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1) God is the source of a satisfying, worthwhile life
"Thou wilt show me the path of life:
in thy presence is fullness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore." Psalm 16.11
This kind of life is the result of a close relationship with God.
"In thy presence . . . . at thy right hand" speaks of a personal relationship which can be as intimate
as the one between Abraham and God:
"Abraham my friend". Isaiah 41:8
DEEP DOWN, JUST ABOUT EVERYONE
WANTS A LIFE AND RELATIONSHIP LIKE THIS.
AS A JEWISH SCIENTIST PUT IT:
"The Jewish nature and soul needs to know God. This is its purpose on
earth. Our souls are looking for God and we are trying to know God."
Why, then, aren't most people experiencing this life and relationship?
2) Man has separated himself from God.
GOD'S CHARACTER IS THE STANDARD BY WHICH MAN IS TO LIVE.
"Ye shall be holy: for I the Lord your God am holy." -- Leviticus 19:2
Anytime man deviates from God's holiness, he violates God's standard,
and this is called sin. Obviously, then, all of us have sinned.
"For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not."
-- Ecclesiastes (Qohelet) 7:20 (compare Psalm 53:3-4)
Since God is holy and just, He will not establish a personal relationship with
anyone until his sin is dealt with because He cannot allow sin in His presence.
"Thou art of purer eyes than to behold evil,
and canst not look on iniquity". -- Habakkuk 1:13
Because sin is a violation of His standard and character, God must judge man's sin and reject it.
This is why sin causes spiritual death and results in separation from God.
"But everyone shall die for his own iniquity (sin)."-- Jeremiah 31:30
"Your iniquities have ever made a separation between you and your God,
and your sins have caused Him to hide His face from you." -- Isaiah 59:2
As long as sin separates us from God, we can't enjoy the life
and relationship God wants us to have with Him.
Do you consider yourself to be a good person?
Most people do. However, most of us differ as to the definition of "good." The Bible says that God is
good, and the Ten Commandments are His standard of goodness. So, we will look at God's Law to
see if you are truly good! With a tender conscience, ask yourself if you have obeyed the following...
| 1 You shall have no other gods before Me. Have you always loved God above all else? |
| 2. You shall not make yourself an idol. Have you made a god in your mind that you're more comfortable with, a god to suit yourself? |
| 3. You shall note take God's name in vain. Have you ever used God's holy name as a cuss word? |
| 4. Remember the Sabbath Day, to keep it holy. Have you given at least 1 day in seven to the God who created you? |
| 5. Honor your Father and Mother. Have you always done what was pleasing in the site of your parents, always obeying them and honoring them? |
| 6. You shall not murder. Did you know God considers hatred the same as murder? He judges the heart. |
| 7. You shall not commit adultery. Jesus said, "Whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery with her already in his heart. This also includes sex before marriage. |
| 8. You shall not steal. Have you ever stolen anything? The value of the item and how many is irrelevant in God's eyes. |
| 9. You shall not lie. Have you lied even once? Including answering these questions? |
| 10 You shall not covet. Have you ever jealously desired what belongs to others? |
| Breaking one of these Commandments in God's eyes is like breaking them all. It looks like when we look at the 10 Commandments we are ALL in BIG TROUBLE! The Bible says that all liars shall have their part in the Lake of Fire (Rev 21:8) and that no thief, fornicator or adulterer will inherit the kingdom of God (1 Corn. 6:9-10). The price for our sin must be paid; death is the wages of our sins (Rom. 6:23). If we are truly honest with ourselves...we are guilty and the place we will go is Hell for eternity. |
| Perhaps you think that God is good, and will therefore overlook your sins. But it is His goodness that will make sure that murderers, rapist, thieves, liars, etc. receive justice. He would be a corrupt Judge if He turned a blind eye to injustice. The Scriptures says that the Law is perfect. It commands you to be perfect (Matt. 5:48). Are you perfect (in thought, word, and deed)? Will you make it to Heaven? You may say that you are still good, but God says you're not (see Psalm 14:2-3). So one of you is lying, and the Scriptures tell us that it is impossible for God to lie. |
But can't man solve the problem
by living properly, by prayer, repentance and good deeds?
No, man cannot remove the sin barrier by his own effort.
"And enter not into judgment with thy servant; for no living man
can be regarded righteous before thee." -- Psalm 143:2 (cf. Ezekiel 33:13)
Human effort is not adequate because, in God's sight,
"We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousness (good deeds)
are as a filthy garment." Isaiah 64:5
Human effort is not adequate because man cannot do enough to solve the problem.
