Trivia
- Although I was born and raised in Indiana, I currently live in Holly Springs, NC
- I'm a member of Sovereign Grace Church in Apex, NC
- I work for CharitablePlanning.com
- I'm a computer programmer, Linux enthusiast, and web designer.
- I am 28 years, 2 months, 30 days, and 8 hours old.
Favorites
- Comic strip: Calvin and Hobbes
- Food: Steak and potatoes
- Computer language: C, followed closely by PHP
- Band: Caedmon's Call
- Color: Green
- Place: The deck behind my house
- Outdoor Activity: Camping and hiking
- Text Editor: Vim
- Operating System: Linux (Gentoo)
- Song: Rock of Ages, Sovereign Grace O'er Sin Abounding
- TV Show: 24, Andy Griffith, Star Trek (favorite is TNG)
- Movies: Braveheart, Gladiator, Signs, The Shawshank Redemption, The Prestige
- Computer game: Sim City 4000, Emperor, Age of Empires, Railroad Tycoon 2
- Book: Les Miserables (Hugo), Lord of the Rings (Tolkien), Knowing God (Packer)
- Verse: Mark 15:38
Currently reading
The core
While all the things listed above are true, the one thing that defines me is my belief in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I believe that Jesus is God, just as he claimed to be. The reason Jesus died was because of all the sin in my life, which is offensive to God. You see, the Bible describes God as being holy and pure, there can be no sin or anything even slightly impure in his presence. Since I've sinned (just as everyone has sinned), without some action taken on my behalf I would never be able to stand in God's presence and live. While God is jealous of his holiness, he's also loving and compassionate. Enter Jesus.
Nothing humbles me more than to know that my sin is what nailed Jesus to the cross. Nothing makes my soul leap for joy and thankfulness more than to know I can now come boldly before God, unafraid of the judgement and damnation that I rightly deserve. Jesus took that punishment and I, now owning a righteousness that is not my own, am accepted and loved by God.
To me, this is not just something I do on Sunday, it has changed my very soul. How could I not be affected this way by such incredible news. All my actions and motivations are different, and are continually being changed. While I am far from perfect, I strive for nothing less. Not because I think I can somehow earn God's favor -- that price has already been paid for me -- but because I'm so thankful that I want to do what pleases God.
Why did I say my favorite verse is Mark 15:38 ("And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.")? This is talking about the moment of Jesus' death. The implications are enormous! There had always been a curtain in the temple in Israel separating the place where common people and priests could go, and the presence of God. Nobody could go in to the presence of God because of the sins of the people -- once in a while a priest would go in to offer sacrifices, but it was a fearful thing. The curtain was torn in two meaning that now there is no separation between God and his people. We need not fear coming into his presence if we come on the basis of Christ's death for our sin.