Thank you for taking this time to read Understanding the Gospel. I hope that this brief presentation will answer many of the questions that you have had about the Gospel.

 

Please allow the scriptures to speak to your heart as they teach us about God's great plan of salvation. Ask God to open your heart right now and reveal the truth of His Word.

 

Let's pray. Father, we ask that you would speak to our hearts and reveal to us through your Word your great love for us. Help us now to accept what you have for us. We thank you for everyone willing to listen and learn. Help us to understand your desire to bring us into a relationship with you. In Jesus' name, Amen. We have separated the Gospel into three sections.

 

The need for the Gospel. The work of the Gospel. And the acceptance of the Gospel.

 

We hope that this will help you to grasp what the Gospel is all about.

 

This study is simply a biblical and logical explanation of the Gospel. We pray that the Gospel will make a lot of sense to you when you finish watching this presentation.

 

There are some things that God wants you to understand. But before we share this with you, there is something I would like for you to realize. I and those who share the gospel are simply ambassadors of God. What I am about to share with you comes straight out of God’s Word. Therefore, I cannot compromise, negotiate, or arbitrate any settlement between you and God.

 

I can only offer you the terms of peace that God has laid out in His Word.

 

First, God wants you to understand who He is.

 

Secondly, God wants you to understand where you stand with Him.

 

Thirdly, God wants you to understand what He has already accomplished to reconcile you to Himself.

 

And fourthly, God wants you to understand what you must decide to be reconciled with Him.

 

First, let’s look at the Need. God is the Creator; therefore, He has complete rights to His creation.  In Romans chapter 1 verse 20 we read. "For the invisible things of Him (speaking of God) from the creation of the world are clearly seen being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead so that they are without excuse.

 

The Word of God tells us that we are without excuse because the intricacy of nature proves the existence and creativity of God.

 

We believe that the very same God that created the universe has revealed Himself through the Bible, God's Word for humanity.

 

God tells us in Psalms chapter 24, verse 1 that "The earth is the LORD's and the fullness thereof; the world and they that dwell therein."

 

You know that includes you and me right here in the 21st century. 

 

We already know that God is the Creator and has ownership rights on this earth and all humanity.

 

What rights come with that ownership?

 

Let me give you this illustration.  If I looked out my window and observed my neighbor beating my car with a sledgehammer, I would call the police.  Now let’s say that I used that car to go to work and the next week and it broke down on me three times so that I almost lost my job.  When I got home, I decided to finish the job that the neighbor had started. As I begin to strike the car with a hammer, the neighbor comes to me.  He yells out, "I will call the police on you!"  I would tell him to go ahead, this is my car on my property, and I can do whatever I please." That is the right that comes with ownership.

 

God has this right to do whatever He pleases with us. Because He is our Creator, and whatever you create becomes your possession. Think of your children; they belong to you because you brought them into this world. 

 

Do you acknowledge that God has rightful authority in your life?

 

Do you acknowledge that God alone should oversee the decisions of your life, you should obey Him, and He alone has the right to determine the destiny of your life?

 

God Created Mankind

 

Therefore, man is accountable to God, his Creator.

 

Man, in creation, was given responsibilities from God his Creator.

 

The first was to rule over the earth.

 

The Bible says in Genesis chapter one and verse 26 “And God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.”

 

So, man was given authority and rulership over the earth.  But he was never to work or make decisions outside the auspices or authority of God in his life.  He was to be one with God, and God would always remain in authority over him.

 

And secondly to populate the earth.

 

Genesis chapter 1, verse 28 reads; “And God blessed them, and God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth...”

 

Thirdly, to obey his Creator.

 

The Bible says in Genesis chapter 2 verses 16 through 17

“And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

 

Notice, even though God had made man a ruler, God was still in authority over him.

Then we see that man failed in his responsibility to obey his Creator.  I know that you know this story but let me read the story of man’s failure in Genesis chapter 3 verses 6-7

 

"And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves aprons."

 

God's Word tells us that Satan deceived Eve but that Adam was not deceived, in I Timothy 2:14.  He rebelled against God by disobeying Him.

 

Because of Adam's willful disobedience, inevitable consequences came upon him and all of his descendants.

 

First, Adam and Eve died spiritually.

 

Notice in Genesis 2:17

“But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shall not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.”

 

Notice what it says, “In the day that thou eatest thereof...” Did they die the very day that they ate of the forbidden fruit? YES!

 

They died spiritually.

 

Then secondly, Adam and Eve Began their physical descent to death.  Genesis 5:15 says, "And all the days that Adam lived were nine hundred and thirty years: and he died."

 

Now that is a long time to live, but the bottom line says ” ...and he died.”

 

So, from that time on, mankind was going to experience physical death.

 

The third consequence is that Adam passes on his sin nature to every human through the seed of men.

 

Mankind is a twofold sinner: By Birth and by individual participation.

 

Let me make a statement now that will make a lot of sense in a few more minutes into this presentation.  Men pass down the sin nature, but women do not.  But a woman is a sinner also because she has an earthly father.  Women descend from men.  We are all related in this respect because we all came from our first father, Adam.  The Bible says in Romans chapter 5 verse 12

 

“Wherefore, as by one man (speaking of Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin; (now listen to this) and so death passed upon all men, (that means we were born in sin, or we were born sinners) and then it says, for that all have sinned.” (or we all have participated in sin and rebellion against God.

 

Let me give you a few more verses to support this.

 

In Romans 5:18, we read, "Therefore, as by the offense of one (which is our father Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation."  We are ALL born sinners

 

Then also we see in Romans 3 verse 23, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."

 

These two verses with multitudes of others throughout the Scriptures teach us that we are born sinners, and we willfully sin as individuals.

 

Now before we can understand what spiritual death is, we need to understand what spiritual life is.

 

God created us in His image, and God is a triune being.

 

There is God the Father,

 

God the Son

 

and God, the Holy Spirit.

 

These three are one, now the closest example I can give you is man and wife.  God says that they become one when they come together physically, but beyond that, hopefully, they grow more in oneness as the marriage progresses.  They share in all their possessions; they begin to think alike as they grow together, they become more dependent upon each other.  Now, this is a picture of oneness, but there has never been a picture of oneness like God.  They are, entirely one, although they are equal as God. There is a chain of authority and submission within the Godhead.  They have absolutely the same desires and goals; they are perfectly one.  We have never seen such perfection of oneness on earth.  But even though they are one, they each have different functions within the Godhead.

