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The
Supremacy Of
Christ
- Why
Jesus
“The thief [Satan] comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I
[Jesus] came
that they may have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full,
till it overflows)” (John 10:10).
Introduction
“He that committeth sin is of
the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the
Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil” (1
John 3:8).
Why Jesus? -
You were
created by Him and you will answer to Him one day.
“When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all
the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:
And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one
from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And he shall
set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the
King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit
the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world...” (Matthew 25:31-34)
A major
question among non-followers of Christ is why would Jesus say, “I
am the Way and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except by
(through) Me” (John 14:6). - AMP
A more popular opinion is the one that says that all
religions lead to God. In other words, it doesn’t really matter which road
you take, for they all lead to God. Or I am a good person. Or I believe in
God, but not Jesus. Why him? Or they recognize Jesus as a prophet, or Jesus
as a loving and compassionate person
or a person gifted to perform healing, and miracles.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and
preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease among the people.
And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all
sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those
which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and
those that had the palsy; and he healed them. - Matthew 4:23, 24
Why is there
healing, redemption,
deliverance, grace (unmerited favor) and salvation in Jesus?
There are
hundreds of religions in the world. But, they are just that, religions.
Christianity is not a religion. Christianity is a
relationship with the
Father, God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit (our Creators).
Since these questions concern Jesus and God, it is
essential to first hear what they themselves say about the matter. What
does the Bible say?
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Jesus in Creation
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
Our
Creators
you asked.
Christ was not just
present during the events, but was the active agent, in creation.
Jesus’ existence didn’t begin
with His earthly birth or conception, but pre-existed Creation, as made by
Him and for Him. Jesus was both with God and God Himself. That such a divine
Person exists is taught throughout Scripture, starting in Genesis. The
plurality within the Godhead makes it possible.
The Bible says,
“God said, Let Us [Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit] make
mankind
in Our image, after
Our likeness, and let
them have complete authority over the fish of the sea, the birds
of the air, the [tame] beasts, and over all of the earth, and over
everything that creeps upon the earth” (Genesis 1:26).
-
Amplified Bible
“In the beginning [before all time]
was the
Word (Christ),
and the Word was with God, and the Word was God Himself”
(John 1:1). (AMP)
“And
the Word (Christ) became flesh
(human, incarnate) and tabernacled (fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile)
among us; and we [actually] saw His glory (His honor, His majesty), such
glory as an only begotten son receives from his father, full of grace
(favor, loving-kindness) and truth” (John 1:14).
(AMP)
“[Now] He
is the exact likeness of the unseen God [the visible
representation of the invisible];
He
is the Firstborn of all creation.
For it was
in Him [Jesus] that all things were
created,
in heaven and on earth,
things seen and things unseen, whether thrones, dominions, rulers, or
authorities; all things were created and exist
through Him [by His service, intervention] and in and for
Him.
And
He Himself existed before all things,
and in Him all things consist (cohere, are held together)” (Colossians
1:15-17). – AMP
“These
are the words of the Amen, the trusty and faithful
and true Witness,
the Origin and
Beginning and Author
of God’s creation:” (Revelation 3:14).
- AMP
“In
these last days he has spoken to us through his Son. God made his Son
responsible for everything.
His Son
is the one through whom God made the universe” (Hebrews 1:2). –
Names of God Bible
“All
things were made and came
into existence through Him; and without Him was not even one thing made
that has come into being” (John 1:3). -
Amplified Bible (AMP)
“Also
to enlighten all men and make
plain to them what is the plan [regarding the Gentiles and providing for the
salvation of all men] of the mystery kept hidden through the ages and
concealed until now in [the mind of]
God Who created all things by
Christ Jesus” (Ephesians 3:9). - Amplified Bible (AMP)
From Genesis, the first book of the Bible, through Revelations, the last
book of the Bible, speaks to and about Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of
Man.
He was thus the God-Man. This distinguishes Him
from Buddha, Mohammed and all other religious men.
“Jesus said to them,
If God were your Father, you would love Me and respect
Me and welcome
Me gladly, for I proceeded (came forth) from God [out of His very presence].
I did not even come on My own authority or of
My own accord (as self-appointed); but He sent Me” (John 8:42).
The entire Bible is a revelation about Jesus! So why is this important?
Because some people acknowledge and honor God, but Jesus is not regarded as
much as a divine or supreme being or person. But, the Bible declares,
“So
there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father, the
Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One”
(1 John 5:7). – AMP. And Jesus declares,
“ye believe in God, believe also in me” (John
13:1).
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Understanding The
Godhead
Retrieved from
creation.com
The Godhead - The
doctrine of the Trinity states that in the unity of the Godhead there are
three eternal and co-equal Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, the same in
essence but distinct in role — three Persons (or three centres of
consciousness) and one Being. The different senses of one-ness and
three-ness mean that the doctrine is not self-contradictory. This is similar
in principle to saying that the navy, army, and air force are three distinct
fighting entities, but are also one armed service. NB: this is not to
suggest that the three persons are ‘parts’ of God. Indeed, each Person has
the fullness of the Godhead (see Colossians
2:9). A better analogy is that space contains three dimensions, yet the
dimensions are not ‘parts’ — the concept of ‘space’ is meaningless without
all three dimensions.
“…there are three witnesses in heaven: the Father,
the Word and the Holy Spirit, and these three are One;” (1 John 5:7).
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Jesus
The Son of God
www.desiringgod.org © Desiring God
Specifically, Jesus is God the Son
-
In order to have a more complete grasp of Christ's incarnation, it is
necessary to have some sort of understanding of the Trinity. The doctrine of
the Trinity states that God is one being, and this one God exists as three
distinct Persons.
The Father is not the Son or the
Holy Spirit, the Son is not the Holy Spirit or the Father, and the Holy
Spirit is not the Father or the Son. They are each a distinct center of
consciousness, a distinct form of personal existence. Yet, they all share
the exact same divine nature/essence. Thus, Jesus
is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is God the Son.
How does the fact that God is three Persons in one Being relate to the
incarnation? To answer this, let's consider another question. Which Person
became incarnate in Jesus Christ? All three? Or just one? Which one? The
Biblical answer is that only
God the Son became incarnate. The
Father did not become incarnate in Jesus, and neither did the Holy Spirit.
