June 21st 2015
Do You Know About Jesus, Or Do You, Through The Holy
Spirit, Know Jesus?
1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
This verse makes a statement that most of mankind does not really believe, and thus, too many of those who Christ died for do not know it to be a valuable truth. Can you grasp this truth and therefore, look at all people as being worthy of salvation, through the blood shed by Jesus Christ? Some people seem to think they do not sin, and thus, they do not need salvation! Many people make jokes about this truth of salvation. Jesus is the only way by which a member of mankind can be saved. Most of the people currently walking this earth do not believe this to be true. Therefore, more people will go to hell than will go to heaven! Can you save them all? Can you point one to Jesus, so they will be saved from eternity in hell?
Are there really members of mankind that never sin? The writer of Ecclesiastes sums it up very well. There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:20) Notice the essence of this verse is that even the best of mankind still commit sins, when it states, “There is not a righteous man on earth” who never sins! Most Christians will not admit to being or claiming that they are righteous, because they do not esteem themselves to be that good. So how can we then think we do not sin as are all sinners? Most people who claim they do not sin are truly not Christians! Only a merciful God would have His Son die for all, as He did, and as Paul wrote for us to remember. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) You must realize that all members of mankind cannot avoid sinning, because of the curse under which we all live. Adam and Eve failed to honor God as the all-knowing Creator, as we often do too, their sin set in motion a curse of sin and death. This first sin resulted in the passing down of a sinful nature that all members on mankind is cursed with. God however, set in motion immediately a plan for our salvation of having His Son die as the perfect sacrifice to cover over all of our sins. This is the only way sinful mankind can be saved from this cursed world.
Paul wrote about how Jesus sacrifice would cover over the sins of all mankind, even though they may have died before Jesus came to this earth and died for the sins of all mankind. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:9) Atheists cannot understand how a merciful God can forgive the evil they see around them, since they do not believe there is a God or gods to direct and maintain the created universe! Their only hope is that everything around them is improving, thus they cling to evolution as their saving grace.
The writer of Ecclesiastes shows how believers of God placed their hope in this Savior they knew was promised by the Word of God, and who would claim all of mankind who believed to possess an eternal life although they could not totally understand it. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) While we cannot fathom eternal life we place our hope in it, because Jesus has come to fulfill prophesies found in the Word of God. We believe it by faith in God’s Word as a reliable source, because of the fulfilled prophesy we see in God’s Word, and thus know it is reliable. It is not a blind faith at all, as some may try to tell you!
Paul wrote about this knowledge in God’s Word and what the Holy Spirit had passed on to him, and Jesus told him in the message Jesus gave him on the road to Damascus. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5) Paul points to the proof of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and based on Jesus’ appearance to Paul in that powerful meeting that convicted Paul. Have you been convicted by the Holy Spirit? Do you know about Jesus, or do you, through the Holy Spirit, know Jesus?
Some followers of Jesus actually think the church of their choice is going to save them. Are you pointing to some man as the person you are following, because of what they teach impresses you. Are you allowing someone other than Jesus to guide your life? Paul wrote about this tendency in the early churches. Some quarrels were occurring because of this idea of following some member of mankind, instead of following Jesus alone. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1; 12-13) A great question is posed by Paul here, “Is Christ divided?” Salvation is not found in any selected denomination, but only through acceptance of Jesus death on that cross. Denominations cause a separation of the Body of Christ not cohesion as should be experienced.
Christians must look at the absolute truth of the Bible and select Jesus as the only true leader of their life. Is His story so complex that you need to be led by any human being to understand it? Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice for your sins, and if you have been baptized into His church, your immortal soul has been saved. Jesus told us there is only one way to be saved. Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6) Do you believe what Jesus said here, “No-one comes to the Father except through me?” Some Christian leaders do not believe this statement of Jesus to be true, as they seem to think everyone is going to go to heaven.
You cannot go to heaven through your own goodness or because you have selected the correct church. Your only hope of heaven is through the grace of God, because you are a sinner. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:21) Christ died for you; only because of God’s grace can you go to heaven when you die to this life in this cursed world!