 

God the Father in the scriptures is always the decision-maker.  It was God the Father that desired to make the heavens and the earth.  It was He who loved the world and wanted to give His only begotten Son.

 

At the same time, we see it was the Son of God who always performs the work and carries the will of the Father out.

 

According to John chapter 1 and Colossians 1:16 it was God the Son who spoke the worlds into existence, though the Father desired to send the Son, it was the Son of God who came to this world and took on human flesh to be the sacrifice for all humanity's sin.

 

Throughout the old testament, we see the son in christophonies or pre-bethlehemic appearances of God.  All theologians agree that it is the Son who performs the work of God the Father.

 

Then it is God the Holy Spirit that always influences the work of God.  He is the guide, the teacher, the comforter, the one who convicts, He is the One who takes the work of God and furthers the work by ministering in the lives of men.

 

So, we see that He influences the work that has already been started by the Son of God.

 

All three are God with a different task but the same goals with the same attributes and characteristics.

 

God created mankind in His image, and when He created man, He created a triune or three-part being.

 

God gave man a soul by which he decides.  The soul consists of your intellect, emotions, and will.  Every decision that you have made in your whole life has been a soulish decision.  Even how you are sitting there now, or how you have your arms and legs crossed is a soulish decision. 

 

Unconscious it may be but a soulish choice regardless.

 

We see our soul in the image of the Father, always making the decisions that will shape what we will do.

 

And then man was given a body in which he performs.  Every decision of the soul is carried out if possible without dispute by the body.  It obeys without question.  We see here the parallel with God the Son.  He always carries out the decisions of His Father unquestioned.  The Son of God always obeyed His Father, as our body carries out the commands of the soul.

 

And in creation, man was given a spirit.  And by this, he was influenced to love God; through his spirit, he understood the things of God and communicated with God.  God taught man through his spirit, and yet we know what happened to that spirit. Spiritual Death. Remember the warning, "...for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

 

The bible says in Romans chapter 6, verse 23, “For the wages of sin is death.”

 

In Ephesians chapter 2 verse 1, we read, "And you hath He quickened (or made alive) who were dead in trespasses and sins.”

 

And then the Bible tells us in I Corinthians 2:14 "But the natural man (speaking of one who who is not a believer without a relationship with Christ) receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, (WHY) because they are spiritually discerned."

 

A lost person is not capable of understanding spiritual matters because they do not possess a spirit to discern spiritual issues.

 

For this reason, spiritual matters like prayer and the Bible are so confusing, and just conversations about God are so complicated and uncomfortable. A person with a spirit desires to know God and wants to spend time with God. And though a lost person may pray, they do not pray for the same reasons that a person who is born again prays.  People without a spirit pray when they see a great need in their life, and God seems to be the only one to whom they can turn.  They don't pray because they desire to spend time with God or worship God; it is out of sheer need or desire that they approach Him.

 

The Word of God seems difficult to understand, they may know some of the stories in the Bible, but they do not understand the spiritual truths and concepts behind those stories or grasp what the Bible is all about.  Even this conversation that we are having right now is uncomfortable.  Isn't it?

 

People without a spirit sense something is missing, they can't put their finger on what it is, but they know something is missing.  They seek to fulfill that need by buying things, going places or even having what they thought would be a fulfilling relationship with someone but always falling short when the excitement is over, still feeling the vacuum in their life.  That is because surrendering to Christ and being born again are the only things that will fill that spiritual need and complete you spiritually by bringing you back into the image which God created you.

 

Now we see than mankind has a dilemma Man, left to himself, is without hope!  God has shown from the beginning of the sacrificial system and that He required a perfect sacrifice for sin.

 

“A lamb without blemish and without spot.”  There must be a perfect, final sacrifice for sin.  And a man must pay the price because it was a man who sinned.  Who sinned? Did God sin? No!  Man sinned, and man must pay

 

Here is an example: if I hit a baseball through a neighbor's window, who has to pay for the window.  I would; I would be responsible. Why? Because I hit the ball.  Well, man sinned, and man must pay for his sin, but as we said before, everyone born into this world is a sinner, and there is no man capable of meeting God's holy requirements for a sacrifice.  There is no hope, and all is lost, no one who owes the debt of sin is capable of paying.

 

Without God, we have no hope!

 

Do you accept the God of the Bible as being the Creator of all the Universe?  Now, remember, that means mankind, too, which includes you.

 

Secondly, do you accept the fact that God alone has the Rightful Authority in your life?  He alone should be able to decide your destiny and how you should live, because you are a part of His creation.

 

And thirdly, do you accept the fact that you are dead spiritually and are without hope of changing this without God’s help?  There is no way that you can alter this without God’s intervention.

 

Well, God did intervene on behalf of mankind.

 

God provides Himself a perfect sacrifice for sin.

 

Now, there are two ways in which we can read this.

 

God provides Himself a perfect sacrifice for sin or God provides HIMSELF a perfect sacrifice for sin.

 

Both are correct.

 

God sent His Son Jesus through a virgin birth.

 

The virgin birth allowed a man to be born without a sin nature. Remember that the man carries the sin nature, so if God could bring a man into this world without having to use a (human) male for the conception process, He could produce a sinless child.  (And that is precisely what He did when He used only Mary's seed and a miraculous conception [via the Holy Spirit]). Through this, a perfect man child was born. The virgin birth fulfilled the first prophetic scripture concerning the Savior in Genesis 2:15 that proclaimed that the seed of the woman would bruise the head of the serpent (Satan).

 

In Luke chapter 1 verses 30-35 we read, "Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man?  And the angel answered and said unto her, the Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee:  therefore also (listen to this) that holy thing (speaking of the Christ child) which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.”

 

For the first time in all history, a perfect complete child is born into this world.  Mary provided a body and soul, and God provided the Spirit, which was the Son of God as a Spirit. What a miraculous answer to mankind's dilemma.

 

Jesus asked His accusers to prove Him of sin. Or substantiate to Him that He had sinned.

 

In John 8:46, Jesus asked people who hated Him, and who were continually following Him so that they could find some wrong in Him. He told them,

 

"Which of you (those who were trying to find something wrong with Him) convinceth me of sin..."

 

I would not even ask someone who loved me to do this.  I would never ask my wife to sit down and write out those things which I have done wrong.  She could write volumes about my faults.

 Jesus silenced His accusers because He was the perfect Lamb of God.

 

And then Pilate His judge found no fault in Christ.

