ALL ABOUT JESUS
Rom 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
Rom 3:10 As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;
I. salvation—possible or actual?
The idea that God sent Jesus to make salvation possible, that Jesus did God's part (which did not actually save anybody) by dying and providing a plan of salvation, and that the gospel offers a potential salvation conditionally to all who will meet the conditions is a common one, especially in churches who believe in the “free will” of man. Some insist that the conditions of salvation are repentance, faith and a decision to accept Christ, while others add another condition of being immersed in water in the name of Jesus or the Trinity. Indeed, all these things have their place but let us understand what that place is.
It is my belief that since all have sinned, all fall short of God’s glory, and there is none righteous God came to us in Christ to reconcile us to himself, and that he did just that in the personal history (life, death and resurrection) of Jesus the Messiah. In other words, His life AND death actually accomplished what we couldn’t do on our own.
2Cor. 5:18-21 Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, 19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. 21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
Col. 1:19-20 For it pleased the Father that in Him all the fullness should dwell, 20 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.
God’s at peace with the world regarding their sin…His issue is their unbelief…lack of faith in Him.
Heb. 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
We had no part in this. He did it before anyone today was born or alive. Accomplished fact.
Heb 9:12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption.
That redemption was secured the moment His blood was spilled. Do we believe that?
On the cross, Jesus could cry, It is 'finished!' By raising Jesus from death God said, 'It is sufficient!'
Isa. 53:11 He shall see the labor of His soul, and be satisfied. By His knowledge My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah prophesying a future actual deliverance apart from anything men do.
Rom. 4:25 (Jesus) “…was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification.
Jesus was not raised from the dead till God was satisfied that all the requirements of His justice were met!
Rom 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous.
When Jesus went back to heaven, all who will ever be reconciled to God were as reconciled in the eyes of God as they will ever be. The gospel is not a do-it-yourself salvation-kit. It is the good news of our salvation. Jesus’ obedience met God’s requirements of a righteous life. Our part is believing God meant was He said. Tough!
Eph 1:13 In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel (good news) of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise,
The issue of redemption (redeeming and reconciling the world) was God’s business. Our personal salvation is tied to our personal belief and acceptance of what Jesus accomplished through the cross. Again, our belief!
John 6:28-29 Then they said to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent."
God first 'saved' us (in the representative life and death of Jesus), then 'called us' with the gospel to a holy life in response.
2 Tim. 1:9 who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,
That order is crucial and critical to understand. In the gospel, we announce a reconciliation already accomplished. Actually accomplished. It remains for us to respond in faith.
2 Cor. 5:19 that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, NOT imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
Historical note: Jesus actually lived, died, and rose from the dead. Not theoretical but actual. That life, death and resurrection had a purpose in real time. He was God’s Lamb on behalf of man and Himself.
Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.
That righteousness was actually accomplished on behalf of the world. Do we believe that? And we urge an appropriate response from the hearer. It’s not our sin but our unbelief that condemns.
John 3:18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
II. grace—not a work of man
2 Cor. 6:1 We then, as workers together with Him also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain.
Because the work which set us right with God was done by our representative, Jesus Christ, it occurred long before we were born and completely apart from anything in our own personal record of activity. When we first hear of it, it is already accomplished. We cannot add to it, make it better, supplement it, complete it or improve on it in any way. God saves us for Jesus Christ's sake.
1Jo 2:12 I write to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for His name's sake.
He accepted us in the person of his beloved Son.
Eph. 1:6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He has made us accepted in the Beloved.
So, when Jesus died, we died; when He rose, we rose; when He ascended, we ascended -- because He was our representative and proxy before God, and all that He did, He did in our name and place.
Eph. 2:5-6 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
This is what it means that Jesus was the 'second Adam' or 'last Adam.' Paul puts it this way:
2 Cor. 5:14 'One died for all, therefore all died'.
Jesus did not merely provide a way of salvation; he saved sinners from their sins. He did not make salvation a theoretical possibility; he made an end to sin and put it far away, reconciling sinners to the Father once for all by a perfect atonement that stands forever.
