This topic provides more detail message about the Salvation by Grace of God and very brief details to the Growing in the Grace of God in the end.
Every year we celebrated our Lord's resurrection day "the Easter". Easter will not come without the Good Friday. My first part of my message is about the Good Friday.
So, let me start with a simple question:
Why Jesus died?
.... Because of our sins. He died in our/my place.
These leads to another set of questions
Are we sinners?
From when we are sinners?
Is our sins are that worst that requires our life or Jesus' life? Is our sins are that worst that requires Death Penalty?
Let us explore these questions in details:
We normally compare our self with Worldly Standards and think we are doing great.
For all these questions unless otherwise we read the Bible and know and understand our God's Standards we will not find correct answers.
Let us see one verse from Gospel according to Matthews chapter 5
Anger/Bitterness in heart is equivalent to Murder
Matt 5:21-22 - 21 ... 'You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.' 22 But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, 'Raca!' shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 'You fool!' shall be in danger of hell fire.
Based on the in depth teachings of Jesus Christ if we examine our hearts we all become guilty of sin because God sees our heart, our motives, our intent.....
Bible says that we are sinners as per our God's Standards... we can read this in Romans 3rd chapter...
Romans 3:(9-18,23) 10 ... "There is none righteous, no, not one; ...
12 All have turned away from God; all have gone wrong. No one does good, not even one ....
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
When we go deeper into the Word of God for the answers to the questions such as From when we are sinners?
Bible clearly answers this in many places and especially in
NLT: Romans 5:12 When Adam sinned, sin entered the entire human race. Adam's sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned.
In other words we inherit our sin from our parents blood. So, by birth we are sinners.
Not only that Bible also says that we are blinded by Satan and we are under the control of Satan.
2 Cor 4:4a - Satan, the god of this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don't believe, so they are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them. They don't understand the message we preach about the glory of Christ, who is the exact likeness of God.
NLT: Eph 2:1-10 - 1 Once you were dead, doomed forever because of your many sins. 2 You used to live just like the rest of the world, full of sin, obeying Satan, the mighty prince of the power of the air. He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. 3 All of us used to live that way, following the passions and desires of our evil nature. We were born with an evil nature, and we were under God's anger just like everyone else.
These verses clearly provides us the details about how worst we were before we accept our Lord and are deserved penalty for our Sins.
What is the penalty of our Sins?
God gave this to Adam also we can read this in
Rom 6:23a - the wages of sin is death, ...
Is our death is end of all?
No
Some think that way but Bible clearly teaches that Death is not an end. Death is the punishment for our sins. So, it is not just absent from the body to a peaceful state but it is the beginning of torment in Hell/Lake of fire forever and ever.
Matt 25:41 - Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:
One more thing... Not all get equal punishment but each one get eternal punishment based on our deeds. Rev 20:11-15 says books are opened and they were judged, each one according to his works.
Rev 20:11-15 - 11 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.14 Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15 And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.
Is there any way out from this eternal punishment?
Most of us hear were born and brought up from the Christian families learn about our God, His Commandments through our parents, Sunday School, sermons or by reading Bible from the child hood.
So, we may ask the question
Didn't God gave His commandments and the laws to Moses and asked to keep or observe all these?
By doing so can't we escape from this eternal punishment from God?
Let us learn this in detail from Jesus in
Matthew 19:16-22 - 16 Now behold, one came and said to Him, "Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?" 17 So He said to him, "Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God. But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
18 He said to Him, "Which ones?" Jesus said, "'You shall not murder,' 'You shall not commit adultery,' 'You shall not steal,' 'You shall not bear false witness,' 19 'Honor your father and your mother,' and, 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' "
20 The young man said to Him, "All these things I have kept from my youth. What do I still lack?" 21 Jesus said to him, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me." 22 But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19:23-24 - 23 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you that it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 And again I say to you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
Generally we focus on Rich man but Jesus didn't stop there in the following two verses He points out that this is applicable to all:
Matthew 19:25-26 - 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, ........"
Disciples left everything and followed God at the same time rich man didn't for both of them Jesus said it is impossible by them or by us to be right with God, get saved or enter into heaven by our own deeds and efforts.
If you notice the previous passage Jesus only said that in Matt 19:17 that "if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments."
Why then Jesus says it is impossible by men?
We can see the answer in Matt 19:21 "If you want to be perfect".
Our God is Holy and perfect and to be right with Him we need to perfect as per His expectation. We can see this in
Matt 5:48 - Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.