"No one can in any wise redeem his brother, not can he give to God redemption
for himself; for the ransom of their soul is too costly." Psalm 49:8-9
But, then how can this problem of spiritual death and separation from God be solved?
GOD MUST TAKE THE INITIATIVE;
HE MUST PROVIDE THE SOLUTION.
"But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave." Psalm 49:16
3) The sin barrier can be removed by repentance & believing faith.
God's Word (faith) and by having the blood of the atonement.
Abraham was an example of how the sin barrier can be removed.
"And he believed in the Lord; and He (God) counted it to him for righteousness." Genesis 15:6
We must follow the same pattern.
"Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever." Isaiah 26:3-4 (cf. Habakkuk 2:4)
But Moses said that one more thing is essential, the blood of the atonement.
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar
to make an atonement for your souls;
for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."
--Leviticus 17:11 (cf. Leviticus 10:17;4:35)
But why would God want man to go through the awful procedure
of killing an animal?
When the offerer saw the sacrifice suffering and bleeding for the sins which he had committed,
he was impressed with the awfulness of sin and the penalty of death
(Ezekiel 18:4, 20) the sinner deserved.
THE SACRIFICE SHOWED HIM GOD'S:
* HOLINESS because of His hatred of all evil,
* JUSTICE because He does not leave sin unpunished,
* MERCY because of His readiness to pardon the truly repentant and believing by providing
a substitute for him.
THE ANIMAL SACRIFICE THUS PROVIDED THE BLOOD OF
ATONEMENT AND WAS AN ACT OF FAITH ACCEPTABLE TO GOD.
But without a priesthood and without a temple, there can be no
sacrifices. How can we have the blood of atonement today?
4) God has provided the blood of the atonement for today.
"All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way;
and the Lord hath caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him." Isaiah 53.6
"For he was cut out of the land of the living; for the transgressions of my
people was he stricken." Isaiah 53:8
"And he took off the sin of many." Isaiah 53:12
IN THE PROLOGUE TO ISAIAH 53 (ISAIAH 52:13-15)
THE AUTHOR IDENTIFIES THE "HE" OF THESE PASSAGES.
He is described as God's servant who will be exalted.
In other parts of his work, Isaiah equates this servant of God with Messiah. (e.g. Isaiah 42:1)
God's provision of the blood of atonement through the Messiah follows
the same principles God set up in the sacrifice system.
SIN-OFFERING:
atonement for a man by means of a sacrifice.
PESACH:
atonement for a family by means of a sacrifice.
YOM KIPPUR:
atonement for a nation by means of a sacrifice.
MESSIAH:
atonement for all by means of a sacrifice.
As we have seen, under the sacrifice system personal faith was necessary along with
the blood of atonement. So also repentance & faith is necessary with the sacrifice of Messiah.
He should be the object of our faith today.
So we broke the Law (personally sinned against a Holy, Just and Righteous God), but the
Messiah became a man to pay the fine for us. This is called the Gospel? The word "gospel"
comes from the Greek word euangelion which is properly translated "good news." In ancient
history, the word was given to any message of great joy. In the Scriptures, the Gospel is the
"good news: that through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the penalty of sin
has been paid and sinful men may be saved!
So what is the Gospel?
In accordance with the Father’s good pleasure (Gods Glory), the eternal Son, who is equal
with the Father and the exact representation of His nature, willingly left the glory of heaven,
was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the womb of a virgin, and was born the God-man – Jesus
of Nazareth. As a man, he walked on this earth in perfect obedience to the Law of God (a
sinless man, a perfect sacrifice). In the fullness of time, he was rejected by men and
crucified. On the cross, he bore man’s sin (personal sins against God), suffered God’s wrath
(punishment we deserved), and died in man’s place. On the third day, he was raised from the
dead. This resurrection is the divine declaration that the Father has accepted His Son’s death
as a sacrifice for sin, that the penalty for man’s disobedience has been paid, the demands of
justice satisfied, and the wrath of God appeased. Forty days after the resurrection, the Son of
God ascended into the heavens, sat down at the right hand of the Father and was given
Glory, honor and dominion over all. There in the presence of God, he represents His people
and makes requests to God on their behalf. All who acknowledge their sinful, helpless,
estate, repent, and throw themselves upon Jesus Christ will be fully pardoned, declared
righteous, and be reconciled to God.
This is the Gospel (in short) of God and of Jesus Christ His Son!