Thus, Jesus
is God, but He is not the Father or the Holy Spirit.
Jesus is God the Son.
The
truth that it is only God the Son who became incarnate is taught, for
example, in John
1:14 ,
which says "And the
Word became flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from
the Father, full of grace and truth." In context, the word is God the Son
(cf. vv. 1, 18, and 3:16). Thus, it wasn't the Father or the Holy Spirit who
became man, but God the Son.
Likewise,
at Jesus' baptism we see the Father affirming "Thou art My beloved Son, in
Thee I am well-pleased" (Luke
3:22).
He did not say, "You are me, and with myself I am well-pleased." Rather, the
Father affirmed that Jesus is the Son, His Son,
and that Jesus is well-pleasing to Him. In this same verse we also see that
the Holy Spirit is distinct from the Father and the Son, for the Holy Spirit
is present in "bodily form
like a
dove."
Why is it
important to know that Jesus is specifically God the Son? For one thing, if
we do not understand this we will be mistaken about the very identity of our
savior. Further, it greatly affects how we relate to our triune God. If we
think that Jesus is the Father and/or the Holy Spirit, we will be greatly
misguided and confused in our prayers. Last, it is considered heresy to
believe that the Father became incarnate in Jesus.
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
It is apparent you cannot have one without the other. If you want a
relationship with God, you must go through Jesus.
There are no exceptions.
“So that all men may
give honor (reverence, homage) to the Son just as they give honor to the
Father. [In fact] whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father,
Who has sent Him” (John 5:23). -
AMP
“And
I tell you, Whoever declares openly [speaking out freely] and
confesses that he is My worshiper and acknowledges
Me before men, the Son of Man also will declare and confess and
acknowledge him before the angels of God.
But he who disowns and
denies and
rejects and
refuses to acknowledge Me before men will be disowned and
denied and
rejected and
refused acknowledgement in the presence of the angels of God”
(Luke 12:8-9). – AMP
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Jesus The Son of
Man
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
“But when the proper time had fully come, God
sent His Son, born of a woman, born subject to [the regulations of] the Law”
(Galatians 4:4).
“...Who, although being
essentially one with God and in the form of God possessing the fullness of
the attributes which make God God], did not think this equality with God was
a thing to be eagerly grasped or retained,
But
stripped Himself [of all privileges and rightful dignity], so as to assume
the guise of a servant (slave), in that He became
like men and was born a human being. And after He had appeared in
human form, He abased and humbled Himself [still further] and carried His
obedience to the extreme of death, even the death of the cross!
Therefore [because He stooped so low] God has highly exalted Him and has
freely bestowed on Him the name that is above every name,
That in
(at) the name of Jesus every knee should (must) bow, in heaven and on earth
and under the earth, And
every tongue [frankly and openly] confess and acknowledge that Jesus Christ
is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:5-11). – AMP
www.desiringgod.org
© Desiring God
Why did Jesus become man, and why will He be man
forever? The book of Hebrews says that it was so that Christ could be an
adequate Savior who has all that we need. "He had to be made like His
brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful
and faithful high priest in things
pertaining to God, to make
propitiation for the sins of the
people" (Hebrews 2:17).
First, notice that Jesus became man so that He could
die for our sins. He had to be human in order to pay the penalty for humans.
Second, this verse says that because Jesus is human like us, He is able to
be a merciful and faithful high priest. His humanity enables Him to more
fully sympathize with us and identify with us.
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Jesus The Redeemer
Retrieved from
creation.com
Two races of mankind
…Paul divides people into two ‘races’; the race of Adam and the race of
Christ. ‘All people, Paul teaches, stand in relationship to one of two men,
whose actions determine the eternal destiny of all who belong to them.
Either one “belongs to” Adam and is under sentence of death because of his
sin, or disobedience, or one belongs to Christ and is assured of eternal
life because of His righteous act, or obedience.
...It
is important to stress that one is counted as sinful not because of one’s
own individual sinfulness (though every individual is sinful)
or righteousness, but because of one’s relationship to Adam or Christ. Thus
‘justification’ means legal declaration
of righteousness, or acquittal, not an
infusion of personal righteousness.
Adam’s disobedience resulted in death for all who came after him, and
Christ’s obedience resulted in the free gift of life for all who trust in
Him.
“For I will be
merciful and gracious toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of
unrighteousness no more” (Hebrews 8:12). – AMP
“This
is the agreement (testament, covenant) that I will set up and conclude with
them after those days, says the Lord: I will imprint My laws upon their
hearts, and I will inscribe them on their minds (on their inmost thoughts
and understanding), He then goes on to say, And their sins and their
lawbreaking I will remember no more.
Now
where there is absolute remission (forgiveness and cancellation of the
penalty) of these [sins and lawbreaking], there is no longer any offering
made to atone for sin” (Hebrews 10:16-18). AMP
The Curse in Eden meant that all of Adam’s
children would die, and the world would be filled with death and suffering.
But Christ’s Resurrection
foreshadows the ultimate overturning of the Curse and the restoration of all
of Creation, as well as our own resurrection when He comes again. We die
because of the First Adam, but everyone who believes in the Last Adam can
look forward to forgiveness of past, present and future sins, to be in right
standing with God, God’s fullness of grace and love, to live an empowered
life, and eternal life in a restored creation.
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Jesus The Savior
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com -
Excerpts
from Understanding Prayer and Faith
The word for salvation in the Greek language is soteria, meaning
“cure, recovery, and remedy.” The word salvation in the Bible is used in
many different ways. The basic meaning is “deliverance from danger.”
Why is a Savior Important?
And why do we need a Savior? Because we are sinners. And why are we sinners?
Because of Adam’s rebellion.
“Sin
came into the world through one person, and death came through sin. So death
spread to everyone, because everyone sinned. Sin was in the world before
there were any laws. But no record of sin can be kept when there are no
laws. Yet, death ruled from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over
those who did not sin in the same way Adam did when he disobeyed. Adam is an
image of the one who would come.
There is no comparison between God’s gift and
Adam’s failure. If humanity died as the result of one person’s failure, it
is certainly true that God’s kindness and the gift given through the
kindness of one person, Yeshua Christ, have been showered on humanity.
There is also
no comparison between God’s gift and the one who sinned.
The verdict which followed one
person’s failure condemned everyone. But, even after many failures, the
gift brought God’s approval.
