Conflict Resolved by David H. McKinley
Posted: Thursday, March 20, 2008, at 2:00 p.m. CT

Easter represents a defining moment in history. It represents the day when God, the Father, sent Jesus Christ, the Savior, into the world to confront the greatest of all human needs: to be forgiven of sin and to be reconciled to God.

Why is that needed? The Bible tells us that every one of us lives with an unresolved conflict with God. In Romans 3:23, we read that all of us have sinned and fallen short of the standard of God’s glory. Literally, God is a God of character and principle. He is holy and righteous. We are not. The Bible makes it very clear that there is a great deficit, a great fault, between who God is and what He demands and who we are and what we are able to do about it.

The wonder of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is that God does not look at us and say, “Come up to My standards based on your own best effort. Climb the steps to Me if you can. Do religious things. Be a better person.” Instead, God saw the helplessness of our situation in conflict with Him.

2000 years ago, God stepped out of heaven and stepped on earth in the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came as the ultimate Conflict-Solver. He came to confront our sin and to offer Himself as a sacrifice.

What does God think about sin? Look at the cross. Sin brings death. Sin brings suffering. Sin brings shame. No one is exempt. However, Jesus Christ came to be the Sin-Bearer. He confronted and bore our sin on the cross. He died, was buried and rose again on the third day. He destroyed the power of sin, rendering it inoperative. Through the sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God is able to give us the gift of eternal life and a forever future with Him in a place called heaven.

That is the Good News of the Gospel!  That is the message we proclaim! We venerate Good Friday as a holy day of shadow and suffering, but we celebrate Easter Sunday. We celebrate the remarkable reality that God confronted our greatest problem and has provided our greatest benefits: forgiveness, hope, peace in life. My simple prayer is that this is a gift you have received.

You may ask, “How do I receive this gift?” Simply open your heart to receive it. It is not something you do in any fashion other than just recognizing your need and calling upon the Lord. The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved
(Acts 2:21). If you have never done this personally, now is the time. Open your heart and receive Jesus Christ.

“God, I know who I am—I am a sinner.
Christ, I understand who You are—You are the Savior.
I can’t fix myself, change myself, save myself. You have done it for me.
Today, I want to receive You as my Savior and Lord.”

Your salvation has everything to do with who God is and what His Word says. He will come into your heart. He will change your life, and you will live with hope and the satisfaction of the greatest conflict in your life resolved. It will change your life! I pray this will be a reality in your life today.