06 Sep Life’s Two Most Important Questions

LIFE’S TWO MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

Most people seek happiness. But the truth is, very few actually find it. We may be busy and preoccupied with a lot of activities, but if we fail to live for that which is most important, we will not find real hope and joy. I have learned that if we ask the wrong questions in life, we will live for the wrong things. To find the right direction, we must learn to ask the right questions.

In Acts 22, the Apostle Paul encountered the Lord on his way to Damascus. He was an established, educated, and very religious man, who, in his zeal for truth, sought to abolish Christianity. He persecuted Christians for perpetuating what he thought was a lie—that Jesus is the Son of God. However, the Lord intervened and changed the direction of his life completely. From being the enemy of the Christian faith, he became one of its strongest proponent and defender.

Paul asked two important questions the day the Lord appeared to him. The first was, “Who are You, Lord?” and the second is, “What do you want me to do, Lord?”

FIRST QUESTION: WHO ARE YOU, LORD?

The first question determines who will be the Lord, master, and ultimate decision-maker of our life. Anyone who wishes to follow Christ must choose for himself who his Lord will be.

How can we know if Jesus is truly our Lord? There are three tests: the test of love, the test of obedience, and the test of security. We must ask our self, what do we love most? Who makes the decisions in our lives? In what or whom do we find our trust and confidence in apart from the Lord? Our answer will determine who or what has taken the place of God in our life. Oftentimes, we fail to realize that we have many counterfeit lords or substitutes. We deceptively convince ourselves that they will bring us happiness and fulfillment, but these are bound to disappoint and leave us empty.

TRUTH OR PREFERENCE?

The issue on Christ’s Lordship is an issue of truth, not preference. The nature of truth is that it is narrow and exclusive, not based on opinion. It is not dependent on whether we believe it or not, whether we like it or not. Preference, on the other hand, is more subjective. For example, we all have different tastes and preferences when it comes to food. What is good for me, may not necessarily be good for you. But when it comes to scientific laws, such as the Law of Gravity, or the Law of Aerodynamics, we cannot choose what to believe in and what to disregard.

So it is with our Christian faith. Christ’s Lordship is a matter of truth and certainty. The strongest proof we have is the resurrection.

Dr. Simon Greenleaf, the founder of Harvard School of Law, was once skeptical of Christianity and would make fun of believers in his class. When he was challenged by a group of Christian students. He discovered that the Bible specifies enough witnesses that are believable and consistent, and how these witnesses were willing to die for what they believed. He concluded that, “The resurrection is one of the best documented events in the history of man.”

Eyewitness accounts, archaeological and bibliographical documents even from non-Christian sources, all point to the evidence supporting the resurrection as a historical event.

The resurrection tells us that Jesus is who He says He is—the Son of God who died and rose again on our behalf. This truth impacts our present and future. It will alter how we live and what decisions we will make.

SECOND QUESTION: WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO DO, LORD?

The second question is a follow-up to the first. If Jesus is truly the Lord of our life, then it follows that what He says will be the most important thing in our life. We would obey Him and do what He has commanded.

History tells us stories of people, like the disciples of Jesus and those who wrote the Bible, who died for professing the death and resurrection of Christ. They were beaten, stoned, crucified, and beheaded for their faith. These men and women died for what they believed to be true. They endured every suffering and persecution all because they knew exactly what the Lord has commissioned them to do. People will die for something if they believe it is true, but people will never die for a lie.

How about us? What are we living for today? My prayer is for all of us to encounter the risen Lord and experience His love. As Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, “For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” At the end of His life, Paul looked forward to seeing and hearing his Lord say, “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Master.”

May the love of Christ and the truth of His gospel compel us to carry out His will for our life, and may we discover the joy that can only come from obeying Him. In Him we have a life truly worth living!