It is certain
that death ruled because of one person’s failure. It’s even more certain
that those who receive God’s overflowing kindness and the gift of his
approval will rule in life because of one person, Yeshua
Christ”
(Romans 5:12-17). – Names of God
Through the death, burial, Resurrection and
Ascension of Jesus Christ, Jesus has brought about our salvation from the
wrath of God, from sin, and from death. There are three kinds of death:
physical death, spiritual death that is separation from God in this life;
and eternal death that is separation from God forever.
Sin was disobedience to God
and salvation brings about our obedience to God. The overall concept of
salvation, virtually synonymous with redemption, includes a past, present,
and future sense. As Christians, we were saved from the penalty of sin when
God brought us to faith in Christ. We are presently being saved from the
power of sin as the Holy Spirit sanctifies us and we renew our mind, and we
will someday be saved from the presence of sin when we meet Christ
face-to-face in glory.
This salvation, however, is not merely salvation
from all these things; it is salvation to something. We are saved to
worship, glorify, and serve God. Christ is unique
in that He purchased humanity back from the sin of the transgression of the
first Adam.
Jesus paid our debt for us by dying on the Cross
and
suffering the wrath of God in our place.
“Thus
it is written, The first man Adam became a living being (an individual
personality); the last Adam (Christ) became a life-giving Spirit [restoring
the dead to life]. But it is not the spiritual
life which came first, but the physical and then the spiritual.
The first man [was] from out of earth, made of dust (earthly-minded); the
second Man [is] the Lord from out of heaven.
Now those who are made of the dust are like him who was first made of the
dust (earthly-minded); and as is [the Man] from heaven, so also [are those]
who are of heaven (heavenly-minded).
And just as we have borne the image [of the man] of dust, so shall we and so
let us also bear the
image [of the Man] of heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:45-49). – Amp
“For
our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and
through Him we might become [endued with,
viewed as being
in, and examples of]
the righteousness of God [what we
ought to be,
approved and acceptable
and in right relationship with Him,
by His goodness]” (2 Corinthians 5:21). - AMP
“He who believes [who
adheres to and trusts in and relies on the Gospel and Him Whom it sets
forth] and is baptized will be saved [from the penalty of eternal death];
but he who does not believe [who does not adhere to and trust in and rely on
the Gospel and Him Whom it sets forth] will be condemned” (Mark 16:16).
- AMP
“For it
is by free grace (God’s unmerited favor) that you are saved (delivered from
judgment and made partakers of Christ’s salvation) through [your] faith. And
this [salvation] is not of yourselves [of your own doing, it came not
through your own striving], but it is the gift of God;
Not because of works [not the fulfillment of the
Law’s demands], lest any man should boast. [It is not the result of what
anyone can possibly do, so no one can pride himself in it or take glory to
himself]” (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Good works are indeed our duty, but they do not earn a ticket to
Heaven. No man can ever come to know God by saying enough prayers,
contributing to charity, fasting, attending religious meetings, lighting
candles, or any other good work or ritual.
“Yet we know that a man is justified or
reckoned righteous and in
right standing with God not by works of the Law, but [only] through faith and [absolute]
reliance on and adherence
to and trust
in Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One). [Therefore] even we
[ourselves] have believed on Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith
in Christ and not by works of the Law [for we cannot be justified by any
observance of the ritual of the Law given by Moses], because by keeping
legal rituals and by
works no human being can ever be justified (declared righteous and put in
right standing with God)” (Galatians 2:16).
The Fall of Adam and Eve disconnected us from our
divine nature and communion with God. Because of their rejection of God’s
authority, mankind’s spiritual authority and relationship with God was
forfeited.
To restore God’s purpose Christ, the second Adam, had to come
as a representative of both the spiritual and the earth realm. In order to
experience God’s power an exchange must be made. Christ’s life was the
exchange for the sins of humanity and the redemption for our salvation. Our
life should be a divine exchange, “that if one died for all, then were
all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not
henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose
again” (2 Corinthians 5:14–15, emphasis added).
Jesus was perfectly
obedient and sinless; therefore, He was qualified to restore mankind’s
relationship with the Father by overcoming sin, and death, through His
sacrifice on the Cross. “Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came
upon all men to condemnation; even so by
the righteousness of one the free
gift came upon all men unto justification of life.
For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the
obedience
of one shall many be made righteous”
(Romans 5:18–19, emphasis added).
Our eternal destiny is determined by whether we
acknowledge or reject the true identity of Jesus Christ. Those who confess
Jesus as Lord and Savior shall be saved from eternal damnation. “If you
declare [confess] with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and if you believe in
your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans
10:9). - Expanded
“Believe in the Lord Jesus
and you will be saved—you and all the people in your house [your household]”
(Acts 16:31). - Expanded
In Acts
4:12, Peter preached, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be
saved.”
“And this is eternal life: that people know you,
the only true God, and that they know Jesus Christ, the One you sent” (John
17:3). – Expanded
No mere
human being can save us – no priest, rabbi, pope, guru, pastor or prophet. The good news is
that God does have a way of salvation. He
has given us a bridge and a hope whereby we can know Him. Jesus Christ is
that bridge and hope.
“For
God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent
not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through
him might be saved” (John 3:16-17).
Jesus is the only Savior.
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Jesus, The Authority of His Name
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com -
Excerpts
from Understanding Prayer and Faith
“To him give all the prophets witness, that
through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins”
(Acts 10:43).
The blood of Christ also
ratifies that Christ has entered into a covenant with us. It is the gift for
eternal life and the removal of sin. It is also a covenant by the operation
of faith that provides supernatural blessings and provisions, supernatural
protection and power with a divine ability to function in life, and perform
God's will.
The terms of this covenant are irrevocable, because the
covenant was sealed with the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Repentance, baptism
and acceptance of Jesus Christ, as our Lord and Savior, with the belief that
God raised Jesus Christ from the dead constitute a covenant with God.
The sacrifice of Jesus' blood is the triumph over Satan
and removal of every curse of sickness, poverty, lack and bondage; and
redeems our entitlement of dominion, authority, protection, power, healing,
peace, joy and victory over death, and the grave.
“There is salvation in no one else; for there is no
other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be
saved” (Acts 4:12).
