But wait! There's more!

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!  -Philippians 2:8 (NIV)

God could have just proclaimed from heaven, "OK, fine - I'm declaring amnesty from all human sin and granting full pardons for everyone." But to do so would have been a denial of Who He Is and most of what He had ever said. There really is good and evil. There really is a way that is right; not just better, but Right. And it really does make a difference which path we choose. The ability to recognize this and be intentional in the choosing is part of what makes us human. That is the reason Jesus came as one hundred percent human, just as He was one hundred percent God. Only the "Son of Man" could reclaim what we lost in the garden.

To be human is to bear the image of our Creator. Being made in His likeness is what enables us, unlike other creatures, to make those distinctions between good and evil. Unfortunately, that left us in a bit of a pickle. There is a price to be to be paid for our (countless) mistakes and poor decisions. God addressed this in the Old Testament with a system of animal sacrifices and the bringing of first fruits. As the Jews brought their guilt offerings and confessed their sins in an attempt to meet God at the altar, God chose to pronounce that justice was served, at least in some measure. The problem was the people kept on sinning (as people do). 

The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.  -Hebrews 10:1-4 (NIV)

Year after year they brought their sacrifices. Year after year, God declared them forgiven. But the needle didn't move in the direction of godliness very much for very many. God knew He would one day intervene in a more hands-on way. Enter Jesus. Fully God. Fully human. He lived a sinless life, as a man, and was killed by sinful men to be the ultimate, once for all sacrifice for sin. Then, God declared that we could claim participation in and benefit from that sacrifice through belief in Him: that Jesus was Who He said He was and that His sacrifice did what He said it did. 

Ah, but that was not all! Providing a solution to the problem of past sin was only the necessary first step to what God had in mind for the end game. In the ultimate "But wait - there's MORE!" offer, the prize of an intimate, growing, life-giving relationship with God is now available. With justice served and my sin debt canceled, my belief expressed through trusting obedience to the gospel also ushered in His Holy Spirit to live in and work through me. This began the transformative work of instilling holiness, godliness, Christ-likeness. That is why we can legitimately say that eternal life starts now.

Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.  -John 17:3 (NIV)

Do I still fall short? Of course I do - I'm a work in progress. But not as far. And not as often. And not without the Spirit convicting and instructing me. I am thankful today that Jesus arrived as a man and lived a perfect life to become our perfect sacrifice. Amen?