In one of his recent sermons, my pastor Phillip Dancy, of
Sylvania Church in Tyler, Texas, said; all religions in the world except
Christianity are hope so religions.[1] Ever since I heard that
statement it has been on my mind, because of its familiarity. Just ask someone;
Are you going to go to heaven when you die? The typical answer is, “I hope so.”
A
few days ago my wife Darlene and I took a trip to Sam’s Warehouse where you get
a discount on food items by buying in bulk. I dropped her off at the front door
and proceeded to park the car. I noticed two women with two children crossing
from the parking lot to the store. All four of them were dressed in African
attire. One of the women was wearing a hijab, which is a veil covering the head
and chest typically worn by Muslim women in public. What my pastor said
came to mind. I began to ponder, why do people put so much effort into a hope
so, when the free gift of eternal life in Christ Jesus is a trustworthy
promise?
Jesus
lived a righteous life, He never sinned, and therefore lived a life pleasing to
God. He promised eternal life to everyone who believes in Him (He is the
Christ, the Son of God); then He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified,
died, and was buried. On the third day he rose again; presenting Himself alive
after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to the disciples in
bodily form on three separate occasions in The Gospel According to John.[2] Jesus demonstrated by His
life that He is trustworthy and He demonstrated by His resurrection that He is
able. Therefore, the only logical thing for us to do is repent and put our
trust in Jesus.