Only through Christ do we
have authority and power in prayer, and only through Christ and the Holy
Spirit are we restored to our purpose in God.
Christ’s name is our
spiritual authority in prayer, whether we are praying to God (Heaven), or
dealing with men (Earth), or the rulers of darkness-under the earth (Satan).
“That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and
things in earth, and things under the earth” (Philippians 2:10).
Praying in the name and authority and power of Jesus is
giving Jesus authority to intercede on our behalf when you make requests of
the Father, God. Jesus is the High Priest of our confession, and whenever we
say what the Word says in our confession, Jesus releases His authority and
blessings to accomplish the purposes of God. “… It is Christ that died, yea
rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also
maketh intercession for us” (Romans 8:34).
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Jesus, The Healer
Source
worldinvisible.com
Pardon and
Healing - “But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth
to forgive sins (then saith he to the sick of the palsy), Arise, take up thy
bed and go unto thine house” (Matt. 9:6).
In man two natures are combined. He is at the same time
spirit and matter, heaven and earth, soul and body. For this reason, on one
side he is the son of God, and on the other he is doomed to destruction
because of the Fall; sin in his soul and sickness in his body bear witness
to the right which death has over him. It is the twofold nature which has
been redeemed by divine grace. When the Psalmist calls upon all that is
within him to bless the Lord for His benefits, he cries, “Bless the Lord, O
my soul, who . . . forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy
diseases” (Ps. 103: 3). When Isaiah foretells the deliverance of his people,
he adds, “The inhabitant shall not say, I am sick; the people that dwell
therein shall be forgiven their iniquity” (Isa. 33:24).
This prediction was accomplished beyond all
anticipation when Jesus the Redeemer came down to this earth. How numerous
were the healings wrought by Him who was come to establish upon earth the
kingdom of heaven! Whether by His own acts or whether afterwards by the
commands which He left for His disciples, does He not show us clearly that
the preaching of the Gospel and the healing of the sick went together in the
salvation which He came to bring? Both are given as evident proof of His
mission as the Messiah: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk..,
and the poor have the Gospel preached to them” (Matt. 11: 5). Jesus, who
took upon Him the soul and body of man, delivers both in equal measure from
the consequences of sin.
This truth is nowhere more evident or better
demonstrated than in the history of the paralytic. The Lord Jesus begins by
saying to him, “Thy sins be forgiven thee,” after which He adds, “Arise and
walk.” The pardon of sin and the healing of sickness complete one the other,
for in the eyes of God, who sees our entire nature, sin and sickness are as
closely united as the body and the soul. In accordance with the Scriptures,
our Lord Jesus has regarded sin and sickness in another light than we have.
With us sin belongs to the spiritual domain; we recognize that it is under
God’s just displeasure, justly condemned by Him, while sickness, on the
contrary, seems only a part of the present condition of our nature, and to
have nothing to do with God’s condemnation and His righteousness. Some go so
far as to say that sickness is a proof of the love and grace of God.
But neither the Scripture nor yet Jesus Christ
Himself ever spoke of sickness in this light, nor do they ever present
sickness as a blessing, as a proof of God’s love which should be borne with
patience. The Lord spoke to the disciples of divers sufferings which they
should have to bear, but when He speaks of sickness, it is always as of an
evil caused by sin and Satan, and from which we should be delivered. Very
solemnly He declared that every disciple of His would have to bear his cross
(Matt. 16:24), but He never taught one sick person to resign himself to be
sick. Everywhere Jesus healed the sick, everywhere He dealt with healing as
one of the graces belonging to the kingdom of heaven. Sin in the soul and
sickness in the body both bear witness to the power of Satan, and “the Son
of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil” (I John
3:8).
Jesus came to deliver men
from sin and sickness that He might make known the love of the Father.
In His actions, in His teaching of the disciples, in the work of the
apostles, pardon and healing are always to be found together. Either the one
or the other may doubtless appear more in relief, according to the
development or the faith of those to whom they spoke. Sometimes it was
healing which prepared the way for the acceptance of forgiveness, sometimes
it was forgiveness which preceded the healing, which, coming afterwards,
became a seal to it. In the early part of His ministry, Jesus cured many of
the sick, finding them ready to believe in the possibility of their healing.
In this way He sought to influence hearts to receive Himself as He who is
able to pardon sin. When He saw that the paralytic could receive pardon at
once, He began by that which was of the greatest importance; after which
came the healing which put a seal on the pardon which had been accorded to
him.
We see, by the accounts given in the Gospels, that it
was more difficult for the Jews at that time to believe in the pardon of
their sins than in divine healing. Now it is just the contrary. The
Christian Church has heard so much of the preaching of the forgiveness of
sins that the thirsty soul easily receives this message of grace; but it is
not the same with divine healing; that is rarely spoken of; the believers
who have experienced it are not many. It is true that healing is not given
in this day as in those times, to the multitudes whom Christ healed without
any previous conversion. In order to receive it, it is necessary to begin by
confession of sin and the purpose to live a holy life. This is without doubt
the reason why people find more difficulty to believe in healing than in
forgiveness; and this is also why those who receive healing receive at the
same time new spiritual blessing, feel more closely united to the Lord
Jesus, and learn to love and serve Him better. Unbelief may attempt to
separate these two gifts, but they are always united in Christ. He is always
the same Savior both of the soul and of the body, equally ready to grant
pardon and healing. The redeemed may always cry: “Bless the Lord, O my
soul.., who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases”
(Ps. 103:3).
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Jesus Bore Our Sickness
Source
worldinvisible.com
“Surely he hath borne our sicknesses and carried our
sorrows.... My righteous servant shall justify many; for he shall bear their
iniquities... He shall divide the spoil with the strong, because. . . he
bare the sin of many” (Isa. 53:4, 11, 12, R.V.).
The expression “to bear” could not but appear in this
prophecy. It is, in fact, the word which must accompany the mention of sin,
whether as committed directly by the sinner, or whether as transmitted to a
substitute. The transgressor, the priest, and the expiatory victim must all
bear the sin. In the same way, it is because the Lamb of God has borne our
sins that God smote Him for the iniquity of us all. Sin was not found in
Him, but it was put upon Him; He took it voluntarily upon Him. And it is
because He bore it—and that, in bearing it, He put an end to it—that He has
the power to save us. “My righteous servant shall justify many; for he shall
bear their iniquities . . . he shall divide the spoil with the strong,
because . . . he bare the sin of many” (Isa. 53:11, 12). It is, therefore,
because our sins have been borne by Jesus Christ that we are delivered from
them as soon as we believe this truth; consequently we need no longer bear
them ourselves.
