Several years ago, the prestigious medical journal, The British Medical Journal, published a landmark article that ignited the popular press. The article contended that wearing a parachute when jumping from an aircraft was no safer than wearing a regular backpack. Carefully done as a randomized controlled trial and replete with statistical analysis, the article rocked the medical and aviation world.
Don’t believe it?
Here is the article.
What’s the catch?
The participants were jumping out of a biplane that was on the ground and NOT moving!
The point of the article was if one does not carefully discern the methodology of the study and simply scans the headline or abstract, the critical points would be missed. One must understand the conditions and reality of the situation and for this study, it was true. However, if the plane was airborne, it would be an entirely different outcome. One must look beyond the headlines and investigate the details.
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)
Many people believe that everyone will go to Heaven when they die. All one needs to do is love one another and live a good life. If the sum of one’s good deeds exceeds the sum of one’s bad deeds, one will be saved. This sounds good but it is not true. Even this verse from the Bible appears to support this contention. The reality is in the details. Loving one another and doing good deeds is important but it is not the most important detail of salvation.
In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.
1 John 4:9-11 (NKJV)
If one went beyond the first two verses and investigated the details, a different outcome would be evident. The next three verses reveal the complete Truth. God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die for our sins and receive the punishment we deserved for sinning and rebelling against God, our Creator. God took the initiative to restore our broken relationship with Him. Salvation and eternal life are only found by accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. Love is important but we are only able to love because He first loved us.
Parachutes don’t save lives, except when one is dealing with reality.
Only faith and belief in Jesus Christ will save you, and that is the reality.
Love and trust the Lord; seek His will in your life.
The Bereans Blog 