Everybody today realizes that there is something broken or not right with the world. Utopia, where everyone can live in harmony, is a dream that we all seem to share. Many have tried to create utopia-like communities, and all have failed.  There are a few attempts to deal with the brokenness.

One idea is to focus on getting your mind in the right state. You look inside yourself and you determine what you consider reality to be. You decide what is right and what is wrong.  You fix yourself internally. You attempt to block out the wrong and promote the right (whatever that right is that you determine to be).

Another idea is that the environment is wrong. People tend to do what society tells them to do. The idea is you can fix society or the culture by training people to think correctly and do the right things. Only then would utopia be possible. The idea is we can do this if we have enough rules or laws to guide people to utopian thinking.  Correcting the environment, if you can get people to do what has been considered to be right, is an attempt to solve the problem.

Both these concepts assume that you or society knows what is right and what is wrong. In the first case the person determines what is right or wrong, and what is reality. In the second case, society determines that. Unfortunately, in either case, their definition of reality and what is good or evil can easily change.

There is a third way to look at the reality of our brokenness. We start by recognizing there is a Creator that made us (1 Corinthians 8:6). He is the one that has defined reality and has set standards of right and wrong, good and evil.  We do not get to. As the Creator, who loves us, he set these standards for our good. However, our first parents failed to follow God’s standards and went off on their own (Genesis 3:1-6). Because of this we are broken through and through (Romans 3:23).  We live self-centered selfish lives. We are unable to fix ourselves.  Our disobedience broke us and the world and ever since then we have had this longing for a restoration of that utopia.

God, our Creator, did not give up on us. He set out to rescue us from our brokenness and to restore the world to its unbroken state.  In Jesus, he became one of us, and lived a perfect life that we could not (1 Peter 2:22).  Out of love for us, he died on the cross as payment for our wrongdoings and our brokenness (1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 2:2).  He rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4) to start the process of restoration.

To illustrate this, consider this story.  You are walking across university grounds and you come across a standoff with the police and a shooter. You are peeved when told you can not go that way because you have important business to attend to.  You slip to the side and think this does not look really dangerous and I can slip under the barrier and take this other route.  So you do that and about a minute later, you see a glint of a rifle barrel,  hear a shot, and end up on the ground. You are okay but lying on top of you is the policeman that told you not to go past the barriers.  He is bleeding and is dead. He sacrificed himself because of your disobedience and selfish stupidity.  He saved you.  That is what Jesus did for us.  Jesus sacrificed himself in order to save us from our broken selves.  He did it to bring us back to himself, to restore that broken relationship with God that our first parents had in the beginning.

The Bible says you are saved by God’s undeserved love through faith (Ephesians 2:8-9).  It is a gift.  Faith has been defined in a variety of ways.  Faith is not a blind faith.  There are few things needed to have faith.  First, you must know what or who you have faith in.  You have faith in Jesus, who died for you.  Second, you need to agree or give your assent that Jesus is Lord and Savior (Romans 10:9). And lastly, you need to place your trust in Jesus, that is you need to recognize your brokenness, turn from your selfish ways, and strive to follow Jesus and his ways (Acts 3:19).  That is faith. It is an active faith.

Jesus’ resurrection points to the day we will rise back to life and live forever with God in that utopian environment (Revelation 21:1-5) (or without him in Hell if you reject him).  Today we live in the new life that he has given us (John 10:10). We have been rescued and are in the process of being restored.

This post was inspired in part by Gregory Koukl’s book, “The Story of Reality”.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:21)

People today think in terms of power.  They see the people with power and those without.  They use power to force change.  That does work in the short term, but Christians see things differently. We have a different strategy.  We work via the means of love.  We love because he [God] first loved us (1 John 4:19).  It is an upside down way of thinking by the world’s standards, but it is God’s way and I believe in the long run it works much better than going for power.

It is a radical way of thinking, but scripture is full of commands to love.  God calls us to be strong and to do everything in love (1 Corinthians 16:13-14).  We are not wimpy.  We are strong when we love.  God is our strength (Ephesians 6:10).  We do not have to do it on our own.  The Holy Spirit provides us with “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

God calls us to love even our enemies and to pray for those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-45).  We have been given a ministry of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-20).  We need to be about reconciling people to each other and especially to God. 

