What the hell could he have learned about Christianity from “That ’70s Show”? I’m sure that’s what everyone is thinking right now.
Well I was watching it today and the episode was about family going to church and just generally their opinion on religion. The kids didn’t want to go and the mom wanted them to go because she kept having dreams that if she wasn’t a “good Christian” and she took her kids to church, God wouldn’t let her into heaven.
Dad didn’t like going to church because it was boring and he didn’t see any point in it. The daughter continued to flirt with the youth pastor and overall it was a pretty funny sight… but I digress. What it taught me was that people need to know what being a Christian really means to us and to God!
What do you think the children’s reaction to going to church would have been if they realized they didn’t have to go? Do you think they would have wanted to go because they wanted to meet the God who sent his son Jesus to die on the Cross for his sins? Do you think the mother’s life would have been much less stressful if she had realized that she was not responsible for her fate and that of her family? That she could have gotten to heaven the way she envisioned simply by accepting God’s gift of salvation by faith? And the daughter who kept flirting with the youth pastor? Well, she probably wouldn’t have been seeking to satisfy her need for intimacy with so many different people when she realized how much God loved her and wanted her company.
It’s amazing how much it would help the lives of these people on “That ’70s Show” if they realized who they were and who God is. Would your life change if you knew these things? God created you and me and loves us very much (Genesis 1:1). He gave us all life and deserves our love and gratitude. But we think of disobeying him and all of us have failed to do the right thing (Romans 3:23). We may not be as sinful as that guy on the street or even worse than him or anyone else we know; but either way we are ALL guilty before God (1 John 1:8).
God is perfect, completely good, and always just. That is why you cannot ignore the fact that we have all sinned. The Bible says, “The wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). The just punishment we deserve for our rebellion against God is death.
Jesus, the only Son of God, came to earth and lived a perfect and sinless life: he was completely innocent. He received the punishment we deserved when he was crucified on the cross, he took it all upon himself, the death sentence that should have been ours. (Romans 5: 8) But he did not remain dead, after three days he rose from the grave and later ascended to heaven. And he will return one day. Jesus DIED FOR YOU. You can be saved by asking Him for forgiveness for your sins. If you are willing to repent of your sin, He is waiting to forgive you. No matter what you have done in the past, if you cry out to Jesus for forgiveness, He will not reject you. The word “repent” literally means “to turn away.” You need to look at your life, admit that you are a sinner, genuinely want to turn your back on that sin and ask it to forgive you. If you do this, He promises to forgive you.
True Christianity is not about attending a particular church, or trying to make your behavior conform to some model of how a Christian should act. Being a Christian means that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, that He is your Savior. Jesus is always present. He can hear you now if you ask him for forgiveness. If you want to pray and ask Jesus to be your Savior, you can say a prayer like this:
“Jesus, I know that I am a sinner. The truth is that I have sinned of my own free will, and I am responsible for it. I know that the just punishment for my sin is death. Jesus, I believe that You died in my place. Forgive me for my sin “I totally trust you because I know I can’t do anything to fix my situation. I repent. Come into my life, take away my sin and give me the life you promised me.”
If you have prayed this, YOU ARE SAVED! You are now completely forgiven, a new creation, holy and blameless in the sight of God. If you made a mistake here and there, don’t worry, the words are not important, they are simply our faith expressed through prayer.
Congratulations and welcome to the family of God!
© Caleb Osborne – All Rights Reserved