The perfect sacrifice was made for you!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
1 Peter 3:18 (NIV)
For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit,
This verse makes a statement that most of mankind does not really believe, and thus, too many of those who Christ died for do not know it to be a valuable truth. Can you grasp this truth and therefore, look at all people as being worthy of salvation, through the blood shed by Jesus Christ? Some people seem to think they do not sin, and thus, they do not need salvation! Many people make jokes about this truth of salvation. Jesus is the only way by which a member of mankind can be saved. Most of the people currently walking this earth do not believe this to be true. Therefore, more people will go to hell than will go to heaven! Can you save them all? Can you point one to Jesus, so they will be saved from eternity in hell?
Are there really members of mankind that never sin? The writer of Ecclesiastes sums it up very well. There is not a righteous man on earth who does what is right and never sins. (Ecclesiastes 7:20) Notice the essence of this verse is that even the best of mankind still commit sins, when it states, “There is not a righteous man on earth” who never sins! Most Christians will not admit to being or claiming that they are righteous, because they do not esteem themselves to be that good. So how can we then think we do not sin as are all sinners? Most people who claim they do not sin are truly not Christians! Only a merciful God would have His Son die for all, as He did, and as Paul wrote for us to remember. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)
You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (Romans 5:6) You must realize that all members of mankind cannot avoid sinning, because of the curse under which we all live. Adam and Eve failed to honor God as the all-knowing Creator, as we often do too, their sin set in motion a curse of sin and death. This first sin resulted in the passing down of a sinful nature that all members on mankind is cursed with. God however, set in motion immediately a plan for our salvation of having His Son die as the perfect sacrifice to cover over all of our sins. This is the only way sinful mankind can be saved from this cursed world.
Paul wrote about how Jesus sacrifice would cover over the sins of all mankind, even though they may have died before Jesus came to this earth and died for the sins of all mankind. For this very reason, Christ died and returned to life so that he might be the Lord of both the dead and the living. (Romans 14:9) Atheists cannot understand how a merciful God can forgive the evil they see around them, since they do not believe there is a God or gods to direct and maintain the created universe! Their only hope is that everything around them is improving, thus they cling to evolution as their saving grace.
The writer of Ecclesiastes shows how believers of God placed their hope in this Savior they knew was promised by the Word of God, and who would claim all of mankind who believed to possess an eternal life although they could not totally understand it. He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end. (Ecclesiastes 3:11) While we cannot fathom eternal life we place our hope in it, because Jesus has come to fulfill prophesies found in the Word of God. We believe it by faith in God’s Word as a reliable source, because of the fulfilled prophesy we see in God’s Word, and thus know it is reliable. It is not a blind faith at all, as some may try to tell you!
Paul wrote about this knowledge in God’s Word and what the Holy Spirit had passed on to him, and Jesus told him in the message Jesus gave him on the road to Damascus. For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. (1 Corinthians 15:3-5) Paul points to the proof of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead, and based on Jesus’ appearance to Paul in that powerful meeting that convicted Paul. Have you been convicted by the Holy Spirit? Do you know about Jesus, or do you, through the Holy Spirit, know Jesus?
Some followers of Jesus actually think the church of their choice is going to save them. Are you pointing to some man as the person you are following, because of what they teach impresses you. Are you allowing someone other than Jesus to guide your life? Paul wrote about this tendency in the early churches. Some quarrels were occurring because of this idea of following some member of mankind, instead of following Jesus alone. What I mean is this: One of you says, "I follow Paul"; another, "I follow Apollos"; another, "I follow Cephas"; still another, "I follow Christ." Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? (1 Corinthians 1; 12-13) A great question is posed by Paul here, “Is Christ divided?” Salvation is not found in any selected denomination, but only through acceptance of Jesus death on that cross. Denominations cause a separation of the Body of Christ not cohesion as should be experienced.
Christians must look at the absolute truth of the Bible and select Jesus as the only true leader of their life. Is His story so complex that you need to be led by any human being to understand it? Jesus died as the perfect sacrifice for your sins, and if you have been baptized into His church, your immortal soul has been saved. Jesus told us there is only one way to be saved. Thomas said to him, "Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?" Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:5-6) Do you believe what Jesus said here, “No-one comes to the Father except through me?” Some Christian leaders do not believe this statement of Jesus to be true, as they seem to think everyone is going to go to heaven.
You cannot go to heaven through your own goodness or because you have selected the correct church. Your only hope of heaven is through the grace of God, because you are a sinner. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (Galatians 2:21) Christ died for you; only because of God’s grace can you go to heaven when you die to this life in this cursed world!
The perfect sacrifice was made for you!
Your brother in life through Adam, your brother in eternity through Jesus,
Bob Moak
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