Meet the Big Cheese
I was in high school and had the opportunity to ride in a car with my older brother and 4 of his really cool friends. I had a crush on all the guys in the car, except of course, my brother. I was sandwiched in between the driver and my brother, so you can imagine my embarrassment as I “cut the cheese” - no pun intended. I let out a silent but very deadly, slowly seeping fart. Oh wow, it was bad! The color rose in my cheeks as I realized what I had just done.
Of course I nearly started a riot in the car. The guys were yelling, banging their fists on the ceiling, making gagging noises, stomping their feet. Sure enough, the inquisition began. They started in the back seat drilling each guy to try to place the blame. “Dude! Could that have really come from a human? How is that possible?”. Each guy was adamant it was not him. My fear rose as the questioning reached the front seat. My brother was next than me. I am not a very good liar and figured I’d burst into tears of shame and embarrassment when it got to me. It never did.
I was floored when I heard my brother say, “Sorry guys, it was me.” And for the remainder of the ride, my brother was in the hot seat. I sat in silence, wondering if there was any way that my brother really let one go at the exact time I did. I had to find out. When we got home, I pulled him aside. He was quick to explain that he knew it was me. “Molly, I know our smell. I can recognize the Barnhart Fart and I knew you’d be devastated, so I decided to take the blame so you wouldn’t have to.”
Do you relate to my story? Ok, maybe not because of the gas you’ve passed, but because of the embarrassment of your actions, the regret of your choice, the shame of your past. We’ve all made a stink of our lives. The "stink" I am referring to is called sin. Sin separates us from God.
What kinda stinks is not only does sin separate us from God, but it’s got a penalty – death. Romans 6:23 says “The wages of sin is death”. That’s a problem. But that’s not the end of the verse. There’s a but. The biggest and best but in the Bible. “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” The gift of God is Jesus Christ, stepping in and paying the price that you and I owed.
To a much greater degree than what my brother did for me, God did for you when He sent His only Son to take your place on the cross. He took the shame, so you wouldn’t have to. He took the heat and the penalty. He took the punishment for your actions, your inactions, your thoughts, your words.
As Jesus hung with bleeding arms stretched out on the cross, it’s as if He was saying to you, “That junk in your life, the secret things that you’ve done, the pain you’ve caused to other people, the things you’ve yelled at your parents, the time you cheated on that test, the items you stole from work, the lies you told your friends, the sexual sins you’ve committed, the gossip you shared today… yeah, I’ll take the hit for that. I’ll suffer so you can be free.”
In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” Meeting God, or according to the title of this web page, "The Big Cheese", is only possible by putting your faith in Jesus Christ.
So How Do I Do That?
I am so glad you asked!
The Bible says in Acts 3:19 that we need to “Repent, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out” The word Repent means to “change one’s mind”. It is a change in direction from where you were going. Repenting is much more than just being sorry about your sin. When we give our lives over to God, we are telling Him that we are ready to live by His standards and that means obeying Him. It doesn’t mean we will be perfect and never mess up, but it does mean that we are making an effort and letting God change our life.
I John 1:9 says that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Notice how it says “purify us from all unrighteousness”. There is nothing that God will not forgive.
So what are you waiting for? Today is your day to meet The Big Cheese.
There are no special words, and I encourage you to talk to God in your own words. Just be honest with Him. He hears. You could say something like this:
God, I understand that I am a sinner and have done bad things and that separates me from you. I know that there is nothing I can do on my own to make myself worthy of coming to you. I do believe that Jesus Christ paid the price that I couldn’t by dying on the cross and than raising from the dead 3 days later. Thank you for forgiving my sins and for making it possible for me to know you personally and spend eternity in heaven. I am ready to follow You. Please help me live for You.