In this same chapter (Isaiah 53) the expression “to
bear” occurs twice, but in relation to two different things. It is said not
only that the Lord’s righteous Servant has borne our sins (vs. 12), but also
that He has borne our sicknesses (vs. 4, R.V., margin). Thus His bearing our
sicknesses forms an integral part of the Redeemer’s work as well as bearing
our sins. Although Himself without sin He has borne our sins, and He has
done as much for our sicknesses. The human nature of Jesus could not be
touched by sickness because it remained holy. We never find in the account
of His life any mention of sickness. Participating in all the weaknesses of
our human nature, hunger, thirst, fatigue and sleep, because all these
things are not the consequence of sin, He still had no trace of sickness. As
He was without sin, sickness had no hold on Him, and He could die only a
violent death and that by His voluntary consent. Thus it is not in Him but
on Him that we see sickness as well as sin; He took them upon Him and bore
them of His own free will. In bearing them and taking them upon Him, He has
by this very fact triumphed over them, and has acquired the right of
delivering His children from them.
Sin had attacked and ruined equally the soul and the
body. Jesus came to save both. Having taken upon Him sickness as well as
sin, He is in a position to set us free from the one as well as the other,
and that He may accomplish this double deliverance He expects from us only
one thing: our faith.
As soon as a sick believer understands the purport of
the words, “Jesus has borne my sins,” he does not fear to say also: “I need
no longer bear my sins, they are upon me no longer.” In the same way as soon
as he has fully taken in and believed for himself that Jesus has borne our
sicknesses, he does not fear to say: “I need no longer bear my sickness;
Jesus in bearing sin bore also sickness which is its consequence; for both
He has made propitiation, and He delivers me from both.”
I have myself witnessed the blessed influence which
this truth exercised one day upon a sick woman. For seven years she had been
almost continually bedfast. A sufferer from tuberculosis, epilepsy, and
other sicknesses, she had been assured that no hope of cure remained for
her. She was carried into the room where the late Mr. W. E. Boardman was
holding a Sunday evening service for the sick, and was laid in a
half-fainting condition on the sofa. She was too little conscious to
remember anything of what took place until she heard the words, “Himself
took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses” (Matt. 8:17), and then she
seemed to hear the words, “If He has borne your sicknesses, why then bear
them yourself? Get up.” But she thought—if I attempt to get up, and fall
upon the ground, what will they think of me? But the inward voice began
again:
“If He has borne my sins, why should I have to bear
them?” To the astonishment of all who were present, she arose, and, although
still feeble, sat down in a chair by the table. From that moment her healing
made rapid progress. At the end of a few weeks she had no longer the
appearance of an invalid, and later on her strength was such that she could
spend many hours a day in visiting the poor. With what joy and love she
could then speak of Him who was “the strength of her life” (Ps. 27:1). She
had believed that Jesus had borne her sicknesses as well as her sins, and
her faith was not put to confusion. It is thus that Jesus reveals Himself as
a perfect Savior to all those who will trust themselves unreservedly to Him.
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Jesus Our Mediator and Intercessor
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
“For there is one God, and one mediator between God
and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).
Because the blood of Jesus Christ removes sin, making
us pure before God, Christ’s shed blood also makes it possible for our
access to the very Throne of God, the Father. “…And he bare the sin of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12).
When we pray, the Lord Jesus is our great
Intercessor. He presents our prayers to the Father. He asks the Father to
grant our requests for His sake. It is because of who Jesus is and what He
has done for us that God hears, and answers our prayers.
“For Christ (the Messiah) has not entered into a
sanctuary made with [human] hands, only a copy and pattern and type of the
true one, but [He has entered] into heaven itself, now to appear in the
[very] presence of God on our behalf” (Hebrews 9:24).
“My little children, I write you these things so that
you may not violate God’s law and sin. But if anyone should sin, we have an
Advocate (One Who will intercede for us) with the Father—[it is] Jesus
Christ [the all] righteous [upright, just, Who conforms to the Father’s will
in every purpose, thought, and action]” (1 John 2:1).
Hebrews 4:14, 16, speaks of the confidence we can have when we
approach God, “…we
have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of
God…Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace,
that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Jesus
Christ makes this possible for us to experience this intimate relationship
with our Father.
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Jesus The Resurrection (First Fruits)
If we who are [abiding] in
Christ have hope only in this life and that is all, then we are of all
people most miserable and to be pitied. But the fact is that Christ (the
Messiah) has been raised from the dead, and He became the firstfruits of
those who have fallen asleep [in death]. For since [it was] through a man
that death [came into the world, it is] also through a Man that the
resurrection of the dead [has come].
For just as [because of their union of nature] in Adam
all people die, so also [by virtue of their union of nature] shall all in
Christ be made alive. But each in his own rank and turn: Christ (the
Messiah) [is] the firstfruits, then those who are Christ’s [own will be
resurrected] at His coming. - 1 Corinthians 15:19-23
“And [so that you can know and understand] what is the immeasurable
and unlimited and
surpassing greatness of His power in and for us who
believe, as demonstrated in the working of His mighty strength,
Which He exerted
in Christ
when He raised Him from the dead
and seated
Him at His [own] right hand in the heavenly [places],
Far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every
name that is named [above every title that can be conferred], not only in
this age and in this world, but also in the age and the world
which are to come.
And He has put all things under His feet and has
appointed Him the universal and
supreme Head of the church [a headship exercised throughout the church],
Which is His body,
the fullness of Him Who fills all in all [for in that body lives the full
measure of Him Who makes everything complete, and Who fills everything
everywhere with Himself]” (Ephesians 1:19-23).
“And
He raised us up together with Him and made us sit down together [giving us joint
seating with Him] in the heavenly sphere [by virtue of our being] in Christ
Jesus
(the Messiah, the Anointed One)”
(Ephesians 2:6).
The word hath in Ephesians
2:6 is past tense. God has already raised us up and made us sit in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus. We will rule and reign with Christ in this life
now—if we’ll exercise our rightful authority, as well as in the life to
come!