So we can overcome evil by doing good.  What does doing good look like?  Micah 6:8 tells us:

He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God? (Micah 6:8)

To “do justice” means we act justly, treat others fairly, and speak the truth in love. We act with integrity.  To “love kindness” means we remember the kindness and mercy we have received from God.  We are just as guilty as everyone else (Romans 3:23), but because we have been forgiven and been given a full life, we can give, serve, and  forgive others.  We can be kind.  And “to walk humbly with your God” is to recognize that we are made whole only because of God’s mercy. We walk, live our lives, with God guiding us.  We imitate God (Ephesians 4:32-5:2). We have compassion toward others and show kindness, love, and concern for them.  We are able to do this only out of God’s amazing love, grace, and mercy that he pours into us and through us to others. This is the way we can do good and overcome evil.

Like Abraham, we are called to be a blessing (Genesis 12:2-3).  (Jesus is the ultimate fulfillment of “in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed”.) So in being a blessing, we “Do not repay evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary, bless, for to this you were called”. (1 Peter 3:9).  We are a blessing when in love we imitate Jesus (1 Corinthians 11:1). 

Jeremiah 29:7 reminds us also to “seek the welfare of the city” where we live, so this doing good is more than just interpersonal relationships. It is also about the good of the community.  We can change the world for the better, by doing good in love.

Let our faith determine our response to the circumstances of life. We will not be overcome by evil, and we will overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21).

God’s grace is amazing. I am thinking of his undeserved love and provision for us. Let us think about some of the many ways his goodness and grace makes our lives better.  

God created this wonderful world (Genesis 1:1), and created us with our senses to enjoy the beauty he created.  What are some of the smells you enjoy? Tastes? Sights? Sounds? Textures?  I think about the food I get to eat.  Much of the time, the food engages most of my senses.  It smells good. It tastes good. It looks very pleasing to the eye, and there is a texture to the food that feels good in the mouth.  And sometimes there are even pleasing sounds as the food cooks or is eaten.  It is not gray tasteless mush. By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for the good food we get to eat!

I really enjoy the outdoors and the mountains (Psalm 95:4-5).  To walk along a cascading stream or a babbling brook with green foliage is a wonderful experience.  To see mountain peaks covered in snow is majestic.  Also, to walk on the beach with the sound of the waves gently breaking gives me a sense of peace.  By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for the beauty and wonder of your creation!

I think of how unique Earth is.  It is the right distance from the Sun for life.  It is not too hot or too cold.  And I especially think of water.  Water vapor helps keep the heat in so that it is warm enough.  And most solids sink in their liquid form, but water freezes and floats unlike most elements. If ice did not float in water, Earth would be an ice ball with a thin layer of water on top.  Also earth has a large moon to stir up the oceans that helps life to exist. These are some of the things that made Earth unique.  By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for this wonderful planet.

I am also thinking of friends and family, the people God has put in our lives.  We all need to have people around us, even for strong introverts like me. They help keep me grounded, especially my Christian friends and family.  I am encouraged by them (1 Thessalonians 5:11).  I learn from them and I grow with them.  And I get to worship God with them (Hebrews 10:24-25).  I think especially of my wife, Gail, who has been a real blessing to me.  By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for my family and friends.

Even when things go badly and turn out for the worse, we can thank God, because he is good (Psalm 145:9) and he is in control (Ephesians 1:11).  God is with us and he understands what we are going through.  We do not see the big picture like God does, but he is good and he wants us to become more like Jesus (Romans 8:29). He desires the best for us and will work things out for our good (Romans 8:28).  By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for working everything out for our good.

God wants to be in a relationship with us.  He loves us so much that he sent Jesus into the world (John 3:16) to live the life we could not and to take our punishment upon himself by dying on the cross (Romans 5:6-8).  On the third day he came alive again (1 Corinthians 15:3-4), and he lives today.  Jesus died for us all.  Those who believe in him become his children (John 1:12).  By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for saving us.

