The Good News

I've Got Rhythm Ballroom Dance Studio first opened its doors in May of 2006. For those who drive by every day and who glance across our ads in the phonebook, it was just a typical day, not unlike any other. For those who were involved in its founding, that day marked a powerful illustration of how God actually works in the real world to bring about His will. I've Got Rhythm is truly God's Ballroom. It would not exist except for His providential intervention.

But if God is real and works in actual human history to realize His design for this world, then who is this God? Who is this master artist who is responsible for drawing out the course of our lives? Is He the God of Mohammad from Islam? The God of Joseph Smith from Mormonism? The God of Ghandi from Hinduism? Does He have a name? Can we speak to Him? And perhaps most importantly, does He love us, and if so, how does He display that love to us practically in our everyday lives?

Now try not to be alarmed. This is not a philosophy forum, and it is not our intention to answer all of life's most important questions in this brief snippet of our site. However, given the unique testimony of our studio, these questions are highly relevant. If we claim that God Himself is responsible for conceiving, building, and sustaining I've Got Rhythm, and we can hardly do otherwise, then who is this God, who acts in the course of history?

Before we move on, let us say how deeply we respect the convictions of sincere believers of all the various faiths of the world and how thankful we are for those strive to live by those convictions. Please understand that the following is not intended to be offensive in its manner of presentation but must necessarily offend by its content if it is to properly inform its readers and elicit real change in people's lives. Understand also that we consider the risk of offending you and the loss of your business well worth the hope that your life might be renewed by the power of the true and living God. We have everything to lose in telling you that by which you have everything to gain from hearing. Please keep that in mind as you continue.

Who is God? It is the firm conviction of both our owners, head instructor and many of our most faithful students that the true God, and indeed the only living God, is the God of the Bible, who gave His unique and perfect Son to death on a cross in order to redeem men from the futility of their disobedience and offer them complete and total forgiveness of every sin ever committed against Him.

�But what do I need with forgiveness,� you ask, �and why should I be concerned about a man who has been dead for two thousand years?� Our need for forgiveness stems from the very core of who we are � men and women created in the image of God. When God created mankind in His own image, he instilled in them a sense of meaning and purpose, of beauty, of joy, of creativity and intelligence, and everything else we take for granted. He also instilled in us a sense of morality and justice, derived from His own infinite and holy being.

How did mankind repay their Creator for His gracious gift of life? They rebelled. All people everywhere without exception have compromised themselves and have become immoral in sight of the perfect God, though scarce few have the integrity to confess it. Some make excuses. Some try to rationalize. Some try to blur the difference between right and wrong. And some even go so far as denying God altogether, for if God doesn't exist, who is left to judge? But we all know in our hearts that we are guilty, and God, who is both holy and just, is obligated by His very nature to punish us. Why do you need forgiveness? Because you have sinned against a holy God.

The real question is this: How can a just God forgive anyone when all are justly deserving of judgment? How can even a God of infinite love tell a man who justly deserves death that he is free to go without Himself becoming unjust? No religion, no philosophy, no faith in the world has found an answer to this question save one, and this only by God's grace. John 3:16 tells us that �God so loved the world that He gave His unique Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.�

Apart from Jesus Christ, we have only judgment to look forward to � a just judgment that we unquestionably deserve. But in Christ we see God's love displayed in all its glory. Now love is not a mindless passion or fleeting fascination as we are sometimes led to believe. Love, at its heart, is a deliberate and intentional act of the will, and accordingly we read in Romans 5:8 that �God demonstrates His love to us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.� While we hated God in our hearts and fought against Him by our sinful lives, God gave His one sinless Son to die for us. That is real love!

�But how is justice served by one man's dying for another?� Christ, unlike all other men, was without sin and fully deserving of all the blessings of God. When Christ died and faced the judgment due sinners, he guaranteed that those who believe in Him would be included in His judgment and death, and likewise included in His resurrection and life. All men will face judgment when they die. (Heb 9:27) The question is whether they will face it on their own or in Christ. Christ suffered the just penalty of sin for those who believe, so that in Him alone would justice be satisfied and God's love be made powerfully manifest. So it is not merely Christ's death by which we are justified before God but by His life!

And that is the very core of the Christian faith � that Christ died for sins, was buried, and was raised to life on the third day in the midst of hundreds of witnesses. (1 Cor 15:3-8) If Christ were dead and there were no resurrection, then all of His many teachings and wondrous acts would be irrelevant. But Jesus Christ is alive � a living Savior, unlike any other philosophy or religion � and His teachings are, therefore, deeply relevant to all of our lives, whether we care to admit it or not.

Christ taught this: �I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.� (Joh 14:6) Offensive as some may find the notion, there is only one sinless Son of God and only one man in all of history who was able to die for the sins of the world and thereby make just satisfaction for sin. Exclude Christ from the picture and the question remains � how can even a God of infinite love forgive sinners without Himself becoming unjust? The person of Jesus Christ alone provides us with an answer and with the hope of eternal life.

Eternal life, though, is not merely an extension of our existence. Rather it is being reconciled to our maker and knowing Him personally for all eternity. Christ also taught, �This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent.� (Joh 17:3) Life is not about doing but about being. We can never do enough to make ourselves right before a holy and perfect God, but if we are His sons and daughters through faith in Christ, then He will not condemn us but will give us all the inheritance of heaven.

The Gospel can be summed up in a nutshell in Romans 6:23: �The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.� In other words, as long as we make appeal to ourselves and our �good deeds,� we will always fall short, earning a just death before our Creator. But if we are willing to be honest with ourselves, confess our sins to God, and ask forgiveness in the name of Jesus, God seeks us out. He comes to us and freely gives us the very thing we don't deserve � eternal life in an intimate and wonder-filled relationship with our Creator. He transforms our lives and renews our souls as only He can do.

But like any gift, the gift of eternal life must be received. Romans 10:9 says, �If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.� Honest heartfelt confession... The way could not have been made any easier, so that any man whose heart is willing, regardless of intelligence or strength or any other human ability, can come to know the Savior. Ephesians 2:8-9 concludes that we are saved by grace through faith � and that not of ourselves, for it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no man may boast.

If you have not come to know Christ personally, then take a moment and allow yourself to be humbled. Resolve to frown upon everything you have ever done to contribute significance and meaning to your life, and find the true meaning of life in knowing your Creator personally. Some think themselves strong for trying to stand on their own, but when you realize the utter impossibility of standing on your own before God, it's no longer strength but foolishness. Every one of us without exception needs an advocate before God, and there is only one mediator between God and men, (1 Tim 2:5) one name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Act 4:12) � the name of Jesus Christ.

Trust in Jesus. Believe in His name. Believe that He died for your sins, and you will find your guilt removed. Believe that He rose from the dead, and you will find your soul renewed. Believe that He loves you enough to die for you, and you will find Him walking with you every day of your life. Positive thinking can never save you, but a living Savior can. Stop making excuses, and stop denying the very God who sent His perfect Son to die, so that you might live. Your life can change forever, beginning now. But you must believe. We pray that God will give you both the wisdom and the willingness to make the right decision.

If you would like to know more about what it means to be a Christian and to know God personally through Jesus Christ, you are always welcome to inquire of us at any time. You may also take a look at the resources below.

Whatever your thoughts, we look forward to hearing from you and speaking with you about these most vital issues in all of our lives. God bless!

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