God’s plan is to save his people from their sins – and to bring His people fully and finally to
Himself for His Glory sake (Matt. 1:21; 2 Tim. 2:10). Followers of Yeshua (Jesus) experience
salvation in this life in both a past and present sense, and we anticipate salvation in a future
sense. Followers of Yeshua (Jesus) have been saved from the penalty of our sins; we are
currently being saved from the power of sin; and one day, when God’s plan of salvation is
complete and we are with Christ, we shall be like him, and we shall be saved even from the
very presence of sin.
So if God has done this in Christ, what are we to do to be saved? We must turn to God in
Christ, which entails turning back from sin? If we repent (decide to forsake and turn from) our
sin (as best we understand it) and trust in (believe) Christ as a living person, we will be saved
from God’s righteous wrath against our sins.
Turning to God necessarily implies our turning away from sin. The whole Bible OT & NT
clearly teaches that to repent is to "acknowledge [God’s] name and turn from [our] sins"
(1Kings 8:35; 2 Corn 7:14; Jer 36:3, Ezek 14:6 Acts 3:19, 8:22, 26:18; Rev.2:21-22; 9:20-21;
16:11). We cannot start to pursue God and sin at the same time. Followers in this life still
sin, but against our deepest desires and better judgment; our lives are not guided and
directed by sin as before. We are no longer enslaved to sin. Though we still struggle with it
(Gal 5:17), God has given us the gift of repentance (Acts 11:18), and we have been freed from
sin’s dominating power.
Our response to the "good news" of the gospel is to believe and trust God’s promise in the
Messiah, and to commit ourselves to the Messiah, the living Lord, and his disciples (follower).
Among Jesus’ first words in Mark’s Gospel are "repent and believe in the gospel (Mark 1:15).
The obedience beginning with repentance, is to result from the faith and trust we have in him
and his word (Jos. 22:16, acts 27:25). Thus sins are sometimes called breaking faith with
God. (Ezra 10:2). Having faith in Yeshua (Jesus), which seals our union with him through the
Holy Spirit, is the means by which God accounts Christ’s righteousness our own (Rom.
3:21-26; 5:17-21; Gal. 2:16). Such saving faith is something that we exercise, but even so it
is a gift from God (Eph. 2:8-9). God’s gift of salvation has been given to those who follow
Yeshua, but the evidence of that salvation is lived out in the continual work of God’s Spirit.
We can deceive ourselves, and so Paul encourages his readers to "Examine yourself, to see
whether you are in the faith Test yourselves." (2 Corn.13:5). Peter encourages followers of
Yeshua (Jesus) to grow in godliness and so become more confident of their election (2 Peter
1). We don’t create our own salvation by our actions, but we reflect and express it and so
grown in our certainty of it. Because we followers are liable to deceive ourselves, we should
give ourselves to the study of God’s Word to be instructed and encouraged in our salvation,
and to learn what is inconsistent with it. Jesus’ descriptions of his followers (Matt. 5-7), or
Paul’s list of the fruit of the Spirit’s work in us (see Gal. 5:22-23), act as spiritual maps that
help us locate ourselves to see if we are on the path of salvation.
But how can we know that Yeshua is the Messiah?
God made sure we could recognize Messiah by certain specific identifying marks.
These are described by the prophets of Israel.
His ancestry was from the family of David (Jeremiah 23:5-6).
The city of his birth was Bethlehem (Micah 5:1).
He had a supernatural nature (Jeremiah 23:5-6; Micah 5:1; Isaiah 9:5-6).
The manner of his execution was crucifixion (Psalm 22:14-17).
He rose from the dead (Psalm 16:10; Isaiah 53:10).
The time of his coming was before the destruction of Herod's Temple in 70 CE (Daniel 9:26)
Do you have any idea if anyone has
fulfilled these prophecies, or has even come close?
HISTORY TELLS US THAT YESHUA (JESUS OF NAZARETH)
FULFILLED THESE AND MANY OTHER PROPHECIES.
(Click Here for more Fulfilled Prophecies)
There are at least 48 specific prophecies concerning Messiah which Yeshua (Jesus) fulfilled.
The probability that one person could fulfill all 48 prophecies is 1 out of 10 with 157 zeros after it!
During his lifetime many people called him Messiah ("Christ" is the Greek translation)
and believed in him (Matthew 16:16; John 1:45-51; Acts 6:7)
Many people since that time, both Jews and Gentiles, have had their sins forgiven
and have gained a personal relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob through
Messiah Jesus. Through him one becomes a completed person; e.g., a Jewish person becomes a
completed Jew.
