Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!sdd.hp.com!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: NU169273@vm1.nodak.edu Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Christ Jesus Came Into The World To Save Sinners Message-ID: Date: 15 Jun 91 06:26:28 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: North Dakota Higher Education Computer Network Lines: 322 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners" ------------------------------------------------ What was the mission of Christ? Why did He come into the world? What does the coming of Christ into the world mean to you? The most wonderful sound that can come to the sinner's ear is the glorious news of the gospel. "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners." (I Timothy 1:15) All have sinned! All are guilty! All are condemned! Praise God, it doesn't have to stop there. Jesus came to save sinners! Listen to Christ's own words. "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ lost." (Luke 19:10) ^^^^ There is hope. There is a promise. There is a way of salvation. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. How can He do this? How is salvation made possible? Again I ask one simple thing. Listen to God's Word. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." (I Peter 2:24) "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ we might be made the righteousness of God in him." (II Corinthians 5:21) This is God's wonderful salvation. We are sinners, yet God made Christ "to be sin for us." Our sin was placed upon Christ. We are unrighteous, yet God says, "we might be made the righteousness of God in him." By this wonderful salvation it becomes possible for the lost, unrighteous sinner to be reconciled unto God. "We were reconciled to God by the death of his Son." (Romans 5:10) Now the Bible picture begins to come into focus. Two classes of people are described...the lost and the saved. The lost are described as perishing, condemned, guilty, and separated from God. Their fate is everlasting punishment. The saved are pictured as possessing eternal, everlasting life. How do the lost become saved? Through Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. Christ died for our sins. When Jesus died on the cross he was taking the sinner's place and bearing the sinner's penalty. On the cross Jesus paid the sin debt and set the repentant sinner free. This is why the Scriptures can say: "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." (I John 1:7) The theme of the entire Bible is salvation. There are those who are saved and those who are lost. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. The salvation that Christ obtained is a possession we can have now. It can be a reality...now! The New Testament speaks of a definite salvation that is already possessed. Salvation is not something that we might get sometime in the future. It is a present possession. It is not a mythical maybe, but a present reality. Once more...listen to God's Word. "For we are unto God a sweat savour of Christ, in them that ^^^^^^^^^ are saved, and in them that perish:" (II Corinthians 2:15). ^^^^^^^^^ "Them that are saved." This is speaking of a real, positive condition of salvation. It is that which we possess...now, or not at all. Are you saved? Has religion produced an assurance of salvation? You can have this assurance and you can have it now. What must I do to be saved? ___________________________ The question is, 'How can the individual be saved?' How does salvation become a reality? Let us take two texts: "And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:15) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Christ." (Acts 20:21) ^^^^^^ Repentance and faith are the only essentials to salvation. The Bible teaches that if a sinner repents of his sin and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ he is saved. THERE IS NOTHING ELSE NECESSARY. Let us establish this fact from God's Word. The Word of God calls for sinners to repent. "And the time of this ignorance God winked at; but now ^^^^^^^ commandeth all men everywhere to repent:" (Acts 17:30). ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "For I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to ^^^^^^^^^^ repentance." (Matthew 9:13) ^^^^^^^^^^ God commands all men to repent. It is easily established that the Word of God plainly teaches that sinners should repent. Repentance is simply the act of recognizing sin, regreting and rejecting it. The Bible teaches that if the sinner does not repent he is lost. Regardless of what else he does, he must ^^^^ repent. You cannot be saved without repentance. ^^^^^^ "I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ likewise perish." (Luke 13:3 and 5) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ repentance." (II Peter 3:9) ^^^^^^^^^^ These verses teach that to fail to repent would be to perish, that is, to be eternally lost. Again it is revealed that repentance is absolutely necessary to salvation. Now, let us look at the other essential to salvation. The Word of God calls for sinners to believe. "For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ have everlasting life." (John 3:16) "Whosoever believeth"...this is the gospel invitation. Believing is an essential to salvation. "He that believeth on him is not condemned:" (John 3:18). ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life:" (John 3:36). ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ To have everlasting life is to have salvation and this is a present reality to all that believe. In answer to the question, 'What must I do to be saved?' the Bible answers: "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31) From these scriptures, and hundreds like them, it is easily established that the Scriptures invite men to believe and be saved. The call is always to faith, faith in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior. The Bible teaches that if a sinner does not believe, he is lost. The sinner cannot be saved without faith. He must believe. ^^^^ "He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that ^^^^^^^^^^^ believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." ^^^^^^^^ (John 3:18) "He that believeth not is condemned." To fail to believe is to be eternally damned. It is to be lost forever. Believing is an essential to salvation. The reason for condemnation is also given in this verse in the phrase, "because he hath not believed." A sinner is lost because "he hath not believed." "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he ^^^^^^ that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ of God abideth on him." (John 3:36) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Let the Bible say what it obviously intended to say. "He that believeth not the Son shall not see life." The only way that an individual can see life, that is, be saved, is to believe. There can be no eternal life without faith. "That they all might be damned who believed not the truth," ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ (II Thessalonians 2:12). "Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." ^^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^ As has been established, repentance and faith are essentials to salvation. Repentance and faith are the human responsibility in salvation. Repentance and faith are inseparable. True repentance cannot exist apart faith, nor can there be faith without true repentance. In repentance, the sinner turns from sin and, in faith, he turns to God through his Son, Jesus Christ. Christ must be accepted by faith as Lord and Savior. True repentance involves faith and true faith involves repentance. This is the only way that God has given for the sinner to be saved. Nothing more..nothing less. In all its simplicity this is what God says: 1. All have sinned. 2. The sinner is separated from God and condemned. 3. Christ died for our sins and made salvation possible. 4. All who repent and believe in Jesus Christ are eternally saved. Will you turn from sin and by faith believe in Jesus Christ as your own personal Lord and Savior? If you do this, you will be saved for eternity and be assured of a home in Heaven. Right now, won't you (in a prayer) ask God to forgive you of your sins and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life and save you? How can I know I am saved? -------------------------- It is not necessary to rely upon emotional or personal feelings in order to have a wonderful assurance of salvation. We have assurance through the Word of God. God has given man His Word so that man may know Him. He has given man His Word so that man may know himself. Not only does God's Word teach that a man needs ^^^^^ salvation but it also teaches that man may know when he has ^^^^ ^^^ salvation. If it is God's Word that convinces us that we are sinners and we do what is necessary to be saved, why can't we believe the Bible when it says that we can know we have eternal life. "These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." ^^^^ (I John 5:13) "Ye may know that ye have eternal life." What a wonderful statement. No doubts, maybes or fears, but wonderful assurance in what the Bible says. Now, there may be times when we may doubt, but, IF YOU HAVE REPENTED FROM YOUR SINS AND BELIEVED IN JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND SAVIOR, you can go back to God's Word and see that you fulfilled your responsibility in salvation. Therefore, the Holy Spirit enters your heart at the moment of salvation and when God looks into your heart, He no longer sees your sin but rather the righteousness of Christ imputed in you. We know that we are saved because God's Word says so and we believe what it says. When we repent and believe, God says we have redemption. "In whom we have redemption through his [Jesus Christ's] ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." (Ephesians 1:7) "For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ God." (I Corinthians 1:18) "I write unto you, little children, because your sins are ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ forgiven you for his name's sake." (I John 2:12) ^^^^^^^^ "And by him all that believe are justified from all things, ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses." (Acts 13:39) "And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand." ^^^^^^ (John 10:28) When we repent and believe, God says that we have eternal life...we have been redeemed...we are saved...we are forgiven...we are justified...we shall never perish. How do we know these things are so? God says so in His Word and we believe God. One more thing. This is an urgent matter. Don't put it off. Listen again to God's Word. "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (II Corinthians 6:2) "Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth." (Proverbs 27:1) If you have not as yet received this "great salvation" won't you (in a prayer) ask God to forgive you of your sins and ask Jesus Christ to come into your heart and life and save you? You can be saved! You can be saved now! Do it right now! When you do, all these things become a reality in your heart. Blessed assurance will be yours. | Note: please read part one "So great salvation" | K. Paulson N. D. S. U. student 1372 32nd Street South West Fargo, ND 58103