A Christian Speaks of Jesus by Dennis Lange

I have been invited to “write about Jesus, what he means to me, how he has impacted my life, and how his teachings etc are still relevant today in order to create a better world and happier individuals.”  I’d like to begin by thanking Moiz Billah for the invitation, which I quickly and gladly accepted.

I believe in God because of the evidence one can see in creation for His existence.  Life is too complicated, too purposeful, in order to have occurred by chance.  One can see design in all aspects of life upon the earth and design, by definition, necessitates a Designer.  I believe in the Bible because of the evidence that shows it could not have been written by mere men.  That body of work, which is massive, is called Christian evidences.  Thus, I believe in Jesus as described in the Bible, that He came to this earth and lived among men as a man, that He was crucified, buried, and rose on the third day.  My faith is not a blind faith, but one firmly based upon evidence.
The Bible calls Jesus the Savior of the world because He dealt with the central problem of mankind – sin.  The wages of sin is death (Rom.6:23) and Jesus (a man without sin in His own life) died on the cross in order to provide forgiveness of sins to all those who would come to Him, believing and obeying the gospel (the good news).  The cross made it possible for God to be just in forgiving sins.  No religion except Christianity has an adequate solution for the sin problem.  Many people think they are good enough to go to heaven on their own merits.  But when it comes to their lives, it is not the goodness in their lives that God looks at, but the unforgiven sin, which must be punished.  The same is true of getting a traffic ticket.  The judge doesn’t look at how good one’s driving record is, but at the infraction, which a just judge must deal with in accordance with the law.

Thus, what Jesus means to me is that He has saved me from my sins, forgiving my transgressions against the law of God.  The Bible speaks of the “peace that passes understanding” and I enjoy that peace, peace with God and a resulting peace of mind.  Knowing Jesus means that I have joy in my life no matter what my circumstances are day by day.  I have treasure in heaven that cannot be taken away by anyone upon the earth, or even death.  I have the hope (desire plus expectation) of eternal life – not because of how good I am, but because of the forgiveness that I have through Jesus.

Jesus has impacted my life by making it one of peace, joy, and hope.  He has given me purpose in life and His word guides me daily, shaping my life so that I become an imitator of Him (though a pale one).  I’m never alone since He is always with me.  I don’t despair; I don’t worry.  What the world thinks is the worst (death) only takes the Christian home to be with God.

Are His teachings still relevant today?  Yes, because the basic condition of man does not change through the ages.  Since the Bible is God’s word and God can see the end from the beginning, His word is applicable for all ages for all men and does make for a better world and happier people.  Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”  Do we want to be around the opposite – those who are proud and haughty?  He said, “Blessed are the peacemakers.”  Very few like the troublemakers.  His teaching through Paul is that love is patient; love is kind (I Cor.13).  Do we like the opposites?  Do we like impatient, snappy people?  Do we cherish the trait of being unkind, rude, and selfish?  Jesus leads one to have the most blessed life upon the earth and eternal life in the hereafter.  It’s the best of both worlds so that none can lose in following Him.  Instead, they gain “the pearl of great price”, a treasure whose worth cannot be calculated since it is eternal.

(If anyone should have questions about what I’ve said, or would like further information, contact me through my blogsite below.)

Dennis Lange
the bard on the hill
http://thebardonthehill.wordpress.com/