Since the blood of atonement has been provided
through Messiah Jesus, there is only one thing left for you to do.
5) You must by Faith Repent of your sins and Trust in Yeshua (Jesus) the Messiah to save you and to restore your relationship with Him.
Some people think that receiving Messiah Jesus by Repentance & Faith
means you're no longer Jewish.
THAT'S NOT TRUE! AS JESUS PUT IT:
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have
not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Matthew 5:17
THE APOSTLE PAUL FELT THE SAME WAY
"It is because of the hope of Israel that I am bound with this chain" (in jail). Acts 28:20
| SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH ALL OF THIS INFORMATION? |
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Realize that God Himself made a way where His justice and His goodness could meet. We broke the Law, but He became the God/Man to pay the fine. Yeshua (Jesus) suffered and dies on the cross to satisfy and atone for the Law you and I broke. Then He rose from the dead, defeating death forever. Therefore God can forgive us and grant us the gift of everlasting life! But you may still think that you can keep the Commandments. But isn't it true that the best of us have lied, stolen, lusted, hated, failed to love God above all else, and failed to love our neighbor as ourselves? How can we then live a "good" life if we have already sinned against God? At best we are reformed liars and thieves...but still Lawbreakers. Think of it this way - would you sell one of your eyes for a million dollars? Would you sell both for $100 million? I'm sure you wouldn't. Your eyes are priceless, yet they are merely the window of your soul. What then must your life (soul) be worth? With these thoughts in mind, what would be a fair price to pay for everlasting life? It is utterly without a price. Yet, if we trust in our own goodness to enter Heaven, we are saying to God, "I should enter Heaven because I have done good -- I have earned my way in."
Imagine if you wanted to give me a brand new (very expensive) car, but I said, "I can't take it! I feel embarrassed receiving such an expensive gift...here is 10 cents for it." I am sure you would be very insulted by such a pathetic offer of payment. Besides, if I pay for it, it is no longer a gift, it's a purchase - it's mine by right.
When we talk of entering Heaven by being good, by trying to keep the Law etc., we are tossing God 10 cents of "self-righteousness," which is a terrible insult to Him, in light of His sacrifice. The only thing we can do is humble ourselves, repent (turn away from our sin, not just confess it) of our sins, and receive the gift by trusting (not just believing) in Jesus Christ alone! Almighty God demonstrated how much He loves you when Yeshua (Jesus) suffered for your sins on the cross. If you want to trust in your own goodness, then you are saying His agonizing death on the cross was in vain. The Bible says, "For by grace you saved through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God." You cannot earn a gift. When Jesus said to "believe" on Him, He was saying we should have faith in Him, in the same way you would trust a parachute to save you when you jump from a plane. You don't merely believe in the parachute - you put it on.
Any troubles you have at present are dwarfed by the trouble you are in with your Creator. The Bible says, His wrath abides upon you (John 3:36). God doesn't want you to go to Hell. Neither do you want to go there, so confess your sins (repent of them) to God right now, put your trust in Messiah Jesus to save you, and you will pass from death to life. The read the whole Bible (Old and New Testaments) daily and obey what you read. Your obedience to God is the proof of your love. Have faith in God , He will never fail you.
If you are unsure of what to say to God, how to pray...may we recommend going
to Psalm 51 and make it your personal "Repentant Prayer" to God.
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Messiah Jesus
always keeps his promises.
DID YOU RECEIVE HIM BY FAITH JUST NOW?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS?
It means that the following promises are now true in your life:
1. Messiah Jesus came into your life, and he's there permanently. (Revelation 3:20; Hebrews 13:5)
2. All your sins are forgiven. (Colossians 2:13).
3. You have a brand new relationship with God - you're His child! (John 1:12)
4. You've become a completely new person inside, and you've got a great new life!
(2 Corinthians 5:17; 1 John 5:11-13)
5. You've been set free from yourself to help others. (John 8:31-35; Galatians 5:13).
So, what now?
CONTINUE TO TRUST MESSIAH JESUS.
The way you began is the way to keep going (Colossians 2-6; Hebrews 11:6).
If you keep trusting Him, you'll grow in your new relationship.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Let him communicate to you, read his words (1 Peter 2:2).
2. Talk to him about everything (Philippians 4:6-7; 1 Peter 5:7).
3. Get together with others who have received him (Hebrew 10:24-25).
4. Tell other people about him (Acts 1:8). Remember to be tactful and kind.
"From all your filthiness will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you,
and I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes" Ezekiel 36:25-27.
Don't forget, keep trusting Him alone!
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