Which Compass will Guide your Way?
by Jeff Fuller, 12 Dec 2007
The Golden Compass is the story of an orphan named Lyra Belacqua, whose life at Jordan College is forever changed when she prevents an attempt on her uncle's life and overhears a secret discussion about a mysterious entity known as Dust. The Master of the school gives Lyra an alethiometer, a rare and powerful instrument with the power to reveal the truth in all things. Although this golden compass enables her to discover the truth in everything around her, Lyra is unaware of the incredible role her own life plays in the fate of the universe.
Much like Lyra, we too are unaware of why we were created. In the Bible, we are told God created us for His glory (Isaiah 43:6,7). He created us to put His goodness, truth, beauty, wisdom and justice on display. If God made us for His glory, it is clear that we should live for His glory. Our duty comes from His design. So our first obligation is to show God's value by being satisfied with all that He is for us. But we have sought our satisfaction in other things, and treated them as more valuable than God, which is idolatry. Since sin came into the world we have all been deeply resistant to having God as our all-satisfying treasure. This is an appalling offence to the greatness of God.
God's moral law is much like an alethiometer — comparing our lives to its standard shows us the truth of who we are. We use God's name as a curse word, don't keep one day of the week holy, and don't honour our father and mother. There are people we hate (Jesus said this is the same as murder). We lust after those we are not married to (Jesus said this is the same as adultery). We steal, tell lies, and covet things others have. The more we understand this compass, the more we are humbled before the perfect holiness and justice of our Heavenly Father who has set a day when He will judge the world in righteousness based on these laws. If this is all the Bible had to say to us, we would be doomed to a hopeless future!
The good news is that Jesus Christ died on the cross for sinners like us. And He rose physically from the dead to validate the saving power of his death and to open the gates of eternal life and joy (1 Corinthians 15:20). This means God can acquit guilty sinners and still be just (Romans 3:25,26). "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God" (1 Peter 3:18).
"Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out" (Acts 3:19). "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved" (Acts 16:31). "Repent" means to turn from all the deceitful promises of sin. "Faith" means being satisfied with all that God promises to be for us in Jesus. We do not earn our salvation. We cannot merit it (Romans 4:4,5). It is by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:8,9). It is a free gift (Romans 3:24). We will have it if we cherish it above all things (Matthew 13:44). When we do that, God's aim in creation is accomplished: He is glorified in us and we are satisfied in Him — forever.
Jeff Fuller, ‘Which Compass will Guide your Way?’, 12 Dec 2007, Gilnahirk Baptist Church Web site
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