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            see the chapter: Salvation

 

WHY JESUS HAD TO DIE

 

In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Heb 9:22

   


People have asked a valid question, ‘Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?’ How can His death 2000 years ago make a difference in my life? God operates exclusively through His word, in that everything He says literally defines Him, making it impossible for Him to lie (Heb 6-18). He previously said to Adam in Gen 2-17, “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die,” and this statement cannot be overturned. Once Adam ate the forbidden fruit, he sinned and passed his sin nature to his descendants throughout the ages. The Bible teaches that the sinful nature of man has been woven into the fabric of our bodies, making us sinners, and if we sin we must die, and "all have sinned" (Rom 6:23; 3:23). If people sinned and it caused them to die, then Jesus had to come without sin and die for the people to break the law of sin in His own flesh and in those who would believe in Him for eternal life, thus reversing the power of death. Jesus said, “He who believes in me will still live, even if he dies. Whoever lives and believes in me will never die” (Jn 11-25,26). God sent His son, born of the Virgin Mary, making Him completely human, but since He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, He was also completely God (Heb 7-26). By reason of His divinity Jesus overcame the sinful nature of man in His flesh, having never yielded to it, being tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15). While murdered by sinners, God nailed the sin of the world to Jesus’ dying body on the cross, and by virtue of His sinless life He broke the law of sin and death. 1Pet 2:24 says, "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness," and again, "He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (2Cor 5:21). Now, the blood of Jesus atoning for the sin of the world has become the basis of God’s forgiveness, in that when the Father went to judge His Son, He found that none of His sin was His own, so He forgave His Son for our sin and raised Him from the dead. His righteousness became our life. In His very death He destroyed the power of sin, which is death, by maintaining the righteousness of God in the members of His earthly body. There is nothing we can do to demonstrate to God that we are truly sorry for our sin, except to believe in Jesus’ atoning sacrifice and live according to His will. Our faith in the cross is all God needs from us to fully cleanse us from all unrighteousness, and living by faith is how we show our appreciation for saving us. Now that Jesus paid our penalty, He has given us the Holy Spirit, after making it illegal for sin to have jurisdiction over us who would believe in Him for eternal life.

 

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Personal Testimony

 

 

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The Simple Gospel -- God has a vision of you


1) God loves you   Jn 3-16
2) Because you love Jesus   Jn 16-27
3) By keeping His commandments   Jn 14-15  

        Which are: 1Jn 3-23,24
                 a) Love God and be born again   Jn 3-3
                 b) Love one another   Jn 15-12
4) This purifies your heart and opens your eyes   Mat 5-8
5) To the vision that God has for your life   Eph 1,15-23

6) Which is to do the works that He has prepared for us   Eph 2-10

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1. God loves you: Jn 3-16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”

2. Because you love Jesus: Jn 16-27 “The Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.”

3. By keeping His commandments: Jn 14-15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.”

His commandments are to be born again: Jn 3-3 “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”

And love one another: Jn 15-12 “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you”

1Jn 3-23,24 "This is His commandment, that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us."
 

4. This purifies your heart: Mat 5-8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.”

5. And opens your eyes to the vision that God has for your life:
Eph 1,15-23 “For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all..”  

 

6. Which is to do the works that God has prepared for us: Eph 2-10 “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

 

 

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The Gospel of James versus the gospel of Paul

The difference between “belief” and "faith"

 

James’ gospel: Jm 2,14-26 – Believing requires obedience

Belief: What we believe is our reality.

 

Paul’s gospel: Eph 2-8,9 – Faith requires the hearing ear

Faith: When we do what we hear, we are doing the works of God, and His reality becomes our reality

 

Seeking balance between James and Paul is a matter of finding our trail of good works that proves we believe, completing our faith in Jesus (Eph 2-10).

 

Finding our trail of Good works We must develop a hearing ear! see full list 106a

Rom 4,1-8

Jn 10,3-5

Rev 2-7,11,17,29

Rev 3-6,13,22

 

We develop a hearing ear by combining the Spirit and the Word in prayer, which defines the power of God. This trail is our calling. (An example of praying the Bible is the book of Psalms.) see full list 109h

Mat 16,13-18     

1Cor 2,1-16          

Gal 1-11,12

Eph 1,15-19

Eph 3,13-21

Eph 6-17

 

Once we hear what God is calling us to do, we "Work the grace of God" to fulfill it. Many passages in the Old Testament speak of this (read Hebrews chapter 11), and there are many instances in the New Testament that speak of it. Here are just a few: see full list 114a

