The Escape plan

The nature obeys the circle of life and humans are no escape. But little do these intelligent beings standing on two feet really get it. We all wish we could escape things in life. From dreaming about escaping writing exam the next morning in our childhood, to planning to escape consequences of our life's choices being adults, our nature hasn't changed. Oh, how much a man wishes to escape taxes, troubles, sickness, recession, famine, war and so on. Our choices of yesterday, determine today, but we're constantly striving to escape the present to be able to teleport to future. Whether or not people realize, their lives are constantly tested and evaluated everyday, and there's no escape! In other words, judgement is inevitable.

Still man hasn't mastered the art of living, if only everyone on this planet lived accountably, what a wonderful place Earth would have been. What is human's life span compared to the age of our planet Earth. Though we agree that life and death are in the hands of 'The Creator', we still think and act as if we're gods, a 70 year old man tries to alter the history of centuries, another 50 year old man tries to define the origin of humans, the quest to discover The Escape plan of apocalypse is still going on since ages, those who declared to have cracked the cheat code of death have passed away and been buried.

Rulers of nations in ancient times have rebelled against God in pride raging wars, one nation over the other, to display power by oppressing the innocent. Do they not deserve punishment, each one according to their sins? Henceforth it was declared over them as follows:

1. "As surely as I live, says the Sovereign Lord, since you show no distaste for blood, I will give you a bloodbath of your own. Your turn has come!... I will make Mount Seir utterly desolate, killing off all who try to escape and any who return... I will make you desolate forever. Your cities will never be rebuilt. Then you will know that I am the Lord." [1]

2. This message was given concerning Moab. This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says... "Flee for your lives! Hide in the wilderness! Because you have trusted in your wealth and skill, you will be taken captive. Your god Chemosh, with his priests and officials, will be hauled off to distant lands! All the towns will be destroyed, and no one will escape - either on the plateaus or in the valleys, for the Lord has spoken." [2]

3. "The trumpet calls Israel’s army to mobilize, but no one listens, for my fury is against them all. There is war outside the city and disease and famine within. Those outside the city walls will be killed by enemy swords. Those inside the city will die of famine and disease. The survivors who escape to the mountains will moan like doves, weeping for their sins.... The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring on them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the Lord.” [3]

If we have a glance over history, everyone had tasted the fruit of the lives they lived, no one was spared. The prideful have always been utterly destroyed. Injustice, oppression, sin and evil are not from God, when man executes these he is judged according to his doings. Still he wants to blame God for every single inconvenience in his life. For it was written:

"I create the light and make the darkness. I send good times and bad times. I, the Lord, am the one who does these things." [4]

“Yet you say, ‘The Lord isn’t doing what’s right!’ Listen to me, O people of Israel. Am I the one not doing what’s right, or is it you? When righteous people turn from their righteous behaviour and start doing sinful things, they will die for it. Yes, they will die because of their sinful deeds. And if wicked people turn from their wickedness, obey the law, and do what is just and right, they will save their lives. They will live because they thought it over and decided to turn from their sins. Such people will not die." [5]

Isn't this assurance enough for a mortal being? But the man is unsatisfied, because he's always satisfying his fleshly desires, sinning, hurting people, living in ugly darkness and still he wants to escape judgement. What if man was never judged, who would live responsibly? Would there be any peace or hope on Earth? Humans are failing to understand that they can never escape God but only surrender. King David rightly confessed:

"I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night - but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you." [6]

‭God's idea was never to trouble His creation. He never intended to destroy all mankind, His love had always been the same. Whether or not this is a popular belief, we all do have a spirit within us, which doesn't die along with our bodies, but has life after death. And God wants His lovely creation to be back with Him, and not receive eternal death.

‭‭"Therefore, I will judge each of you, O people of Israel, according to your actions, says the Sovereign Lord. Repent, and turn from your sins. Don’t let them destroy you! Put all your rebellion behind you, and find yourselves a new heart and a new spirit. For why should you die, O people of Israel? I don’t want you to die, says the Sovereign Lord. Turn back and live!"[7]

Though this was an ultimate call for repentance towards people of Israel, it is still true to this very day, not just to one nation, but for all mankind across the globe. “For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people.” [8] And God knew we would still struggle to discard our sins and live righteous, hence He Himself promised:

“Then I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. Your filth will be washed away, and you will no longer worship idols. And I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit in you. I will take out your stony, stubborn heart and give you a tender, responsive heart. And I will put my Spirit in you so that you will follow my decrees and be careful to obey my regulations. [9]

This promise which was told in those days fulfilled completely through the birth, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He took our death penalty upon Himself and died on our behalf, so that we could receive life through faith. There could be no other greater display of love i.e., what we deserve (punishment) He took away and what we don't deserve (salvation) He gave freely.

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Jesus said, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God." [10]

Can you give up on your current lifestyle? Though you got used to it, though it seems comfortable to live in ignorance, you cannot escape God, and definitely not escape judgement, because Jesus is coming soon. Your one decision today can determine your tomorrow and the rest of your life, and also your afterlife. Can you take a moment to pause and reflect on your life? And stop rebelling against your true Creator, stop ignoring His call for repentance. Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life and no one comes to the Father except through me" [11]

You never know about tomorrow, but it's never too late now. Can you surrender your life to Jesus today? If your heart has moved, can you say this along with me? - Click here to say- "Your First prayer"

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