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Simple but Not Simplistic

                A hammer is a simple tool, but it can be used to create elaborate structures.  Smiling is a simple act, but it can change interactions between people.  A simple rhyme can help us remember information such as, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue”.  Simple words can convey deep and important concepts. 
                Similarly, God’s message to us is not difficult to understand.  It does, however, have an impact that goes far beyond the simple wording.  Consider these three simple, but huge, statements.
                First, Jesus is Lord.  Jesus claimed that, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me” (Matthew 28:18) and Paul said, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me” (Galatians 2:20).  If Jesus really is lord, then that changes how I live, what I do and how I treat others.  Who is the Lord?  Is it you or God?  Understanding who is in change changes everything.
                Second, the cross makes us acceptable.  Ephesians 2:13 says, “In Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ”.  We do not have to get our lives in order so that we can come near to God.  We come near to God because we realize that our lives are not in order.  When we make our performance the basis of our acceptance, we miss the grace and the hope of the message.  Jesus paid the debt and the cross is our invitation to participate in the life that God wants for us. 
                Third, Jesus will come again.  Much of the teaching in churches today centres on how to live a better life now.  In the Bible, though, most of the preaching focused not on the present, but rather on the future.  In fact, 1 Thessalonians chapter four talks about the resurrection and then says, “Encourage one another with these words” (verse 18).  Understanding that there will be a resurrection, that Christ will return and that we will live on eternally is what makes the first two statements in this article important.
                Obviously, these three phrases do not cover everything that we need to know, but their simple messages can get us started in the right direction. 
                “I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2).

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