to be a Moral law giver. This is whom we are denying , the Moral law giver. Conversely,if there is a Moral law giver , there is a moral law. If there is a Moral law, then there is something called Good . If there is Good and then there is Evil . What is the agnostic trying to prove.....? The word agnostic is one who doesn't know whether God exists. He is not aware about God's existence. There is no one in reality ,an Atheist ( The one who says that, there is no God). There are no true Atheists, but only Agnostics , because there is no one who can prove the Non existence of God. No one has done it . Its been scientifically proved that the most Intelligent brain in this world has only 2% of the total knowledge or the wisdom of the whole Creation . Won't it be possible, that in the balance 98% of his Intelligent mind , that he can miss out on the wisdom and knowledge about existence of God. Yes its possible. Whose existence are we trying to deny ... no man has been able to prove it .
He is the only entity in existence , the reason for whose existence is in himself. All other entities or quantities exists by virtue of something else.
Uncaused, independent, infinite, personal, moral ,real being, 1st cause.
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Nothing physical in this world can explain its own existence
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Whenever you see intelligibility, it leads to intelligence.
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Course of human events- Historical, social & individual ---remains Imperative in heart of man
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Morality - who can decide on it . Can humans decide on it with different thoughts, perceptions, race , color , customs and backgrounds. Men have already failed in it . What is right for one man , may be unright for another
3 Questions to ask ?
What is Good or what is evil? ( or how do you define sin ?)
What or which is the Moral law which determines it?
How can that law be Fulfilled and who has fulfilled those laws ?
What caused Evil?
Ezk 28: 14 & 16
Thou art the anointed cherub that covereth; and I have set thee so: thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou hast walked up and down in the midst of the stones of fire.
By the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence, and thou hast sinned: therefore I will cast thee as profane out of the mountain of God: and I will destroy thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire.
There are these 2 individuals we always choose in all our examples .We always choose them as our examples for deciding about good or evil( sin) . Nice two gentle beings who walked with God in the beginning. They lived a harmonious life with God in the Garden of Eden. Everday after a days finding and achievements they would share it with the Lord. They had a glorified life in relation with God. A life in Spiritual form in which they were created. A spiritual body which was devoid of sin and made in image of God with a heavenly Glory . A body which was immortal and non corruptible . God is a spirit says the word and his angels were also spirit beings. Humans cannot measure the capacity , power and abilities of Spirit beings, it is Non comprehensible . Spirit beings can influence the spirit and conscience of Human beings , . Since the Physical Realm was created out of the Spiritual Realm, Genesis 1:2, Hebrews 11:3. the Spiritual and therefore the Spirit is higher in importance, power, scope and influence than the Physical Realm and hence, the Body. The Mind is intermediate in prominence between the spirit and the body. The Mind and was created to be controlled by the spirit of Man. The Mind is supposed to control the Body and therefore the Physical Realm. Any aberration in the hierarchy of the Spirit, Soul and Body of Man is a reflection of a fallen state and is not the original intent of God. Heb 11: 3 Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Nothing physical in this world can explain its own existence as per science . The serpent in the garden was also influenced by a spirit being , his name was Lucifer as we see in the scriptures in Isaiah 14 & Ezekiel 28 , the anointed Cherub angel. The Spiritual realm influences the thoughts and wisdom of our Physical realm .
In Genesis 2:7 “Jehovah God formed man with the dust of the ground.” With this act, God created man’s body. The verse continues, “And breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.” “Breath” is derived from the Hebrew word neshamah which, significantly, is translated “spirit” in Proverbs 20:27: “The spirit [neshamah] of man is the lamp of Jehovah.” We can thus infer, that God’s breathing into man the breath of life produced man’s spirit. Zechariah 12:1 corroborates the creation of man’s spirit by telling us that just as Jehovah stretched forth the heavens and laid the foundation of the earth, He also formed the spirit of man within him. Genesis 2:7 concludes “And man became a living soul.” The soul (man’s intrinsic person) was the issue of the breath of God entering into the nostrils of the body of dust.
