Truth: Your life in this body is finite.

Truth: Your existence is infinite.

Imperative: Choose your eternity.

So Be It.

The quest is now yours. The time is set.

You are not a random accident.

You were intentionally designed by the Divine Architect and created in His own image for one primary purpose: a perfect relationship with Him.

But a shadow fell upon that design.

"How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!"

(Isaiah 14:12, KJV)

Lured by the temptation of the Serpent of old, humanity made a willing choice to join his rebellion against their Creator.

That single act of treason severed the sacred relationship with their Author. The Scripture calls this treason sin, and its curse was unleashed upon reality:

“For the wages of sin is death.”

(Romans 6:23a, KJV)

This created an infinite debt before a perfect Judge,

A debt you do not have the currency to pay.

The Genesis of the War

Where you will face a final verdict of divine justice before the Ancient of Days.

It is the story of a war waged in the unseen realm.

The answer is not found in philosophy or religion.

The Victor

This is the turning point of the war. With humanity defeated and held in debt, the Author of existence executed a plan conceived before time began. He did not send an army, but sent Himself. The Lord Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, entered into His own creation, taking on the form of a man.

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1, KJV)

“And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14, KJV)

He lived a perfect, uncorrupted life.

Then, at the climax of history, He willingly went to the cross. This was the decisive battle. On that cross, He absorbed the full, terrible force of the curse, taking the penalty of death that you deserved.

"And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8, KJV)

With his own blood, He paid the infinite debt.

"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (1 Peter 2:24, KJV)

Three days later, He rose from the dead, proving Himself to be the unassailable Sovereign and the victor over sin, death, and the ancient enemy.

The war for your soul has been won.

But Death could not hold Him.

A Note for the Honest Skeptic: If you need to address any logical objections before continuing the story, this path is for you.

Your Move

The War Has Been Won

The debt is paid. The Victor now offers you the gift He earned: eternal life:

For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23b, KJV)

But a gift has no value until it is received. A pardon has no power until it is accepted. This is your move.

This is the choice.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me." (Revelation 3:20, KJV)

To accept this gift, you must do two things:

1. Surrender. (This is Repentance) This is a change of mind. It means agreeing with God that your own path, your rebellion of sin, is a destructive life that leads only to death. It is the decision to turn from that path and humbly ask the Holy Spirit to begin leading you in a new direction.

2. Trust the Victor. (This is Faith) This means to stop trusting in yourself, your own good deeds, or any other religion. It is to place your complete trust in Jesus Christ alone, relying only on what He accomplished on the cross as the full and final payment for your sin.

The moment you do this in your heart and call upon the name of the Lord, your pardon is sealed.

You are adopted into the family of the King, your eternal destination is secured in Heaven, and the curse of death over you is broken forever.

"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." (Romans 10:9, KJV)

So what does it mean to "surrender" and "turn from sin"? Some may think this means you must become perfect overnight. That is not the case.

At its core, sin is a life lived for self instead of for God. It is choosing your own authority over His. While this includes actions the Scripture clearly calls wrong (such as dishonesty, sexual immorality, hatred, and pride), it is fundamentally about the direction of your heart.

The Victor has already broken the curse of sin and death. Therefore, you do not turn from your old ways to earn or keep your salvation. You turn from them because you are no longer a slave to them. You have a new nature and a new King. Learning to live by the Spirit is the joyful process of walking as a citizen of your new kingdom. As the Scripture says:

“Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17, KJV)

Jesus conquered death and fulfilled the Law. The old law of performance is now complete, and the new reality is this: we live under a single, central charge, which is fulfilled in two inseparable commands:

"Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

(Matthew 22:37-39, KJV)

The choice to follow Christ is not the end of the story. It is the beginning of the greatest and most real adventure. There will be battles ahead in this life, but you do not fight for a victory that is in doubt. You fight from a victory that is already won.

You are now a child of the King, sealed by the Holy Spirit. Your eternal destiny is no longer a question, but a promise, secured by the Victor Himself. He says of His own:

“And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand.” (John 10:28-29, KJV)

The Quest

As you start this journey, know that your strength and direction will come from the Word of God.

You will find all truth within its pages.

A good place to begin your search is in the book of John.

As you grow, seek out a local church that honors the Bible as its sole authority. Come as you are, and do not feel any pressure to give money; giving is a joyful act of worship, not an entrance fee.

"Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9:7, KJV)

Do not be discouraged by imperfect people, you will find them everywhere. Your trust is not in men, but in the unchanging Word of God. As you seek Him, the Holy Spirit will guide you into all truth.

The Final Command and the Final Promise

As Jesus completed His earthly mission, His last words to His followers were not a suggestion but an order. He gave them the ultimate quest.

"And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:18-20, KJV)

He left us with a mission, but also a promise. He will one day return for those who are ready.

1 "Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also."

John 14:1-3 (KJV)

Therefore, the Scripture commands us to be ready watchmen.

"Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come." (Matthew 24:42, KJV)

For just as He ascended, the Scripture promises that the Victor will return for His own, and this time, He will not be coming as a sacrifice. He will come as King.

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, KJV)

Your quest begins now. Be a good watchman. Live as if He is returning today.

A New Allegiance

But,

Love Paid.

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, KJV)

For as the Scripture says, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

(John 3:16, KJV)

“And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.”

Matthew 28:5-6 (KJV)

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