Since we have been saved by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8-9), the Holy Spirit enables us to live a life empowered to do good and live for him (Ephesians 2:10).  We look back and remember all God has done for us.  We give thanks for all that, and we look forward, knowing that the blessings we have received will continue because God is faithful and good (Lamentations 3:22-23).  We are inspired to do the good God wants us to do and improve the world.  We have a certain hope (Romans 8:18-25), the expectation that one day God will make everything right.  By his grace we are blessed.  Thank you God for a wonderful life and for everything.

When we read a passage in the Bible, we need to see what the Bible says in that passage and make certain we do not impose our preconceived ideas on the text.  That is easier said than done.  We need to remember that the passage was written to a particular group of people in a particular place, time, and situation, however we also believe it was written for us today and there are theological principles found in the passage that we can apply today from the text. So how do we do it?

Let us look at Jeremiah 29:11, a popular verse with a promise. I find it is good to look at verse in several translations to get a sense of the passage and how the translations differ.  I will use the latest versions of three translations that are used in the Bible studies that I am a part of.

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. (ESV 2016)

For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for prosperity and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. (NASB 2020)

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (NIV 2011)

The passages are very similar but note the differences: welfare, prosperity, and prosper you, and evil, disaster, and harm you.  You can gain additional insight from the differences because translating is rarely a pure word to word translation.  The differences should be similar.  If they are not similar, you may need to do some more research into why there are significant differences.

The context of the passage is a very important starting point in understanding the passage.  What do the surrounding verses say?  What is the larger context?  How is it part of the book?  And how does it fit in the context of the whole Biblical story, which centers on Jesus? How did the original hearers of the passage take it?

Looking at the immediate context around Jeremiah 29:11, we see that this verse is in a letter (Jeremiah 29:1-23) Jeremiah had written to the exiled people in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:1).  And he was telling them that they are going to have to wait 70 years before they would be able to return home (Jeremiah 29:10), so they should settle down in Babylon (Jeremiah 29:4-7).  God’s 70 year punishment of Israel was not null and void.  It was still in effect.  At the time of the letter, Jerusalem was still standing but it was going to fall (Jeremiah 29:15-23).  They had to wait for their return and endure the exile, but God gave them hope for their future (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  And most of them hearing the letter would not be alive in 70 years.  God was giving them hope and a future but it was not what they wanted to hear. That is the historical context (and a literary context too).

So the first step is to understand the passage in the context of the original listeners. Jeremiah 29:11 was a promise for those exiles thousands of years ago, but what does it mean for us today?  

Once we have the historical and literary context, then we can consider what the differences are between the people back then and us today.  Today we are very much individually oriented, while back then they were very much community and family oriented. Back then the community and family ranked above the individual.  With today’s eyes, we interpret Jeremiah 29:11 like it was directed at individuals, but instead it was directed at the community (especially since after 70 years most of the original hearers would be dead). Today we expect relatively quick happenings. We do not like waiting a few days, let alone 70 years.  The long time frames were more expected back then.  Receiving a letter back then was a big deal.  Parchment was expensive and it was expensive to send a letter (by a carrier), so letters were rare and carried important information.

The third step is to discover the theological principles found in the passage, noting the differences between the culture back then to the culture today.  What are the general timeless similarities that are reflected in the text that are relevant today and back then?  I see for this verse that God is in control, and his plans for us are good though they may not be what we have desired.  Those two similarities are the potential theological principles.

For the next step, we need to check and make sure the potential theological principles are represented in the New Testament as well as in the rest of Scripture. Some passages that declare “God is in control” are Ephesians 1:11, Matthew 19:26, Psalm 115:3, and Proverbs 16:9,33.  Some passages that show “his plans for us are good though they may not be what we have desired” are Romans 8:28,38-39,  Luke 18:19, and Psalm 34:8.

And the final step is to put the theological principles we learned into practice.  There can be many ways to put the theological principles we uncover into practice.  One way to put into practice this verse is to thank God in all circumstances, even the ones we do not like.

This post was inspired by a handout from Rev. Dr. Robin Dugall.  Also check out the resources listed in my blog post “Is the Bible Wicked?”.

The Christian Faith is all about forgiveness. What does forgiveness look like? Let me explain forgiveness in a story.

