Undoubtedly, all industries and projects start with an idea or thought that may have been stored in the mind since childhood. We keep dreams and illusions, which can be marvelous and of great quality and scope, which we may sometimes share with other people. But time goes by, and death could surprise us. Along with the body, there lie in the sepulcher the ideas that could have been, but never were. Similarly because of men’s failure, God decides to develop a plan out of love, the project of projects, and gives his first step of hope for humanity. That first step was preparing a corporal body to substitute that of a lamb for a sacrifice, let’s read: “ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!’”(Jn 1:29, NIV).

            Leaving everything, he descended from above, and gave his first step, to then mark a strategy for subsequent steps, in faith. All of his hopes were fulfilled at the cross, to save men from the condemnation of hell through the voiding of fault and sin. He paid the price through a sacrifice of blood: MISSION COMPLETE on behalf of God. He gave his first step, and he did it voluntarily out of love to his creature. Let us read: “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death – even death on a cross.” (Phi 2:6-8).

God gave is first step fully.

            With all of the above, we can say that: we will never get anywhere, if it is not done through hope, will, negation and firmness. Motivated through what is called FAITH, we give our first step to imitate our wise God, who has finally marked the route, giving the first step followed by subsequent steps until we reach the set goal, voiding all of the sins in the cross. Let us read: “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross” (Col 2:13-15).

            The plan is perfect; the example is more than clear; the results, incomparable in wisdom and eternal love: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16).

Now, what about us?

            The wise and knowledgeable man lives by faith and not sight. The best sign of it is to act imitating the actions of God, through the example of our Lord Jesus Christ. Nevertheless, the history of ‘the men of faith’ already gives evidence that without laws or special signs, they were able to do God’s will, giving their first steps. Men like Abel, who in imitation, and not with demand, gives the best offering by sacrificing a lamb, by imitating what God did in the garden… because of faith. This is why we see innumerable amounts of men like Abraham, who gave his first step leaving his home and kin, to the extreme of being able to give his child, one and beloved, just as God, who in his own time also presented his one and only Son as a sacrifice; Jesus who without any fault would take on him the sin of humanity.

Therefore, in the project of our salvation, there is no other way than to give our first step in faith imitating God. God already did his part, but he is waiting for you and I to begin regardless of our little faith and our evil. That first step needs to happen, to terminate the value system of the carnal existence and what is material, where we only want the exaltation and honor for ourselves.

Let us see then, the practical development of this, which is nonetheless than by our love to God and sacrifice of his Son on the cross. Let’s make immediate decisions regarding leaving behind, working, and combatting even until death, against the sin and the world in us. We awake to the new system of values according to what has been established by the understanding, and through the intervention of the Holy Spirit of God; the one who guides us to all truth and justice.

After intelligently accepting the plan of salvation, what God expects of me is: to give the first step in faith. Therefore, this is where the reciprocity to God’s lifting us, guiding us, and correcting us, begins. Blessed God, HELP ME IN YOUR LOVE TO GIVE MY FIRST STEP. We press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called us heavenward. So it shall be, amen and amen.