 

In John 18:38, we read "...And when he (Pilate) had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them; I find in Him no fault at all."

 

There was no fault to be found in Him because He had never sinned.

Jesus’ death on the cross was the final, perfect, sinless sacrifice.

 

Why did Jesus have to die on the cross?

 Because the Punishment for sin is death.

 

Remember in Genesis chapter 2:15 In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

 

To eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil was in direct disobedience to God, who was the ultimate King of the Universe.

 

To disobey Him was to commit treason against Him, and when Adam willingly ate of the tree, he broke the oneness that he had with God.

 

The wages of sin is death.  Romans 6:23

 

The second reason why Jesus had to die is something that we have discussed before.  Man was not capable of meeting God’s holy standard for a sacrifice.  All men are born into this world sinners, and all men participate in sin.

 

The Son of God made this statement before leaving Heaven to come to this earth.  We find it in Hebrews chapter 10 verse 5

 

“Wherefore when he (Jesus, God the Son) cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offerings thou wouldest not, (speaking of all the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings, which could never take away sin.) but a body hast thou prepared me...”  

 

He knew that although He was God, He was coming here to become a man so that He might be the righteous sacrifice, that God required for sin.

 

Because God is a Holy God, He is also a Just God.  God declared the punishment for sin to be death and made it law.  Because God is just, He must keep the law that He established.

 

A lot of times, we change the rules, and punishments for breaking the rules.  Our legislators do this; we do this as parents and in the workplace.  But when God establishes something, it abides forever.  And God Himself will keep His laws.

 

Justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne. Ps. 89:14

 

Because God is the Judge and the Offended Party

 

Let me give an illustration here, this never happened but it will illustrate this point.

 

Let's say that I am going to a significant business appointment, and as I traveled down the road, there was an older man in a beautiful Lexus in front of me.  He was going about 20 miles per hour under the speed limit.  And it was impossible to pass him because the road was small, narrow and windy.  I am so late for the appointment that I go temporarily insane, and I begin to push the older man's car down the road. "I'll show him what the speed limit is," I think to myself.  Finally, I come back to my senses when I see blue lights behind me.  I am so embarrassed.  Why did I do this?  Well, the officer lets me off easy by giving me a ticket and a court date.  On the day of court, I stall all I can before entering the court.  I am so embarrassed. How can I explain this to the older man who I pushed or what will I say to the Judge?  I finally push the door open, and immediately, I see the older man.  He is sitting behind a desk, with a robe on and a little wooden hammer in his hand.  Oh no!  I have pushed the judge, I have offended the Judge himself.  Now that would be a terrible feeling, but that is precisely where mankind is today.  It is God that mankind has offended and it is God that will be our Judge someday.

 

It looks hopeless, doesn't it?

 

The Word of God says in John chapter 12 verse 48

 

"He that rejecteth Me, and receiveth not My words, hath One that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him on the last day."

 

God will judge us by His word.

 

Because Justice must be carried out, and the offended party (God) must be satisfied.  Now, this is an illustration of something that did happen.  As I was driving down a small country road, I saw a car coming towards me.  The problem was it was in my lane.  I stopped, and the car went back into the proper lane.  Then it came back into my lane, and I stopped again.  The vehicle heading towards me was only going about 15 miles per hour or so.  The car hits me head-on.  After she got out of the SUV that she was driving, I realized the problem.  She was so drunk that she could barely stand up. The police arrived, she resisted arrest and now finally the both of us are in court before the judge.  The judge tells me that I probably do not want him to judge this case because he knew this woman; it was a waitress at a restaurant he frequented. I told the judge it was OK if he would be fair.  He assured me he would.

After speaking to the woman, he came back to me and told me, here is my decision.  The woman will not be able to drive except for going back and forth to work (I guess he didn't want to lose his waitress); also she would have to pay for all the damages to the car.  He then said, are you satisfied with this? Is that OK with you?  You see, that is precisely the way it is with God.  Who have we offended? God!  And who will be your judge someday?  God! So, God is not only the offended party who must be satisfied, but He is also the judge who decides what that satisfaction will be.  The judge wanted to see if I was satisfied with his decision.  If he could satisfy me (the offended party), then justice would be met. God has satisfied Himself in the judgment that He has rendered concerning the sins of mankind.

 

 

Look what God says in Isaiah chapter 53 verses 10-11 “Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise Him, He hath put Him to grief: when thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, (it continues to say, now listen to this) ...He shall see the travail of His soul and shall be satisfied. 

 

God has satisfied His justice with the death of His Righteous Son Jesus Christ.

 

Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation (or satisfaction) for our sins.  I John 4:10

 

Consider this, God, the offended party, declared the righteous death of His Son as satisfaction for the sin offenses of all mankind.

 

God completed His justice through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ paid the penalty of sin and rebellion for all mankind. Jesus paid the death penalty and satisfied the requirements of the offended party (God).

 

God has made a way of reconciliation for all humanity.

 

Jesus’ death on the cross Paid man’s sin debt.

 

The Bible says in Romans chapter 5 verse 18

 

"Therefore as by the offense of one (Adam) judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of One (Jesus Christ) the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life."

 

 

One man got us into this mess, and only one man can get us out.

 

One man plunged all mankind into eternal death, and only one man, Jesus Christ, offers us life eternal.  There is no plan B.  There is no other way. 

 

Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life and no man cometh unto the Father but by me." John 14:6

 

Let me ask you some questions to see if you understand these essential points.

 

Do you understand why Jesus had to be born of a virgin?

 

Do you see how important it for God to bypass man in bringing a man into this world who could pay for sin?

 

 

Do you understand why Jesus had to live a perfect, sinless life to be our sacrifice for sin?

If He had sinned even once, He would have disqualified Himself as the perfect lamb of God, which could take away the sins of the world.

 

Do you understand why Jesus had to die on the cross to satisfy the justice of God?

 

There was a death penalty associated with sin, and every man born into this world was under the weight and debt of sin.  Jesus came to pay that debt for us as a righteous sacrifice.

 

Now we turn to the acceptance of the Gospel.

 

Right now, every man, woman, and child born into this world was born into death row.  Right now, God is offering to you the gospel, which is his pardon for sin, as you read and contemplate the contents of this book.

 

I want you to listen very carefully to this section of the Gospel.  The last two sections taught you about your need for the Gospel and how the Gospel can pay for your sin's debt.  This section will explain to you what you must do to accept the Gospel for your very own.

