Where did you get your phone from? I found mine when I was out camping in the mountain earlier this year.
It was early dawn. The sun had just risen over the hillside when I got out of my tent, walking over to the little river to wash my face. As I looked up after I had finished my morning routine, I just had to admire the beautiful morning landscape, which was also bathing itself — in the morning sun. As I stood there, letting my lungs fill with the crisp mountain air, I saw something peculiar sparkling in the distance. Curious, I moved in for a closer look. Incredible! There it was, hanging off of a lush Apple tree, a brand new and ripe iPhone XS.
“Yes!” I exclaimed as I leaped with joy. Finally, I would be one of the first to get this year’s model. I plucked it off of the tree and booted it up. The pixels were so beautiful and crisp. What a wonderful day! Immediately, I rushed home to show it to all my friends and family. They were so jealous. I bet you’re jealous too.
What? You don’t believe me? And you think my story is stupid? Yeah… I agree. Sadly, many people today believe far more foolish stories than this one. For example, atheists want you to believe that advanced biological machines like, yourself arose, by chance over time — despite the fact that the code in your DNA is far more complex than everything human programmers have ever written. Bill Gates once said:
Human DNA is like a computer program but far, far more advanced than any software ever created.
Bill Gates, The Road Ahead
DNA has also been called the Book of Life, but comparing it to a mere book is a gross understatement. The amount of information stored in the 3 billion base pairs in the DNA of every human cell is equivalent to that in 1,000 encyclopedia-sized books. The scientist who led the team that cracked the human genome, Francis Collins, was awed by the result of his research. He grew up as an Atheist, but now he believes that there is a rational basis for a Creator. He has said that scientific discoveries bring mankind closer to God and that:
When you have for the first time in front of you this 3.1 billion letter instruction book that conveys all kinds of information and all kinds of mystery about humankind, you can’t survey that going through page after page without a sense of awe. I can’t help but look at those pages and have a vague sense that this is giving me a glimpse of God’s mind.
Francis Collins
Perhaps you’re still going to argue the case for naturalistic evolution. If so, why? Does it bring you joy to think that you’re nothing more than a random bag of mostly water that will disappear in a few years? If you and this entire world really did spontaneously arise out of nothing, then one day, it will disappear back into nothing. Everything would have been meaningless. Your entire life would have meant nothing. Even now, right this moment, you mean nothing — but that feels wrong, doesn’t it? There has to be some purpose for your existence, and you have been searching for that purpose. Why is that? Have you ever wondered where that desire for meaning comes from?
It comes from God
It’s there because you are made in the Image of God. Your life has a purpose because God made you with a purpose. Unfortunately, you have rebelled against this purpose. Think back. Have you ever lied? Stolen anything (like money, candy, pirate copies online)? Lusted? Hated anyone? Blasphemed God’s name? Then you have rebelled against God and broken his holy law (sinned). You are guilty. Everyone is guilty. God tells us that there are none who are righteous, no, not one.
And there are no excuses. Because of your conscience, you knew that what you were doing was wrong, yet you still did it.
Imagine that you were so stressed one day that you drove over 50 mph in a school zone. The police stop you, arrest you, and take you to court. It’s an open and shut case. If you try to charm the judge by telling him about all your philanthropy and that this was only a one-time thing, he isn’t going to pardon you. A good judge doesn’t let criminals go because they’re usually good. You’re in court because of your crimes, nothing else.
Now, if one of our judges on earth has to sentence you based on limited, errant evidence, imagine how thoroughly the judge in heaven has to sentence you based on comprehensive, inerrant evidence. Our judges can only know so much; God knows everything. God has personally witnessed each and every sin that you committed in the dark, and he knows what was lurking in your heart then. Furthermore, unlike the sinful judges on earth, God cannot be deceived, persuaded, or bribed. He loathes injustice. The Bible says that God “will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:7). So, he judges you guilty and sentences you to prison. That is justice. If that were the end, you would be damned. Indeed, everyone would perish.
Fortunately, it is not the end
This is where the Good News (Gospel) comes in. Because of his abundant love, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, came down from heaven and lived a sinless life. Every moment of every day, he obeyed each jot and tittle of God’s law, loving God with all of his heart, soul, and mind (the greatest commandment). Then Jesus went to the cross for us, where God unleashed his righteous wrath on him, punishing him for our sins — not his own, ours, yours! The Bible says:
God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life.
Romans 5:8–10 ESV
Because God is good and holy, he must punish sin. Every one of us would have been damned if Jesus hadn’t come to take upon himself our punishment. To put it simply, Jesus paid your fine. He suffered unspeakable agony for you. He died so that you could live! Isn’t it incredible? What lavish love God must have for you! After Jesus died, he was buried. And after three days, he rose again, conquering death, and was seen by hundreds of eyewitnesses.
To be saved from the wrath of God and experience the eternal love of God, you must repent of (turn away from) your sins and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and his perfect work on the cross. Once you do that, God will forgive every sin that you’ve ever committed and give you the gift of eternal life. He will adopt you and care for you, always.
Now, get to know the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit by reading the Bible and praying. If you’re not sure how to pray, you can begin by reading Psalm 51 and the Lord’s Prayer. And always remember:
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.
John 3:16 ESV
