I Raised My Handنموونە

Today is the first day of a new adventure. If you are here, it’s because you heard the Gospel. Simply put, the gospel is the “Good News,” of what God has done for humanity. 

You see, when God created the world, he said it was good. He created humans to be in a perfect relationship with Him and with each other. But because of  humanity’s decision to disobey, it broke the perfect relationship between humanity and God. This is called sin. Sin is a word that means: an action that causes a broken relationship. Things like lying, cheating, gossip, jealousy—these are all things that hurt relationships. They also hurt the relationship between God and humanity. These actions separate us from God. That is the consequence of sin—separation, and the ultimate separation? Eternal death.

So what then? Is there some sort of payment plan? How did humanity get out of this mess? Some may say that sin requires a certain amount of prayers, good deeds, personal sacrifice, or even monetary donation. But truthfully, there is no payment large enough to bridge the gap that sin creates between God and humanity. Humanity cannot work its way towards God. God is perfect. So God did something incredible. He reached down and made a way for humanity’s sin to be completely wiped away and the relationship to be restored. He fought for our relationship.

This is where Jesus comes in. Jesus is God in human flesh. He was born of a virgin and that is why he is commonly referred to as “God’s Son.” He was sinless and good, which made him the only candidate worthy of a replacement for humanity’s sin—perfect. God gave his best. He understood that the only way to heal the divide between us and Himself was to become the bridge. He sacrificed His own life, covered our sins with His own blood, and stepped in between God and humanity as a savior of the world. This is why the Gospel is also called “salvation,” or being “saved.”

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” This is why we raise our hand. It is our way of saying, “YES! I believe! Jesus is God in human flesh. He saved the world by giving His life, and He raised again to prove it! I want to be covered by this salvation, my relationship restored, and live with Him for eternity in heaven.” 

Now this doesn’t mean that life is all of a sudden peaches. But it does mean that you are now a child of God—a new creation. You have been set free from the pain, the death, and the eternal separation that comes with sin. You are adopted into the family of God. You raised your hand and Jesus reached down and took it. He fought for your relationship and He won!

Take a look at the following verses from the Bible that will further explain what was discussed today.