"Glory to God in the highest,
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Those words reverberated across the heavens over 2000 thousand years ago with the birth of Jesus Christ, God's Son, the One foretold and chosen to bear the sins of mankind, by suffering death on a cross for them. For it is by that, and that alone, that mankind finds peace with God, and peace with each other, when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and obey His Gospel.
For that is God's purpose for which Jesus Christ was born a babe through the virgin Mary, grew up as a child, then into a Man. Who was foretold at His birth, then testified too by John the Baptist as being "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". Who during three and half years of ministry endured temptations by Satan and trials by man, and who at the end of His course in declaring the Gospel of God to both Jews and Gentiles alike; doing many mighty and merciful works as a testimony for us all to believe in Him; was betrayed into lawless hands for the suffering of death by Crucifixion according to the predetermined counsel of God. So that you and I might have remission of all our sins and new and everlasting life the moment we believe in Lord Jesus Christ's Person. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
And so it is by the Lord Jesus Christ suffering death on the cross, and shedding of His blood for us all, that He has fulfilled all of God's Righteous requirements for all of our sins atonement. That is the redemption payment required by God to redeem us from sin and death so that we can now be reconciled back to God the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus' Person. For God's justice having being satisfied with Jesus' suffering in our place, God can now freely justify anyone (no matter what we have done), the moment we believe in Jesus (Rom 3:24). That is the power of Jesus' Christ's Crucifixion death, the absolutely free and utterly complete redemption from sin and death of everyone who believes in Him Now that is Good News! and something to celebrate all the time!
For Jesus having been crucified for our sins remission, was then buried in a stone tomb hewn out of solid rock, where His body remained for three days in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Then Jesus according to the Scriptures rose from the dead, to bring us who believe in Him victory over sin, Satan and death (Hosea 13:14; John 11:25; Rom 8:31-39). And thus Jesus having conquered mankind's greatest enemy then manifested Himself to His disciples in His Resurrection body at various times, in various ways, so that they would not only be witnesses of His Resurrection Life. But also, so that they and everyone who believes in Him, will likewise be recipients of Christ's Resurrection Power. That is the Power of God's Holy Spirit by which He both transforms our persons, giving us new birth so that we might enter the Kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-5) but also so that He might empower us here and now for His witness and service as His disciples. And so with the Holy Spirit being initially poured out on the apostles as sign to their Jewish brethren to repent and believe the Gospel. He now comes to us all who believe in Jesus, whether Jews or Gentiles, just as Jesus foretold the Holy Spirit would come to us all who hence forth believe in Him (John 7:37-39). So that He may baptize us all who believe into One Body, but also so that He may Help, Guide, Comfort and Equip and seal us all as Jesus Christ's disciples here and now (John 14:16-18; 15:26; 16:13-15; 1 Cor 12; Eph. 1:13-14). For Jesus having Risen from the dead, 40 days later in the presence of His chosen Apostles ascended back to God the Father in heaven, where He now waits until the fulfillment of all things; until all His enemies are made His footstool.
What then does God require of us? Two things. Repentance and faith. Repentance is a change of mind, about ourselves, our sin and thus our need for God's salvation. Thus it is the active engagement of our will to make a conscience decision to turn away from our sins and turn, or return to God (see Luke 15:11-32). Faith is the active engagement of our hearts and minds by opening them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thus receive Him (Rev 3:20).
If you have never received the gift of God, to be justified freely by God by what He has done through His Son to save us all then please by all means do! Ask Jesus Christ into your heart and life, to be both your Lord and Savior. For the Bible states: 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom 10:9-13
Scripture Quotations
And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!"
Those words reverberated across the heavens over 2000 thousand years ago with the birth of Jesus Christ, God's Son, the One foretold and chosen to bear the sins of mankind, by suffering death on a cross for them. For it is by that, and that alone, that mankind finds peace with God, and peace with each other, when we believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and obey His Gospel.
For that is God's purpose for which Jesus Christ was born a babe through the virgin Mary, grew up as a child, then into a Man. Who was foretold at His birth, then testified too by John the Baptist as being "the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world". Who during three and half years of ministry endured temptations by Satan and trials by man, and who at the end of His course in declaring the Gospel of God to both Jews and Gentiles alike; doing many mighty and merciful works as a testimony for us all to believe in Him; was betrayed into lawless hands for the suffering of death by Crucifixion according to the predetermined counsel of God. So that you and I might have remission of all our sins and new and everlasting life the moment we believe in Lord Jesus Christ's Person. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16
And so it is by the Lord Jesus Christ suffering death on the cross, and shedding of His blood for us all, that He has fulfilled all of God's Righteous requirements for all of our sins atonement. That is the redemption payment required by God to redeem us from sin and death so that we can now be reconciled back to God the moment we believe in the Lord Jesus' Person. For God's justice having being satisfied with Jesus' suffering in our place, God can now freely justify anyone (no matter what we have done), the moment we believe in Jesus (Rom 3:24). That is the power of Jesus' Christ's Crucifixion death, the absolutely free and utterly complete redemption from sin and death of everyone who believes in Him Now that is Good News! and something to celebrate all the time!
For Jesus having been crucified for our sins remission, was then buried in a stone tomb hewn out of solid rock, where His body remained for three days in fulfillment of the Scriptures. Then Jesus according to the Scriptures rose from the dead, to bring us who believe in Him victory over sin, Satan and death (Hosea 13:14; John 11:25; Rom 8:31-39). And thus Jesus having conquered mankind's greatest enemy then manifested Himself to His disciples in His Resurrection body at various times, in various ways, so that they would not only be witnesses of His Resurrection Life. But also, so that they and everyone who believes in Him, will likewise be recipients of Christ's Resurrection Power. That is the Power of God's Holy Spirit by which He both transforms our persons, giving us new birth so that we might enter the Kingdom of heaven (John 3:3-5) but also so that He might empower us here and now for His witness and service as His disciples. And so with the Holy Spirit being initially poured out on the apostles as sign to their Jewish brethren to repent and believe the Gospel. He now comes to us all who believe in Jesus, whether Jews or Gentiles, just as Jesus foretold the Holy Spirit would come to us all who hence forth believe in Him (John 7:37-39). So that He may baptize us all who believe into One Body, but also so that He may Help, Guide, Comfort and Equip and seal us all as Jesus Christ's disciples here and now (John 14:16-18; 15:26; 16:13-15; 1 Cor 12; Eph. 1:13-14). For Jesus having Risen from the dead, 40 days later in the presence of His chosen Apostles ascended back to God the Father in heaven, where He now waits until the fulfillment of all things; until all His enemies are made His footstool.
What then does God require of us? Two things. Repentance and faith. Repentance is a change of mind, about ourselves, our sin and thus our need for God's salvation. Thus it is the active engagement of our will to make a conscience decision to turn away from our sins and turn, or return to God (see Luke 15:11-32). Faith is the active engagement of our hearts and minds by opening them to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and thus receive Him (Rev 3:20).
If you have never received the gift of God, to be justified freely by God by what He has done through His Son to save us all then please by all means do! Ask Jesus Christ into your heart and life, to be both your Lord and Savior. For the Bible states: 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Rom 10:9-13
Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982,
*Tyndale House Publishers: Holy Bible: New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers, 2004
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