by Elizabeth O'Brien

I absolutely despised Physics, but boy do I love Newton’s 3rd law. It sure makes sense.

“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.”

I implement this rule (either wittingly or unwittingly) into pretty much all of life. You don’t wash your hands -> you get sick. You eat more food -> you gain weight. You sin -> you go to Hell. Ahh... so, if I don’t want that kind of opposite reaction and instead want a good reaction, what do I conclude? Wash my hands…eat less food…don’t sin…right?

So often, my focus can be on NOT sinning: learning to be more content, not becoming angry, not talking bad about others, thinking of others before myself. So, what happens when I succeed? Maybe I become less angry, become more content, not talk bad about others, learn to cheer others on and think less of myself. Hmmm…

Recently, I was watching a YouTube video of Tim Keller speaking at Columbia University. The journalist asked Keller: “Do homosexual acts send you to Hell? Does greed send you to Hell?” My natural reaction was: “Yes! Of course sin sends you to Hell.” But Keller went deeper on how those sins are not what sends us to Hell. “It is self-righteousness and thinking you can be your own Lord and Savior that sends you to Hell,” Keller responded.*

I tend to think I can overcome sin by doing less of the sin. But, as I have experienced in my life, the more I focus on sinning less, the more self-righteous I become. Isn’t that amazing? Self-righteousness cannot be overcome no matter how hard we try. So, what gets us to Heaven? Keller said “Heaven is granted by getting a connection with Christ because you realize you are a sinner in need of intervention from outside.”

I have a hymn that I have sung since I could sing, but the words have never been sweeter. It has become my favorite hymn. “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in his wonderful face; and the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of his glory and grace.”

“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends to he earth; for I am God and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:22. Isn’t that so good? Turn (or return) to Him over and over…for there is no other.

*The line of questioning referenced above can be found here at 50:50 and the specific question is at 53:46.