Brokenness is Everywhere
If you turn on the television or look at your social media feed it’s very clear that we live in a broken world there’s a lot of death a lot of conflict, disease, and pain and suffering.
But we see traces of God’s Original Design
but we also see traces of beauty like the beauty of a sunset or the laughs of a child and that’s because God’s design was perfect. When he made it, there was no conflict, death or disease or suffering. But then God turned His perfect creation over to people like us.
How did everything get so broken?
And starting with the very first people we as humans chose to go our own way and leave God’s perfect design and that’s called sin. We all want to be self-determining, be our own boss, and do what we want to do. This sin is what led to brokenness in our world and us and sinfulness. We don’t like to be in brokenness – this state that we’re born in. So, we try to get out.
“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (Romans 3:23, NLT)
“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23, NLT)
We Attempt to Escape Brokenness in Many Ways
Broken Line #1: Some they try to get out on their own by climbing the ladder of success at work or school thinking that’ll get them out.
Broken Line #2: Others try to get out by doing good things, being religious, going to church, and helping people. These are great things, but they cannot get us out of brokenness.
Broken Line #3: Some try to drown out the brokenness with drugs, and alcohol, or attempts at suicide, or maybe even relationships. These attempts to get out of brokenness end up snapping us back in like a bungee cord. We cannot escape it ourselves. [Ephesians 2:8-9] But God loved us so much he didn’t want us to stay in brokenness. [John 3:16]
“God saves you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.” (Ephesians 2:8–9, NLT)
““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16, NLT)
But God pursues us with His amazing Love!
God did for us what we could not do for ourselves. He stepped out of Heaven in His Son Jesus Christ. He revealed to us His love, His ways, and then demonstrated His love to everyone. God sacrificed His only Son Jesus on a horrible cross, so you could be forgiven, know God personally, and get into the amazing place of God’s design for you. Jesus came. He was crucified. He was buried. And He rose from the dead!
“When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners. Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good. But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.” (Romans 5:6–8, NLT)
Christ took my place and your place of punishment. He literally died for each of us so we would not have to face the punishment for our sins.
“Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the sins of us all.” (Isaiah 53:4–6, NLT)
The Way to Return to God’s Design
He declared that if anyone would turn from their ways and surrender to Him; And believe that Jesus came and died on the cross, that He rose from the dead; And that they would be willing to make Him their King or their Lord
Real Hope and Real Life!
that they would be forgiven, made new, have assurance of eternal life, and would then be able to experience God’s perfect design for their life.
Where are you?
Now I want to ask you which of these two would you say you’re in. Are you still in brokenness or have you repented and believed in Jesus and are now back in his design?
Well which one of these two do you want to be in? Is there anything that is keeping you from turning from your ways and believing in Christ Jesus and making him your Lord, your king?
When I chose to make this decision, I prayed a simple prayer saying these few things to God. All you do is…
- Tell Jesus you want Him to be your ruler, leader, boss, your Lord.
- Tell Jesus you are turning from your sinful ways.
- Tell Him you believe in His death as the payment for your sins.
- Ask Him to forgive you from going against His design and to give you His eternal life, so you can become new and experience His design for your life. [Romans 10:9-11]
Is that something you’d like to do?
Then just say those things to Jesus in your own words.
“If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9, NLT)
“For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.” (Romans 10:10, NLT)
“As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.”” (Romans 10:11, NLT)
“Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him.” (Romans 10:12, NLT)
“For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”” (Romans 10:13, NLT)
Welcome to Christ’s family!
“This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” (2 Corinthians 5:17, NLT)
“So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death.” (Romans 8:1–2, NLT)