A Ripple in Time

How a single event can change everything

We all have moments in our lives that change the trajectory of everything. A particularly special date for me is March 18, 2018. This is the day that a very significant individual entered into my life. I met Becca while traveling with an LBC Journey Team to Pearland, TX. During the course of that week, my initial impression of Becca was that she found me to be a bit annoying. However, it was during our flight back to Pennsylvania when I was presented with a note from her, one that would change everything from that point. This was one of the most significant events in my life.

Our faith, Christianity is based on a specific historical event, which is the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Without this event, we have nothing, no source of hope, no reason to even live. It is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, that we even have a shot at eternal life. For we were born into a sinful nature, destined to eternal damnation, and yet we have this gift that is offered to us. It is because of this historical event, that this gift is even available. What is the point of anything that we do if this didn’t happen?

Machen points out that a liberal theology perpetuates the idea that salvation is something that is to be discovered, not an event that has occured. In some ways, yes the concept of salvation is discovered when the gospel is brought to those who have not been reached by it. Machen further points to the liberal theology stating that Christianity is an idea, not the narrative of a specific event (Machen 108). A quote that Machen responds to this with that sticks out to me is “without this event, the world, in the Christian view, is altogether dark, and humanity is lost under the guilt of sin.” (Machen 108).

It is impossible for one to be righteous on their own. Liberal theology seems to deny this by perpetuating the idea that Christianity is simply as Machen would put it, an idea. Paul writes this to those who are in Rome, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood that is in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23 ESV). This alone shows that the basis of our faith is a historical event, not an idea.

We as Christians simply must recognize that our faith is the narrative of this historical event. We must recognize that the initial coming of the Son of Man, who was pierced for our transgressions (as a fulfillment of the words spoken by the prophet of Isaiah) was a historical event that completely changed the trajectory of history. Without it, history is filled with darkness and hopelessness, and our lives have no purpose. This event, that is the foundation of our faith, is a ripple in time, that changed absolutely everything.