Many people may assume I'm a follower in God's way because I was brought up in it by my parents. I'm sure that definitely played a part, but that is not the ultimate reason. Through my parents' influence, I learned about God but ultimately God revealed Himself to me--not visibly, but in a very real way.

When I was young I became aware of the fact that I was a sinner (one who has fallen short of God's perfect standard of perfection). I had a great sense of separation from God. Because of prayers I'd said in the past, I thought I was right with God, but the sense of separation continued. Finally I said to God, "I don't know if I'm right with you. Show me. I need to be right with you and I want to be right with you." After that my heart was at peace. A while later I experienced a strong sense of the fact that I was a sinner. I simply agree to this in my heart and mind. Then I was reminded of God's love for me--that he had prepared a way of peace for me. From reading the Holy Bible I believed this. Immediately upon acknowledging this fact, I sensed a joy that I had never had before. I knew I was no longer separated from God, but was a part of his family. This brought about an immediate change in my life. God gave me the ability to love others because of the knowledge of his love for me. Now I continue to live in the light of the knowledge of his love for me.

Naturally, there have been times of testing. One such test came during my time in university. For the first time in my life I came into close contact with people who believed differently than I. Others believed similar to the way I did but held different values than myself. It took tenacity to hold to the values that I knew honored God and not just to be content in being "in the right faith."

This time of testing challenged my thinking. Why did I believe what I believed? What should I hold tightly to? I was looking for the most solid intellectual foundation upon which my faith was expected to stand. At the severest point of testing I prayed to God and asked Him to show me that solid foundation. Since at that time my time was divided between a religious setting and a secular setting, I was able to evaluate many different "foundations." Many seemed to hold promise but in the end failed to meet the criteria. Then one began to emerge. This foundation was the testimony of the prophets that spoke of the Messiah.

Why was this foundation so solid? This was the question that I asked time and time again. The answer I found was many-fold.

• There are many prophecies--over 300--that were prophesied and fulfilled. They sounded very convincing, but I still wondered. Could a carefully planned plot fabricate these "prophecies" and "miraculously" produce the "fulfillment"? In the process of my study I saw that the prophecies dealt with many aspects of the life of the coming Messiah, forming a quite detailed composite of his life. These included his place of birth, the circumstances surrounding his birth, his lineage, his names, his character, events in his childhood, specific events in his public ministry, and many details surrounding his death and the fact of his resurrection. The type of prophecies and the number of them gives overwhelming evidence that these prophecies were genuinely fulfilled.

• I found out that these prophecies were revealed and recorded over a period of 1,100 years, the latest revealed prophecy being recorded over 400 years before the Messiah was born, making it impossible to fabricate these prophecies. Many manuscripts containing these prophecies are in existence today which date to the time before Jesus Christ was born.

But perhaps the dates of the writings were fabricated. Could the alleged "prophecies" have been actually written after the events? How would I know?

• As I studied up on this, I realized the importance of the fact that these prophesies I was referring to were in the Jewish scriptures, long before Jesus Christ lived. They were not in the books that were accepted only by those who believed in the Messiah Jesus. They were in the books of those who didn't believe in Jesus Christ, as well. Nevertheless those who refused to believe that Jesus Christ was the Messiah, still held to those scriptures tenaciously--so much so, that even when many of their own people began to follow Jesus Christ because of what was written in their own book, they refused to change what was written there because they feared God and believed that the message about the Messiah was revealed by God!

I realized that to this day, two groups who hold very different views on the Messiah, both hold tenaciously to the only revelation that spoke of Him. This fact that these differing groups who were keepers of the same scriptures, agree on it's accuracy and authenticity, provides a most powerful and convincing testimony that these scriptures are truly the revealed word of God.

What more solid foundation could we want when even the opponents of the interpretation of a testimony cannot deny the testimony itself?

What I had also inadvertently discovered was that all the scriptures spoke of the Messiah (al-Masih)! So in my search, I had found the focus for my life. No other prophet could claim this attention in God's revelation. But this was not the end of the matter. There was more.

