A brief synopsis of the important events in history.
Abridged.
There is a God. He is perfect. He is infinitely good. He is deserving of every compliment and thanks.
He is the most desire-fulfilling entity in existence.
He designed and made the universe. By the power of his words all things came into being. He once created a creature, who loved himself more than he loved God, and attempted to exalt himself above God. His rebellion was unforgivable, on par with spitting in the face of the creator of the universe who created this being to be pleased by God. God justly condemned this creature, and sent him to wander the earth. This creature, became known as satan.
God made people and gave these creatures a gift above all the other animals: the ability to think and decide, making them not entirely guided by carnal instincts. God was with the people and provided for their every need. The people enjoyed him.
Satan tempted the people to fall into the same sin that he committed. He lied his way into convincing the people that they should exalt themselves. In their doing so, they essentially spit on the face of God and his perfection. People to this day live to exalt themselves.
God in his justice and anger, cursed people to live without their every need handed to them, but rather that he supply their needs only after laboring. The weight of their disobedience was unable to bare. Judgment belongs on the heads of the people. They deserved destruction. They deserved punishment. They deserved death, and more. They deserved Hell. Eternally. They were at the mercy of God. God... who is just.
Around someone who loves justice, it is not a very safe place to be a criminal. But God, with his love, decided to show mercy on people. He made promises to the people that if they trusted in him and turned from their rebellion against him, he would redeem them, and mercy would be shown to them. To those who did not accept God's mercy on His terms, were unredeemed, and justice demanded their destruction.
For millennia, the terms of this mercy was a mystery. How God could be just and yet simultaneously merciful made no sense, but yet God promised, and those who trusted his promise and in him, and turned from their rebellion were redeemed.
Today, it is nearing the 2000 year anniversary of God revealing the secret of his simultaneous mercy and justice. God took the form of a man who was called Jesus, and lived in perfection. To be more precise, God can be viewed as 3 distinct personalities: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Son took the form of a man and walked the earth like people do, and lived among the people.
He spent His life teaching about the kingdom of God, and about the judgment for sin, and about the redemption from sin, and about salvation. Although he had the authority to avoid his death, he willingly died a criminal's execution. While he was dead, he shared to the dead who trusted in God and turned from their rebellion the secret of His simultaneous mercy and justice. On the third day after his death, he resurrected, permanently. He became the death that he did not deserve so that he took the burden of justice on himself and was free to be merciful, while being just. The justice of his blood has redeemed all of those who have trusted in him and turned from their rebellion. The same terms of redemption applied, only now with the knowledge of where the mercy comes from.
But yet today people are still exalting themselves over God. They love to exalt themselves so much that they even take pride in doing so. Satan has blinded them not only to their redemption, but also to their need. But yet justice and mercy are still applied where justice and mercy are due. But those who are redeemed have more than just a clean slate. They have a friendship with God, and everything that comes with it. The greatest pleasure that people can have is a friendship with God. They joyfully obey God and teach others about the things that Jesus did and taught, among other things. They can be recognized by their continually turning from their rebellion, continual trust in God, and continual pursuit of righteous living.
The mercy is still available for the time being, but not forever. When a person starts hating their rebellion, and loving God, they begin to trust him, and turn from their rebellion. I pray that you do.
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