Mankind is always looking for someone to take us to the beyond and help us realize the innate potential that seems just out of our human reach. Whether it is a political leader, entertainer or sports hero, we identify with those individuals for a while until we recognize they too are flawed and see their fleshly reflection in the mirror just as we do.
As a person reads through the four Gospels of the New Testament, they reveal a Man who is no ordinary man. With an honest reading, you encounter a Man who is beyond the scope of human explanation. One who is captivating, yet disarming. The Gospel of John opens up with this summation of this same Man, Jesus Christ.
And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:14
Jesus Christ is the chief cornerstone of the Christian faith. Knowing why we should believe in and follow Him is the first step to saving faith. It is the Scriptures which open that door for us. The Apostle John penned his Gospel and stated that “these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)”.
The Need:
The Scriptures clearly states that man is flawed and carries the weight of a sin nature as part of his being and can do nothing to rid himself of the persistency and consequences of sin. As humans we were born into that sin nature and obviously we have all exercised that nature to some degree or another during our lives. It is the issue we constantly stumble over and it not only causes us to be separated from intimate fellowship with God but hinders our human relationships too. Several Scriptures speaks to mankind’s weight of sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8
If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. 1 John 1:10
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God …. Romans 3:23
If we compare our lives to God’s moral law (Ten Commandments), any rational person will see they have broken at least one of those laws. No matter how good of a life you have lived or how many good deeds you may have done, perfection is still out of our grasp. Moreover, sin goes deeper than any outward manifestation, as sin originates in the heart of mankind residing in the very core of our being. The act of sin only confirms what dwells within our heart.
The God of the Bible is a Holy God and because of that holiness He requires a perfect standard of righteousness. No man can measure up to that perfection. Sin, whether in thought or deed, has separated us from God and it requires death as the penalty to pay for the subsequent debt it accrues. Romans 6:23 clearly states the “wages of sin is death”.
But just as God’s holiness demands justice, so in His holiness, His character offers mercy through grace. That grace is extended to all by faith through the work of that same Man, Jesus Christ.
The Person:
Mankind needed a solution to rescue him from the grip of sin and reconcile us to God. And it was God through His grace who took it upon Himself to provide that way of deliverance and reconciliation. The central figure to accomplish that plan and subsequent liberation is Jesus Christ. It is His suffering and death on the cross that became the required payment for all of mankind’s sin including your personal sin. Below are Scriptures pointing to the redemptive work of Jesus Christ.
God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV)
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:17
He (Jesus) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2
For it pleased the Father that in Him (Jesus) all the fullness should dwell, and by Him to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross. Colossians 1:19-20
Jesus Christ accomplished for us what no ordinary man could because He had no sin Himself as the Holy Son of God. He became sin for us taking our sins upon Himself to die on the cross. But it was not enough just to die. The victory over sin mandated He also defeated death which He did by rising again from the dead three days later by the power of God. It is Jesus Christ’s resurrection from the dead that secures salvation for all who trust Him.
This was all part of God’s supernatural grand rescue plan to send His only begotten Son into the world so we could have eternal life through Him. It is a gift of grace that we truly do not deserve.
The Solution:
So what does God ask from us? Like any gift it must be received. God is asking you to believe in His Son by faith, trust in His finished work on the cross as payment for your sins and call upon Him as your Savior and Lord. It will then be your faith in Christ that will put you in right relationship with God; in other words, declared righteous! The righteousness of Christ is then imputed to you. That is to say, His righteousness is then attributed to you. The following Scriptures speak to receiving Christ by faith.
But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who 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 you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” Romans 10:9-11
For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Romans 10:13
God’s rescue through Jesus Christ is available to anyone who will receive Him by faith and trust in His redemptive work. It is then by faith in Christ that forgiveness of our sins and the hope of eternal life are realized.
The Bottom Line:
In a bold statement by Jesus Christ, He lays down the gauntlet of His supremacy as the Son of God and the exclusive way to eternal life. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me“ (John 14:6). This is a statement that cannot be ignored. Its exclusive nature and boldness demand a response. How we respond to the claims of Jesus Christ will set our course for eternity. How have you responded to Jesus Christ ‘s offer of forgiveness and eternal life?
If you have questions about faith in Jesus Christ or what you have read today, you can connect with me via email at info@truevinetalk.com.
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