You invite a friend over to explain why you have to do an unpleasant task.  You explain why it is necessary and your friend grudgingly agrees, but he leaves angry and in his car he purposely backs over your mailbox and then drives over it again before speeding down the road.  To replace the mailbox will cost at least $100.  This is a debt your friend owes you.  The monetary debt is not the only debt.  Your relationship is also broken.  You have feelings of anger and sadness at how things turned out. Those are debts too.  You have been wronged. You want vengeance. He needs to pay.  He owes you and you have a desire to even the score.

However, you decide to forgive.  As a Christian, you forgive because God has forgiven you (Ephesians 4:32).  You are no different than him.  You both are sinners in need of God’s forgiveness (Romans 3:23).  You forgive because you have been forgiven much (Matthew 18:23-35). With the Holy Spirit in you, you have the power to forgive.  This is the first dimension of forgiveness.  It is upward and looks to God.

You internally forgive your friend.  If you do not, your friend and this event will have power over you. By not forgiving, you will let this event influence you in the decisions you make.  By forgiving, you decide not to demand the $100+ from your friend.  You will also treat him well and will not extract a payment in any way for the mental anguish he caused you. If you do not, your unforgiveness will bind you and you will take actions solely because of what he did. Forgiving will free you from this bondage. This is the second dimension of forgiveness and it is inward (Mark 11:25).

The third dimension of forgiveness is outward (Luke 17:3-4).  You go to your friend to reconcile with him. You confront your friend about the wrong, the destruction of the mailbox and his anger.  Most of the time, it is not 100% his fault.  You likely had a part to play in the wrong.  No matter how small a part it was, you should apologize and ask him for forgiveness for your small part.  That will help with the reconciliation.  Now you have confronted him with his wrongdoing.  If he takes your admonition to heart, forgive him and let him know that you will not hold anything against him.  If he does not and refuses to repent, then you still can be open to restoring the relationship as much as it is possible (Romans 12:18).  Even without his repentance, you have internally forgiven him so you can and should still treat him with love and respect, however the relationship is not what it once was.

If things are serious, you may need to involve the police.  You should consider whether having the police involved is the best thing for him and for others in contact with him.  Out of love for him and for the others, you need to consider what is best.  Note justice and forgiveness are not mutually exclusive. Your internal forgiveness frees you to do the best thing possible without any need for revenge, and that may mean involving the justice system.

So how does justice play into this idea of forgiveness?  Looking at God’s forgiveness for us, we start with the knowledge that God is both forgiving and just.  On the cross, out of love, God reconciled the world to himself by paying our debt (Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:18-19).  He could not ignore our sin and let it go.  Justice required a payment for our sins and Jesus made that payment on the cross. So justice and forgiveness need not be exclusive to each other.  

People, who do not like forgiveness, often point to abusers and oppressors for their reason not to forgive.  They think you are letting them get away with their wrongdoing.  In most of these cases of abuse, power dynamics are involved.  The abuser or the oppressor twists the relationship so that they are in control and they have the power.  It is not a healthy relationship. It is best for others and for the abuser/oppressor that they receive justice that will protect society.  A slap on the hand is not going to change their behavior.  They need a sterner punishment for their own good and for the good of society.  

The purpose of forgiveness is to restore and create a good healthy relationship.  Internal forgiveness makes it possible for the relationship to be restored.  The repentance of the offender with the proclamation of forgiveness then allows the relationship to be restored. This restoration is a process that can take some time before the relationship is fully restored.

This post was partially based on Timothy Keller’s book, “Forgive: Why Should I and How Can I?”.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18)

This sentence has meant a lot to me in my spiritual walk.  I try to be intentional and disciplined in strengthening my relationship with God, and this sentence along with Bible reading and study, and serving God by serving others allows that to happen. I believe this sentence with the 3 humanly impossible commands can help set our attitude and can help us build some good habits.

Pray Without Ceasing

I am going to start with continual prayer since I believe it is central because it focuses us on God. I have a whole blog post on “God Awareness” where I show the importance of prayer to remind ourselves of the presence of God. By praying as often as possible we can keep God in our thoughts and it makes us aware of God at work around us and in us. God is at work in us rewiring our brains so that we can be more like him.  I believe this habit of praying is one of God’s ways he uses to change us.