As believers, our seating with Christ is part of
our inheritance now. Our position in Christ is already an accomplished fact.
But, we need to exercise the authority that belongs to us in that position
of reigning with Christ by the operation of faith.
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The Gift
of the Holy Spirit
Christ purchased our freedom
[redeeming us] from the curse (doom) of the Law [and its condemnation] by
[Himself] becoming a curse for us, for it is written [in the Scriptures],
Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree (is crucified);
To the end that through [their receiving] Christ Jesus,
the blessing [promised] to Abraham might come upon the Gentiles, so that we
through faith might [all] receive [the realization of] the promise of the
[Holy] Spirit. - Galatians 3:13-14
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com – Excerpts
from The Spirit of Wisdom in Understanding Prayer and Faith
The Ascension of Jesus Christ was the
culmination of Christ’s
glorification after His Resurrection and was necessary for His heavenly
exaltation and the impartation of the Holy
Spirit. Christ is recorded telling the disciples in John 16:7-11,
“Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away:
for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart,
I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of
sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: Of sin, because they believe not
on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”
And
I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may
abide with you for ever; …Even the Spirit of truth; …
whom
the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but
ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
I will not leave
you comfortless: I will come to you…The
Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you. (John 14:16-18, 26)
Spiritual Regeneration
The Bible’s
Greek definition
for regeneration is paliggenesia defined as,
“hence renovation, the production of a new life consecrated
to God, a radical change of mind for the better.”
Regeneration in its most defined sense means to affect a complete moral
reform in, to make over, especially in a better form or condition. In
theology, its definition is to be born-again spiritually. Regeneration may
be compared to the process of a metamorphosis in which the complete change
in character or nature of a thing is transformed, which is evident in Romans
12:2, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable,
and perfect, will of God.”
In conversion, the Holy Spirit redefines our nature, attitudes,
actions, thoughts, motives and virtues. The same Holy Spirit that was
operative in the creation of mankind and Earth is also operating in the
re-creating of our spiritual nature. “Therefore,
if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away;
behold, all things have become new” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
This powerful divine person and presence is key to revelation,
unwavering faith, spiritual transformation,
and spiritual
wisdom, relationship and communion
with God, an empowered love walk, a powerful prayer life, and power in the
manifestation of miracles.
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Jesus, Grace and Truth
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
"For
while the Law was given through Moses, grace (unearned,
undeserved favor and spiritual
blessing) and truth came
through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
Jesus is always glorified
when the gospel of grace is taught. The gospel of grace always unveils the
beauty and love of Jesus and the perfection of His finished work on the
Cross. Under the law, the burden is on you to perform. Under grace, the
burden is on what Christ has performed on the Cross.
He saved us, not because of any works of righteousness
that we had done, but because of His own pity and mercy, by [the] cleansing
[bath] of the new birth (regeneration) and renewing of the Holy Spirit,
Which He poured out [so] richly upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. -
Titus 3:5-6
But then Law came in, [only] to expand and increase the
trespass [making it more apparent and exciting opposition]. But where sin
increased and abounded, grace (God’s unmerited favor) has surpassed
it and increased the more and super abounded, So that, [just] as sin has
reigned in death, [so] grace (His unearned and undeserved favor) might reign
also through righteousness (right standing with God) which issues in eternal
life through Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One) our Lord. - Romans
5:20-2 1
“For
Christ is the end of the Law [the limit at which it ceases to be, for the
Law leads up to Him Who is the fulfillment of its types, and in Him the
purpose which it was designed to accomplish is fulfilled. That is, the
purpose of the Law is fulfilled in Him] as the means of righteousness (right
relationship to God) for everyone who trusts in and adheres
to and relies
on Him”
(Romans 10:4).
“For
sin shall not [any longer] exert dominion over you, since now you are not
under Law [as slaves], but under grace [as subjects of God’s favor and
mercy]” (Romans 6:14).
“Sin
was in the world before the law of Moses [the
law], but sin is
not counted against us as breaking a command [charged
to one’s account; recorded as sin] when there is no law [4:15]”
(Romans 5:13). – Expanded
“…the
law can only bring God’s anger [wrath].
But if there is no law, there is
nothing to disobey
[no transgression/violation; the
law points out sin (5:13),
but it cannot save from sin]” (Romans 4:15). – Expanded
“So
do we destroy [nullify;
annul] the law
by following the way of faith [ faith]?
No
[Absolutely not; May it never be; v.
6]!
Faith causes us
to be what the law truly wants [ We
uphold/establish/ support the law; living
by faith captures the true spirit and purpose of the law; the law pointed
out sin and the need for grace, thereby pointing to Christ]”
(Romans 3:31). – Expanded
“So
that the righteous and just
requirement of the Law might be fully met in us who live
and
move not in the ways of the flesh but in the ways
of the Spirit [our lives governed not by the standards and according to the
dictates of the flesh, but controlled by the Holy Spirit]”
(Romans 8:4). “…if the Spirit is
leading you, you are not under the law”
(Galatians 5:18).
“For
I will be merciful and gracious
toward their sins and I will remember their deeds of unrighteousness no more”
(Hebrews 8:12).
“Blessed and happy and to
be envied are those whose iniquities are forgiven and whose sins are covered
up and completely
buried.
Blessed and happy and to
be envied is the person of whose sin the Lord will take no account nor reckon
it against him”
(Romans 4:7-8).
“Therefore,
[there is] now no condemnation (no adjudging guilty of wrong) for those who
are in Christ Jesus, who live
[and] walk not after the dictates of the flesh, but after the dictates of
the Spirit”
(Romans 8:1).
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Jesus The Shepherd
The role of a shepherd is to
take care of his sheep. The shepherd continually guides them and protects
them, endeavoring to keep them safe. He ensures that the sheep have
provision and that nothing harms them. Because God cares for us more than a
shepherd cares for his sheep, we do not have to fear, for He leads and
provides for us through life. David, the psalmist wrote,
The Lord is my Shepherd [to feed, guide, and shield
me], I shall not lack. He makes me lie down in [fresh, tender] green
pastures; He leads me beside the still and restful waters. He
refreshes and restores my life (my self); He leads me in the paths of
righteousness [uprightness and right standing with Him—not for my earning
it, but] for His name’s sake.
