The Gospel & Craigslist

I’m sure ALL of you have heard of Craigslist, but just in case you haven’t, it’s nothing more than a site that allows people to sell used items from cars to PlayStations and just about anything you can think of is for sale. Like all things there are good and bad aspects to Craiglist because some people use it as a means to scam people. One of the most common scams is with automobiles, picture this:

2010 Mercedes S Class for $2000.00

Now I’m sure that no one with any amount of common sense would believe this to be a legitimate post, but let’s pretend that it was real and the person didn’t have some lame story about moving or being divorced and lying about the incredibly low price. Picture the person driving this vehicle to your house and you know it’s real because your eyes are on the car and they have the keys and the title in hand and you can’t wait to get it before they change their mind because you know that this is the deal of a century.

Now what does this have to do with JESUS?!

Jesus has given us an even better deal in the cross. He is taking our sin, our filth, our broken promises, our failures, our lies, our lust, our confusion, our deceit, our selfishness, our pride, our bad attitudes, our selfish ambition, our greed, our false praise, our false humility, our ungratefulness, our laziness, our excuses, our prejudice, our bigotry, our hatred, OUR SIN. In exchange for HIS beauty, HIS righteousness, HIS holiness, HIS salvation, HIS perfect record before God the Father.

The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for our sins in our place because we couldn’t bare the wrath of God. In the same way a 2010 S Class Mercedes for two grand would be the deal of the century, Christ has given us the deal of eternity; HIS life. Christianity isn’t a religion built on rules, but a relationship with a Holy God built and sustained by HIS love for HIS own glory and honor. Salvation isn’t a birth right, but it’s the gift of life to us who are dead in our sins if someone doesn’t save us and that’s what Christ did for us. It’s not a scam, like the Craigslist post, but it doesn’t make sense that a holy God would die in our place.

In Christ Alone

In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm

What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless Babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save

?Til on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live, I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again

And as He stands in victory
Sin?s curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From a life?s first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny

No power of hell, no scheme of man
Could ever pluck me from His hand
?Til He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I stand

I will stand, I will stand
All other ground is sinking sand
All other ground, all other ground
Is sinking sand, is sinking sand
So I stand

There is only one hope for us all and it’s Jesus Christ. Trust HIM today with your life…