My life became dedicated to this cause, learning, sharing and learning more--keeping a balance between intellectual knowledge and practical obedience, each complementing the other. The next great discovery was a clear understanding behind the mission of the Messiah. This I discovered was two-fold--to serve and to save. The serving was easy to see--the Injil tells us how people were taught, loved and healed. But the saving--how would this take place? This required more sure proof if I was to trust my life to it. Again there was a perfectly laid and perfectly recorded plan. But in order to discover this I had to go to the scriptures that were first with the Jews. The amazing thing I discovered was that when the final phase of God's plan of salvation was revealed, the Jewish leaders were forced to modify the most important practice in their religion--sacrifice-- because of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Yet they never removed the instructions about these sacrifices or the prophecies of the Messiah from their revealed book. Though they rejected Jesus Christ as their Messiah, they could not and would not deny the facts that led many Jews and many Gentiles to believe in Jesus Christ as their Messiah. It is a constant and powerful testimony to the whole world to this very day.

So what was this plan to save? The Holy Bible records the following sequence consistently setting out the fact that sin requires death.

Before Adam and Eve sinned, God told them that if they ate of the fruit, "dying they would die." When Adam and Eve sinned, they did not immediately die physically, but that very day, they died spiritually and immediately the process of physical decline set in. Adam and Eve made coverings of leaves to hide the shame of the nakedness which was the result of their sin. But God made animal skins for them to cover their nakedness. How can an animal live without his skin?

Cain and Abel were asked to bring sacrifices to God. Abel's was accepted because he brought of the first-born of his flock. Cain's was rejected because he disobeyed God's command and brought produce from the land.

After Abraham was asked to sacrifice his son and passed the test, God sent a sheep as a ransom for Abraham's son. The son who was commanded to die was ransomed by the sheep. The sheep died and the son who had been commanded to die, lived by being ransomed in accordance with the mercy and plan of God.

Immediately before Moses led his people out of Egypt, God sent a plague to kill the first-born in every family. Those families who sacrificed a year-old sheep and put it's blood on the door posts of their houses, were saved from death when the angel of death passed over those houses.

Later when God gave Moses the Law, He commanded him to sacrifice a year-old lamb each year to cover the sins of the people for the past year.

When Jesus came, John the Baptist pointed at Jesus and said, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world."

Having learned truths from the Holy Bible from a young age, I had come to believe that God loved me so much that He sent Jesus Christ to die in my place so that my sins were not held against me. This was what had brought me peace as a child. This was further confirmed to me when I understood that God's plan of sacrifice was a consistent message all through the Jewish scriptures. I knew it was true.

In light of my being accepted by God in spite of my sin, from time to time I have been asked the question, "Isn't the forgiveness you speak of a bit risky? Isn't this a license to sin?" To this question there is one obvious reality, "People sin quite well without a license." Furthermore, when I believed that Jesus Christ had died a shameful death in my place because of the shame my sin had caused God, I wasn't thinking about anybody else's sin, just my own. Therefore I was able to receive God's true forgiveness because I didn't try to excuse my sin but realized the true seriousness of my sin. I also have been discouraged by God's Spirit to judge other people for their sin because I realized that I don't deserve what God has given me. That has led the way to a life of love for those who have sinned against me, because I realize they are no worse than I and are just as worthy of God's love as I am.

This gives honor to the God of the universe who is above all, the creator of the universe, the giver of life and the one all men will answer to on the day of judgment.

But how could there be such disagreement concerning a message that seemed so clear to me? Why do so many people reject the message of Christ's sacrifice? This was a question that I thought was valid to consider.

Having read and talked with people, I have found one key factor why people reject the sacrifice of Christ--many people refuse to acknowledge the seriousness of sin! My next logical question was, "Why is it difficult to see the seriousness of sin?" Again much thought and study went into the answer to this question. The first answer is that, as humans, our hearts are evil. We don't want to admit that we have sinned. We tend to think of ourselves as "good" people. It is true that we do a lot of good things, but God says that if we fail to keep God's law in just one point it's as good as breaking the whole law. Many times the response to this realization is, "Well, no-one would get to heaven that way!" That's exactly right! On our own we cannot get to heaven. We must follow the plan that God has revealed. But sadly, many people either don't know about God's plan or don't believe it. The plan that God began to reveal in the Jewish scriptures and completed in the Injil is not known to many people. They may be aware of some of the stories, but some important facts are missing.

