We live in a very broken world. It doesn’t take a genius to see that something is wrong and has been for a long time. Abuse, sex trafficking, murder, war, blatant selfishness, and a million other sins are committed every single day, hurting us and those we love. People have to fight global pandemics, chronic illness, cancer, and more, ultimately falling to what we all must—death. It is hard to find any sort of peace or hope in the world we have to endure on the daily. And unfortunately, hope is exactly what many of our souls crave.
Most of us just accept this as the normal and believe there is nothing to be done about the state of our souls and our world. But what if there was? What if there was a way to find true hope and peace even in a broken world?
Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise Him, my salvation and my God. – Psalm 42:11 ESV
The common theme throughout the entire Christian Bible is hope in the midst of brokenness. Every religion in the world seeks to do the same but none accomplish this as thoroughly as Christianity. No where else do you see the Son of God dying to redeem the entire world from it’s brokenness, simply because of the greatness of His love.
For one will scarcely die for a righteous person, though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die, but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. - Romans 5:7-8 ESV
God never promises to take us out of the broken world, but He does seek to relieve the spiritual pain that comes with it. This is done through relationship with Him, the One who created us (Genesis 1-3). When we have relationship with God, He promises us not only eternal life with Him after we die, but also strength, hope, and peace to endure life until we leave the earth. The reason we cannot achieve this on our own though is because of sin. Not long after creation, the first humans broke their relationship with God, which broke the entire system of the world, keeping future humans from being able to initiate relationship with God. God is all righteous and perfect, thus He is not able to have communion with the unrighteous, imperfect humans. Justice for sin has to be fulfilled somehow. So what needed to happen? Humans needed to be perfected, or justified, because the Creator hates to be separated from His beloved creation.
Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me His own. – Philippians 3:12 ESV
The Son of God, Jesus Christ, died 2000 years ago on a cross, taking on the penalty of sin that the entire population of the world that has ever existed or ever will needed to pay. But humans are still sinful and the brokenness they endure was not eradicated by Christ’s death. We have to reach out and take advantage of what Christ’s death afforded us, freedom from the penalty of sin and the ability to have a relationship with God. So how to you do that? It’s very simple, really.
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. – Romans 10:9-10
There are two aspects to salvation. First, you must confess to God that you are a sinner and deserving of eternal separation from Him. Secondly, you must acknowledge what Christ did on the cross and that you want to take advantage of the free gift of salvation. Most do this through a simple prayer, establishing their relationship with God verbally.
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” – Jesus in John 10:27-28
Once you have established your relationship with God this way, it is imperative to grow it, just like you would any relationship. The way you do this is by surrendering your life to God, giving Him control of everything from now on. This is the crux of your new relationship with God—allowing Him to be Lord of your life. He is the Creator of the universe, including you, so He simply asks that you choose to live the way He created you to, which is outlined in biblical books like Romans, Ephesians, James, and Philippians. Salvation justifies you, relieve you of the penalty sin. But this part is a daily choice you make to build upon that justification, forming a deep and lasting relationship with your Creator. And that is how you gain a hope and a peace that will help you survive this broken world.
Below, I have linked resources for those looking for more information about salvation or building your new relationship with God. And if you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me personally through email (cldarling00@gmail.com) or DM me on Instagram (@lost.inthe.stacks).
Books
- Killing Sin Habits by Stuart Scott
- Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
- How to Study the Bible by John MacArthur
- Essential Truths of the Christian Faith by R.C. Sproul