"Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel... By which also ye are saved... unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

This is a question that many have been asking these days, among others, such as, Is there life somewhere in outer space? Many believe there is a “supreme being” but that is as far as they desire to go, perhaps because they like being sovereign and accountable to no one.

Many believe in Evolution and as a result have looked upon the vast universe and come to the conclusion that if life evolved from non-living matter on planet earth, there is the likelihood that there are thousands of other planet earths out there with the possibility of life having formed on them as well.

Perhaps some are far more advanced than we are with the capability to contact us, and maybe they are trying to contact us even now so we just need to “tune in” or have the ears to hear. Such notions have resulted in billions of dollars being spent on programs such as SETI (Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence). Many radio telescopes have been set up with their ears pointed towards the heavens in the hope of finding some kind of communication from some unknown planet with some unknown intelligence on it.

Much of this fascination is perhaps spurred on by Hollywood. Most of the top ten box office hits are science fiction movies such as Star Trek, Star Wars, Independence Day, Cocoon, Contact, E.T., and Close Encounters with the Third Kind. This speaks for itself of mankind's fascination with this topic. And that people can be taken in by this science fiction is no news of late when considering the mass hysteria caused on October 30th, 1938, in response to the radio broadcast “War of the Worlds” narrated by Orson Wells and his “Mercury Theater On The Air”, that depicted an invading alien army landing on the earth.

There are also many individuals today who claim they have been in contact with “beings” from outer space. One such popular group who is getting much attention in recent days, because of their cloning claims is the Raelians. They believe that aliens from outer space have cloned mankind and planted him here on planet Earth. These are the claims of the leader of that group who says in 1973 he was abducted by these “beings” and given this information.

Some have been surprised when I have agreed with them that alien life has planted mankind on the earth. Alien, that is, in the sense that He is an alien to them. They know Him not, having rejected the Bible, God's infallible, inspired and preserved Word; The “instruction” (2Timothy 3:16) manual as to who we are and where we came from. This rebellion leaves many ready to believe things that are rather bizarre, thus fulfilling the Scripture, “And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables” (2 Timothy 4:4).

Is there a “Supreme Being” as some have suggested? Yes, He is the Lord God Almighty. By His Word “… were the heavens made; and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth” (Psalms 33:6). He made man in His “image” and “likeness” (Genesis 1:26) and placed Him in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:8).

The Bible tells us “All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men … the true Light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not. He came unto his own, and his own received him not” (John 1:3-4, 9-11).

When the Son of God came down from heaven to the earth there was a voice from heaven that needed no radio telescope to hear, “… such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (2 Peter 1:17). God sent His only begotten Son to dwell in human flesh, and for thirty-three spotless years He went about “doing good” (Acts 10:38). He did “always those things that please” (John 8:29) the Father. He was “holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners” (Hebrews 7:26). The testimony concerning Him was that “He hath done all things well” (Mark 7:37). There was “no fault in him” (John 19:4) and He “hath done nothing amiss” (Luke 23:41). None could convince Him of sin “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (Colossians 2:9).

Strangely enough, Him the world knew not and rejected, and nailed Him to the cross. However this rejection of the Creator was nothing new but has been a rebellion in the heart of man for the last 6000 years.

“Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider. Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward” (Isaiah 1:2-4). “Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye” (Acts 7:51).

Why does the Almighty God of Creation appear to be an alien to most people on planet earth? It is simply this, “men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved” (John 3:19-20). Mankind has turned his back on the Creator, and now, because of sin there is a great rift between man and God. “Behold … your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear” (Isaiah 59:1-2).

When Jesus came down from heaven, man raised Him up on a cross. There men railed on Him saying, “Save thyself, and come down from the cross” (Mark 15:30), but all the while, they knew not He was dying to save them. And when He died for their sins they laid Him in a sepulcher, but God raised Him from the dead and gave Him glory. It was on the cross that He bore OUR shame and OUR sin in His own body. Christ suffered for us. He tasted death for every man, reconciling us with the Father, that we might be aliens no longer.

“And, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself; by him, I say, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven. And you, that were sometime ALIENATED and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Colossians 1:20-22).

The word “alien” is mentioned only three times in the Scriptures and comes from the Greek word apallotrioo, which is derived from two words, Apo, meaning “separation”, and allotrios, which means “stranger”. Mankind through his sin and rebellion has become “separated” and “estranged” from God.

We “were without Christ, being ALIENS … and strangers … having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ” (Ephesians 2:12-13).

When Paul was witnessing to the Athenians, he saw that God was “unknown” (Acts 17:23) to them in their devotions. We might say that He was an alien to them because of the blindness of their heart. The word “unknown” comes from the Greek agnostos. That's where we get our English word agnostic, which basically means unbeliever. They knew not their Creator, neither did they believe that He might be known. They had a form of godliness as testified by their religious devotions and traditions but they were without Christ and alienated from the life of God.

This “unknown God”, Paul declared, “hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:26-28).

God, although His throne is in the highest heaven, is omnipresent. He is not far from every one of us, and desires that men repent and seek Him. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart. And I will be found of you, saith the LORD” (Jeremiah 29:13-14).

Paul told the Athenians that God now “commandeth all men every where to repent: Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead” (Acts 17:30-31).

Dear people, if you want to know God, you must know Jesus Christ as Lord and the Saviour from your sins, and you shall receive the gift of eternal life. “Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3). “And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life” (1John 5:20).
If you want to see the Creator, you must look to Jesus. He is the express image of the invisible God. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ” (2 Corinthians 4:6). “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh” (1 Timothy 3:16).

If you want to know the forgiveness of sin, look to the Crucified One who bore your sins and shed His blood on the cross. “In whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins … having made peace through the blood of his cross” (Colossians 1:14, 20). “God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them … For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2Corinthians 5:19, 21).

If you want to know peace in your life that surpasses all understanding, cast your cares upon the One who cares for you, our Wonderful Counselor. “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid” (John 14:27). “And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:7).

And be sure of this, If you want to love God, you cannot love God without loving Jesus Christ. “In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1John 4:9-10).

Do you want to know the truth? Then know Him who says, “I am the … Truth” (John 14:6). He is the Living Word of God, and He has given us His Word, the Holy Bible. “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple” (Psalms 119:130). Jesus said, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life” (John 8:12).

The Lord loves all of mankind and is not willing that any should perish but that all come to repentance. He says, “For my people have committed two evils; they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water” (Jeremiah 2:13). “I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in a way that was not good, after their own thoughts” (Isaiah 65:2). “As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die” (Ezekiel 33:11)?

Man was created to have fellowship with his Creator and to glorify Him, but “… when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools” (Romans 1:21-22).

If you know not the fountain of Life, resist not any longer. Repent and believe the gospel. “And there shall ye remember your ways, and all your doings, wherein ye have been defiled; and ye shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for all your evils that ye have committed” (Ezekiel 20:43). Call upon the name of the Lord and He will save you from your sins. “For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee” (Psalm 86:5).

Receive God's only begotten Son. “As many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12-13). “If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thy heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved” (Romans 10:9).

Conclusion

“This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, Having the understanding darkened, being ALIENATED from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: Who being past feeling have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But ye have not so learned Christ; If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus: That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another. Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath: Neither give place to the devil. Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you” (Ephesians 4:17-32).

GNC