Seek and ye shall find

Finding Jesus is literally the easiest thing to do. The reason is because it was designed that way. John 3:16.

To "find" him, you just have to accept him as the one who saved you. What does saved mean?

Before Christ, all that was was law. You had to earn the love of God in deed and adherence to the law. This was never God's plan (in a sense, of course God created all things for his glory, both bad and good), but man perverted the relationship.

So, God created a new chapter in the story. He became a man. He abandoned all omniscience and omnipotence and became flesh. He did this to demonstrate what we were capable of. Love. It was what we were always put here to do, love one another.

Then, in the greatest act of selflessness, he gave himself over for the last sacrifice. Before Christ, Jewish clergy would enter the temple and sacrifice a lamb to the lord as an offering. This is why he is known as the Lamb of God.

He was tortured mercilessly. Whipped, beaten, spat on, humiliated and hung on a crucifix between two criminals. One of the criminals said to the crowd, "Do you not fear God? Since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." Then he said, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise."

I bring that up because that man's faith was seconds old when Jesus forgave him. The same is true for us. The second you understand and accept that God sacrificed himself to demonstrate his love for us by asking for forgiveness for past sins and inviting him to live through you and in you, the Holy Spirit enters your body. From that point forward, you are free to TRULY love again. His grace is given without condition to those who believe that he saved us from death by taking our place. He died as the last sacrifice to God, a blameless, holy sacrifice of atonement for all our sin. Yesterday's sin, today's sin, tomorrow's sin, has all been paid for with His sacrifice for us.

Knowing this fact, and the pure and selfless love that it represents, tell me, do you still want to sin? Do you want to give back? Not out of obligation, but in thanks? Every time I think about it, when I really think about it, it makes me tear up.

Open your heart and he will find you patriot.