This brings us to the second answer--without confidence in God's revealed plan of victory over sin is to plunge ourselves into the pit of despair. Can we continue to live our lives with the realization that we are eternally separated from God? I can still remember when I came to the realization of my sin (Sin is simply not meeting up consistently to God's perfect standard). I realized that in and of myself I was eternally separated from God. But because I was able to acknowledge the truth of my sin, God opened my heart and mind to see and believe and receive the gift of eternal life--the eternal life that was offered to me by God because Jesus Christ had taken my punishment. I knew I needed to accept that gift. It was God's plan from the very beginning of time that a perfect life would pay for a life condemned to die. This brought peace to my heart. I knew that my acceptance before God did not depend on the "goodness" of my life. This fact gave me the power to love others as God wanted me to. Also, these truths brought honor to God's law by demanding that sin be punished.

I've also found that acknowledging sin and repenting of it (If we don't repent of it, our acknowledgment is only a mockery to God.) in my own life is what brings power to live a life of willing obedience to God. I have seen God change my life and do miracles in my life and in the lives of people around me. Through agreeing with God in what he says about the awfulness of sin, I have seen God show his power over Satan and the forces of evil. Because of what God has done through Christ (al-Masih), "the anointer", he is able to fulfill his promise, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (Injil, I John 1:9)

Some people say, "If you would only leave off the impractical religious bias about Christ's life and sacrifice, we could almost agree with you." Yet until people know there is a sure remedy for sin they are afraid to take the first step toward forgiveness and admit their sin as a serious thing; they don't want to be without hope. Even the religious expression, "Even Adam sinned," many times encourages us to ignore what God says about sin and righteousness. This is what God revealed to one of his prophets,

"For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways. . . . 'Why have we fasted,' they say, 'and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?'

"Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for a man to humble himself? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?

"Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter--when you see the naked, to clothe him, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear. . . .Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; and will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.

"If you do away with the yoke of oppression, and the pointing finger and malicious talk, and if you spend yourselves on behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday. The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. (Portions from Anbia, Isaiah 58:2-11)

This problem of ignoring sin is not a problem common to any one religion in particular; it is a human problem. However, religions are many times used to mask the awfulness of sin. The answer to this is to possess true spiritual life from God. I thank God I have found this true spiritual life from God!

Do I still sin? Yes, I do. (Remember that sin isn't just the "big" things; it's simply falling short of God's standard of perfection.) Am I proud of it? No! So how do I handle this? First of all, I have to realize that my acceptance before God does not depend on my good works. Even God's law, though it is good, does not "save"; it simply points out our sin and condemns us. Second, I realize that even though my sin is grievous to God, his love toward me is greater than my sin. Third, being aware of my sin, I am able to admit it, correct it, and continue to trust in the promise of God's love and acceptance toward me based, not on my goodness or performance, but on his great mercy, promises and character. It is being a part of a family rather than trying to pass an exam. As I do this, God gives me power over sin in my daily life.

As I continue to hold both facts--the fact of my sin and the fact of God's plan of mercy--I can continue to follow in God's way by God's power--that brought Christ back to life, raised him up to heaven, causes him to constantly pray for those who believe in him, and will cause him to fulfill his promise to return for those who trust in him. This gives me victory in this life and the next.

One more question remains. Sometimes people ask me, "Why do you honor Jesus Christ more than the other prophets?" The answer is, "Why was Jesus Christ born through the sign of a virgin birth?" This alone tells me he was a special prophet. When we realize that all the prophets spoke of him and that Jesus Christ was the only prophet who has been unanimously declared by the scriptures to have lived without sin, we begin to understand. What mere human has done this? In addition, he ascended alive into heaven, is alive today and will come back for those who trust in him! We must ask ourselves, "Which prophet has promised what is promised through Jesus Christ?"

Why am I a follower in the way God has revealed? When the above information is understood and people realize that the beginning of following in God's way begins with acknowledging sin and receiving the anointing of God's own Spirit that produces a holy life, this becomes a rhetorical question.

Have you ever sensed that God is drawing you to himself, by prompting you to admit your sin? Facing our sin is not pleasant--neither is surgery--but having done it, we receive healing. It is my prayer that you may have a true experience of the forgiveness of God and his eternal life in you through the anointing of al-Masih who was victorious over sin.

May God bless you with his peace!

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