For God so loved you...

(This post got a bit rambly, but I can't decide on anything to take out, so... Enjoy. Thanks to Mrs. Lena Morgan for the idea and the title of the post.)

Easter is the day that we celebrate the death and resurrection of Jesus the Christ. And why would we celebrate the death of our God? It was a truly horrific event, something so awful that it would be rated R when a movie based on it came out (Passion of the Christ). But it was also beautiful. Astoundingly beautiful. And here's why.

"For God so loved the world that He sent His only Son so that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. For He sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world but through Him the world would be saved." - John 3:16-17

Hell was not intended for man. It was not created for those who sinned because we were never supposed to sin. We were created to be pure, but we failed in that and became dirty. Hell was created as a prison for the devil (not as a place for Satan to rule over sinners), and it still is, but everyone who follows him will also be put there.

Hell is eternity away from God.

Sin is not what we see it as. It is dark and disgusting, and all of it, in God's eyes, is the same. Lying and hatred, adultery and murder are equal in His eyes, and He is perfect. Our God can't stand to look at something so disgusting, so we could never be with Him.

Think about this: God is everywhere. Every breath you take, every drop of rain, atom in the universe is filled with His presence. We have never been away from Him because He is all around us. Even when you don't think He's there, He is. And we can feel it in our souls.

Hell is a place without God. He is not there. Hell is dark and cold and empty. Conscious oblivion.

However, (however! Aren't "howevers" wonderful?) God loves us. Despite everything we did, despite how quickly we turned away from Him, despite all the sin inside of us! He loves us. And He died for us on the first Good Friday over two thousand years ago, and He became alive again on that first Easter! He is alive, so alive, and He still loves us. Even after we murdered Him, He loves us.

He is the one with the power to create high mountains and raging seas, the passion to paint rainbows and sunsets across the sky, the reach to spread the stars throughout the universe and sand across the beach, and the delicacy to shape tiny fingers and flower petals. And He loves us with the fire of a billion burning stars.

So often, we Christians preach love and forgiveness but practice deceit and cruelty. We are mortal, but God is higher. He loves you, and He will forgive anything you have done. Turn and face him today, and He will accept you.