People have varied opinions on the turning point of mankind, some say it was when we invented the transistor. The newer generations claim it was after the WWII. The most recent generations claim the ARPANET, the first TCP/IP packet based network, which led the way to Internet. If you ask this question from a science student, you would hear penicillin as the answer. The evolution of technology and science have made our day to day life much easier and saved many lives although it has its own fair share of failures and setbacks. Sadly though, science or the technology has failed to defeat the death or find answers to the eternal questions on life after death.
If someone asks my opinion on the turning point of mankind. I have an easy answer. It was the day when the Word took a cross in flesh on behalf of all the mankind, two thousand years ago. On a day like this. That was the day, when the separation between men and God was put to an end on a cross by a Man named Jesus. That was the greatest sacrifice on the surface of earth, and there won't be any of that kind ever in this world again.
In simple words, the turning point of mankind was the day when Jesus was crucified on a cross. He was crucified to pay the price for all our sins, as a sacrifice.
What does that mean ?
A line of separation was drawn between men and God, since the day men turned away from God towards sin. The priests, descendants of Levi tribe were chosen to mediate between men and God. It was the highest priest, who met God in the most holy place in temple, representing men.
The most holy place in the temple was the meeting point of God and the high priest; which was visually separated by a curtain from the rest. This process wasn't God's desire, His plan was to have a direct relationship with men and bless them with eternal life with His abundance of love. But the sin separated men from God.
Who is Jesus ?
Jesus is God. God sent Jesus into this world, to pay the price for all our sins; once and and once for all. Jesus was the sacrifice and the priest on the cross. His sacrifice cleansed us and spared from the eternal condemnation. This eventually terminated the need of having priests among men to consult God. Jesus took over the priesthood by becoming our mediator between God and us. His self offering was accepted by God as Jesus rose from the dead on the third day since he was crucified.
What it takes to have Him in our lives ?
Jesus Christ didn't come into this world to start a new religion or to establish a new denomination. Religions are a product of men, denominations are a barrier between the same league of followers. He came into this world to put an end to a thousands of years long dispute of man kind with God, to make a WAY for men to have a relationship with God through Him. His message is very simple. That is to accept His sacrifice and He as our personal saviour, to have a relationship with God. To save our souls at the end of our life span in flesh.
Death is an event which spares our soul from the flesh. The soul lives on until the end, we follow Jesus to save our souls and to make our souls to be with Him at the end.
Jesus wants us to be His friends, come closer to Him, to become His followers. Following Jesus is all about taking our own cross and following Him and experience Him, His power. This process helps us to have a good communication with God. A communication means, a two way communication. Not just we talking to Him but to hear His voice in return.
What it takes to experience Him ?
The first and foremost thing is to become humble and honest. We can't come closer to Him with our own egos. God didn't have an ego. Jesus being God, humbled Himself at the hands of sinful men during the crucifixion. Being sinful, weak men, what do we seriously have to be ego driven ? Our days on the earth are numbered. We simply take the relationship we have with Jesus and the knowledge of Him when we bid farewell to this life in flesh.
Jesus didn't expect us to be just believers, instead He expects us to be His friends, followers and disciples. The early church didn't have a church building or well qualified preachers but it was filled with the power of God with Fire. Today we have well equipped church buildings with all the fancy things in the world in it, choir groups, well educated preachers (preaching boring sermons), comfortable seats, massive sound systems but the Spirit of the Lord and His power.
I'm glad there weren't any bible collages at the time of apostle Paul. Had there been bible collages during his time, he would have spent decades learning the bible, spending his best time learning the word, without actually carrying out his "duty". The only qualification God expects from us is to have a BA; Born Again.
