There’s a common warning on British trains: “Watch the gap.” It serves as a helpful reminder for passengers to be careful when boarding, specifically to avoid tripping in the space between the platform and the train.
The Bible illustrates a profound truth: an act of sacrificial love can create a bridge across the vast separation between humanity and the Creator. However, there’s an even broader gap that requires our attention—one that exists between us and a perfectly holy God.
Maybe you don’t believe in, uh, “empty dads,” or perhaps you think you do, but prefer not to dwell on what that means. Deep down, everyone recognizes their brokenness. Maybe you tell yourself a story about being mere random accidents of evolution, but just because you tell yourself that life lacks meaning doesn’t make it true. It may just be something you haven’t fully grasped yet.
Can’t quite find the strength for that exploration? That’s okay. It’s really about finding the right answers, though admittedly, I’m not sure where to start.
The answer I’m hesitant to hear
Yes, it circles back to the Bible. It’s a beautifully woven narrative about who created you and your purpose. We can also reflect on the stunning beauty in our world, the vastness of the universe, the intricate design of the human body, and even the complexity of the tiniest lifeforms. When you really think about it, can all of this truly be random?
People who insist that it is are, well, in a way, the greatest gaslighters in history. When someone encourages you to dismiss what’s obvious, it’s like trying to gaslight you.
Once you open your eyes, you may find yourself grappling with the notion of a Creator. This is when it might be worth picking up the Bible.
It reveals how a perfect and loving God fashioned humans with free will, not as mere automatons. The first humans made a poor choice, and honestly, if we had been there, we probably would have too. God’s reaction? He wasn’t shocked—He had a plan all along. Why did He choose this path? Honestly, I’m not God, so I don’t know, and neither do you.
While God is perfect and holy, we are not. This imperfection creates an unbridgeable divide between our unholiness and His holiness. We can’t easily approach Him.
Still, God designed us for a relationship with Him. This longing for connection is something we all experience, yet we often suppress or rationalize away, until we can no longer hear that small voice guiding us.
The good news…
Now we arrive at the good part—the Gospel, which literally means “good news” in Greek. Though written in the Bible, it was part of God’s plan from the very start.
Jesus, who is God, came to Earth, allowed Himself to be crucified, and then, remarkably, rose from the dead—a fact witnessed by hundreds. He is alive and still God.
The Bible tells us how this act of sacrificial love built a bridge over the enormous gap between us and our Creator. Our once-broken relationship with God has been healed.
So really, the only thing you need to do regarding the gap is to access that bridge.
It’s straightforward, and the Bible consistently points us in that direction.
In a particular passage, we’re told about Paul and Silas, who were imprisoned for preaching the Gospel. Miraculously, God sent an earthquake that opened the prison doors. When the guard woke up, believing the prisoners had escaped, he was about to take his own life. But Paul reassured him that they were still there. The guard, trembling with fear, asked them, “What must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:29-31).
If you truly believe in the Lord Jesus, you will be saved. That’s all there is to it. Having faith in Jesus as Lord means you are freed from eternal separation from your Creator.
It may seem simple, but it holds profound depth. Just be mindful of your beliefs.
…and how to embrace it
Consider this: “For the wages of sin is death, but the gracious gift of God is eternal life” (Romans 6:23).
“If I confess with my mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in my heart that God raised Him from the dead, I will be saved” (Romans 10:9-10).
Many beliefs help connect people to God. Recognizing that God exists is the starting point. Acknowledging that Jesus lived, died, and rose again is likewise crucial. You can intellectually accept that God raised Jesus from the dead without fully committing to Jesus as your Lord. After all, if someone is your master, you inherently submit to them.
God holds authority over you already, but He doesn’t enforce obedience. As James points out, even demons recognize Jesus as God but choose not to submit to Him (James 2:19). You have the same freedom to reject God as Lord and choose to be your own god.
This path has millions of followers, but there’s truly only one bridge to God, built through Christ’s sacrificial love.
One way only
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
“Jesus said, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me'” (John 14:6).
“Enter through the narrow gate, for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and many will enter through it. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).
Honestly, if you skip crossing this bridge, you’ll find yourself without true communion with God.
Pursuing the wrong path is surprisingly easy. That’s why the Gospel is such excellent news—a solution that fulfills our needs and offers numerous blessings.
What treasures await you?
Accepting the grace of the Lord Jesus transforms you when you embrace the gift of faith He offers.
This pivotal moment can redefine your life, akin to the excitement of unwrapping presents on the best Christmas morning.
- Gift of faith—the ability to trust in the truth.
- Gift of repentance—the change in direction from old habits.
- Gift of justification—settling your account with God; every sin you’ve committed is paid in full.
- Gift of salvation—entering God’s eternal family, freed from darkness.
- Gift of relationship—unrestricted access to the Creator, akin to how only high priests once had access to the Holy of Holies.
- Gift of Holy Spirit—God dwelling within you.
- Gift of sanctification—as you learn about God, you become more like Him, and your desire to fulfill His commands grows.
Now you have a clear path to access the bridge without fretting over the gaps.
The choice of which path to take remains your most crucial life decision. God won’t force you into His presence, but in love, He offers you a simple choice to live in communion with your Creator, now and forever.
If that choice goes awry… well, just remember the gap.
