Why Did Jesus Die?

When Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden there were several physical consequences for each of them, like toil to produce food and labour in childbirth.

However, this did not match God's original consequence that they would die.
Given that they didn't physically die the moment they disobeyed God, the death God was meaning had to be spiritual.
Yes, they immediately became mortal having lost their immortality, their God-likeness, their means of close fellowship/friendship with God, with which they were originally created.

So God created human beings, making them to be like himself. He created them male and female,
[Genesis 1 : 27 GNB]

In the New Testament, the Greek word for sin means "missing the mark" or "missing the target".
So their sin of disobeying God missed the target of obeying their Creator which resulted in the sin of spiritual death, thus missing the target of immortality, God-likeness, and close fellowship/friendship with God.

Consequently, all humans since that time have inherited Adam's death, his mortality, his loss of God-likeness.

Therefore, just as sin entered into the cosmos through one man, and death through sin, so also death pervaded all humanity, whereupon all sinned.
[Romans 5 : 12  DBH]

We (all humanity) have inherited immortality (death); consequently (whereupon) we have all missed the target (sinned).

Jesus, the Son of God, came to earth, as a human, to fix the condition Adam inflicted upon us.
Although He was sinless and lived in relationship with and dependence on God, the sins of all of us were placed on the innocent Jesus, and He did the dying on our behalf.
How do we know?

From noon until three in the afternoon darkness came over all the land.
About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" (which means "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?").
[Matthew 27 : 45, 46  NIV]

Jesus so carried humanity's sin of immortality, estrangement from God, that He experienced it in full measure on the cross.

Consequently, fellowship/friendship is restored for all through Jesus, and we become aware of it as God enables us to hear and believe this good news and implants His Spirit in us.
The Apostle John describing his time on earth with Jesus says:

That which we have seen and heard we are reporting to you also, that you too may be having fellowship with us, and yet this fellowship of ours is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ."
[1 John 1 : 3  CLV]

And to demonstrate the job has been completed?
Jesus came to life showing mortality and death had been conquered.
He then ascended to heaven demonstrating the estrangement with God had been completely resolved.

His death did it all; and his resurrection showed that it had been done.
Jesus died for us, so we no longer need to.

Accordingly:.
All are now reconciled to God, whether everyone knows it or not.
All must include everyone, not just believers as much of the institutional church regularly preaches.

And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.
[1 John 2 : 2  GNB]

So pagans, Hindus, Muslims,and atheists are all included in the rescue operation, not because of what they currently believe or do, but because of what Jesus has done, which they will eventually discover and be given the faith to believe later in their time on earth or later beyond that time.

Some Christians who meet a person of another faith, or of no faith, see them as a "lost cause".
However, knowing what Jesus has done for all should prompt them to remember that Jesus died for these "lost causes" too and will eventually be saved from their estrangement from God, as they were.

God's unconditional love is unstoppable - it is that great!

Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.
[1 Corinthians 13 : 7  GNB]

Blessings, Barry
------------------------------------------------------------

Other published Writings at https://www.ibtechservices.com.au
 

Churches Diminish Jesus' Work on the Cross

Hello again! I haven't posted for a while - too busy travelling around the country. We've been in Queensland to visit family after entry restrictions were lifted. 10 of our 15 grandchildren and all our 14 great grandchildren live there, so we spent several weeks getting to know them all over again.

On return, each of us copped a good dose of COVID - so no activity on the BLOG for a further couple of weeks.

While away we visited a vibrant church and enjoyed worshipping with them on several occasions. However on the last Sunday we attended, the sermon reminded us of what many churches seem to teach - to be saved and avoid eternity in a cruel hell each person needs to make the choice to believe and accept "the gospel" during their lifetime on this planet.

No mention of what God did for all of us 2000 years ago - reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people's sins against them. (2 Cor 5: 19)

No mention that all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3 : 24)

No mention that all in Adam's line of descent are now in Christ's. (1 Cor 15 : 22)

Quoted was one of the best known verses in the Bible - John 3 : 16.
But most who quote it (and use it to prove their view that Jesus only died for those who believe the gospel in their lifetime) don't continue reading to the next verse.

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 (Greek: life of the Age).

For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
[John 3 : 16 - 17 NIV]

So what was "the gospel" preached there that day?
Basically, your salvation is actually in your hands. You need to be born in the right place at the right time to hear the gospel and then you need to produce the faith to believe and accept this gospel while you're still alive.

