How Bright Are You and I?

I am so brilliant, my father used to call me, "son." (A play on the word "sun" which would indicate brilliance..."

Actually, the longer I live, the more I realize that there is a thousand times more to learn than I have already learned.

I don't know all there is to know about God.

If I did, I would be Him, and, trust me, you don't want me to be Him.

Why, I would not have saved me, and I sure-'nuff wouldn't have saved you.

Here is what I do know:

1. Christ, according to John 1, created all that was created.

2. God, according to Genesis 1, created all that was created.

3. This is not possible unless they are one-and-the-same.

4. Therefore I conclude that they are one-and-the-same.

5. As Christ, Himself, said, "...I and the Father are one."

6. I was, am now and always will be a sinner on this earth.

7. I know that because I sin (not to mention that the Bible says so).

8. I, by my sin, earned death, both physical and spiritual, and there is absolutely no way I can escape it by my own power.

9. If I get what I deserve, I will spend eternity in a place designed, not for me, but for the devil and his angels.

10. I am, therefore, doomed to an eternity in Hell.

11. Except for one thing: Christ, being God incarnate, died the death I was condemned to at the cross of Calvary.

12. He died that I might have eternal life with God in Heaven.

13. When I trust Him, and His finished work at the Cross and realize His resurrection, I receive that eternal life as a gift from God.

14. To the degree that I turn my life over to Him, I have the joy of my salvation in my daily life and need not fear the sting or victory of death and the grave.

15. The instant I truly trusted in Christ as my savior, God chose me to be His forever.

Those are things that I know.

I don't think that I know them.

I know them.

There are more than a few things that I don't know.

Does that surprise you?

I don't know how God does what He does.

I don't know why God does what He does.

I don't know why God does or does not do what He does or does not do when He does or does not do them.

I only know that once I was lost and now I'm found.

If you want to argue with me about some theological position or another, you are out of luck.

I am happy to express what I believe theologically.

I am not happy to debate it.

In other words, I have made up my mind about what I believe, and you are very unlikely to argue me out of it (although there may be some evidence that I am already out of my mind).

It just isn't important to me whether God sat in some throne room with a list of all of the people who would ever be born and said, "I'll save this one, and that one, and, oh yes, let's not forget that one," or just gave me complete discretion on the matter.

What is important is that Christ paid the sin-debt for me, personally...and for you as well.

I wake up every single morning excited about the new day I've been given and looking for ways to express my appreciation to Him by willingly being His slave.

Maybe that doesn't bring you joy, love, peace, and abundant living.

Maybe you prefer anger, hatred, anxiety, lust, suspicion and other assorted evils.

How bright does that make you?