– John 17:3 And this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
Commentary:
Your greatest need, my greatest need and every person ever born greatest need is the need to be forgiven!
The Greatest Love Story ever told is the truth that Jesus, the Innocent One, died for the Guilty [you + me] so the Guilty could be forgiven and restored into an eternal perfect loving relationship with God the Father.
Once a sin is committed, it can never be uncommitted. Sin must be paid for by death which is the just payment required by God, the Perfect Creator and Judge of the universe.
Perfect Justice was coupled with perfect Mercy when God the Son was born into this world. Sin is like a death-virus passed down from Adam to all of his descendants. Jesus voluntarily offered up His perfect life in death to pay for the sins of all who would believe, trust and follow Him.
He is the ONLY ONE, truly perfect God and truly perfect Man, who could offer His perfect life as a substitute for our lives in death.
How did Jesus accomplish His stated purpose of revealing God to mankind and then save them from their sins and redeem them back into God’s perfect family?
Truth No. 1: Jesus as God the Son created all things in existence. Jesus, the perfect God the Son and the perfect Son of Man, is declared clearly in both the Old & New Testaments.
- Colossians 1:15-17 He [Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all
things consist. [Jesus holds all things in His created universe together by His omnipotent power].
Truth No. 2: God’s Righteous Commands From Adam’s Creation:
- Mark 12:30-32 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
What is mankind’s current condition after Adam’s sin?
- Romans 1:18-21 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they [all mankind] are without excuse, because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.
- Romans 1:22-25 Professing to be wise, they became fools, and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things. Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever.
How has sin-filled mankind illustrated their fallen, sinful, darkened hearts and constant rejection of God’s demands for godliness and righteous behavior?
Truth No. 3: Man’s Unrighteous Response to God’s Righteous Commandments:
- Romans 1:26-27 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
- Romans 1:28-32 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
The Impossible-to-the human-mind-Dilemma: How would it ever be possible for unrighteous, sin-filled, God-rejecting humanity to be reconciled back to Holy God and have fellowship with Him once again?
Truth No. 4: In the Original Creation God the Son accomplished that which had never-been- done-before. To accomplish the reconciliation of sinful men and women back to Holy God the Father, God the Son came into His world as the perfect Son of Man to die to pay the just sin- price of death for the sins of the world to accomplish yet another never-been-done-before act of New Creation.
God the Father fully accepted the Son of Man’s perfect life and death in full payment for the sins of any who would believe, trust and love Jesus. God the Father illustrated His full acceptance through resurrecting Jesus from the death three day later.
Jesus’ perfect life, death and resurrection accomplished another never-before-done Creation as He brought forth this New Creation of redeemed, forgiven, reconciled sinful men and women back into God’s holy family!
This New Creation in many ways seems even more, infinitely more, astounding and beyond human comprehension as it simultaneously satisfied both divine attributes of perfect Justice and perfect Mercy in the salvation of sinners while NOT violating man’s voluntary will to choose to love or reject God.
Truth No. 5: What was this New Creation, this newly created order of eternal beings?
- 2 Corinthians 5:17-19 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.
By His own death, Jesus Christ, as the perfect Son of Man, would be able to send His very SPIRIT into the dead, darkened fallen hearts of all men and women who would simply believe, trust, follow and love God the Son, Jesus.
By infusion of the Spirit of Christ into a new heart, Jesus bridged the previously existing impassable gulf between sin-filled, forgiven men and Holy God. This New Creation was completed as Jesus joined Holy God and forgiven, redeemed men and women back into a perfect eternal fellowship with their Creator God.
Now is the time for you to answer this most important personal question: Have you chosen to be brought into the Family of God by this New Creation of receiving a new spiritual birth?
- John 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.”
- John 3:14-18 “. . even so must the Son of Man [Jesus] be lifted up [crucified], that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 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. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. 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.”
Have you been spiritually born again as a new creation into God’s family by receiving the Spirit of Christ?
If you have, it would please us greatly to hear that confirmation. We prayed for you as we wrote this answer. If you would like us to continue to pray for you, please note that in your reply.
All our love to you and your family, in Christ
– Jon + Philis + Friends @ WasItForMe.com
The Love of God – https://vimeo.com/912288970
“I BELIEVE!” https://vimeo.com/943289655
