Wednesday, December 24, 2014

The Reason for His Coming

http://www.letusreason.org/Doct60.htm

From Let Us Reason
  
Man’s dilemma is SIN. No one is exempt from this. Yet, God had a solution from the beginning of the world. At a certain point in time He would become a man (John 1:14) and die for our sins (Jn.12:24. Somewhere in the eons of eternity was decided that the Son would be sent to earth. He was sent from heaven to earth to fulfill a mission of the utmost importance, to take care of man’s debt of sin (He is the “Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev.13:8b.) He came to seek those who are lost (Mt.18:11; Lk. 9:56,19:10).
Jesus' coming to earth is described in Philippians 2:6, He, "made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.” This is the reason he became a man, to give His body as a sacrifice for our sin. He became human to save sinful humanity.  Vs.8 “Being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.”
God from the beginning had required a subsitutionary sacrifice for our sin. Since the Old Testament sacrifices of animal's was only temporary to cover sin, it was necessary to have something more, more powerful and lasting. Jesus is not just a human atoning for all the sins, He is God come in human flesh (1 Tim.3:16;. He died for all our sins past, present and future this can only be possible unless he is eternal. So unlike the Old Testament sacrifices it that could never take away sins, and needed to be repeated, this only had to be done once. As God, the Son's death had infinite value and His priesthood is an eternal one because the one who died was an eternal being (Hebrews 9:12-15).
Hebrews 5:9: “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him,
1 Peter 1:20: “He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you”
Hebrews 9:26: “He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself.”
There is more oppression and violence today then at any other time in our history since Noah. People are unable to live and speak their mind without fear of repercussions. Freedom is a precious commodity in society and it is of the utmost importance to have it when it is in reference to living a spiritual life and worshipping God.
Jesus came at a time when the Jewish culture was collapsing under the burdens of the Pharisees. Because they place upon the Law of Moses and additional 100 plus laws for every one of the 613. It was a time of spiritual corruption where the people did not know the truth any longer. Because of this they were brought under the leadership of those who claimed to know the truth but actually led them away from it.
Jesus said to them in John 8:32 “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Verse 36 “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed. Paul who personally experienced this freedom said, “But now having been set free from sin, and having become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the end, everlasting life” (Rom 6:22)
Jesus continued to give His disciples more information on His purpose for coming to earth. Mark 8:31: “And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things, and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again”
John 12:23-25: “But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified." Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. "He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.
It is explained what Jesus said before He came to earth in Hebrews 10:5-10: “Therefore, when He came into the world, He said: "Sacrifice and offering You did not desire, but a body You have prepared for Me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin you had no pleasure. Then I said, 'Behold, I have come-- in the volume of the book it is written of Me-- to do Your will, O God.' " Previously saying, "Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire, nor had pleasure in them" (which are offered according to the law), then He said, "Behold, I have come to do Your will, O God." He takes away the first that He may establish the second. By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.”
Once and for all- everything spoken of that related to sin in the Old Testament was taken care of.  He came to set everyone free from their own spiritual oppression, sin that brought bondage to those who were religious and those who are not.
Paul wrote “This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1 Tim 1:15)
As knowledgeable as Paul was, Paul understood God so loved the world that He sent his Son
“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Rom. 5:8)
Jesus explains in John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
This was God's plan- Acts 2:23-25: “Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; “whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. “For David says concerning Him: 'I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
Jesus was brought back to life in the very same body He was sacrificed in and went to heaven to sit down at the right hand of God (Romans 8:34). Ephesians 1:19-20: “and what is the exceeding greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His mighty power which He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places”
This is why there is no one greater than Jesus, who is the savior of all mankind.
John 8:20-24 “These words Jesus spoke in the treasury, as He taught in the temple; and no one laid hands on Him, for His hour had not yet come. Then Jesus said to them again, “I am going away, and you will seek Me, and will die in your sin. Where I go you cannot come.” So the Jews said, “Will He kill Himself, because He says, 'Where I go you cannot come'?” And He said to them, “You are from beneath; I am from above. You are of this world; I am not of this world.” Therefore I said to you that you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”
He told those who disbelieve who He said He is will die in their sin but He offered them life, and He offers you life today as well.
2 Cor.4:4 the gospel is about God becoming man. There is no salvation given if you do not believe the Gospel message. If Jesus is anything but the eternal God in flesh you have not the Jesus of History or the Bible. YOU MUST BELIEVE the Bible- that it teaches the deity of Christ to be saved. It’s not your or my opinion of Jesus but what does God say in his word about the Son. If you do not have the same testimony you have nothing.
“The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Cor. 15:47). The first man, Adam was made supernaturally from the earth, the second man who the Bible calls the last Adam was brought into this world supernaturally as well, by a virgin conceiving.
Luke 2:10-12 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”
“ It pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe” (1 Cor. 1:21). If salvation came by any work that we could do then Jesus did not need to be our savior, we could be our own saviors. But there is nothing that we do, no matter how great that is acceptable to God for salvation, He only accepts His Son’s work and those who place faith in the message.
John 12:44 Then Jesus cried out and said, "He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. “Many have made God by their own concept. They claim to believe in Him, but if you do not believe in Jesus then you do not believe in God. No matter what religious persuasion one adheres to (even Judaism), He made it clear that you do not believe in the Father (God) who sent Him to earth to represent Him.
At one point in the ministry of Jesus Thomas said to Jesus- we don’t know the way. Jesus said- I AM THE WAY (Jn.14:5-6). Jesus is showing that He is exclusive that people who do not follow him can be excluded. To be included one must make a choice. Those who see him for who He is and accept his sacrifice “And this is the promise that He has promised us-- eternal life. These things I have written to you concerning those who try to deceive you. (I John 2:25-26). There is only one way to have peace and a relationship with the God of the universe, God himself has made the way to come to Him- “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life” (I John 5:11-12).
God’s gift to the world is His Son, it is His personal gift to YOU, but to unwrap it you need faith to believe and receive the message. It is a life changing offer, and who of us does not need a new start on life?

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