Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Before a person goes to the doctor he or she must first realize their need. So it is with the sinner who comes to God. An essential first step is to realize one’s bankruptcy before God. Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” It is important for those who think they are “good” to remember Eden and that it only took one sin for the first couple to be removed from paradise. James 2:10 “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.” Since sin results in separation from God, the sinner is eternally separated from God at death and must be subject to eternal punishment (Rev 21:9).
God the Father had compassion on his creatures and offered them a path to forgiveness. To signify the dire consequences of sin, God demanded a blood sacrifice to “cover” the sin of the people. Leviticus 17:11 “For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you on the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood by reason of the life that makes atonement.” Despite the “covering” that God offered Israel, there was still a problem: Hebrews 10:11 “Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” Although the animal sacrifices “covered” sin, the author of Hebrews emphatically states, “it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 10:4). If blood sacrifice is the God-prescribed means to take away sin, but animal sacrifice would not suffice to remove sin, how can humanity have their sin eradicated so that they may be reconciled to God?
John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” Because God needed a perfect sacrifice for sin, He sent His Son, Jesus the Messiah, to lay down his life for those who believe. Notice the sacrificial language of John the Baptist, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)! By the power of the Spirit of God, Jesus lived a perfect life without sin. As a result, his death upon the cross was sufficient to “remove” the sin of those who believe in Him. What then does God require? Acts 17:30 “God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.” All those who are convicted of their sin should turn to God in repentant faith to receive the eternal gift that is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone. For those who respond in the obedience of faith, they will be raised from the dead by the Spirit of God to live with God for eternity in heaven.
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10 comments:
Excellent point brother. Glad you are getting the word out and reminding us all of this. Keep getting the wonderful news out. Praise God.
Btw,
The reason this is such an excellent presentation is because the focus is on the blood sacrifice and the need for a perfect representative for that blood sacrifice who was Himself God.
Edersheim points out that one reason the Jewish people underemphasised the priestly ministry of Christ was because they had no sense of their sin.
Strangely applicable in our day as well.
But how can a man really know that he is a sinner? But Romans 5:8 clearly stated:"God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While were still sinners Christ died for us." How can a man realize his/her bankruptcy? if the whole world is bankrupt because of sins. But Jesus say, I am the light of the World! For it is by grace through faith...not by work (Eph.2:8) the doctor comes first, because He knew we can do nothing with out Him. That is the love of GOD.
I have copied and posted this brief presentation as a page on my website, giving you credit, of course. I will remove at your request. You can see it at http://fullychristian.esmartweb.com/gospel.htm
Anonymous, feel free to use it. I'm glad you found it helpful.
Thy wordes ryng true, Moorheade!
Forasmuch as they are Christe's wordes.
I MIGHT PUT THIS ON MY BLOG. IS THAT OKAY?
WWW.CHATSWITHANOLDLADY.BLOGSPOT.COM
Hi you're Christian web site is such a blessing.
Keep up the good work, I am praying for you.
Thanks LaVern Williams
P.S. if you get time stop by my website and say hi anytime at.........Solid Rock Bible Ministries - of Fresno CA
You write: ” “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”
Le-havdil (to differentiate)
The big question is what is written in Torah.
The central tenet of Judaism is expressed in the Shema where Torah states that one is required to do his or her utmost to keep the mitzwot (commandments) in Torah (which includes Halakhah as defined by the beit din (Jewish Court; in an unbroken chain since Mosheh (Moses) in the legitimate Jewish community of Israel) and that only those who DO (not merely believe) this qualify for kipur [atonement] and resulting portion in olam ha-ba (the non-dimensional realm; “heaven”). The NT is a post-135 C.E. Roman-Hellenist displacement counterfeit--and faith in a counterfeit Christ cannot provide "salvation."
The mitzwot (commandments) in Torah are for example: To keep Shabat; to not eat pig, etcetera.
For words you don’t understand; see www.netzarim.co.il ; Glossaries
The Torah IS the expression--and THE expression taught by Ribi Yehoshua from Natzrat (hellenized to Nazareth) ( the first century pro-Torah Messiah)--of how to treat both the Almighty and one's neighbor with love.
Ribi Yehoshua taught:
"Don't think that I came to uproot the Torah or the Neviim [prophets], but rather I came to reconcile them with the Oral Law of emet (truth). Should the heavens and ha-aretz (the land, particularly referring to Israel) exchange places, still, not even one ' (yod) nor one ` (qeren) of the Oral Law of Mosheh shall so much as exchange places; until it shall become that it is all being fully ratified and performed non-selectively. For whoever deletes one Oral Law from the Torah, or shall teach others such, by those in the Realm of the heavens he shall be called "deleted." Both he who preserves and he who teaches them shall be called Ribi in the Realm of the heavens. For I tell you that unless your Tzedaqah (righteousness) is over and above that of the Sophrim and of the [probably 'Herodian'] Rabbinic-Perushim (corrupted to "Pharisees"), there is no way you will enter into the Realm of the heavens! “
The Netzarim Reconstruction of Hebrew Matityahu (NHM) 5:17-20
The research of world-recognized authorities in this area implies that Ribi Yehoshua from Natzrat was a Pharisee (a Torah-practising Jewish group - who according to 4Q MMT (Jewish document found among the Dead Sea Scrolls) practised both written and oral Torah). As the earliest church historians, most eminent modern university historians, our web site (www.netzarim.co.il) and our Khavruta (Distance Learning) texts confirm, the original teachings of Ribi Yehoshua were not only accepted by most of the Pharisaic Jewish community, he had hoards of Jewish students. In NHM we have removed all things Ribi Yehoshua impossibly cannot have said.
Finding the historical Jew, who was a Pharisee Ribi and following him brings you into Torah, which gives you a rich and meaningful life here on earth and great rewards in life after death (“heaven”)!
From Anders Branderud
Geir Toshav, Netzarim (www.netzarim.co.il) in Ra’anana in Israel who are followers of Ribi Yehoshua – Messiah – in [meta-]Orthodox Judaism
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