Recently I was asked to write an essay on my faith in the Lord. I attempted to make it under 300 words and that proved impossible. I had too much to say to complete the story. While I was crafting my paper…I grabbed one of my favorite books that I was given as a birthday gift from a family that gave me rides to church, when I was a teen. It is called “Halley’ Bible Handbook”, (1965) by H.H.Halley. I found the following passage so beautifully written that I decided to put it in my blog for you to read.
“The Old Testament is an account of a Nation. The New Testament is and account of a Man. The Nation was founded and nurtured of God to bring the Man into the world. God Himself became a Man, to give mankind a concrete, definite, tangible idea of what kind of Person to think of when we think of God. God is like Jesus. Jesus was God incarnate in human form. His appearance on the earth is the Central Event of all history. The Old Testament sets the stage for it. The New Testament describes it.
As a Man, He lived the most strangely Beautiful Life ever known. He was the Kindest, Tenderest, Gentlest. most Patient, most Sympathetic man that ever lived. He Loved people. He hated to see people in trouble. He loved to Forgive. He loved to Help. He wrought marvelous miracles to feed hungry people. For relieving the suffering He forgot to take food for himself. Multitudes, weary, pain-ridden, and heart-sick, came to Him, and found healing and relief. It is said of Him, and of no other, that if all the deeds of Kindness that He did were written, the world would not contain the books. That is the kind of man Jesus was. That is the kind of Person God is.
Then: He Died on the Cross, to take away the Sin of the World, to become the Redeemer and Savior of men. Then: He Rose from the Dead: is Alive Now: not merely an historical character, but a Living Person: the Most Important Fact of History, the Most Vital Force in the world today. The whole Bible is built around this Beautiful Story of Christ, and His promise of Life Eternal to those who Accept Him. The Bible was written only that men might Believe, and Understand, and Know, and Love, and Follow Christ.
Christ, the Center and Heart of the Bible, the Center and Heart of History, is the Center and the Heart of our Lives. Our Eternal Destiny is in His hand. Our Acceptance, or Rejection, of Him, determines for each of us, Eternal Glory, or Eternal Ruin; Heaven, or Hell: one or the other. The Most important Decision any one is ever called on to make is or Settle, in his heart, once and for all, the matter of his Attitude toward Christ. On that depends Everything.
It is the Glorious thing to be a Christian, the Most Exalted privilege of mankind. To accept Christ as Saviour, Lord, and Master, and to strive Sincerely and Devotedly to Follow in the Way of Life which He taught, is certainly, and by far, the most reasonable, and most satisfactory way to live. It means Peace, Peace of Mind, Contentment of Heart, Forgiveness, Happiness, Hope, Life, Life Here and Now, Life Abundant, Life That Shall Never End.
How can anyone be so blind, or so dumb, as to go through life, and Face Death, without the Christian Hope? Apart from Christ, what is there, what can there be, either for This world, or the next to make life worthwhile? We all have to Die. Why try to laugh it off? It seems like Every Human Being would Welcome Christ with Open arms and consider it the Proudest Privilege of his life to wear the Christian name.
In the last analysis, the dearest, sweetest thing in life is the consciousness, in the inner depths of our motives, that we live for Christ; and, though our efforts be ever so feeble, we toil at our daily tasks, in hope of, in the final roundup, having done something to lay in humble gratitude and adoration, as an offering at His feet.” pgs. 20-21
I put this passage in my blog, because if you truly know me…you will know that I am not ashamed of being a Christian. I am so honored and blessed by it every day. I have to share what I know with others. I can’t keep what I feel is a beautiful truth from anyone. Now that you have read today’s blog…your response is up to you.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes…” Romans 1:16
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Kim, that is very beautiful. His Grace and Mercy toward us is still so awesome and truly almost
unbelievable to me. We certainly cannot do anything as sinning mortals to even begin to deserve
His marvelous gifts.
I thought it was so beautiful too. He really does a great job summing up the story of our faith in our Lord. I love how it makes such great sense and gives me such a wonderful feeling of security in my beliefs. I was raised to know all of those elements…Halley puts them together so that it makes perfect sense. I am hoping that it will help others who are trying to fit all the pieces together. What a wonderful God we have. He loves us so much. He would like us to love Him in return.