The gospel of grace was completely missed; the gospel of (personal) decision and action was the one being preached.

So sad really.
This vibrant church, while enthusiastically enjoying lively worship and warm and inclusive fellowship, were celebrating their good luck in hearing the gospel and deciding to accept it while still here, and were then being encouraged to pray for friends and family with urgency because their salvation depends solely on them hearing the gospel and their subsequent action.

God is not a god of good luck; God's plan to reconcile the world through Christ was devised before the world was even created.

He (Christ) was chosen before the foundation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake.
[1 Peter 1 : 20  TLV]

With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ,
to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfilment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ.
[Ephesians 1 : 8 - 10  NIV]

For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
[Colossians 1 : 19 - 20  NIV]

For there is one God, and there is one who brings God and human beings together, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself to redeem the whole human race. That was the proof at the right time that God wants everyone to be saved,
[1Tim 2 : 5 - 6  GNB]

Yes, we do need to share the gospel in words and actions with others so that if now is their appointed time they will be given the faith to believe what they have heard and seen.
Understanding and celebrating the truth of what Jesus has done for them, and commitment to Christ, will automatically follow.

Clearly, salvation is God's responsibility, and God's alone.
God sent Jesus to deal with our sin.

He (Christ) is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
[1 John 2: 2  NIV]

God draws us to Jesus.

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day.
[John 6 : 44 NIV ]

God gives us the faith to believe this good news.

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.
[Ephesians 2 : 8 - 9  NIV]

It's ALL God's doing. When it's your turn you will be awakened, irresistibly drawn by God's love and action, and given faith to believe the gospel and the Holy Spirit to empower you in your commitment to follow Jesus.

It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him.
[Philippians 2 : 13  GW]

It was for me, and for every genuine, committed, faithful child of God I have known - for all in the Body of Christ, the firstfruits of the harvest, those who serve with Christ in the kingdom age.

But there's more, as shown in the Scripture quotations above.
No-one will be left out. Eventually everyone will be reconciled to God and enjoy eternity with Him. Everyone will have their turn to understand and enjoy what Jesus has done for them so long ago.

So I visited a terrific, vibrant church, but their preaching sometimes denied the love and grace of God for His creation and severely diminished the full payment of Christ on the cross for the sins of the world.

Will I attend again?
I'm sure I will - they welcome warmly, celebrate using God-focused worship, encourage their members to live committed and joyful lives, and preach positive messages most of the time.
Indeed, if we only choose to worship and fellowship in churches whose doctrine we 100% agree with, we might find ourselves worshipping alone.

Blessings, Barry

What MUST Be

While away on holiday and doing some fun-reading, I was intrigued by the number of times some of our little, yet powerful, English words occurred in the Scriptures. The words that got me thinking were "must" and "so".

Today's post discusses "must". (I might discuss "so" in a future one)
The word "must" is a frequent translation of the Greek word "dei" in most English versions of the New Testament, although sometimes it is translated as
is necessary,
is needful,
is required,
is binding,
depending on the context and flow of the English sentence that contains it

For example, in Matthew 16 : 21, it is used twice to show what was required of Jesus.

From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life. [NIV]

Another example:

He (Jesus) said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”
[Luke 24 : 44  NIV]

A verse that many use to show that Jesus in the only means of salvation for mankind is Acts 4 : 12.

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved. [NIV]

This verse clearly demonstrates God's exclusive means of salvation (Jesus), but what is the must part of the verse saying?

Is it not saying that the salvation of mankind is necessary, is a required outcome of the mission of Jesus, is binding on Jesus to achieve?

Wow! An exclusive process producing an inclusive result!
One person produces salvation for all people!
Reminds me of Paul's statement in 1 Corinthians 15.

For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.
[1 Cor 15 : 22  NIV]

Paul uses "must" quite often himself.

For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.
[1 Corinthians 15 : 53  NIV]

Seems like Paul is describing an eventual outcome which God has bound himself to achieve, which is a consistent follow-on from the previous verses 25 and 26.

For he (Jesus) must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. [NIV]

However, before we get that far we are bound to appear before the judgement seat of Christ.

For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
[2 Corinthians 5 : 10  NIV]

All rewards must be given and anything inappropriate for the next stage of the journey must be removed. (read 1 Corinthians 3 : 11 - 15 for details)

The must verses are so plentiful and demonstrate how God has bound himself to his plan to redeem his whole creation. And, of course, because he is sovereign, all powerful, he must fully accomplish that plan.

Blessings, Barry