Romans 8:16, “The Spirit Himself witnesses with our spirit,” it becomes apparent that the conscience is located within the human spirit. The Spirit of God witnesses with our human spirit, yet at the same time our conscience witnesses with the Holy Spirit. By association, then, the conscience must be part of the human spirit. In the beginning the animals and all the creation was in God's glory in uncorrupted form with much more capabilities and perfection which we cannot define. We can assume in this context how a serpent could interact with a Human being. And how a serpent can be influenced by a evil spirit being . Free will is a gift,God has given to all his creation, which is very way of expressing himself as Love. God expresses himself with a free will by Love. He has given this free will to us,to make different choices ; to love God and love each others .
As you know once while Eve was walking in the cool of the day in the garden, not surprisingly she heard a Hzz Hzz sound …. The serpent as you know was very crafty and used to regularly share a wisdom with Mrs Adam.The final nail in the coffin was pounded when the fruit of the tree of knowledge was unraveled as the epitome of supreme wisdom . Well, you know how that story culminated….(Read Genesis 3). The vocative conversation of the serpent is an evil spirit influencing the mind of a human .
What was the Sin committed by Adam and eve.? Which commandment did they break. Disobeying one commandment is like disobeying all.( James 2: 10 “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.”)
Rom 12-14 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
13 For until the law, sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
(Hos 6:7 But they like men have transgressed the covenant: there have they dealt treacherously against me.)
Lets Review 3 portions: -
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Gen 3: 1-13:-Where Adam & Eve sinned
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Deu 5: 6-21 :- Ten commandments
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Mathew 6:8-13:- Lords Prayer
Lets read the below verse by verse Gen 3 :-
Gen 3 : 1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made.He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You[a] shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Satan comes in our Life making God seem lower but we may not realise it , due to his spirit of concern?Did you notice Satan works through the weakness first, here Eve was a bit weaker than Adam,in terms of dependence , that is why Satan chose Eve)
2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” ( Satan already knew what Eve was about to tell. Some people are like this, they want to trap you by making yourself feel bad about a situation you are in….When satan comes to influence through our mind and asks us such a question , stop him there itself- ignore him or ask him to mind his own business.Guard your mind and discern what your mind speaks to you . The whole garden was under them except for this tree of knowledge. We always look at what we don’t have--human nature. If Eve would have looked at what she had , she wouldn’t have fallen into that sin. )
4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Satan never presents the lie as a lie. It will appear like a Truth- True lies. He covers & disguises the danger part of the lie .)
6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise,[b] she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. (Sin always appears as a delight to our senses first. Sin tends to be contagious, she wanted to share her delight)
7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.(Where they blind till that time ? No , after sinning ,only their natural eyes were working and open . Spiritual eyes vanished . Suddenly the awareness of the flesh was realized. The glory left them…)
8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool[c] of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?”[d] 10 And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” 11 He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” 12 The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” 13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
Ten commandments:Deu 5:6-21
6 “‘I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery7 “‘You shall have no other gods before[a] me. .-- 1st
8 “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 9 You shall not bow down to them or serve them; for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, 10 but showing steadfast love to thousands[b] of those who love me and keep my commandments.--2nd
11 “‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.--3rd
12 “‘Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. 13 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 14 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant, or your ox or your donkey or any of your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates, that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. 15 You shall remember that you were a slave[c] in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.-4th
16 “‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God commanded you, that your days may be long, and that it may go well with you in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.-5th
17 “‘You shall not murder.[d]- 6th
18 “‘And you shall not commit adultery.-7th
19 “‘And you shall not steal.-8th
20 “‘And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.-9th
21 “‘And you shall not covet your neighbor's wife. And you shall not desire your neighbor's house, his field, or his male servant, or his female servant, his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.’-10th
A Parable: As you know Earth is a shadow of heaven. I want you to retain this example below in your mind as we advance through out the message.
For a murder case, in a courtroom we need to provide your blood sample & your witnessing or testimony to justify yourself . After the judge hears it, the advocate pleads for your case. He makes several statements and makes a PLEA ( prayer) .
How did Jesus ask us to pray. ?
Mat6:5-8 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
6 But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
(Eccl 5:2 2 Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few.)
