April's featured article
KNOW WHY JESUS CAME AND DIED AS YOUR SUBSTITUTE
GOD’S SALVATION PLAN would end the scourge of death and restore people to life.
What was His plan and how could it restore you to God and legally absolve you from the penalty of death for your sins? Substitution was the answer. If someone who is innocent of sin would willingly take the place of one who is guilty and assume full punishment for his or her sins, then the guilty one would be free and could be restored to friendship with God as though no wrong had ever been done.
It was love’s idea. In order to provide you a substitute who had no sin of his own, God gave His own Son. Jesus Christ, God’s Son was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. He did no sin) Jesus was born by a miracle conception.
The Spirit of God overshadowed a virgin and the seed of divine life was created in her womb. In that way Jesus was not born of human seed that had been infected by sin. Not only His conception, but His life among people had to be sinless, in order to be your substitute. God’s Son must be subjected to the same temptations of sin as any human person is. He had to be exactly like you and resist what human persons had not resisted. He had to prove that God’s original plan could work — that human persons could choose God’s word, and never dishonour His integrity.
Jesus had to be tempted by Satan just as Adam and Eve had been. This is why as soon as He was mature, He was led into the wilderness where Satan came to tempt Him exactly as he came to tempt Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden. Every time Satan tried to bring question on God’s word, Jesus rejected his suggestion and forthrightly asserted what God had said.3 The Bible says that throughout the earthly life of Christ, He was in every respect tested as you are, yet without committing any sin.4 That explains why He was able to be your substitute. Since He had no sin in Him, and committed no sin, He could assume your sins and give His life as a ransom for you.
Being made perfect, Jesus Christ became the author of eternal salvation.5 If your penalty of death was assumed by Him, you would be legally absolved of the penalty. Since no debt can be paid twice, or no crime punished twice, you would he restored as though you had never done wrong.
Since Jesus Christ suffered the penalty you deserved, and since He did it on your behalf, you are no longer guilty before God and need never be judged for any sin you have ever committed.
The judgement you deserved was put on your substitute, in your place, and that judgement can never he imposed on you again. This is the heart of God’s plan in the Bible that we call salvation Now you can understand these Bible verses. I have personalised them for you. Jesus Christ bore your sins in his own body that you, being dead to sins, should live in righteousness. 6 When you were utterly with no way of escape, Christ came and died for you when you had no use for him.7 God showed his great love for you by sending Christ to die for you while you were still a sinner
8 Now God has declared you not guilty Now he will save you from all wrath to come.9 Now you can rejoice in your wonderful new relationship with God — all because of what your Lord Jesus Christ has done in dying for your sins — making you a friend of God.’0 Now, since you have been made right in God’s sight by faith in his promise, you can have real peace with him because of what Jesus has done for you.
So say this to God.
DEAR LORD,' I am so thankful to understand why Christ came and died for me, as my substitute.
I understand that the penalty of sin is death and that death passed upon all persons because all have sinned. But because of Your love, You gave Your Son, Jesus Christ, to die in my place.
NOW I UNDERSTAND that Jesus assumed my guilt and suffered the judgement of my sins. By doing that, He redeemed me and restored me to You, 0 Lord. Now it is as though I had never sinned. I am no longer guilty. My condemnation is gone forever.
No debt can be paid twice and no crime punished twice. My sins have been paid for. There is nothing against me anymore. The judgement I deserved was assumed by Jesus as my substitute.
THANK YOU, LORD, for Your plan of salvation. I believe that You bore my sins, in my place.
AMEN!
Bible References
He 4:15; He 5:9; Ro 5:9; 1 Pe 2:22; 1 Pe 2:24; Ro 5:11; Mt 4:1-11; Ro 5:6; Ro.5:l; He 4:15; Ro 5:8
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Do you have a ministry or a business
Do you have a called of God ministry where your whole purpose is to "feed the sheep", and God supplies your needs, or do you have books, tapes, videos, etc. that you SELL for a "donation", or just outright SELL, and your buyers supply your needs?
There is nothing wrong with being in business and selling things. However, if you are a church or any kind of "ministry", you may want to check your motive for how you are conducting the work of the Lord.
Remember the money changers in the temple where JESUS turned over the tables and threw them out. They were selling things in the "CHURCH".
(God made it quite clear to us that we were not to charge for anything, that HE is our source.)