 

First, let’s look at God’s part in your acceptance of the Gospel.

 

God always initiates the work of the Gospel.

 

The Bible says in Romans 3:11

 

"There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God." 

 

God is coming to you; He will initiate the Gospel into your life.

 

 

How? By sending you a messenger.

 

Right now, the Gospel is being offered to you by a person.  The person who gave you the information on how to download this ebook is a messenger of God sent directly to you.

 

This person is an ambassador for God, a representative of God.  Take the message of this book soberly because it comes straight from God's Word.

 

 

Romans 10:14 ”How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher."

 

God wants to send someone to everyone so that everyone might hear the Gospel.

 

 

Secondly, God initiates the Gospel by speaking to your heart through the Holy Spirit of God.

 

The Bible says in John chapter 16 verses 8-11

 

 

"And when He (the Holy Spirit) is come, He will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:  Of sin, because they believe not on me; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see Me no more; Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.

The preceding verses are a part of Jesus' farewell address to His disciples; He is telling them that the Holy Spirit will come and work in the hearts of men to bring them to Christ.

 

If you are lost, let me tell you what God is saying to your heart.

 

You might say, how do you know what God is saying to me.

 

Consider the following example; what if a little child of two years was on the top rung of a ladder that was in a deep pool and about to fall.  What would you say to the child?  Would you ask him what he wanted for lunch, how about where he would like to go later on?  NO! You would have only one message for that child at that moment.  His life is in jeopardy. 

 

Friend if you do not know Christ, your eternal destiny is at stake and God wants you to understand a few things. 

 

There are three things in particular that He wants you to understand.

 

Number 1 of ”...sin because they believe not on me.”

 

What does that mean?  If you are without Christ, God wants you to understand that you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. God does not want you to live with false hopes concerning your relationship to Him.  Oh, you might have prayed a prayer, or you might have been baptized.  But looking back, you have no personal relationship with Jesus.  There is no desire to know Him and become like Him in your life.  There is no commitment in your life to His authority.

 

Unfortunately, your knowledge of God is nothing but head knowledge, and that is not enough, man must believe with the heart.  Some have said that people sometimes miss God by 18 inches, the distance from their minds to their hearts.

 

Secondly, "of righteousness, because I go to my Father and ye see Me no more."

 

The Holy Spirit must reveal sin in our lives because Jesus was the only perfect man that demonstrated God’s holy requirements. Jesus was the only one who showed to the world how righteous a man must be to go to heaven.  No man has ever lived up to those requirements, not mentioning the fact that we all are born as sinners in this world.

 

You cannot look at my life and see your need of a Savior because I too am a sinner that makes mistakes and sins regularly.  

 

God knew that Jesus was the only One who could be that example of perfection before us.  He was the only One who could bring the conviction of sin into our lives.  Let me give you an example.

 

If you drive, have you ever gone over the speed limit?  Let me ask you, are you a criminal.  I have asked this often and always get the same response, although nearly everyone has broken the speed limit, they do not feel the criminality of the act.  Now, let's think, has there ever been a time when you felt like a criminal speeding?  Yes, when you saw blue lights behind you, or you were standing before the judge.  You need to stand before God your judge now so that you can repent now and not have to stand before Him someday as a criminal with no hope of repentance.

 

Let's look at the Ten Commandments, ten laws of God.  We will start at the end and work back.  Remember all disobedience to God our Creator is sin; it is He who we have offended and disobeyed. Examine your own life right now.

 

God, our Creator, has commanded us not to covet, have you ever wanted something that was not yours, have you ever desired to have something that belonged to someone else.  Have you ever been jealous because someone got the position that you thought that you deserved? Wanting something that is not ours is coveting, and it is a crime against our Creator.

 

Have you ever lied, even one time, God says that you should not bear false witness against thy neighbor?  Have you ever deceived someone? Have you ever tried to impress someone that you were something that you weren't?  Deception is lying, and we have broken God's law.  We have sinned against Him.  It is God's law that we have broken, and we have trespassed against Him.  It is a crime against God's Kingdom to lie.

 

God says we should not steal.  Have you ever taken something that did not belong to you?  Have you ever taken a little extra and your heart told you that you shouldn't?  Maybe you can't even think of a time right now.  But Jesus said. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he.  God will judge us for who we are not just what we have done.  God judges the heart, not only the actions of man.  We have sinned against a Holy God by merely contemplating the act of stealing.  We have sinned against God.

 

God says that we should not commit adultery.  Jesus said if we lusted in our hearts, we have already committed the crime.  Once again, God is not just judging us for what we have done, but who we are.

 

God's law commands us not to kill.  And once again, Jesus tells us, it is the heart where God is looking.  If we hate someone, we are already guilty of the crime.  God is a holy God, and His kingdom is holy and righteous.

 

Have you always kept a day set aside to worship God and to meditate upon who He is in your life?  God commands us to set one day aside explicitly for this.  If you do not do this, it is a violation of God's law for your life.  You have offended a Holy God that loves you, and has your best interest at heart.  You have committed a crime of ignoring Him who created everything that you enjoy.

 

Have you ever taken the name of the Lord in vain?  Have you ever cursed using it?  Have you ever thought it when you were mad or hit your thumb with a hammer?  Even if you did this one time, you have committed this crime against God.  Have you ever told jokes using God?  Using God's name irreverently is taking God's name in vain.  If you have ever done this, you are guilty of this crime.

 

Do you have any graven images?  Do you worship or pray to any idols?  Worshipping idols is a crime against God.  God commands us not to have images or things that we worship other than Him.  He forbids us to make an image of Himself.  If you have images that you worship, it is a sin.

 

Then there is a pretty good chance that you don't have any images that you worship, but God says in Colossians chapter 3, verse 5 that covetousness is the same as idol worship.  To violate God's law against covetousness is to put that item above God because you are willing to break God's law that commands you not to covet.  You have placed that desire before God.

 

Now let's look at the first Commandment; this is the commandment that Jesus referred to when asked which is the great commandment.

 

Remember when we began this presentation, and I asked you if you believed that God has rightful authority in your life because of His rights as creator.  He has the right to determine all the issues of life for you.  Let me ask you who determines your life's questions.  Who decides where you work, where you live, how you act and react to others.  Who determines how you live, what your ambitions and goals are in your life?  Is it God? It is His right!  Or do you ignore God in your life? Have you taken God's job?  God wants His job back.  Do you see now that by just merely ignoring God, you are rebelling against Him?  God wants to be Lord of your life and wants the best for you.  You must surrender to His authority in your life, and let Him be Lord of your life.  Making Him Lord of your life is the most difficult and yet the most critical decision that you have to make in your life.  Please don't choose to continue in your rebellion against Him.

