.a valentine's story.

too many believers want to make the argument that God works in so many ways that, in the end (if their thoughts were all spilled out), Jesus isn't really necessary. sincerety, love, and good intention are the primary things - let all else come out in the wash as it will. God is love, so let Him love everyone into heaven. we want to swim in love till we drown - and we will drown. we'd rather drown than come to terms with the holiness of God.

in a perfect conversation with a teacher today, i mentioned i was reading the Quran and was asked why, incredulous; to know what it says, i said. so the conversation took off and ran straight into the deity of Christ: Jesus is, He must be, God. although God is Merciful and Gracious as the Quran emphasizes, He is also, and He must be, Holy, Righteous, Just, Equitable. so sin must be punished whether we repent or not, whether we believe in Him or not, whether we do good things or not, whether we think so or not. only a perfect being who had no sins for which to be punished could take the penalty for our sins and wash us clean.So God had to do the work of saving us Himself; He, and no other, was able to save us from our sinful and condemned condition.

the teacher, a nominal Muslim tending toward humanism, asked, "if God is perfect, why would He sacrifice Himself for men?" what a glorious question; what a fathomless answer. pray for our conversations in the days ahead. there's so much to say. the person of Christ appears to me more beautiful the more i share His work and sufficiency. the presence and necessity of the Holy Spirit is more strikingly marvelous and urgent. the infinite love of the Father is more incomprehensible.