Do you remember elementary geometry and studying about lines, segments, rays, circles, circumferences and center points? I would like to borrow these points from geometry to illustrate some very important truths about God, life and salvation.
To begin, I would like to use the idea of a line to illustrate in a very simple way God’s infinite power and love. There is an arrow at each end of the line. These arrows represent the notion of the line stretching out in either direction for an infinite distance. If somehow you could travel down the line at light speed for a thousand years, you would come no closer to the end of it than when you began.
God is infinite too. “There is no searching of His understanding” (Isa. 40:2828Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. (Isaiah 40:28)). The breadth, length, depth and height of His love passes understanding. Nothing in this world happens without His knowing about it. “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father” (Matt. 10:2929Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. (Matthew 10:29)). His love reaches out to each of the billions of people on the globe. In grace, He invites them all to receive the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ. “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:2323For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)).
In order to make it possible for God to offer this tremendous gift, the Lord Jesus died in the sinner’s place. “God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Rom. 5:88But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)). The death of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross demonstrates as nothing else ever could the immense love God has in His heart for sinners. It is a love that saved souls will be able to search out and explore forever and never come to the end of it.
Furthermore, do you remember the definition of a line segment? Line segments come in various lengths. They have a dot instead of an arrow positioned at either end. The dots signify that the segment has a beginning and an end. A line segment with its definite beginning and end is a pretty good representation of our lives down here. Each of us was born into the world, which is when we had our beginning, and each of us will come to the end of our lives and not be able to proceed a single step further. Just as line segments come in different lengths, so people’s lives have different lengths. Some are long and others short. No one can say for certain how long a life will last. Most people desire a long life, but there are no guarantees. In fact, there is no guarantee they will live out the year, the month or even the hour. This is why it is so important to consider eternal things now, while there is time, and not put them off until the uncertain future. God gives us one lifetime, no less and no more, to decide for Christ.
We need the Savior because, although our physical life might be like a line segment that has two definite ends, our spiritual life is more like what is called a “ray” in geometry. A ray has a definite beginning point, but runs on forever without ceasing. Once it begins, it runs on forever like the arrow. Our souls were created in time but will continue to exist throughout the endless ages of eternity.
Finally, the concept of a circle can be used to illustrate God’s perfection. A circle is all the points in a plane that are the same distance from the center point. This distance never deviates. The rate of curve on the rim of a circle is perfectly consistent too. It doesn’t waver or change. These two characteristics of a circle remind us that God is consistent in all that He is and does. Whether in love, righteousness, or holiness, God’s consistency never fails: “I am the Lord, I change not” (Mal. 3:66For I am the Lord, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. (Malachi 3:6)).
Only at the cross can we see how God can maintain His consistency in righteousness, and at the same time reach out to guilty sinners in love. Justice demands the death of a sinner: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezek. 18:2020The soul that sinneth, it shall die. The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him. (Ezekiel 18:20)). The Lord Jesus, in love, came to this earth and died for our sins. Are your sins “red like crimson”? God has found a way that you might be justified (or accounted righteous) in His sight. This righteousness is obtained by faith only. “To him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness” (Rom. 4:55But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:5)). You can count on a perfectly consistent God to keep His word: “The word of our God shall stand forever” (Isa. 40:88The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever. (Isaiah 40:8)).
Won’t you carefully consider these truths, bow your heart in prayer, and ask the Lord Jesus to be your Savior? It is the only wise thing to do.