Have you ever been in a cemetery? I hope you have; and have you read what was in each tombstone? I have. And this catches my attention every time I read what is on somebody’s tombstone:
October 1, 1962 – December 02, 2001, Or, November 11, 1978 – April 20, 2010, Or, May 30, 1935 – October 23, 1999, – – –
What common or similar thing do you see from the above numbers?
Yes, all those numbers tell us two dates: Birth dates and death dates and those numbers are not necessarily the same or similar but all those two dates for each contain something similar, i.e. – (dash). Do you see it?
That – dash has been given to the above four dead people. But not only to them but – dash has been given to all of us. Dash represents all the days we live on this earth.
Who has given us that dash?
Why has this dash given to us?
What are the purposes behind that dash?
It is the Creator of us who has given us all this – dash and the purposes of this dash are:
- To Remind Us of God’s Mercy and Grace
God created man in His image and:
“The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”” Genesis 2:15-17 ESV
Then in Genesis 3, we read that Adam and Eve sinned against God by eating the forbidden fruit. The punishment for eating the fruit was “death.”
At this point God could have thrown both Adam and Eve directly into hell right after they sinned against Him. But the God of second chance, sacrificed an animal to cloth them with the skin so their nakedness would be covered (Genesis 3). And because God is merciful and gracious, He gave to Adam and Eve – “the dash” as a sign of His mercy and grace, second chance.
The word of God says,
“The Lord passed before him [Moses] and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness,” Exodus 34:6 ESV
- To Search for Our Creator
The other purpose of the – dash is so that we humans search for our Creator. It is a time for us to look for our Creator.
The word of God says,
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God,” Acts 17:26-27a ESV
- To Find Him
The – dash has been given to all of us not only to search for our creator but to search and find Him.
“And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,” Acts 17:26-27ESV
No one can say this: “I looked for God but I couldn’t find Him.”
Why?
Because God made everything in a way that we His creatures would search and find Him easily. Our Creator and Maker didn’t hide himself from us. He doesn’t play “hide and seek” with us. Listen what the word of God says,
“For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they [all human beings] are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Romans 1:17-21ESV
Did you see that?
God created everything so that they tell us about our Creator. That means, none of us has an excuse to say, “I cannot find God.”
“The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” Psalm 19:1ESV
- To Make Things Right With God
The other purpose of the – dash is so man can search and find God. The problem was man had sinned against God and separated from God. He was created to live forever but now he sinned and his sin earned him death. Because of Adam, all human beings are given over to death. We all come to this world as a baby, they we grow, get old and die (or, before we get old, die because of sickness). The end of all man became death.
Death reigned in human race. Adam’s sin blocked him from seeing and fellowshipping with God. Even if he searched for God, he was not able to reach Him. So, God, again because of His mercy and grace, “paved” a Way for a man to reach to Him.
God sent His only Son, Jesus Christ, in the likeness of man so Jesus, on behalf of man, takes the sins of human race. The sinless Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, died the death of sinners on behalf of human race, the sinners.
And Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6 ESV
Now not only man find God but reach to God but only in One Way, and that Way is Jesus Christ. No other way!
In this God-given Way, any man who wants to come to God can come.
Listen:
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God.” John 3:16-18ESV
So, the – dash’s given to all of us by God through His Son, Jesus Christ, so we come to God believing and accepting the work of the cross of Jesus Christ on our behalf so we would be saved. This is the only way we can make things right with God and be united with Him. No other way! We have no other savior but Christ Jesus!
Peter said this after he told to the crowd how Jesus Christ is the only Savior given by God to us:
“And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 ESV
Jesus said,
“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” John 11:25ESV
Yes, we all are in death row because of Adam’s sin but if we accept the work of Jesus Christ on the cross on our behalf, we receive an eternal life. Even if we die, we live forever!
Human soul does not die! The question is after our physical body decays, where does our soul go? To heaven, to be with God forever or to live in hell, separated from God forever?
The word of God says:
“This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live” Deuteronomy 30:19NIV
Choose life means choose Jesus because Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life.” John 14:6
- To Live for the Glory of Christ
Last but not least, the – dash has been given to all of us so that we live for the One who took our punishment and died on our behalf.
Listen:
“Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the Lord has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.” Isaiah 53:4-6ESV
Paul writes:
“He died for everyone so that those who receive his new life will no longer live for themselves. Instead, they will live for Christ, who died and was raised for them.” 2 Corinthians 5:15NLT
Praise God!
Paul explains what “living for Christ” means this way:
“So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” 1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV
And he also said this:
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” Colossian 3:17ESV
This means, whatever we, who accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior and who accepted His work on the cross, do in word or in deed, we do it in a way that will bring glory and honor to the One who died for us. We live for His glory!
If not, we live a wasted life, meaningless and purposeless life!
So, my friends, you only have one –dash, as a second chance. Use it wisely! Don’t waste your – dash because there is no another or second – dash. ///