 

God knows that no one would be able to keep His commandments.  But these are the requirements of a holy God.  And God loves you so much.

 

He wants you to see your need for a solution to your sin problem. 

 

Galatians 3:24 tells us that the law or ten commandments are used by God as a schoolmaster to show us our need for His solution for sin, and that solution is Jesus Christ.

 

The third and final thing that God wants to speak to your heart about is “...Judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.”

 

I have heard people say that they would never serve a God who sent good people to hell.

But Jesus said in Matthew 25:41, "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.

 

God did not create hell for mankind; God created this place of torment for the devil and his demonic host.

 

Although God did not prepare hell for man, justice demands the same punishment for judgment that He has already rendered.

 

Let me give you an illustration.  Let’s say that a son of a governor here in the states who is an adult committed first-degree murder. It was a savage act which in that particular state received life in prison or the death penalty.  But the governor interceded for his son with the judge and the son only received two months’ probation.  We would say that this would be unjust.  If you do the same crime, you must do the same time. We all know what the penalty for first-degree murder is.  Anything besides this would be unjust because the sentence is already determined.  God sentenced Satan to hell for his rebellion against God.  He was sentenced to Hell because God had already rendered judgment concerning the matter.  Man is guilty of the same crime as Satan.  If we follow Satan’s example of rebellion, we must follow Him to His destination. We have rebelled against God and His kingdom.  Therefore, justice is demanding the sentence of hell for mankind.  God is a just God, and He will not alter the sentence though He loves us deeply.

 

Let me show you how much God loves you.  In II Peter 3:9 we read “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."  Listen to this! God is not willing that how many?  That none should perish.   But that ALL should come to repentance. That includes you and me.  God loves you.

 

God wants everyone to repent and to become reconciled with Him.  He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell.  Let me show you how ridiculous it is to accuse God of wanting to send men to a place of torment.

 

Let's say I was on a large ocean liner which was sinking, and I saw thousands of people jumping to their death in the icy sea.  But I was standing alongside a lifeboat just hanging there.  I got in the lifeboat waiting for others.  But to my surprise, someone accidentally cut the ropes, and the lifeboat plunged to the sea.  I grabbed a paddle and started rowing the boat towards the drowning people.  Would they cry out, "Why are you doing this to me?"  "Why are you trying to destroy us?"  That would be ridiculous; they would be crying "Save me" "Over here help me."

 

We are born into this world sinners dying in our trespasses and sins.  God has sent His Son into this world to take on human flesh so that He might save us.  God and His Son are heroes willing to give their lives to rescue you and me from our dilemma of sin.  What a wonderful God!  

 

Now, here is man’s part in accepting the Gospel.

 

You must not resist the working of God’s Spirit in your heart.

 

If God is dealing with your heart, He is showing that you have never received Him as Lord of your life and Savior from your sin.  You do not have an intimate relationship with Him because you have never trusted Him with your life and as the solution for your sin.  If you realize that you have broken the laws of God and you are still in personal rebellion against God by excluding God as being Master of your life.

 

Has God dealt with your heart concerning the punishment of your rebellion and that you need to yield to Him?  You must not resist Him.

 

 

Here is a man named Felix who was under deep conviction from God as Paul spoke to Him. Acts 24:25 says “As he (Paul) reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled, and answered, Go thy way for this time; when I have a convenient season, I will call for thee."  Felix rejected God's voice in his life.  Just because God speaks to you, you should not take this as an assurance that you will have another opportunity for salvation.  There is no biblical or historical record of Felix the governor becoming a Christian.  You can resist God; all indications are that Felix is spending an eternity in Hell.

The best time to accept Christ is as soon as He speaks to you through His Word.  Our conscience becomes more desensitized to His voice each time we reject Him.  At first, you may hear His voice very clear in your heart.  But each time you reject Him, His voice becomes less discernable and less noticeable.

 

Finally, you have desensitized your heart entirely and can no longer hear Him. It is like turning a snooze alarm off each time you hear it but not responding by getting up.  The more you ignore it, the less you hear it. Be cautious dear friend, with what you do with God's conviction in your life. 

 

The second concern is that you must repent. And how do you repent?  By surrendering to God’s rightful authority in your life.  You must let God be God in your life!  You must let Him take control of your life!

 

Acts 20:21 Testifying both to the Jews and also to the Greeks, repentance towards God. (the offended party) The One who has the right to rule in our life and the One whom we have ignored.

 

Man must place faith in the finished work of Christ on Calvary.

 

The second part of Acts 20:21, "repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.

 

You repent towards God, the One that you have offended; then you place faith in the One, Jesus Christ who paid for your offense on the cross.

There is only one problem.   Our faith to believe in Christ for salvation comes from God.

 

You do not have that faith within yourself to offer God; God has to give you that faith to believe.

 

The Bible says that “For by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves...”  it is a gift of God, God gives us the faith to believe.

 

The question would then be, when does God give me the faith to believe.

Let’s think about this for a moment.

 

If faith is the key to God’s Kingdom (faith is how God gives you access to His Kingdom) and Jesus is the door to the Kingdom of God, why would God give the key to a person in rebellion against Him?  It doesn't make any sense.  If you were going on vacation, would you give the keys to your home to a convicted thief in your neighborhood?  NO!  And neither will God give faith to anyone who continues on their path of rebellion against Him.  It wouldn't make sense.

 

By placing faith in Christ's death on the cross for your salvation, you become reconciled to God.  God is satisfied with Christ’s Death, as payment for your sin.

 

Now, here are two decisions that you must make to reconcile your relationship with God.

 

 

You must decide to surrender to who God is and allow Him to have His rightful authority in your life.

 

It makes no sense to desire to be a subject in the Kingdom of God and not be a willing subject to the King.

 

A person who wanted to become an American citizen came and passed all the tests, and on the day of naturalization he came, and they asked him to raise his hand and commit himself to pledge his allegiance to America and promise to obey the laws of the land if this one said, "NO!  I don't even like America, and I do not agree with her laws, I only want to become a citizen for the benefits that America would bring me."  They would not only deny that person citizenship; they would probably put them on an FBI watch list.  The fact is that you cannot enter the Kingdom of God in rebellion against its King.  God must become the God of your life.  Then and only then will God give you the faith to believe in Jesus Christ for your salvation.

