We live in a world of radically different views and outlooks. Democracies have political parties which span the range of possibilities from extreme left to extreme right to extreme moderate, etc.

People have different musical tastes. Some like opera, others hate it. They prefer rock, some of the opera-set find that style unpleasant.

Some believe in one God, others believe in several gods, some believe in no god at all.

Who is to say which is correct?

Most religions recognize that the fundamental problem with the world is sin. Therefore it must be the fundamental need that a true religion addresses.

Some religions say that, at the end, we will return and experience life according to how we behaved in this one. Evil and suffering never gets dealt with but it continues in a cycle. 

Others say that, at the end, the supreme deity will weigh up our good and bad deeds and we have to hope that ‘good’ tips the scales. However that does not address the fact that sin is not only what we do, it is what we have inside of us. How is that weighed?

Jesus took a different perspective to the above. He recognized that justice demands punishment for sin and yet humans can never do enough good to make amends. Therefore a sacrifice was necessary. 

Before Jesus came the Jews were told to make animal sacrifices. These acknowledged that one day a specific sacrifice would have to be made for the sin of the world. 

When Jesus came, He lived on earth as a perfect human who never once sinned, despite provocation. When he died on the cross, He became the sacrifice for our sin so that we could be forgiven. He rose from the dead three days later to make it clear that He had fulfilled His purpose. We could be forgiven, but only because of what He has done.

Jesus does not force Himself on us. He gives us the choice. Do we want Him to have died for our sins or do we want to sort it ourselves? If we accept His offer, we have forgiveness, whatever we have done – and there have been some very evil people who have received forgiveness because there is no limit to Jesus’ power.

If we do not accept Jesus’ sacrifice for us, we will pay the price ourselves. Humanity will stand before God for judgement and those who have refused His sacrifice will go to eternal punishment – existence which never ends but without any of the good things which God has given in this life.

No wonder the Bible says NOW is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2)