Yes, though I walk through the [deep, sunless] valley
of the shadow of death, I will fear or dread no evil, for You are with me;
Your rod [to protect] and Your staff [to guide], they comfort me. You
prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head
with oil; my [brimming] cup runs over.
Surely or only goodness, mercy, and unfailing love
shall follow me all the days of my life, and through the length of my days
the house of the Lord [and His presence] shall be my dwelling place. - Psalm
23
Jesus says of Himself,
I am the Good Shepherd. The
Good Shepherd risks and lays down His [own] life for the sheep.
But the hired servant (he who merely serves for
wages) who is neither the shepherd nor the owner of the sheep, when he sees
the wolf coming, deserts the flock and runs away. And the wolf chases and
snatches them and scatters [the flock]. Now the hireling flees because he
merely serves for wages and is not himself concerned about the sheep [cares
nothing for them].
I am the Good Shepherd; and I know and recognize My
own, and My own know and recognize Me—
Even as [truly as] the Father knows Me and I also know
the Father—and I am giving My [very own] life and laying it down on behalf
of the sheep.
And I have other sheep [beside these] that are not of
this fold. I must bring and impel those also; and they will listen to My
voice and heed My call, and so there will be [they will become] one flock
under one Shepherd. For this [reason] the Father loves Me, because I lay
down My [own] life—to take it back again.
No one takes it away from Me. On the contrary, I lay it
down voluntarily. [I put it from Myself.] I am authorized and have power to
lay it down (to resign it) and I am authorized and have power to take it
back again. These are the instructions (orders) which I have received [as My
charge] from My Father . -
John 10:11-18
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Jesus The
Bridegroom
The Greatest Love Story
Ever Told - Jesus said in John 10:18, “No
one takes My life, but I gladly lay it down on My own initiative…” “Greater
love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends”
(John 15:13).
The Bible is the greatest book ever written about the
subject of love – the Bible contains the greatest love story ever told –
that of a righteous God and His love for a fallen mankind. The whole message
of Jesus Christ is centered on His love for us – all that we are, have been
or ever will be.
The
gateway to realizing this love story is comprehending the meaning of
Christ's death on the Cross—and that He suffered and died for you,
resurrected, God poured out all of His wrath on Him for the forgiveness of
our past, present and future sins when we make Him Lord and Savior so that we are made in right
standing before God, the Father.
God’s grace is, “to make all men see what is the
fellowship of the mystery…” (Ephesians 3:9). We must further come to the
revelation that we, “May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the
breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ,
which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fullness of
God (Ephesians 3:18-19).
Simply stated, love is a divine exchange. We must grow
in the love of God, and the love for God, with the
enfoldment of realization that God
loves us.
Divine revelations throughout the Word of God begin
with a broken covenant in Genesis 3, Christ’s atoning death and
resurrection, and culminate in a marriage covenant of a glorious wedding
with Christ as the Bridegroom, and the saints as the Church at His second
coming. The picture of the saints with the Lord is a majestic and merciful
one. It is majestic in that it includes people from every tribe and
language, people and nation. Even more, the beauty is enhanced when we
realize that mercy, grace and love, not merit, is what qualifies the bride.
WHO IS THIS JESUS? Who has done the most good for
mankind and lived the most holy life of anyone who has ever lived? Who is
the greatest giver? Who is the greatest leader? Who is the greatest teacher?
Who is the greatest healer? Who is the greatest lover?
Who is the greatest hero, friend, King, High Priest...?
“And there are also many
other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every
one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that
should be written. Amen” (John 21:25).
Jesus Christ changed the
course of history when He descended from Heaven, born of a virgin birth,
walked as the Son of Man on earth, lived a sinless life, died, and
resurrected, and ascended back to Heaven.
Christ, the bridegroom to the Church, metaphorically
parallels humankind’s most revered and inspiring love relationship. The
analogy is to the bridegroom and the bride as to the husband and the wife.
The metaphor equates the Lord and His Church to the love, compassion, and
intimacy of marriage.
The entire Bible, God’s complete mystery revealed in
Christ and the Word is His love for us that concludes with the most
beautiful proposal of marriage:
“I, Jesus, have sent My
messenger (angel) to you to witness and to give you assurance of these
things for the churches (assemblies). I am the Root (the Source) and the
Offspring of David, the radiant and brilliant Morning Star.
The [Holy] Spirit and the bride (the church, the true
Christians) say, Come! And let him who is listening say, Come! And let
everyone come who is thirsty [who is painfully conscious of his need of
those things by which the soul is refreshed, supported, and strengthened];
and whoever [earnestly] desires to do it, let him come, take,
appropriate, and drink the water of Life without cost.” - Revelation
22:16-17
"Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church
and gave Himself up for her, So that He might sanctify her, having cleansed
her by the washing of water with the Word, That He might present the church
to Himself in glorious splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such things
[that she might be holy and faultless]. Even so husbands should love their
wives as [being in a sense] their own bodies. He who loves his own wife
loves himself.
For no man ever hated his own flesh, but
nourishes and carefully protects and cherishes it, as Christ does the
church, Because we are members (parts) of His body. For this reason a man
shall leave his father and his mother and shall be joined to his wife, and
the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is very great, but I speak
concerning [the relation of] Christ and the church." - Ephesians 5:25-32
“And out of the throne came a voice that said, “Praise
our God, all you his servants, small and great, who fear him.” Then I heard
again what sounded like the shouting of a huge crowd, or like the waves of a
hundred oceans crashing on the shore, or like the mighty rolling of great
thunder, “Praise the Lord. For the Lord our God, the Almighty, reigns.
Let us be glad and rejoice and honor him; for the time
has come for the wedding banquet of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared
herself. She is permitted to wear the cleanest and whitest and finest of
linens.” (Fine linen represents the good deeds done by the people of God.)
And the angel dictated this sentence to me: “Blessed are those who are
invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And he added, “God himself has
stated this” (Revelation 19:5-9). – Living Bible
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Jesus The
Word of God
Christ's Earthly Ministry -
“And the Word (Christ) became flesh (human, incarnate) and tabernacled
(fixed His tent of flesh, lived awhile) among us; and we [actually] saw His
glory (His honor, His majesty), such glory as an only begotten son receives
from his father, full of grace (favor, loving-kindness) and truth” ( John
1:14).