 

After surrendering your life to God, you must decide to place your faith in Christ’s work on the cross for the payment and forgiveness of your sins.

 

You might be thinking, "Wait a minute, I thought I did not have the faith to believe, and you said my faith."  If you have repented by letting God have control of your life, then God gives you faith that moment.  If you have received that faith, it is yours, and now you must place it in Christ's sacrifice for your sins.

 

Trust Jesus as your personal Savior by accepting His payment for your sin debt.

 

 

Now, how do you decide from the heart?  How do you know when you are sincere?  How do you know that you have decided at a level and depth that God would require for an authentic conversion experience?

 

The Bible says in Romans 10:10 For with the heart, man believeth unto righteousness:.."

Let’s take a look at this.

 

Your soul consists of three entities from which you base every major decision in your life.  Every decision you have ever made is a soulish decision, even the way you are sitting there right now reading this book.

 

The first is your intellect.

Now that you understand God's rightful authority in your life, your intellect should be acknowledging the fact that You Need to Surrender your life to God.

 

Your intellect is the part of your soul that understands needs.

 

Your emotions will respond with desire, or you will say, "I desire to surrender my life to God.  I want to repent and allow God to become God in my life."

 

But this last entity the will is where we finally make the decision of whether we genuinely will surrender to God, and that is the decision that is required to come to a repentant spirit that God requires.  Let me give you some illustrations.

 

You may acknowledge with intellect your need for a new car.  You may tell your spouse, "Honey, the car has three hundred thousand miles, and we need a new car."  But you don't have a car yet, do you?  NO.  You have only acknowledged the need.  Then the couple goes out to the car dealer and sees the vehicle they want, and they even verbalize it by saying "There's our car, I love it, we want to buy it."  It is your emotions displaying the desire, but the bottom line is that you still do not own a car.

 

Finally, the salesman has you in the back room asking you if you are going to sign the contract or not “Mister, I heard you speak to your wife, you said that this was your car. Are you going to sign or not?  "Well, you say, I have to think about it, signing this contract is no little thing, it will change a part of my life." And until you decide and make a will choose to sign that contract and purchase that car, it is still not your car.  It is the same with God in your life.  You know you should surrender, inside you even want to surrender, but will you.  A woman makes the same decision when accepting a marriage proposal from a man.  She first acknowledges that she should get married, then meets the man that she desires to marry, and her decision to marry has transformed into a desire.  But after the man proposes, the woman must think deeply about her answer.  She knows that her life will not be entirely her own anymore.  That the man is the head of the home and a lot of the decisions that she now makes on her own will no longer be her decisions alone.  But she finally realizes that her life with this man is better than her life without him.  The Bible calls us the bride of Christ; it is not a mystical, magical decision.  It is the same decision that a bride makes concerning her marriage to a man.  It is the reason why God calls us the bride of Christ when we surrender our lives over to Him.  God loves us and wants the very best for us. He has our best interest at heart.  Giving your life to Him and accepting His Son's sacrificial death as your payment for sin are the very best decisions that you could ever possibly make in your life.  The question is, will you, will you give your life to God and surrender to His authority.

 

Let me ask you some questions.  Do you sense that God is dealing with your heart right now, Is He speaking to your heart concerning your rejection of Christ, that you do not have a personal relationship with His Son, about your rebellion against God, that you have neglected His authority in your life?  And about judgment, that someday you will stand before God and spend eternity without Him in a place of torment.  Is God speaking to you about these three issues?

 

 

Secondly, are you willing to surrender your life to God and accept His payment for your pardon through His Son Jesus Christ?  Are you willing and ready to do that?

 

Mark 8:35 For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it. 

 

And thirdly, will you bow your head right now and make God the God of your life and thank Jesus for dying for your sin?

 

In Mark chapter 8 verse 35 Jesus says “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.”

 

I know that it is a big decision, but it is the right one.  Please stop reading this book this very moment, and bow your head and let God bring you into His family by surrendering to Him and letting God give you the faith to believe.

 

If you have surrendered your life to God and have received Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior

, Please continue to part two.

 

The Benefits of the Gospel.

 

Four things happen to you when you surrender and accept Christ.

 

First, God has forgiven you of all or your past present and even future sins.  God tells us in Romans 4:7, "Blessed are they who iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered."

 

All of your sins are pardoned.

 

You are born again by God's Spirit; you are a completed person. Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:3 “...Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."  You are a complete person returned to the image of God.  You are going to have desires towards God now; you will want to know Him and His Word, you will understand things that you have never understood before because you have a spirit that can understand spiritual things.

 

And, you will have the Holy Spirit come and reside within you forever.

 

Ephesians 4:30 says, "And grieve not the Holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption."

 

Not only are you born again but the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Godhead, but also He has come to be your comforter, your guide, your teacher, and He is with you wherever you go.

 

Congratulations, you have just begun your eternal existence.

 

Death is separation, and in the spiritual sense, you will never die.  To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

 

In John 3:36, Jesus says, "He that believeth on the Son hath (listen to this) everlasting life:.." You are eternally secured.  You are in the family of God.  Now, this doesn't mean that you won't mess up and that you will never sin.  But it does mean that by being a part of God's family, God will begin to deal with you as a child of His own. Nothing will be able to separate you from this moment on from God.

 

Let’s look back at the benefits of the Gospel.

 

Do you understand that being pardoned, that you were on death row just a few minutes ago and now you have been set free?  Do you understand that through Jesus all your past, present, and future sins are forgiven?

 

Do you understand that when you were born again, you became a child of God and He eternally included you into His family?

 

Nothing can alter that; you are one of His.

 

And lastly, do you understand that you need to grow as a Christian.

 

In Colossians 3:10 we read “And have put on the new man, (that is the spirit that God birthed within you, that part of you that loves God and wants to obey Him) which is (listen to this) renewed in knowledge after the image of Him (Jesus) that created him (speaking of once again the spirit that was just born into you)  

 

It needs to grow; you need to be in God's Word; you need faith and faith cometh by God's Word. You need to begin a prayer life, and you need to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in becoming like Jesus.  You need other Christian fellowship, find a good church that believes in taking the Bible literally and go there to worship and learn.

 

You can be sure that you will mess up, but God will never forsake you, ask forgiveness and agree with God, and restore your fellowship with Him.

