Reconciled in the End

Chapter 17: Which side of the game to choose?

Thomas peered down at his fast asleep wife on his chest. He feared for the days ahead, he only got a sample yesterday of where the future headed. How could he protect her from that? He doubted a mere guy like him could. He didn’t understand the ‘being saved’ process yet, hoping they weren’t indeed too late.

“God, help protect us somehow. I can’t do this alone,” he prayed almost silently. He didn’t want to rouse Siren. She could do no more than himself.

The city lights glowed and flashed in the distance below. Who knew how bad night had become tonight. The lights seemed more active, the night with its havoc, the darkness concealing the sins of wickedness.

He attempted to conceal his unease, focusing on her warmth, her delicate form draped on his. She made him feel better about things, perhaps because they were in it together. Tomorrow he hoped not to stay so long at work, he had to pick her up, and he feared leaving her at the bakery as unstable as things were. Would another blast happen? The unknown made him jittery. Knowing he had to sleep for the long day ahead, he limped out another plea to God.

The next evening, Siren settled into study rapidly. Being two hours after in his job, she had used her time efficiently at her work while she waited for him patiently. He overlooked her notes from breaks. Using paper and fountain pen, she used the old style of writing things down, not enjoying the ease of a Crown’s note-taking ability. The sheets were intensive, more complex than what she ever had in college.

He watched as she nibbled bites between her investigation at home. At one point, she nearly tipped a blueberry shake she had made. He lunged over just in time.

Siren innocently apologized, “Thank you! I didn’t mean to do that…”

He peered at what she had uncovered so far. The list of verses was impressive! He looked them up himself, reading their meaning carefully. He clearly was seeing a pattern in them all.

1 John 3:10-13, 1Peter 1:5, Hebrews 11:6, Titus 3:3-8, 2 Timothy 3:15, Acts 16:30-31, Romans 3:23-28, 1 Timothy 3:16, 2 Thessalonians 2:13, John 1:1-18, Acts 13:35-48, Philippians 3:9, Ephesians 2:8-10, Galatians 3:21-22, 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Romans 10:9-11, Acts 26:18, John 20:31, Luke 24:46-47, Mark 1:14-15, Mathew 10:32, 1 John 4:15, 1 Peter 1:7-9, Hebrews 7:25, Acts 10:43, Titus 2: 11-14, 2 Timothy 1:8-12, Acts 4:10-12, John 6:40, Romans 1:16-17, 1 Timothy 1:14-16, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, Acts 15:5-11, John 3:16-18, Ephesians 2:5, Galatians 2:16, 1 Corinthians 15:11-23, Romans 10:13, Acts 20:21, John 17:2-3, Luke 13:3, 1 John 4:9-10, Hebrews 6:1-2, John 6:47, Acts 2:21, 2 Timothy 1:1, Ephesians 1:12-15, John 5:24, 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 1 Corinthians 1:21, Romans 6:23, Acts 18:27-28, John 10:25-33, Luke 3:16-17,1 John 1:9, 1 Timothy 4:10, Ephesians 1:7, Romans 5:1-17, Acts 17:30-31, John 6:37, Luke 1:77

He whistled. Man that was a lot of passages that said the same thing! Happily, he was able to conclude God’s answer for all this! As long as they were alive, they could yet be saved! He nodded how simple it had been made, not favoring rich or prominent people in buying their way through, but all could accept the offer anytime or place.

The commonality in all these passages were the words: believe, repent, confess, live, eternal life, God loved, sins, salvation, receive, faith, redeem, justified, saved, grace, and reconciled. It looked like one couldn’t do some sort of work to appease God, no bizarre ceremony either. In fact, Siren also caught that the thief on the cross next to Jesus also received salvation through his belief alone and there certainly was no way to do some righteous act as he hung there in his death sentence, a convicted criminal. She sighed anxiously, knowing she was getting somewhere in her studies.

Seeing Thomas fully engrossed in the research as she was, Siren thought to address her ideas to him. “When I researched, Isaiah fifty-three and John seventeen seemed to answer each other. The prophecy and purpose of Isaiah written five hundred years beforehand, then the answer in John explaining the purpose now had been fulfilled by one man. Jesus looks to be the answer and did miracles to validate his supernatural claim of being the Son of God. The Old Testament looked forward to the coming Savior, and Jesus boldly claimed he was in John ten, I and my Father are one. Once the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I shewed you from my Father; for which of those works do ye stone me? The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not; but for blasphemy; and because that thou, being a man, makest thyself God.
The Jewish leaders understood quite clearly his claim, enough to stone him for blasphemy. Either he was a madman, or it had to be all true. Another thing to note, many Jewish leaders and skeptics attempted to thwart and trap him in questions, yet they never could.”