Christ's Second Coming
- "And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon
him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and
make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many
crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself. And he
was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and
his name is called The Word of God" (Revelation
19:11-13).
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How Do You Make Jesus
Your Lord and Savior?
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
It begins with believing and
receiving. With the opening of one’s heart. With the turning away from
darkness and turning to the light [Jesus]. With the giving of oneself, the
committing of one’s life with submission, a decision and a declaration.
It takes place - anywhere, any place, alone or with
others, wherever you are, for it takes place in the heart.
You may ask can it take place anytime? Yes and no. The
Word of God says “(… behold, now is the accepted time; behold,
now is the day of salvation)” 2 Corinthians 6:2. "Today, if
you will hear His voice, Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion”
(Hebrews 3:15) - NKJV
You may say, tomorrow. But, when tomorrow has come, you
may not be there. The reality is all you have is NOW. Everything we have,
our life, our breath, the very air we breathe it’s borrowed, and it’s all a
gift!
And at any given moment it could all end with a
heartbeat. Then there are no more choices. We are one breath from eternity;
either eternal life or eternal death. Your eternal destination rests on one
choice, one decision, because no one knows when that day will come. The only
thing that we do know for sure is that it will come. Therefore, NOW is the
time of salvation!
You say how do I know this is true? You don’t, you
accept it by faith. The meaning, the purpose of life, the reason you were
born is only realized in Him who gave you life, is where you can find
its meaning.
“Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker!... I have
made the earth, and created man upon it: I, even my hands, have stretched
out the heavens, and all their host have I commanded…Look unto me, and be ye
saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else”
(Isaiah 45:9, 12, 22).
Some think that the ministry of the Bible is a yoke of
bondage and that it’s just too hard to do what’s right. Others think that
the godly are weak, are misconstrued as doormats, and are not prosperous or
successful in society’s mainstream viewpoint of success. The vast majority
of people feel that Christians or faith-based believers should be
infallible, and when they “miss the mark,” they are perceived as
hypocritical. Observers then become disillusioned by the faith when people
professing the faith do not walk in perfection. The outright sinful wonder
how God could forgive and accept them because of all the sin and wrong they
have done. And, “The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God” (Psalm
53:1).
All of these mind-sets, and more, keep people from the
Word of God. Truth be told, we are all a work in progress. Scripture says,
“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not
in us… If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word
is not in us” (1 John 1:8, 10). “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all
our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and
our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away … But now, O LORD, thou
art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the
work of thy hand” (Isaiah 64:6–8).
Scripture says, “For whosoever shall call upon the name
of the Lord shall be saved” (Romans 10:13). “That if thou shalt confess with
thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath
raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man
believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto
salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be
ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the
same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him” (Romans 10:9–12).
Why Should
You Make Jesus Lord and Savior
Just as a loving parent loves
his or her child in spite of their imperfect behavior, God loves us in spite
of our imperfect lives; and because He loves us, He wants to be in a
relationship with us. As the Apostle Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack
concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward
us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to
repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
The major pillars of the Christian faith are: there is
only one true living God, the Bible is the inspired Word of God, Jesus is
“the Son of the living God” and He died and rose the third day and, “He that
believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the
Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him” (John 3:36).
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A
Relationship, Not Religion
www.understandingprayerandfaith.com
Beloved, God, our Creator
loves us and beckons us to come, not as a religion, but a way of life, not
as a denomination or ritualistic formalities, but to seek Him and to know
His will in an intimate and personal relationship, and as a doer of the
Word. Some would call this obtaining your higher consciousness, we as
Christians call it Jesus. For Jesus declares, “I am the way, the truth, and
the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:6).
Humanity was intended to be a reflection of the nature
of God on Earth. It is, sinful fallen, humanity that has deviated from the
standard of perfection that God set for us when He created us in His image
and likeness. God’s plan to restore humanity to His intended divine nature
was perfected in Christ Jesus. Only through Christ are we restored to our
purpose in God. Only through a spiritual rebirth are we redeemed, conformed,
transformed, sanctified, and regenerated.
“Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world,
and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have
sinned: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when
there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over
them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam’s transgression, who
is the figure of him that was to come. But not as the offence, so also is
the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the
grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath
abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that sinned, so is the gift:
for the judgment was by one to condemnation, but the free gift is of many
offences unto justification. For if by one man’s offence death reigned by
one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of
righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon
all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift
came upon all men unto justification of life. For as by one man’s
disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound.
But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:12–20).
“Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).
You can enter into His presence just as you are, and
if you have not accepted Jesus Emmanuel, the Christ, as your personal Lord
and Savior, then say this prayer aloud,
- “Our Father, which are in heaven, hallow be thy
name, please forgive me of my sins, come into my life, I believe that
Jesus is the Son of God and that God raised Him from the dead. I accept
Jesus Christ as my personal Lord and Savior and surrender to the Holy
Spirit. Help me, teach me, and lead me in your path of righteousness.”
“There is joy
in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth” (Luke
15:10).
If you said this prayer, congratulations and welcome, you are now a part of the family of
Christ, a child of God.
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How to
Follow Jesus
www.godlife.com
So you want to
follow Jesus. But you have baggage from the past and doubts about the
future. How do you cope? The answer lies in knowing the truth about Jesus
and about yourself. The New Believer's Guide is designed to show you just
how much Jesus has saved you and how to walk in His new life -- a life of
faith and freedom. It's 30 lessons, each with a short video, Bible teaching,
thought question, and application for everyday life.
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How Can I Reach the World for Jesus?
www.globalmediaoutreach.com
How can I reach the world
for Jesus? GMO presents the gospel online. New believers get discipled at
GodLife.com while building personal
relationships with our Online
Missionaries.
7 years ago, GMO asked, "What if we put the gospel
online? Would people care?" Since then, over 50 million people have not only
cared—they've believed. 50 million out of 6 billion just scratches the
surface. Will you help reach the rest? The world is searching online. Global
Media Outreach, a non-profit Christian organization, helps people find
Jesus.
He Is My King
Thats-My-King-dvd
The
late S.M. Lockridge once presented an incredible message describing our Jesus.
Please view this awesome message played out on DVD until the last quote
of ‘AMEN.’
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Please Link to Christ in
You
With Love,
Live Healthy Naturally
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