 

This last section is called the Justification of the Gospel.  This section is for your benefit so that you can understand better how the Gospel worked legally on your behalf.

 

This section will take the Gospel out of the mystical and will make it very reasonable and practical.

 

It will help you understand things about the Gospel that you have probably all of your life questioned but never thought there were answers.

 

Let’s begin by defining the word Justification.

 

The bible tells us that God has declared us righteous

 

It is to show or regard as just or innocent.

 

It is a declaration or witness concerning righteousness.

 

There are two essential things about a witness

 

One, what does the witness have to say?

 

And secondly, to whom does the witness give his testimony.

 

The Scriptures speak of four primary justifications.

 

Works

 

Faith

 

Resurrection

 

And the Blood

 

Each has something to declare about righteousness.

 

And each is making a declaration to a particular audience.

 

The first one we will look at is justification by works.

 

We are justified by works.

 

In James chapter 2 verse 24, we read, "Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only."

 

Now let's explain, Man cannot see faith, so our works as believers are a declaration (or a witness) to men that we have obtained the righteousness of Christ.  Our works declare that there has been a change.  Martin Luther didn't believe that they should include the book of James should be in the canon of Scripture.  He thought that James was teaching that we obtain righteousness through works.  No, we have taught correctly concerning works; that works are a witness of our righteousness.  It is a declaration or righteousness with the emphasis on the word declaration.  Those that teach a grace message concerning the gospel understand this already.

 

"...shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." James 2:18

 

 

When a person is born again, he has obtained the righteousness of Christ, and his life is changed forever.

 

The Scriptures tell us in II Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17 

 

“Therefore, if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new.”

 

Men see our works, and they acknowledge the fact that we have a relationship with God.

 

Also, we are justified by faith.

 

Romans 5:1 ”Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:”

 

God sees our faith, and our faith is a testimony to God of the righteousness of Christ in our life.

 

Man cannot see faith, but God sees faith.

 

Faith is a witness to God of our righteousness through Christ.

 

Romans 1:17, "For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, the just shall live by faith.”

 

“Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth (to put in one’s account) righteousness without works” Romans chapter 4 verse 6

 

God sees our faith, and it gives witness to the fact that we have obtained the righteousness of God through faith.  We would not have faith if God did not give it to us after repentance.  Therefore, our faith is proof that God has redeemed us.  The faith that God gave me has transformed me and now as the Scriptures tell us so often, "The just shall live by faith."

 

And then we are justified by the Resurrection.

 

God tells us in Romans 4:25 “Who (speaking of Jesus) was delivered for our offenses, (He was delivered up for death for our payment for sin) and was raised for our justification.”

 

The Cross of Christ did one work, and the resurrection accomplished another.

 

Men witnessed the resurrected Christ. It proved to all that saw Him and heard of His resurrection that Jesus was a righteous sacrifice.

 

Once more a declaration or witness concerning righteousness.  This time the righteousness of Christ at His death.

I Corinthians chapter 15, verse 17 says, "And if Christ be not raised, your faith is in vain; ye are yet in your sins."

 

Why would this be true?  Because if Jesus had not raised from the dead, it would have been proof that He was a sinner just like us and not capable of rising from the dead.  He would not have been the Lamb of God that John spoke of that could take away the sins of the world.

 

Listen to this.  The wages of sin is death.  If you have no sin, no payment is required.  A sinless Jesus couldn't remain dead.  His resurrection declared his death to be sufficient for the payment of our sins.  In the book of Acts, the apostles preached, taught or mentioned the resurrection seventeen times; that same book mentions the blood once.  Why, because the resurrection was the physical proof to man that Jesus was the Son of God, and He was also the sinless sacrifice needed for redemption that the types and sacrifices of the old testament foretold.

 

Listen to Acts chapter 2, verse 24 as Peter preaches on the day of Pentecost.  “Whom (speaking of Christ) God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that He should be holden of it.”  Of what?  Of Death, death had no legal claim on Him because He was not a sinner, neither from birth or from His life.

 

The resurrection of Christ is still today the greatest claim we have of Jesus being our righteous sacrifice.

 

A righteous sacrifice was offered to God; we know this by the proof of a resurrected Christ.

 

The last justification that we will mention is the blood of Christ.

 

We are justified by the Blood.

 

Romans 5:9 “Much more then, being now justified by His (Jesus’) blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

 

In the Old Testament, a High Priest would offer a sacrifice on the day of atonement at the brazen altar. (seen here on the top of the page.)  This sacrifice represented the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross for our sin.  The High Priest would then catch the blood in a cup with a handle called a mirza. Then he would enter into the most holy place where he would sprinkle the blood on the mercy seat located at the center of the Ark of the Covenant (a replica is on the bottom of this page) God would declare the sacrifice acceptable, then that priest would go out to the congregation of Israel who was waiting to hear.  He then would pronounce the name of God, Yahweh, and the congregation of Israel waiting outside would rejoice because this was the signal that God has accepted the sacrifice. 

 

The blood was a witness or a testimony of a righteous sacrifice.

Now let me stop and give you a short chronological order to the events that are taking place at this time.

 

Jesus paid the penalty for humanity's sin by allowing Himself to be sacrificed on the cross.

 

 

His death was the payment for our sins.  Death was the debt of sin, and a righteous death paid for that payment.

 

The Bible says in Hebrews 7 verse 27 “Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this, He (speaking of Jesus) did once when He offered up Himself."

 

Jesus spent three days in paradise after His death. (A place where Old Testament believers who had died remained until Jesus made the final perfect sacrifice.)

 

These saints were in paradise because they were by faith looking forward to their redeemer coming and being the final sacrifice.  They didn't understand everything, but they knew that the sacrifices made in their time only foreshadowed He that was to come.  God was forbearing or holding off their judgment because of their faith.  Let me take a little time here and share what I believe the Scriptures teach.  Do you remember on the mount of transfiguration how Peter, James, and John witnessed this glorious event?  Moses and Elijah spoke to Christ of something to come.  It was Jesus' decease in Jerusalem. I am sure that Moses and Elijah did not stay tight-lipped when they returned.  Jesus said, "I am the way the truth and the life, no man cometh unto the Father but by Me.” John 14:6 Then in Acts 4:12 we read "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved."   This scriptural instance is one of the two times that I hope to see a recording of when I get to heaven.  When Jesus entered paradise, I believe that all of the Old Testament saints bowed their knees and received Jesus as their savior.  Jesus was the redeemer they were waiting for, and now their final sacrifice for sin was paid.  What a wonderfully joyous occasion.  I hope to see a replay someday.