So what does this continual prayer look like?  For me it is made up of mostly short bullet prayers. When I think of a person I try to say a short prayer for them right then and there.  Also many times I pray “Thank you, Jesus” when I recognize something to be thankful for or I am reminded of what Jesus has done for me by dying on the cross.  Another short prayer I say many times a day is “I am yours”, in which I acknowledge God is my master and I surrender myself to him.  In a day, there tends to be many periods of dead time.  One significant dead time is when you are driving in a car somewhere.  You can use that time to sing praise songs in the car along with the radio, or you can also use the time to pour out your concerns to God. I recently used the time waiting for a dentist to pray for people. The point is to use the dead time in the day to connect with God.

Continual praying allows us to further develop that intimate relationship with God by recognizing his continual presence in our lives. He is always there for you with his love and we can respond to his love in loving prayer.

Rejoice Always

When we recognize God’s continual presence, his goodness, and sovereign control, we can rejoice. Joy is not happiness. Happiness is dependent on what is happening around us.  Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and is not influenced by circumstances. The Apostle Paul describes himself “as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing” (2 Corinthians 6:10), so one does not have to be happy 24/7.

So what does it mean to rejoice always?  One definition states  ‘“rejoicing always” is a conscious attitude of contentment, hope, and happiness that comes from deliberately focusing on Christ and the eternal treasures that we have received freely from Him.’  And Kay Warren defines joy as:  “Joy is the settled assurance that God is in control of all the details of my life, the quiet confidence that ultimately everything is going to be all right, and the determined choice to praise God in all things.” 

Note the focus is on God, his work, his goodness, and his sovereign control. This means we can rejoice even in our trials and sufferings (James 1:2-4).  Because of this attitude, Paul and Silas were able to rejoice and praise God even though they had been illegally beaten and thrown into jail (Acts 16:16-40).  When we focus on God, what he has done, and what he is doing, we can rejoice.

Give Thanks in All Circumstances

Because knowing of God’s goodness and knowing that God is in control, that is he is working out all things for our good (Romans 8:28), we can give thanks in all circumstances. It is easy to be thankful for the good things that happen to you. When you are in a tough situation it is harder to be thankful.  To be thankful in a tough situation, you are forced to trust God and to see his hand in directing you through the tough situation.  Just making the effort to be thankful will help you to connect with God.   24 years ago, I came down with Gillian Barre.  I missed 6 months of work.  I was in the ICU for two weeks.  It was a tough situation.  Yet because of that illness, I have a greater awareness of God’s goodness and grace.  It also helped Gail and I to bond.  I can be thankful for that illness.  I have had several blog posts on being thankful.  The awareness of God’s goodness allows us to give God thanks.

For this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you

God wants to be in that intimate relationship with you.  This continual prayer with thanksgiving and rejoicing allows us to grow closer to God and recognize his goodness and love for us.  He desires the best for us, and developing the habits of continual praying, rejoicing, and thanksgiving will bring us closer to him.  It will rewire your brain to be more focused on God. It requires you to be intentional and disciplined. I fail daily in my attempts. However, I have learned to not think of the failure as a test that you have failed, but rather to remind yourself that you are in training while God is doing that brain rewiring.  Remember God is at work, changing you to be more like him.

We love because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

As Christians we see the world differently.  When we look at the world, we see the world through the lens of God’s love.  Out of gratitude, we love because of God’s love for us (Romans 5:10).  He loves each and every one of us unconditionally (1 John 4:9-10). God loves us so much that Jesus gave himself for us by dying in our place (John 3:16). God did not wait for us to get our act together.  No, he did it for the ungodly, that is for sinners like us (Romans:5:6-8).

So as Christians, we imitate God and love all people (Ephesians 5:1-2).  We walk in love.  What does this love look like? First, love is more than words.  Love expresses itself in action.  Second, love is sacrificial, meaning that you put the needs of the other person ahead of your own and do what is best for them. Third, you actually care for the people you are loving.

