Faith? Or the Judgement?

One full year since my last post. That's a long time. 

       Has God ever pushed you to do something? If you don't think he has then you are really missing out. It starts with seeing a problem, and acknowledging that it's a problem. Then seeing the solution, which may be something you would hate to bring about. As you seek God, he makes you hate the problem so much that you want the solution and you find yourself crying out, "Lord, you do it. You take this problem away from me. Please." Am I the only one?
        Have you ever hated your sin so much you would do anything to make yourself and those around you forget you had ever sinned in the first place? What about making God forget? He's the Ancient of Days. He sees everything. He never ever gets Alzheimer's and He's our judge.
        I was once challenged with the words, "Do you really believe what you really believe is really real?" If we Christians did, we would turn the world upside down. I've been reading through Matthew and it just hits me how many times Jesus Christ said the words, "O, ye of little faith". Once he even said, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?" (Matt. 17:17). Those seem like strong words to me. Then Jesus Christ, the Son of God, died for that faithless and perverse generation. Excuse me, He died for them?
       John the Baptist once said, "Behold, the lamb of God (Jesus) that taketh away the sins of the world!" John died because he believed those words. Truly, this is the upside of having faith in Christ, because John Baptist isn't dead! He's more alive now than he ever was because he's in Heaven, but if he had got what he deserved he would be in Hell. No kidding. Jesus suffered a painful death to become sin for us, so we could have eternal life. He loved us and died, so He could forgive us. Then I have to ask, "How could a just and righteous God love me? How could He forgive me?"
       Because He's after relationship, God died for me and He did not stay dead. John 3:16 says, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life." God came to give us everlasting life. "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3). Knowing Christ is eternal life. This doesn't mean one will not die, but that when one die one will be with Jesus. I do not understand why God loves me, but I do know that He has proven himself faithful to countless generations who were not.
      As I read the Psalms I notice all the places it tells of the righteous obtaining favour with God and God being angry with the wicked. There is no fence line. You're either with God or against God. How many times I wished I could live a life without sin so I could be accounted for as righteous! Let me tell you the good news. There are two ways to be accounted for as righteous. You can either live a perfect life, which only God is capable of, or we can have faith in Jesus Christ. We can't just believe that Jesus lived or that he is God, though. Even the demons believe that and they tremble for the wrath to come (James 2:19). We must believe as John Baptist did, that Jesus, who is one with God, is able to take away the sins of the whole world. That means everyone's sin. Past. Present. Future. Including you and me. God said that we must confess. We must say it out loud. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." It is when we have faith in Christ, whether we're ready to or not, that our sin is erased from the mind of the almighty God and we can have a relationship with Him. 
      Horatio Gates Spafford once wrote, "My sin, O the bliss of this glorious thought. My sin not in part, but the whole, is nailed to the cross and I bear it no more. Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul!" When one is forgiven one get as excited as Spafford did. We get to have friendship with God, just like Abraham. He was called a friend of God and the scripture says, "Who (Abraham) against hope believed in hope... He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he (God) had promised, he was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed (accounted) to him for righteousness. Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead." Abraham was accounted as righteous, or sinless, because of his faith. and so can we if we believe on Jesus Christ. We no longer have to be the enemies of God.
     Do I believe this? Yes I do, and I'm not backing down from it. Believe it or not, God has forced me to have faith (which is still growing) in him when I did not think I could. He has taught me to know He loves me and He has taught me to love Him. Walking with God will never get old. Now I just have to ask, "Do you really believe what you really believe is really real?"
    This Easter it will be ten years since the recorded date of my salvation. I say recorded because it was when I repeated the sinners prayer after Mom, but truly, after a few years with God I believe my journey with Him has only begun (especially when you compare it to eternity with Him in Heaven).