1king 18:26 26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
The Lords prayer is a mediator against the works of the law. We will see it moving forward…
The Ten commandments(Deu5 : 6- 21 & the 1st sin – in light of the Lord’s prayer(Mathew 6:8-13 KJV)
1st commandment:Deu5:6-7 They didn’t honour God, instead they honoured Satan & God’s creation- the fruit. God was no more father to them… (Jesus says , start your prayer by , “ Our father in heaven ” - way of Honouring our Lord)
2nd-idol worship. Their Idol was the Fruit of the Tree of knowledge.(Lord’s prayer continues-> Hallowed be thine name - only his name is Holy )
3rd- Deu 5: 11, For eg: My Father gave some money to me when I was poor and sick. My mother asked me, “Did Papa give you any medicines.” I say that Papa has not given me any medicines. Mummy will then think that how bad a Papa he is . What did I do here ? Papa’ name was taken in vain.( I have not projected Papa in the manner he truly was .With me he was gentle and kind. Why did I do that ? I was trying to create my own territory or kingdom, in the expectation of getting or possessing more. )
They took the name of God in vain. Satan says that God didnt give them access to those 2 trees . They too lied ,How ? They uncovered the blessings God had given them so far. All the Garden was theirs except for the 2 trees.(Gods name is taken in vain ,when you are proclaiming and defiling his name within the realm of our earthly kingdom by hiding what he has given us. Lord’s prayer continues- “ Thy kingdom come.” )
4th- On the 7th Day of rest. Observe the Sabbath . God had created Adam & eve on the 6th day . They were supposed to enjoy God’s work & live in rest. Instead , they tried to get something with their own effort. They violated God’s rest.(When God wants you to rest, you should rest in his faith . His will is that we rest in his faith as it is practiced in Heaven , Jesus said put your burdens in me.) Lets read Isaiah 14 :13- 14- satan said = I WILL. 13 For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north:14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High.
Do we often say that, “ I will do this , I will do that…..it shouldn’t be the case. Lets instead start saying , “ if God wills , I will do that…
Lord’s prayer continues- “Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.”
5th law -(Honour your parents so that all may go well with you ,have long life and all provision for daily life)- For them God was their father & parent . They didn’t honour the word of their own Father, instead listened to Satan. They refused to approach God for their daily bread instead was relying on satan (Lords prayer tells us - Give us this day our daily bread)
6th- (You shall not murder ) .They were upset & jealous with God- equivalent to murder. Jealousiness leads to anger & then to murder. Proverbs 6:34: For the woman’s jealous husband will be furious, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. Jesus said anger with your bretheren is same as murder.(If we are angry with someone who has trespassed us ,ask God to -Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us)
7th- Adultery- actually means Abandoning your first Love.They worshipped the words of the serpent & did what Satan wanted. They ate & touched the fruit of God’s creation. They found it very beautiful.One who Looks with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. They abandoned their first love- God --Adultery(The lust of our eyes - Lord’s prayer continues …,And lead us not into temptation)
8th-(And you shall not steal) The Did all this without God’s knowledge- Steal (Stealing- The evil one came to rob and steal- Lord’s prayer continues -But deliver us from evil)
9th-( And you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor ). They kept blaming each other’s fault-- False witnessing. Does Fault witnessing happen in Heaven. ( When God was not with adam and eve , they gave false witness. You become a false witness when you are not one with someone or you are not part of someone . They were out of his Kingdom. They felt God was not with them and outside them . Where ever we are , we should carry the kingdom of God with us . Lord’s prayer continues ..But for thine is the kingdom)
10th-(do not covet). They desired which did not belong to them- They coveted.(Adam and eve wanted power over all the garden, they coveted for the apple, so that they could possesss the power of knowledge from the tree, Jesus concludes the prayer “ and the power and glory forever & ever Amen ,ie… your source of power is not your knowledge , but God all the time.)
Man had faltered all the commandments from the beginning .Lord’s prayer is full of grace and truth .The grace and truth in the Jesus ‘ Lords prayer overshadowed and gave a new light over the law from Moses . The Law of life surpassed the Law of death. 2 Cor 3: 9 “If the ministry that brought condemnation was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!” The Lord’s prayer is a mediator over the demands of the law. That’s why Christ said , I have not come to abandon the law, I have come to Fulfill the law. ( Its like that Advocate making a PLEA at the end)
Parable continues….