Because of our relationship with God, we recognize that we are in the same situation as everyone else.  We all are broken, self-centered sinners in need of God’s love and forgiveness (Romans 3:10-12).  God loves everyone fully just as we are, and wants to bring us in relationship with him.  God loves us so much that he does not leave us the way we are, but instead he works in us to improve us and to make us holy.   In the same way that he loves us he commands us to love one another (John 13:34-35 ).  God has called us to love not just the people we like, but also our enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).  This is how we can respond to his amazing love.

I am certain the average American does not view the world through the lens of God’s love.  Many Americans view the world in terms of power.  Many times those terms of power are expressed in terms of oppression. Viewing the world in terms of power is divisive because doing so divides the world into winners and losers, oppressors and the oppressed, liberals and conservatives, etc. I believe this is one of the main reasons why things are so divisive today.

As Christians, I believe we can make a difference by showing love to people we disagree with. I believe this is the best way to change minds and unite people.  However, I also believe loving takes time.  We need to be in it for the long term and be patient.  I believe it is the main way God wants to use us to change lives.  We need to be wise in the meekness of the wisdom that is from above (James 3:13).

But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. (James 3:17-18)

And we can make use of the fruit of the Spirit that we have been given.

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.  And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.  (Galatians 5:22-24)

Acting in love, using Godly wisdom and the fruit of the Spirit, looks very different from the way the world acts, but I believe acting this way reconciles people and brings peace.  It does not carry with it the added problems that arise from having a power focused worldview.  We can make a difference in the world today by loving others.

I look at our cat, Frodo, and I realize my relationship with the cat is similar to my relationship with God.  I love our cat, I look after our cat, and I provide for him, but he can be demanding and at times he even attacks me.  He wants the good moist cat food early.  He does not want to wait for the proper time to be fed.  There are times when I think he is in a foul mood and he feels the need to assert himself. That is when he will attack and put his claws and teeth in my leg.  I then will yell at him and stomp my feet. He will run off afraid, but he does not seem to learn that biting me is bad for him.  There are times when he has to wait because I am not there. I wonder how impatient he is.  And he expects me to walk him to his cat dish. Is my walking to the cat dish an assurance for him that there will be food?  There are other times when he wants to go outside and it is raining or there is snow.  He will look at me and I think he is telling me to fix the situation.  Even though I provide for him, he thinks he is the master and he should be the one in charge. And yet I still love him.

I see a lot of similarities in my relationship with our cat, Frodo, and my relationship with God. I am much like Frodo, the cat.  God, out of his love, provides for me.  I have all I need, but there are times when I want more and I want it now.  I am not satisfied with what I have.  I want to be independent, master of my own destiny, and at the same time I want and expect God to provide for all I desire.  There are times when I assert my independence and do things that are bad for me.  I do not listen to God and I sin and bear the consequences of my actions. I did it my way instead of God’s way.  In these times, I like to think I am in control and in charge, when nothing is further from the truth.  And despite my sin, my wanting to be like God, God still loves me and desires me to be in a relationship with him. And God was willing to go to extreme measures to bring us back to him.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. (John 3:16-17)

These verses are foundational to the Christian Faith.  If you do not get that God loves you and wants the best for you, then you do not understand the Christian Faith.  

God created the world (Revelation 10:6) and it was very good (Genesis 1:31), but Adam and Eve decided that they wanted to be like God, that is to be their own god (Genesis 3:1-6).  They became self-centered and everything went downhill from there (James 3:14-16).  Adam and Eve harmed themselves and the world, but God still loved them and had a plan to bring them back to him and restore the world (Genesis 3:14-15; John 3:16). We are their descendants and we carry the same broken sinful nature that they ended up with (Romans 3:23).

Jesus is at the center of that plan.  He came into the world to live the perfect life that we cannot (1 Peter 2:22).  He came to suffer and die to pay the price for our sins (1 Peter 1:18-19).  He then rose back to life from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). And through the Holy Spirit he gives us life, and not just any old life but an abundant life (John 10:10) that is eternal (Romans 6:23).  One day everything will be restored and made right, and we will live forever with him (Revelation 21:1-5).

Reality is found in the Christian Faith. I have a good life because of my Christian faith. My faith has made a difference in every aspect of my life. Let Jesus change your life.