All the World’s a Stage

 

All the world’s a stage and we are merely players in it. Sounds like a perfectly worldly assessment of our roles here on earth, but is it actually accurate? The cast of characters in our play is led by the author of our story, God Himself. The hero is played by none other than Jesus Christ, the true and only Son of the Father. The villain, portrayed by the fallen angel Satan, who prods and cajoles God’s children into engaging in all manner of sinful activity. The objects of the hero’s affection are played by God’s created and beloved human beings. Plot – God’s overwhelming love for His children causes Him to send His only Son to suffer and die as a sin offering in their place to defeat death so that all of God’s children have the opportunity to be with Him throughout eternity.

Act I – Creation of all that is, starring the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

God creates the heavens and the earth and it was good. God was lonely, so he created someone to have fellowship with, a human being. God created His children with free will and in His great love for us, gave us dominion over everything on and over the earth and it was very good.

Act II – The fall of man, starring Adam, Eve and all of mankind throughout the ages.

Adam and Eve are tempted and fall for the lies of Satan. As punishment, they are evicted from the Garden of Eden. This begins a series of unfortunate events. Free will is a blessing, but humans all too frequently make into a curse. It causes man to engage in all manner of depravity. God is not pleased. God saves the righteous man Noah and his family, but brings a flood to drown out all of the evil in the world. Noah’s descendants repopulate the earth, but evil returns with a flourish. Righteous people are few and far between and prophets, inspired by God try over and over again to bring the others back to God. Some prophets are killed and some are banished. Over and over God gives His children the chance to return to Him, but Satan has much influence over society. Generations come and generations go with God’s children failing to live up to God’s standards. God invokes the final solution.  

Act III - The Lamb of God suffers, dies and rises to deliver us all from the death and punishment that we justly deserve.

Rather than relegate this rebellious generation to oblivion, God has mercy on His children. There is no way that anyone can live without sin and no way to earn salvation. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. That Word is the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who has been with God and the Holy Spirit from the beginning. Just like the calvary charging over the hill in the nick of time, God provided the final solution. Because God loved His children so much, He sent His one and only Son to stand in for all of us sinners. Rather than banish us from His presence, God did what only a perfectly loving Father could do. Jesus Christ, true human and true God, would take our place and endure a horrific death that truly was meant for each one of us. As the Father, Son and Holy Spirit are one, all that Jesus endured was also experienced by the Father. Perfect love, perfect forgiveness. Then, with the entire past, present and future sin of the world on Jesus’ shoulders, the Father abandoned Him, severing Their everlasting connection, leaving Jesus to die utterly alone. But that was not the conclusion of the story. Jesus rose, defeated death, and opened the door to our salvation!

Act IV – Final Act - Judgement Day.

Jesus will come again to judge the living and the dead. The Evil One will be banished to the pit of fire. A new heaven and a new earth will replace our broken world. Death will be no more. All of God’s children have the opportunity to accept that Jesus died for them and is the true Son of the living God. That is all that is asked of God’s children as a precursor to life eternal in paradise. Everyone has the opportunity to accept and believe until the final trumpet is sounded. But why wait until the last minute? Nothing else is required. Accept and believe in the one who took your place on the cross. Turn your life over to Jesus. It’s actually very simple. Jesus stands ready at your door. You only need to open it and invite Him in.

Pray this simple prayer, “Jesus, I believe you are the Son of God, that you died on the cross to rescue me from sin and death and to restore me to the Father. I choose now to turn from my sins, my self-centeredness, and every part of my life that does not please you. I choose you. I give myself to you. I receive your forgiveness and ask you to take your rightful place in my life as my Savior and Lord. Come reign in my heart, fill me with your love and your life, and help me to become a person who is truly loving—a person like you. Restore me, Jesus. Live in me. Love through me. Thank you, God. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.”