Dan. 9:24 "Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city, to finish the transgression, to make an end of sins, to make reconciliation for iniquity, to bring in everlasting righteousness, to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Most Holy.
Although many put this into the future, everything was, in fact, accomplished in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. (Another essay) The point being Jesus Christ completed all that was and ever will be needed to actually save men from their sins. This is God’s grace manifested in Christ.
John 1:14 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.
A. reconciled completely
Col. 1:20 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.
Heb. 1:3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,
Heb 10:12-14 But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. 14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
III. man’s responsibility
Heb 10:23 Without wavering, let us hold tightly to the hope we say we have, for God can be trusted to keep his promise.
Heb 4:2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
Heb 4:6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience,
Since the gospel is the good news that God has saved us in Jesus Christ, nothing we do contributes to that saving work, for it is finished before we ever hear of it. But we are called, as was
Because the work which sets us right with God occurred outside us, we must trust God's promise concerning our reconciliation. We cannot affect that work by our own efforts, either to enhance it or diminish it. We cannot add to it, for it is complete. We cannot substitute anything for it, for nothing else will work. All we can do is trust God regarding it. This is difficult because the human rebel insists on “earning” or “taking” instead of receiving.
A. the truth about belief
Rom. 10:1-4 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for
Again, it is our unbelief, not our sin that condemns (Don’t understand me to say that sin is not a problem, it is. However, it’s an issue of sanctification rather than justification.) By unbelief I do not mean that our head is empty of ideas, opinions, thoughts, or perceptions we consider to be true. Rather I mean we choose to believe something else or different than what God has said in His Word. This is unbelief according to the Bible.
Hebrews 4:2 “… For this Good News … has been announced … to them. But it did them no good because they didn't believe what God told them.
Most of us have an “aggregate” conception of knowledge and truth—meaning that because I’ve accumulated a bunch of stuff in my head it must all be true. In reality, we hold to a great variety of conflicting ideas and concepts that form a subtle foundation of confusion. True faith “in God” is faith in truth not faith in God as a theoretical concept. We believe what God says and act accordingly, but most confuse their belief “in God” with believing what God said. They are not always the same. Many in church adamantly defend their “belief in God” while living an unbelieving lifestyle. Belief is not seen as integral to behavior. When I encounter the typical response, “Hey, I believe in God” I usually counter with “What exactly do you believe about God?” or “What is the character of the God you believe in?” By forcing them to examine the true nature of what they believe, a few will honestly admit they don’t know exactly.
Christians don’t act differently because they don’t think differently. They don’t think differently because we’ve not taught them, trained them, nor held them accountable to do so. George Barna after interviewing 10,000 people on Christianity.
The Word tells us clearly that it is belief in His name and belief in His Word that will determine destiny.
Phil. 3:4-9 though I also might have confidence in the flesh. If anyone else thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so: 5 circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; 6 concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless. 7 But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. 8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
B. by faith alone
Eph 2:8-9 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Our salvation is by faith alone, NOT in a sense of 'steps of salvation' or superficial professions of 'faith', but a trust in God for 100 percent of it.
Heb 10:10 By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
Heb 10:14 For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.
Heb 10:17 then He adds, "Their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more."
We do not trust God for 50 percent of it and perform 50 percent ourselves; it is not 99 percent God and 1 percent us. It is 100 percent God's accomplishment and we trust him 100 percent.
Rom 1:17 For in the gospel of Christ the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, "The just shall live by faith."
Gal 3:2-3 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit, are you now being made perfect by the flesh?
It is from faith to faith and by faith all the way. This faith is measurable by behavior and attitude…fruit of the Spirit as the Bible calls it.
Gal 5:22-25 But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. NLT
C. faith and repentance
Rom. 4:16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all
Those who repent AND believe the gospel begin to enjoy its blessings and benefits. The New Testament is chock full of statements to that effect:
Whether we think of the blessing of life:
John 5:24 "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.
Justification:
Rom. 4:5 But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness,
Salvation:
Remission of sins:
Acts 10:43 "To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins."
Or the reception of the Holy Spirit and the venue of God's miracles:
Gal. 3:5 Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?--