Finally we come to the courtroom of Heaven:
We know the story of Elijah. In Old testament God’s judgement came on the sacrifice. The Lord’s fire destroyed the altar , sacrifice and all the stones and water. Here God’s judgement was bigger then the sacrifice. We can observe all this judgement in the old testament . God was never happy with their animal sacrifices as they couldn’t observe the law. When the commandment came, Sin came alive and we died. The very commandment that promised life proved to be death. Law is holy, commandment is holy, righteous and good. Romans7: 9-12. Romans7: 15-25. It is no longer I who do it, But the sin in me. We do wrong from the flesh.
When Jesus was crucified, he took all God’s anger & judgement . Why was the blood necessary to be shed? 1 Cor 15:50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable.Jesus crushed his flesh and his blood was shed. Our flesh and blood is corrupted.
The whole anger against the humanity was taken by Jesus on the cross. God’s judgement on Man’s Sin was put on Jesus the sacrifice. Hallelujah . Jesus consumed all the judgement in his body and he became the sin for us . 1 Cor 5: 21 . Jesus says it is finished . Hallelujah .The veil of the temple was split apart, Gods says welcome home son, daughter . His sacrifice on the Cross is His grace and the truth. But this time alone there was a difference , God saw the Sacrifice bigger than the judgement.
In an earthly courtroom the blood and your testimony supports your case,the law of life suddenly is passed on you instead of the law of the death. You are justified.
Do you know in the courtroom of heaven , how we could justify our selves? “ They overcame by the blood of the lamb & word of their testimony.” Rev12:11
Romans 8: 1- There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.[a] 2 For the law of the Spirit of life has set you[b] free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
(John 6:40 For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”)
The living being will change to Life giving spirit.
1Cor15:45 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living soul( being)”;[a] the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.
First Adam- became a living being/soul ( After sining God said You will die)
Last Adam- Life giving spirit( ,John 5: 21)
1Cor15:46 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. The idea is to grow into the likeness of Christ as we make each step forwards. From natural to spiritual.
( Phil 3: 20 20 But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ,.)
Rom 8:3-5 , For what the Law was powerless to do in that it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful man, as an offering for sin. He thus condemned sin in the flesh, 4so that the righteous standard of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 5Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.”
When you live according to the Spirit , we are fulfilling the law by default .
Those who live by flesh set their mind on the things of flesh. Those who live according to the spirit set their minds on the things of their spirit.(romans 8:5)
Our spirit cries out against the works of the Law. But if you are led of the spirit , you are not under Law. Gal 5: 18
By this spirit we cry out: Abba Father(romans 8:15).
If I sent a recorded cd of my testimony from India to Dubai through another person. That person is only a messenger. But I myself came here to speak the testimony directly. There is a difference. The testimony about me ,is me myself and my nature. The messenger is Moses. But if I myself come, that is the true testimony and it will bring Grace.
. John1:17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
We have to experience Grace & truth directly from Jesus in our walk of Life
Why Jesus?
Life has intense realities. Some of the painful realities is that there is no reconciliation in sight. When there is no reconciliation possible . Bible is the whole way of viewing Life,not partial. Sin is vertical, inward, conditional. Sin cannot be ignored or done away with. Forgiveness has to be real .
But Forgiveness cannot be just love . It also has to be Just at the same time. If Love and justice do not combine, you will have no point of reference for moral rectitude.Justice is the hand maiden of Love. And what God’s love gives to us- His Justice also offers to us. But in our condition of sin, this is uniquely Christian, there was no way to bridge this gap, where we as sinners had rebelled against God. And what Gods Justice demanded, his Love provided and his love sent his son. And so that in senting his son to pay the price:- the pure for the impure , the just for the unjust, the unpayable by the one who could pay it. He comes and pays it in full, so that you and I could be offered, that bridge through his son to come back and be reconciled to the Father. So first in the Christian faith the price had to be paid. And he paid it in his son, where we are already told -Relationship isn’t the first entity of this world.
Life preceeds love in all other world views. Love preceeds Life in Christian view. Love in the trinity, and Lord offers his love,
