The Divine Romance

John 3:16 tells us about the greatest Romance of all time, about a Prince in search of His Bride. It started with a quest set out for the Prince by his Father the King. The Prince carried with him a gift, a sacrifice most precious with which to win His Bride. The sacrifice was Himself. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life". John 3:16
It is the greatest story ever told, about a love, about a gift and about a Savior.
There is a Bride (the redeemed Church), There is an hostile enemy intent on stealing the Bride and spilling the Prince's blood (Satan and his forces). And there is the Hero (Christ) who against all odds suffered and died and rose again, victor over sin to win his Bride.
This brings up a question many people ask. Why do we, as decent, loving people need a Savior? Don't all roads lead to heaven? This is what the enlightened, politically correct would have you think. The discussion could continue forever. To discover truth we must measure everything by the book.
What book you say? The Holy Bible. The Bible's account of the divine romance spans the cosmos and transcends the boundaries of time and space.
The Bible teaches that because of disobedience mankind lost his connection the King, our creator, the price of our sin was eternal separation from God. We were powerless to change anything, lost, alone in the darkness of our situation. But God made a way, He paid our way back into fellowship with Him with the unimaginable gift of His son. Through faith in the sinless perfection and sacrifice of Jesus Christ we have a way to "balance the books" so to speak. I don't know why he chose to do things the way he did, it's hard to understand. Yet simple enough for a child. It is a tale of love and loss, sacrifice and redemption. Love reached down in one grand act and purchased a dream.
God laid my sins and your sins upon Jesus and He died in our place. He became our substitute. It is true. God cannot lie. We accept it on faith, of our own free will in simple trust. Mark 10:15 tells us "Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it." In John 3:7, Jesus Himself told Nicodemus, “Ye must be born again.” To be "born again" is to accept and believe in the act of divine love. To stand and confess it as one stands and confesses their love on their wedding day. We "belong" to Christ as a bride belongs to her husband and we cast our lot with him for eternity.
First, you must realize you are a sinner. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). As a sinner you face a certain conundrum, you are condemned to death. “For the wages [payment] of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).
This includes eternal separation from God in Hell. “ . . . it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).
God lost the object of his affection, mankind. we were too weak and too flawed to do anything to save ourselves. In order to redeem mankind He gave his very best, His only begotten Son, Jesus, to bear your sin and die in your place. “ . . . He hath made Him [Jesus, Who knew no sin] to be sin for us . . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
Christ became the sacrificial Lamb, dying in our place, on our behalf. “For the life of the flesh is in the blood”(Lev. 17:11). “ . . . without shedding of blood is no remission [pardon]” (Hebrews 9:22). “ . . . God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
It is a free gift, but it is not forced upon us, we must accept, believe and repent. “God . . . commandeth all men everywhere to repent” (Acts 17:30). In Acts 16:30-31, the story is told of the Philippian jailer who asked Paul and Silas: “ . . . ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ And they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved . . . .’ ”
His resurrection shows that the believer can claim everlasting life when Jesus is received as Savior. “But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” (Romans 10:13).
This includes everyone, no exceptions. We can rest in confidence, saved, means saved, not maybe saved , or can be saved, but saved right at this moment, forever by his grace as long as we remain true in faith.
In Luke 18:13, the Publican prayed: “God be merciful to me a sinner.” Just pray: "Oh Lord, I know I am a sinner, but I ask your forgiveness and accept your free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ."
Take God at His word and claim His salvation by faith. Believe, and you will be saved. No certain church, no organization, no good deeds can save you. Ephesians 2:9 tells us it's "not of works, lest anyone should boast". Remember, God does the saving. All of it!
God’s simple plan of salvation is: You are a sinner, separated from God and worthy of punishment. Therefore, unless you believe on Jesus who died in your place, you will spend eternity in Hell. It seems hard I know, but a perfectly pure and righteous God can not simply disregard the rebellion of man. But he did provide a way of escape. If you believe on Him as your risen Savior, and ask forgiveness for your sins you will receive His gift of eternal salvation.

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