Consider the following statements that Jesus made:
- I am the way the truth and the life. No-one comes to
the Father except through me. John 14:6
- For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son,
that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal
life. John 3:16
- Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust
also in me. John 14:1
- I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains
in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me
you can do nothing. John 15:5
Do these mean anything to you? These statements
can't really be properly understood out of context. Consider,
the world was created perfect.
- In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth. Genesis 1:1
- God saw all that he had made,
and it was very good. Genesis 1:31
But man rebelled against God.
- God looks down from heaven
on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any
who seek God. Everyone has turned away, they have together become
corrupt; there is no-one who does good, not even one. Psalm
53:2-3
- All of us have become like
one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy
rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf and like the wind our sins
sweep us away. Isaiah 64:6
The consequence of this is death.
- And the Lord God said, 'The
man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He
must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from
the tree of life and eat, and live forever.' So the Lord God
banished him from the Garden of Eden to work the ground from
which he had been taken. Genesis 3:22-23
- For the wages of sin is death..
Romans 6:23
This is therefore the current state
of mankind. We are cut off from God because of our imperfection
(sin) and there is nothing that we can do. By no work can anyone
save himself.
But there is Good News (Gospel means
good news). God did something he didn't need to do - he set in
motion a plan to save mankind.
- Surely he took up our infirmities
and carried our sorrows... Isaiah 53:4
- Yet it was the Lord's will
to crush him and cause him to suffer... Isaiah 53:10
- But he was pierced for our
transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment
that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are
healed. Isaiah 53:5
- For he bore the sins of many,
and made intercession for the transgressors. Isaiah 53:12
Isaiah lived several hundred years
before Jesus, and yet prophesied about him. Jesus died for our
sins (Luke 23:26-49). There are many more prophesies about Jesus
in the Old Testament. Look at the verses at the end of this page
to get a sample.
To show that death had no hold of
him, he rose again three days later (Luke 24).
- The Son of Man must be delivered
into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third
day be raised again. Luke 24:7
- He said to them, 'How foolish
you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets
have spoken! Did not the Christ have to suffer these things
and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all
the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in the scriptures
concerning himself. Luke 24:25-27
So how do we respond to this? Our
belief in Jesus saves us.
- For the wages of sin is death,
but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23
- Therefore there is no condemnation
for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus
the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin
and death. Romans 8:1-2
- But now a righteousness from
God, apart from the law, has been made known, to which the law
and the prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes
through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no
difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory
of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption
that came by Christ Jesus. Romans 3:21-23
- Therefore, since we have been
justified through faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ,.. Romans 5:1
And finally:
- That if you confess with your
mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised
him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart
that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth
that you confess and are saved. Romans 10:9
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