God has laws that He wants every human being on the earth to follow. And those laws are written upon our hearts. We know that it is against God’s law to commit against someone; it is also against God’s laws to rape someone or to steal all their money and property.
As a Somali some of you are not used to following the laws of a central government because you are in Somalia. You follow the decisions made by your clans and elders. If you do something wrong in Somalia you will go before the XEER (the council of elders) and they will discuss your crime and give you their decision. Each Somali has his or her own representative called his or her ODAY who will represent them if they do something wrong. And if a Somali continues to do things wrong and doesn’t stop committing crimes he may become a DAYRO – an outlaw – and he or she will have to run and away and hide from the community.
But there is a much higher law than the law of the clan or the law of the elders or the laws of a country. There is God’s law.
The Bible says:
“For the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as a person who has broken all of God’s laws.” – James 2:10
“Ku alla kii sharciga oo dhan xajiya oo qaynuun keliya ku gafa, kulli wuu ku eedaysan yahay.” – Yacquub 2:10
Breaking God’s laws is a very serious offence. If you break just one of God’s laws you become a DAYRO – an outcast. You are guilty and your punishment will come to you after you die.
Jesus said: “But I’ll tell you whom to fear. Fear God, who has the power to kill you and then throw you into hell. Yes, he’s the one to fear.” – Luke 12:5
“Laakiin waxaan idinkaga digayaa kaad ka baqi lahaydeen. Ka baqa kan kolkuu dilo dabadeed amar u leh inuu jahannamada ku tuuro. Runtii, waxaan idinku leeyahay, Kaas ka baqa.” – Luukos 12:5
If you become a lawbreaker of God’s laws you have become an outcast and you have been judged by God Almighty as a guilty sinner and your punishment will come to you after you die and leave this earth – you will be thrown into the lake of fire for eternity to pay for the sins you have committed against a Holy God.
There is no XEER in heaven; your ODAY cannot help you; your clan cannot help you. If you are a guilty lawbreaker and die in your sins you will stand before God and be judged guilty and punished for your sins.
The Bible says: “each person is destined to die once and after that comes judgment,” – Hebrews 9:27
“Waxaa dadka looga dhigay inay mar dhintaan, taas dabadeedna la xukumo,” – Cibraaniyada 9:27
There is no hope for you outside of Jesus Christ.
The Bible says: “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” – 1 John 4:9-10
“Ilaah baa Wiilkiisa keliya oo dhashay dunida u soo diray si aynu ugu noolaanno isaga, oo taasaa jacaylka Ilaah laynoogu muujiyey. Oo taas jacayl baa ku jira, mana aha inaynu Ilaah jeclayn, laakiinse isagaa ina jeclaaday, oo wuxuu Wiilkiisa u soo diray si uu kafaaraggudka dembiyadeenna u noqdo.” – 1 Yooxanaa 4:9-10
God loved us even before we were born – God loves us before our parents were born. And God knew that we would sin because we are weak human beings and we have a sinful nature so God sent His very own Son to die on the cross for our sins and pay the penalty for us.
Jesus paid for our sins with His own blood. He took upon Himself all the sins of the entire human race. Jesus took upon Himself the entire sins of every tribe, every clan, every nation. Jesus took upon Himself the sins of every country of the world and died on the cross and paid for all ours sins. The anger of God was poured out upon Jesus Christ: God the Father punished Jesus Christ for our sins.
Jesus was declared guilty. Jesus was mocked, insulted and persecuted for our sins. Jesus took the blame for our sins. He was willing to be called guilty for our sins. How sweet and precious is the blood of Jesus Christ that takes away the sins of the world.
It says in the Bible that Jesus is: “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” – John 1:29
“Maalintii labaad Yooxanaa wuxuu arkay Ciise oo ku soo socda, oo wuxuu yidhi, Bal eega Wanka Ilaah ee dembiga dunida qaadaya.” – Yooxanaa 1:29
We are forgiven because Jesus Christ paid the price for our sins. He became our blood money to pay God back for all the sins we have ever committed. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. Jesus Christ saves people from their sins.
God does not ignore the lawbreakers here on earth. When we break any of God’s laws He writes them down in a book and will keep those sins written in a book until the day of Judgment. Then we will stand before the Lord God Almighty and be judged according to our sins.
But if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior those sins will not be remembered by God anymore. He will wipe the book clean.
The Bible says: “as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our sins from us.” – Psalm 103:12
“Sida barigu uga fog yahay galbeedka, Sidaas oo kaluu xadgudubkeennii inooga fogeeyey.” – Sabuurradii 103:13
Many people do not understand the love God has for guilty sinners. Many people think Christians are evil and must be killed.
There was a missionary family from Australia that went to India to help the lepers and to share the love of Christ with the people of India. One day the lost people of India killed the father and two sons of this missionary family leaving only the mother and one daughter. The mother’s name is Gladys Staines and she has forgiven those who killed her husband and her two sons.
Jesus died for our sins and paid the price for our sins. There is nothing left to be paid to receive the forgiveness for our sins – Jesus paid it all. It is left for us to accept this wonderful gift that God has given us through His one and only Son Jesus Christ.
But we may have to pay a price in order to follow Jesus Christ and share the love of Jesus Christ with others – whether we are in India, or some communist country, or even in Africa. There is a price to be paid to follow Jesus Christ. There is cost that must be paid to follow Jesus. The price may be your life, or the price may be your reputation, or the price may be your family – but there is a price to be paid to follow the one who died for your sins and set you free and gave you eternal life.
Let us pray…
“Lord Jesus Christ we thank you that you as our elder brother you were willing to die for us on the cross and to pay the price for all our sins and for the sins of the entire world. You took the sins of the world upon yourself and died for us. We thank you so much Jesus Christ for dying for us. We thank you Lord Jesus Christ for giving us eternal life because we have believed in you and proclaimed that you are the Savior of the world.
We pray Lord God Almighty that you would continue to work through Somali Christian Ministries and reach Somalis and others with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Let them know through us that you Jesus Christ are alive. Let them know that you are willing to forgive them of their sins if they are ready and willing to confess them to you. Let them know that they have sinned against God and cannot pay for their own sins. Let them know Jesus Christ that you are willing to forgive them of their sins and are ready to give them eternal life and strengthen them to follow you until the day they are with you in heaven forever. Amen.”