"WHY"
by Howard Watson
JESUS WILL SAVE BELIEVERS
The rejection of Jesus Christ is the greatest sin of all. There
are many sins committed by people, and these sins in the end are
judged by God (Yahweh/Jehovah) to bring both spiritual and physical
death. The marks/stains of sin rest upon the sinner causing greater
and greater bondage of habit and addiction/enslavement. Sinners,
thereby, need to hear of freedom from sin's bondage. Non-Christians
who continue to reject the Gospel of Christ will be given over to
their scheduled judgement by God the Father in Christ. Religion,
therefore, cannot save the rejectors of Christ Jesus.
There are many seriously religious people who even commit martrydom
in the name of their religion thinking this will result in winning
favor with their god. A true Christian, on the other hand, makes
his own life a living sacrifice in service to Jehovah God in Christ.
That's why we sacrificially give and reach out to others, near and
far.
In the Gospels, Jesus, himself, was constantly reaching out to all
who came to Him as He went to them, both Jew and non-Jew. If they
came to Him, He gave to them, regardless of who they were. He only
asked that they believe upon Him as He gave Himself to them in meeting
their need.
In John 6:35-40, Jesus told those who had come to hear Him: "...all
that the Father gives (didosin Gk from Didomi meaning to give, bestow,
present) Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will
by no means cast out," vs.37 NKJV). Jesus spoke this in the
present, active tense, meaning that the Father was doing this giving
at that very time.
In this passage we see God the Father directing the ministry of
His Son, Jesus Christ, by giving people, who were seeking God through
Christ, everlasting life, including resurrected life in the last
day.
The words for everlasting life in this passage are: "zoen"
from "zao" life with vitality, life, living existence,
spiritual life, and "aionion" from "aionios"
meaning eternal or everlasting. The overall tense of time here is
present and continuing forever.
From this we understand that the individual who trusts/believes
upon Jesus Christ comes to possess eternal, abundant life, now,
in Christ Jesus, and physical death does not stop eternal life.
Eternal life is not dependent upon a personal sacrifice by the sinner,
but upon the sinless death of Christ on the cross. There Christ
Jesus paid our sin debt. In II Cor. 5:11ff, the scripture teaches
us of Christ Jesus who paid our sin debt.
Therefore, all people today, those born into Muslim homes, Hindu
homes, Jewish homes, whatever the circumstance of their birth, can
come to Jesus Christ and find forgiveness and redemption for their
individual sins and new life, eternally abundant.
This is our message for the whole world of people, everywhere. Come
to Jesus Christ just as you are and find forgiveness, peace, love,
joy and the fullness of God's Holy Spirit in your being every moment
of your earthly life and throughout eternity.
I pray for the Muslim, the Jew, the Hindu and all others, that they
would hear and believe the Gospel truth of Jesus Christ this day.
WHY?
One of the first things we say in life as a child is "why."
Why can't I do? Why can't I go? Why is my belly aching? Our asking
questions for answers begins early in life and continues until death.
We usually begin with questions about our personal needs or surroundings.
Later as we mature we have all sorts of questions which we may ask.
We learn not to be afraid to ask questions.
Some major questions in the Bible are these. "Where are you
Adam?" That was God/Elohim calling to Adam, who had sinned
and was hiding himself with Eve from God. Remember the question
of Pilate to the Jews who had brought Jesus to him: "...What
must I do with Jesus...?"
Another important and famous question was asked of the Apostle Paul
and his companion Silas in the Philippian jail by the jail keeper,
who had been at the point of suicide with his own sword: "...What
must I do to be saved?" See Acts 16:25ff.
The critical answer to the jailer's question was: "...believe
("pisteus" Gk. from "Pisteuo" and finally "peitho"
meaning to persuade, to be convinced, to assent, listen to , obey,
trust, rely on) upon the LORD JESUS CHRIST and you shall be saved
and your house."
The Gospel message, which the Apostle Paul was commissioned to preach
by the Lord Jesus Christ, is needed by everyone in the world, Jew
and Gentile of the nations. People must hear the message in its
simplicity. It speaks to our hearts for our hearts to receive on
an individual basis. I can't believe upon Christ Jesus for someone
else. They must believe upon Him in their own hearts, so then everyone
in the house of the leader/seeker can be saved by hearing the Word
of God and trusting their lives to Jesus Christ for each one and
all to be saved.
Without Jesus there is no hope of salvation from sin's death/doom
into eternal life with Christ Jesus in the resurrected life. That
new life from Christ Jesus and God the Father begins immediately
upon believing upon Him as our personal Savior and Lord. Peace,
joy, love, and the full fruitful presence of the Holy Spirit in
our heart, burst into our inner being when we utter the words to
Him from our heart: "Lord Jesus save me."
Each one, every person, needs that peace, love and joy now in his/her
heart. It will come to us when we ask Jesus Christ to be our own
personal Savior and Lord.
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