|
Since we are coming to the most important season in the Christian faith, that being the death and resurrection of our Savior Jesus Christ, It seems very appropriate for the content and timing of this article. Going over the collection of writings on Beacon Apologetics I can only say to you that this is the most important message that I could ever write about; The truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The word “Gospel” is as defined by Dictionary.com: “The story of Christ’s life and teachings, especially as contained in the first four books of the New Testament, namely Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.” Notice that definition includes the words “especially as contained in the first four books of the New Testament”? The reason that I bring attention to that is that the entire Bible is God’s Word about the coming Messiah Jesus and the message he brought. The Gospel is summed up by the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; 1 Now, brothers and sisters, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. 2 By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain. 3 For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, The apostle Paul spoke of Faith and Resurrection in 1 Cor 15:14; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. The main importance of the resurrection is the divine act of God called Justification. Justification is the act where God declares the sinner to be innocent of his sins. Jesus’ shed blood on the cross is the foundation of justification. See Romans 5:9; 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. And Romans 5:18; 18 So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. Jesus being God in flesh was the only person that could rid mankind of sin. Dying in our place he paid the ultimate penalty of the breaking of God’s Law. Read 1 Peter 2:24 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. If you are an unbeliever you can still repent of your sins and receive the Gospel, and I will offer a prayer: Dear Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of my sins. I am now turning from the way I have been thinking and acting – my sinful human nature, and I am turning to you. I truly believe in you, Jesus. I believe you are the Son of God that you died on the cross for all believers and by the hand of God, you resurrected from the tomb three days later. I believe that you are in Heaven “alive in flesh” and at the right hand of your Father God. I receive you into my heart and ask you to take charge of my life from now and for always! I confess with my mouth and truly believe in my heart that you are my Lord and Savior…forever! In your Holy name, Jesus Amen That was simply an example prayer that I say, and of course it MUST come from your heart. I would like to leave you with from the book of Romans 10: 9-10 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. An important point I want to make is Jesus atoned for our sins. We do not need to add works for Salvation as that would be denying what Jesus suffered for us on the cross! Works based Salvation is a heresy! As Christians we are commissioned to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ. And I warn you that many people will take great offence to the Gospel, and some may even call themselves Christian! God Bless Brian Mason
Related Articles -
Atonement, Bible, christian, Christianity, church, Doctrine, Doctrines, Faith, God, Grace, Heresy, Jesus, Justification, prayer, Religion, Salvation, ,
| 
