We were visiting friends years ago, and our friends had a small child. The boy was at that stage of life where he would walk along furniture, but he would still crawl across the open floor. All the adults were sitting in the living room when here he came, crawling in from the kitchen dragging a huge pot. The pot was as big as he was, and everyone gave a laugh, but he seemed determined to bring it into the same room as us. Mom handled the situation by removing the pot, but while doing so, she said to the child, “What are you trying to accomplish?”
After all this time, I remember that event because of her question. She was not expecting an answer, but it made me think about how most people will do things for a purpose, in other words, there is an end cause behind our actions.
Most Americans know the general story of Jesus – Mary, Joseph, being born in a manger with the animals, doing some miracles, dying on the cross and the resurrection. However, have you ever thought of asking God, “What are you trying to accomplish?”
God is, well, God. He created everything and keeps the universe together (Colossians 1:16-17). God could have sat on His throne in heaven and watched what would happen in this universe He made, but the Creator enters His creation by the humblest of means then roughly 30 years later is murdered by His creation. Three days after that, He exhibits His power over life and death by walking out of the tomb, not as a spirit, but as flesh and bones. Forty days after the resurrection He miraculously floats into the air, through the clouds and on through outer space back to heaven. Why? What is He trying to accomplish?
God did not leave us in the dark about what He is trying to do. Matthew 18:11, “For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” The reason, God’s endgame, in why He came to this earth is “to save that which was lost.” Obliviously, God is not looking for His car keys in the cushions of the couch; so what is the lost thing He is trying to save?
The lost thing He is trying to save is sinners. 1 Timothy 1:15, “This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.”
To me, the next logical question is, “Who are the sinners?” Having had many conversations with people about eternity, God’s plan for salvation and life in general, I have had people tell me things like, “I haven’t done anything deserving of going to hell.” Or, “I’ve never committed murder or rape. I am not a child molester; God will let me into heaven.” Or, “I’m a pretty good person; God won’t send me to hell.” If these statements are correct, then who are the sinners God is trying to save?
When someone has something they want to accomplish, whatever he or she do is an attempt to reach the desired goal. If you are going to make an omelet, you crack open eggs and cook them. You do not put cereal into the frying pan and leave the eggs in the fridge.
With these illustrations in mind think about what God is trying to accomplish – save sinners. All of those answers two paragraphs above are dependent upon us. If God were to accomplish His desired goal by having us be good people or by us not committing certain sins, then why did He come? Why did He die on the cross? He could have given us a list of sins to avoid or tell us He was going to weigh our good deeds in comparison with our evil deeds and see how we measure up – but He did not do that – He came, He died, He rose again. Trying to save ourselves by doing good works or not doing evil things is putting the cereal into the frying pan.
The sinners God came to save is not only the worst of society; it is all of us. 1 John 2:2, “And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.”
All of us are sinners, and He came to save all of us. God had a goal, and what He did is what He needed to do to accomplish His goal. Jesus arriving on earth, dying on the cross, rising from the dead, ascending back to heaven is God putting the eggs in the frying pan to make His omelet.
It would take the shedding of blood to save us. Hebrews 9:22, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”
The blood sacrifices of the Old Testament was insignificant to take away our sins, Hebrews 10:4, “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.”
Someone sinless could be the only sacrifice made that could take away the sins of humanity. 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”
God took all the steps necessary to arrive at His end game – our salvation. However, similar to asking someone’s hand in marriage. The proposal must be accepted, or all the work and effort of the one doing the asking goes for naught. John 1:12, “But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:”
Is your omelet made of eggs?