2Cor 6-1

2Tim 2-1

1Cor 15-10  

Heb 11,8-10,28-31

Jm 1,23-25

 

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Verses from above topics

 

James' gospel

Jm 2,14-26 – What good is it, my brothers, if a man says he has faith, but has no works? Can faith save him? And if a brother or sister is naked and in lack of daily food, and one of you tells them, “Go in peace. Be warmed and filled;” yet you didn’t give them the things the body needs, what good is it? Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead in itself. Yes, a man will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that God is one. You do well. The demons also believe—and shudder. But do you want to know, vain man, that faith apart from works is dead? Wasn’t Abraham our father justified by works, in that he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith worked with his works, and by works faith was perfected. So the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him as righteousness,” and he was called the friend of God. You see then that by works a man is justified, and not only by faith. In the same way, wasn’t Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, even so faith apart from works is dead.

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Paul's gospel

Eph 2-8,9 – for by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.

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Finding balance between James and Paul

Eph 2-10 – For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before that we would walk in them.

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Finding our trail of Good works Developing a hearing ear

Rom 4,1-8 – What then will we say that Abraham, our forefather, has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not toward God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the reward is not counted as grace, but as something owed. But to him who doesn’t work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness. Even as David also pronounces blessing on the man to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whom the Lord will by no means charge with sin.”

 

Jn 10,3-5 – The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Whenever he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. They will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him; for they don’t know the voice of strangers.”

 

Rev 2-7,11,17,29 – 7 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the Paradise of my God.  11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. He who overcomes won’t be harmed by the second death.  17 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies. To him who overcomes, to him I will give of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows but he who receives it.  29 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

 

Rev 3-6,13,22 – 6 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.  13 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.  22 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the assemblies.

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The Spirit and the word

Mat 16,13-18 – Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?” They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it.

 

1Cor 2,1-16 – When I came to you, brothers, I didn’t come with excellence of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. My speech and my preaching were not in persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith wouldn’t stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. We speak wisdom, however, among those who are full grown, yet a wisdom not of this world nor of the rulers of this world who are coming to nothing. But we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the wisdom that has been hidden, which God foreordained before the worlds for our glory, which none of the rulers of this world has known. For had they known it, they wouldn’t have crucified the Lord of glory. But as it is written, “Things which an eye didn’t see, and an ear didn’t hear, which didn’t enter into the heart of man, these God has prepared for those who love him.” But to us, God revealed them through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. For who among men knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except God’s Spirit. But we received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is from God, that we might know the things that were freely given to us by God. We also speak these things, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual things. Now the natural man doesn’t receive the things of God’s Spirit, for they are foolishness to him; and he can’t know them, because they are spiritually discerned. But he who is spiritual discerns all things, and he himself is to be judged by no one. “For who has known the mind of the Lord that he should instruct him?” But we have Christ’s mind.

 

Gal 1-11,12 – But I make known to you, brothers, concerning the Good News which was preached by me, that it is not according to man. For I didn’t receive it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came to me through revelation of Jesus Christ.

 

Eph 1,15-19 –  For this cause I also, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which is among you and the love which you have toward all the saints, don’t cease to give thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of his calling, and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the exceeding greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to that working of the strength of his might

 

Eph 3,13-21 – Therefore I ask that you may not lose heart at my troubles for you, which are your glory. For this cause, I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, that you may be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, to the end that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be strengthened to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and height and depth, and to know Christ’s love which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to him be the glory in the assembly and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

Eph 6-17 – And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God

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Working (with) the grace of God

 

2Cor 6-1 – Working together [with Him], we entreat also that you do not receive the grace of God in vain.

 

2Tim 2-1 – You therefore, my child, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

 

1Cor 15-10 – But by the grace of God I am what I am. His grace which was given to me was not futile, but I worked more than all of them; yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.

 

Heb 11,8-10,28-31 – 8-10 By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed, going out to the place which he was to receive for an inheritance. He went out, not knowing where he went. By faith he lived as an alien in the land of promise, as in a land not his own, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God.  28-31 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, that the destroyer of the firstborn should not touch them. By faith they passed through the Red Sea as on dry land. When the Egyptians tried to do so, they were swallowed up. By faith the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. By faith Rahab the prostitute didn’t perish with those who were disobedient, having received the spies in peace.

 

Jm 1,23-25 – For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom and continues, not being a hearer who forgets but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

 

 

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