 

Then after three days, Jesus rose bodily from the dead.  Meeting Mary near the tomb, He refused to let her touch Him.  John 20 verse 17 reads "Jesus saith unto her, touch me not; for I am not yet ascended to my Father...”

 

Jesus was still on His mission.  Although He had already been the sacrifice on the cross, He still needed to complete His job as High Priest.  A High Priest must not defile himself by touching things while doing the work of His office.  Redemption was not yet complete.

Jesus leads the Old Testament saints to Heaven.

 

The Bible says in Ephesians chapter 4 verses 8-10 “Wherefore He saith, When He (Jesus) ascended up on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

 

(Now that He ascended, what is it but that He also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?  (Speaking of paradise) He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all heavens that He might fill all things.)"

 

Jesus completed His work on the cross when He died, but He could not complete the work of redemption until He offered His blood to the Father.  Judicial proof of His sinless sacrifice on the cross was necessary to meet God’s Holy requirements.

 

Did an omniscient God know that His Son had not sinned?  Yes, but God does things judicially correct and in perfect order.

 

Jesus proved His sinless sacrifice through the declaration (or witness) of His blood. The Lamb of God offered His own blood as the High Priest of God.  

 

Redemption was complete.  The Father accepted the Sacrifice of Christ on the cross.

 

Now, through the work of the cross and the testimony of the blood, we can enter into the presence of God.  To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

 

Jesus, the righteous sacrifice, offered His blood to God as proof that He was the sinless sacrifice.  The blood was a witness to God of the righteous death of His Son.

 

Hebrews 9 verse 12 "Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His (Jesus) own blood He entered in once into the Holy Place, having obtained eternal redemption for us."  Here is the second replay I would love to see when I get to Heaven.  Just think of it.

 

The Old Testament saints would have known precisely what was going on as they waited for the High Priest who just entered the throne room of God that Holy of Holies with His precious blood.  Jesus finally returns and lets them know that God accepted the sacrifice.  No longer estranged from God's presence, they could boldly enter the throne of God.  And from that moment on throughout eternity, man can dwell with God because Jesus provided redemption through His death on the cross

 

Now, let me ask you.  Are we saved by the blood?  

 

YES!

 

In the same way, a witness by his testimony clears the indictment against the accused.  You know if someone accused me of killing someone in Birmingham, Alabama at 1 p.m. but at that very time, I was sharing the Gospel with you in your home town.  I would ask you to come with me and testify to the judge that there was absolutely no way that I could have committed the crime because I was in a different location hundreds of miles away.  Your testimony would clear me of the indictment.  Your statement would have saved me.  In the same way, the blood of Christ removes the charge against us when we trust in Christ for Salvation because God the judge has accepted the evidence of the blood for a righteous sacrifice that satisfied His justice.

 

We are set free by the testimony of Christ’s untainted blood of Christ.

Christ's blood was different than any other person's blood born into this world.  It was blood with no taint of sin.

 

Once again, the Scripture speaks of four primary justifications.

 

There are works

 

Faith

 

The Resurrection of Christ

 

And the Blood of Christ.

 

Each, as we said before, has a particular audience, and each speaks, with a specific message.

 

Well, to whom is our works speaking.  It speaks to men who see them.

 

And what does it say?

 

It declares that we are born of God that we have obtained the righteousness of Christ by Faith.  

 

To whom is our faith speaking.

 

It speaks to God

 

God sees our faith

 

And what does our faith say or testify to God?  The very same thing our works told man.  Our faith says that we have obtained the righteousness of Christ.  It once again is a declaration about righteousness, our imputed righteousness in Christ.

 

To whom is the Resurrection of Christ speaking.

 

It speaks to man who witnessed the resurrection of Christ.  Not only did the apostles, and His close followers see His resurrection but at one time over 500 brethren saw the resurrected Christ.  And their testimony recorded in sacred Scriptures is a testimony to us today.

 

And what does the resurrection declare?  That Jesus was righteous that He was sufficient as a sacrifice for sin.  He arose, which declared His righteousness.  The Scripture says that if Jesus had not risen from the dead, then we would still be in our sins.  He would have been a sinner like us unable to satisfy the justice and Holiness of God.

 

To whom is the Blood of Christ speaking?

 

 

It speaks to God who on the day of redemption in the throne room of God, examined the blood.  Man cannot come to any conclusion about righteousness by analyzing blood, but God can, and He did.

 

And God declared the death of Jesus a righteous sacrifice for the sins of humanity.  The blood declared the life of Christ righteous; therefore, His death was righteous, sufficient to take away the sins of the world.

 

Now, consider this.

 

Our works are a witness on earth of who we are.  They say that we obtained the righteousness of Christ.

 

Our faith is a witness in heaven of who we are. It states that we have obtained God's righteousness by faith.

 

The resurrection of Christ was a witness on earth of the righteousness of Christ, His sinless life and death on the cross.

 

And the blood of Christ was a witness in Heaven. It was a witness of the righteousness of Christ, His sinless life and death on the cross.

 

Look, there is a witness on earth and in Heaven of your imputed righteousness in Christ.

 

There is a witness on earth and in Heaven. It is a witness of the righteousness of Christ and His sinless life and death.

 

Let me ask you some questions.

 

Do you understand that works cannot save you, no matter how moral or ethical you may be, good works cannot save you?

 

Works merely testify to mankind of your salvation and the righteousness that you have obtained in Christ.

 

Do you understand that placing faith in the work of Jesus on the Cross as payment for your sin is what saves you and that you receive that faith the moment you surrender to God?

 

If you then place that faith in Christ, it becomes a witness to God of the righteousness of Christ that you have obtained by faith.

 

Thirdly, do you understand that the resurrection of Christ proved that He was sinless and capable of paying for sin?

 

Do you accept that when He arose, it was living proof of His righteousness, that He was not born in sin nor participated in it even once?

 

And fourthly, do you understand that the blood of Christ was the judicial proof which proved the sinless sacrifice of Christ.  His blood redeems us because it was the proof that God required.

 

I want to thank you for watching this presentation of Understanding the Gospel.  And I hope that now the Gospel will no longer be a mystery to you but that you can understand the reason and logic behind it as you have examined the legal aspects of the Gospel.

 

Our prayer is that you would become bold with the Gospel and being used of God to go out and share it with the untold millions who need to hear.

 

May God bless you in this venture for His Kingdom.