This seems to be an appropriate time to discuss why Jesus went to the Cross to die.
Rom 3:21-24
21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
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We are all lost and have condemned ourselves because of our own sins, thepenalty for which is....
Rom 6:23
23 For the wages of sin is death,
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Has anyone not sin? No, Romans 3:23 is clear about that, so that means that all of us, barring removal of our sins, are destined for death. Unless a Saviour comes along, we have no hope.
So, if we need to be saved, by implication none who require a salvation, and thus none who have sinned can be the Saviour. Thus we need to find someone who does not need a Saviour, one who is sinless, yet scripture says:
Rom 3:9-12
10 As it is written:
"There is none righteous, no, not one;
11 There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God.
12 They have all turned aside;
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So how does one find a Saviour? Let's see who is qualified.
Isa 43:3
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
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God is our Saviour. He is sinless. Are there others?
Hos 13:4
4 "Yet I am the LORD your God
Ever since the land of Egypt,
And you shall know no God but Me;
For there is no Savior besides Me.
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No, there is no one else qualified. There is but one way to the Father.
John 14:6
6 Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.
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Therefore if Jesus is the Saviour, he must be God in the flesh:
1 Tim 3:16
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in the Spirit,
Seen by angels,
Preached among the Gentiles,
Believed on in the world,
Received up in glory.
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It is interesting to note that Jesus name in Hebrew (Yeshua) means Salvation.
But is there not another way?
John 3:3
3 Jesus answered and said to him, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."
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No, you must be born again.
Because Jesus was born in the flesh to enter the world as a man, Jesus is called the Son of God. Why would God come to earth to die for rebellious mankind?
John 3:16
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
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We also need to remember that as a man, He suffered all that we do and more, and it thus He knows our trials and tribulations. Further, He, as God, is merciful towards us because of His love and desired that none should perish.
Heb 2:17-18
17 Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. 18 For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.
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And what is the impact of receving Jesus Christ as Saviour?
John 3:36
36 He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."
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Rom 5:11
11 And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.
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And this opportunity is open to all.
Rom 10:10-13
10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved."
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And there is absolutely nothing that we as men can do to save ourselves:
Eph 2:8-9
8 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.
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If you have not yet made the decision to receive Jesus as Saviour, please consider His invitation:
Rev 3:20-22
20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. 21 To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne.
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Remember what I said early that if one Saviour had finished the job, the rest would not be necessary?
John 19:30
30 So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.
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Thus, Jesus finished the job. But the story did not end.
1 Cor 15:3-8
3 For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, 5 and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. 6 After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. 7 After that He was seen by James, then by all the apostles. 8 Then last of all He was seen by me also, as by one born out of due time.
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So Jesus was resurrected on the third day and is alive today and ready to receive those who call upon His name in truth and are ready to accept Him as Lord and Saviour.
John 3:16-19
16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. 17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 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.
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This is what all those who are born again are celebrating when we celebrate Easter. It is the fact that through Christ Jesus, we can be born again as a result of His sacrifice on the cross.
And further that He did not stay dead, but He was resurrected, proving the fact that He truly was God in the flesh!
May God bless those who read and listen to the words of the gospel from scripture.
Those who would like to better understand the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ as given in the Bible are welcome to contact me at smithtj.geo@yahoo.com, or thorugh my website at Discern.ca
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