What matters? Some say it is the soul. I agree that that is vitally important, but far more important than that, I believe, is God's honor.

 

Why? 

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I love the way that the book of Ephesians puts it - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." And what are these spiritual blessings that cause God's honor to be the most important thing? The chapter goes on to say what they are: 

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• Adoption as God's children

• Acceptance in the Beloved 

• Redemption 

• Forgiveness of sins 

• An inheritance (which Psalm 16 explains is God Himself) 

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Well, that sounds... kind of nice and fluffy. But kind of unnecessary. I mean, that's really sweet of Him to give those things to us, but several things come to mind: 

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1) I would say I have a very fine life. :) Good community, good opportunities, things to enjoy, etc. 

2) Personally, I don't really feel like I need forgiveness of sins... not really. I mean, basically I'm a good person, don't steal and kill or anything. Actually, helping humanity in general is really important to me. 

3) I don't know what kind of inheritance you're talking about, but pie in the sky isn't really my thing. Especially forever without end like they talk about. That just sounds... frankly, awkward. 

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These are things I used to tell myself whenever I heard one of those classic "repent or you'll go to hell" sermons. But ironically, one night, while sharing "the gospel" with my sister because I was so scared that she would go to hell, Jesus gave me a new heart to see things differently and helped me to see that it's not so much about going to heaven or hell as it is about glorifying Him. Here's how it went: I started pondering how terrible and eternal hell is. As flames and cries rose up in an endless time line, the thought suddenly struck me... I deserve this. This would be totally just. My eyes were opened to see God's goodness and how every act or thought of disobedience that I had ever committed against Him (lying, stealing, being disrespectful + disobedient to the parents He gave me, etc.) is seen as traitorous and insulting to Him who "laid the foundations of the earth" and "knitted me together when I was in my mother's womb." Immediately I realized that all the promises in Ephesians chapter 1 are of such a level of mercy that I cannot comprehend. 

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Backing up slightly, something I had never understood until this point is that when God created the world, this gave Him the right to set the laws in place. And, being a perfect Being, He created perfect laws! My breaking them tells Him, "You're not perfect, I'm perfect. I should get to decide what I can and cannot do. Personally, I don't care about what You have to say about what is good and what is wrong. I will follow myself and do whatever I feel like." I don't think I could ever have the guts or audacity to say that to an earthly king, but by my actions I had said that to the King of kings who spun the galaxies into place with a word. (See Genesis 1:16.) In fact, God's Word agrees with this, and in studying it, I found out that the way it puts it is that I was an 'enemy of God.' 

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The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.

(Romans 8:7) 

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...and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. (Ephesians 2:16)

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What king do you know of who not only redeems and adopts, but accepts, forgives, and grants an inheritance to, subjects who have betrayed him?! I know of only one - my Savior, Jesus Christ. He found me as a lost enemy and kindly bought me with His precious blood. Ephesians 1:7 says, 

 

  In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins according to the riches of His grace. 

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An important thing to notice in that phrase is that we have redemption "through His blood." God cannot just wink at our rebellion and move on like nothing happened. No good judge would ever do that. In order to maintain justice, the punishment had to be paid and Jesus paid it Himself. He spilled His own blood and bore all of God's wrath instead of us. This is what separates the gospel of Jesus apart from every other religion. Every other religion says, "do this, this, this, and this, and you *might* be counted as righteous. Now GO! DO!"  

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Jesus paid it all! All to Him I owe.

Sin had left a crimson stain, He washed it white as snow. 

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And in response to that, though He could, He doesn't force people to submit to Him. Instead, He offers His gift of salvation from His righteous wrath - that He paid for Himself - and desires, even commands that we take it by simply trusting that what He did was sufficient to adopt us, and start living in honor as a child of His so that His grace will be praised.  

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"...Having predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved.

(Ephesians 1:5-6) 

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When one turns from their rebellion against Him, He is deservedly honored. Additionally, He gives us new hearts that want to imitate Him as dear children and walk in love as God also has loved us and given Himself for us. And because of what He has done for us - which was not in the least deserved - that is why I believe His honor is what matters. 

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Christ has regarded my helpless estate and has shed His own blood for my soul. 

Praise the Lord, praise the Lord O my soul! 

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