In The Epistle of James 2:10-11 we can read and understand what level of perfection our God is expecting from us
NLT: James 2:10-11 - 10 And the person who keeps all of the laws except one is as guilty as the person who has broken all of God's laws. 11 For the same God who said, "Do not commit adultery," also said, "Do not murder." So if you murder someone, you have broken the entire law, even if you do not commit adultery.
So, it is impossible to keep his commandments as per His expectation and standards and escape/saved from this death penalty or eternal punishment of God.
Please do not underestimate God's standards. He is the Righteous Judge.
Isaiah 55:9 - "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts.
We may ask... Why then God gave these laws and asked us to keep?
Bible clearly explains this in
NLT: Rom 3:19-20 - 19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. 20 For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
Does Jesus stop His conversation with disciples saying "With men this is impossible" for their question Who then can be saved?
NO
Go back to Matt 19:26 Jesus said that "With men this is impossible"... with disciples, rich man, and all of us it is impossible to enter into heaven by our efforts..... but Jesus didn't stop there...
Matthew 19:26 - 25 When His disciples heard it, they were greatly astonished, saying, "Who then can be saved?" 26 But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
Praise God! Jesus didn't stop there He continued and said... For Disciples, rich man and all of us only God can provide and make the way to escape from eternal punishment to eternal life.
So,
We are sinners by birth
Satan blinds us and keeps us under his control.
We all are doomed and destined for eternal punishment by God after our death in Hell.
We didn't realize our sins and approached Him.
How then God redeemed us from this eternal punishment?
While we are in this desperate situation instead of exercising His Righteous Judgment on us God showered His Grace.
What is Grace? It means unmerited favor.
God instead of leaving us in that eternal doomed state and punishing by His amazing Grace He approached us and provided the way apart form the law
Rom 3:21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed,...
He is Sovereign God He can throw away all His standards but by His Divine nature He cannot throw away His word or His standards. That is the reason instead of punishing Adam and Eve the eternal punishment death God provided the temporary sacrifice in place of Adam and Eve and provided skin cloth to them.
Wages of Sin is Death.
So, Instead of lowering or throw away His standards He made a way by fulfilling His standards not by punishing us but by boring all our sins and shame in Him and died Himself on the Cross in my place or in our place...
Gal 3:24 - Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, ...
By His Great Love He made a way apart from the law
Rom 5:8 - But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
By His abundant Grace He approached us
Rev 3:20- Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.
By His tender Mercy He pardon our sins to those who respond Him through faith.
Rom 3:21- 28 - 21 But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, 26 to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. 27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? Of works? No, but by the law of faith. 28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.
So,...
Eph 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, 9 not of works, lest anyone should boast.
Call to all:
Jesus Says, Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. - Matt 11:28
So, I urge you to never approach our God by your works:
NLT: Gal 5:4 - For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God's grace.
Rom 9:30-32 - 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness of faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing the law of righteousness, has not attained to the law of righteousness. 32 Why? Because they did not seek it by faith, but as it were, by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumbling stone.
But I strongly urge you to always approach the thrown of Grace by Faith
Hebrews 11:6 - But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
If you didn't accept/commit your life to Jesus, didn't have the God's peace in your heart or have relationship with Jesus Christ please go to Jesus just whatever state you are in and "confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation" - Rom 10:9,10
To all believers in Christ who started their Christian life and have this assurance of salvation please continue in the Faith that you have started:
NLT: Romans 1:17 - This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, "It is through faith that a righteous person has life."
We died with Jesus Christ in our old sinful life or we are freed from the Slavery of Sin. We are new creature in Christ.
Rom 6:15-18 - 15 So since God's grace has set us free from the law, does this mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! 16 Don't you realize that whatever you choose to obey becomes your master? You can choose sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God and receive his approval. 17 Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you have obeyed with all your heart the new teaching God has given you. 18 Now you are free from sin, your old master, and you have become slaves to your new master, righteousness.
John 8:34-36 - 34 Jesus answered them, "Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.
2 Cor 5:17 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The day we accept Him as Lord and Savior God lives in our heart. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit.
1 Cor 6:19-20 - 19 Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? 20 For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God's.
Renewing our mind by reading the word of God.
Matt 11:28-30 - 28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light."
Rom 12:1-2 - 1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.
Abide in Him and develop the Love relationship with our Almighty God Jesus Christ
Allow Him work in you the genuine faith that Bible talks about will definitely produce fruit
James 2:26 - For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also.
NLT: Gal 5:24,25 - 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 If we are living now by the Holy Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit's leading in every part of our lives.
Phil 1:6 - (Paul is) being confident of this very thing, that He (Jesus) who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;