Rowan Atkinson, the actor who plays Mr. Bean, was in an auto parts store when he noticed a man watching him. This gentleman followed Atkinson around the store for several minutes until he finally found the courage to speak to him.
“You look just like that Mr. Bean fellow”, the man said. “In fact, you should become a Mr. Bean impersonator. You could make a lot of money doing that.”
Atkinson laughed and said, “Actually, I am Mr. Bean”, but the man did not believe him. For the next several minutes, Atkinson tried to convince him, but to no avail. The man left the store thinking he had seen a guy who looked like Mr. Bean, rather than believing that he had actually met Mr. Bean.
Sometimes, we miss the truth because it seems too good to be true.
Christians make the same mistake. We hear the gospel message and think, “That cannot be right! It cannot be that easy or simple”, so instead of taking God’s offer at face value, we add things to it. We create rules and regulations that God never did. We say, “Yes, believe the gospel, but do all this other stuff as well”.
Could we be missing the point?
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him” (John 3:16-17).
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call” (Acts 2:38-39).
The offer has been made. The door is open. Come and accept the gift.
It really is that simple.
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