THE SIMPLIFICATION OF SALVATION
What a privilege & honor it is to be called the Sons of GOD. THIS IS A MIRACLE!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him”.
— John 3:16-17 ESV
THIS IS THE GOSPEL! THIS IS OUR REALITY!
For what was meant to be the greatest tragedy in human history, turned out to be the greatest testimony of mankind. That GOD left deity & chose to die for mankind is the greatest love story of all!
Truth is, JESUS has always been GOD’s PLAN for salvation. Right from Genesis all through Malachi, the prophecies of Jesus were clear for all — in fact, so clear that the apostles were able to spread the gospel using the only bible they had; The Old Testament.
The people in the old testament were justified by BELIEVING in Christ & what He would do, but the people in the new testament were justified by BELIEVING in Christ in what He has done already!
Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.
— Romans 5:9 ESV
FRIENDS, the simplification of SALVATION is personified in all that Christ did for mankind. He was humble unto death; submitting His life to death for the atonement of all our sins once & for all!
Our salvation is a FREE GIFT from GOD. We can’t earn it! We can’t maintain or sustain it by works! We are NOT worthy of it but He made us worthy. Our righteousness is a free gift of GOD; NOT our abstinence from sin, nor our “efforts” & sin-consciousness which strive always to please the Father through works & good deeds.
THIS IS NO LICENSE TO SIN! But a reality check that JESUS is the ONLY atonement/propitiation for sin.
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
— Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV
Our boast alone is in Christ Jesus. HALLELUJAH!!! Not in our Abilities to avoid sin, but in Christ alone!
More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.
— Romans 5:11 ESV
FRIENDS, let’s NOT be carried away by the traditions of this world. Let’s NOT be moved by wrong doctrines. The Bible makes it clear that the Death, Burial, Resurrection & Ascension of Jesus Christ was & is the greatest testimony of mankind.
JESUS IS NO LONGER ON THE CROSS! He is NOT in pains nor defeated like the Catholic crucifix statues depict. JESUS IS RISEN & SEATED ON HIS THRONE IN HEAVEN BY GOD’s right hand!
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
— Colossians 3:1 ESV
For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
— Romans 8:2 ESV
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.
— Romans 10:8-10 ESV
FRIENDS, here is the spiritual formula to eternal life;
BELIEVE IN JESUS ALONE!
When we became born-again, WE DID NOT give our lives to Christ (for we were dead in sin — what really would we have given?), NO! Rather, we received the life of JESUS when we believed in Him that He is GOD — the image of the invisible Father, and that His Death, Burial, Resurrection & Ascension perfected & reconciled us once for all time to our heavenly Father BY FAITH THROUGH GOD’s GLORIOUS GRACE.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation.
— 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 ESV
And if that isn’t clear enough, the bible further clarifies this as thus;
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
— 2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV
The greatest love story of all time — the greatest gift to mankind is Christ Jesus! Yes, we might all say that we know this truth (which is encouraging if you do), but do we really know the true value of the priceless-price Jesus paid for us to be set free in Him from all forms of Sin & shame, and death?
Are we trying to pay GOD back by our works & deeds?!
Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,
— Romans 4:4-5 ESV
WAIT! Did we just read correctly; that THE ONE WHO DOES NOT WORK (does NOT strive by his own efforts to become righteous before GOD), BUT BELIEVES IN HIM WHO JUSTIFIES THE UNGODLY, THAT HIS FAITH IS COUNTED AS RIGHTEOUSNESS?
WOW! So is the Bible literally telling us that if WE BELIEVE in JESUS — the just-justifier of the ungodly, that it will be COUNTED as righteousness unto us? YES! A thousand times YES!!!
I wish I could really teach you guys more but time will fail me and writings would limit my explanations to you all. I’ll end this session with a screenshot from the bible and a few edifying verses therein;
for we [who are born-again have been reborn from above — spiritually transformed, renewed, set apart for His purpose and] are the true circumcision, who worship in the Spirit of God and glory and take pride and exult in Christ Jesus and place no confidence [in what we have or who we are] in the flesh —
— PHILIPPIANS 3:3 AMP
While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. And the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles. For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”
— Acts 10:44-47 ESV
SALVATION comes to those who HEAR THE WORD OF GOD & BELIEVE WHOLEHEARTEDLY that JESUS is indeed LORD. There is NO ‘holier-than-thou’ in the Body of Christ, because WE are ALL ONE in Him.
As you celebrate Easter, CELEBRATE JESUS not out of fear of hell, nor out of religious obligation, but out of LOVE by faith through Grace.
For what was meant to be the greatest tragedy in human history, has turned out to be the greatest testimony of mankind. That GOD left deity & chose to die for mankind is the greatest love story of all!
