Who is Jesus Christ?
I showed in my first pivot point letter that Jesus Christ was much more than just the Son of God. He was also the one who created the earth and everything on it. In around 5 BC Mary was approached by God and blessed with the seed of God in her womb. Nine months later, our Lord Jesus Christ was born in a manger. He started is ministry around 26 AD, and was crucified in 29 AD.
Have you ever wondered what really happened at the Cross where Christ was crucified? We know that Christ was crucified and died, but do you really know what that means to you?
What is Hell
The Old Testament explains how God created a new race of people called the Jew. He gave them their own land and government. He implemented with them a system of sacrificing animals and using their blood to cover the sins of the people. This wasn’t a permanent fix, just a temporary one. It only covered over the sin, it didn’t remove it. So when people died, they all went down to a place called Sheol. This place is described in Luke 16: 22 – 26 22) And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried: 23) And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24) And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25) But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life time received thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26) And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. Because the blood of animals couldn’t completely cleans sins, peoples souls both good and bad went here when they died. But for the good, this was just a temporary holding place. They were not in torment like the ones on the other side of the gulf.The Deity of Jesus Christ
This was the fate of all people since Adam. When Adam took of the fruit of knowledge, he condemned the entire world. When Eve took of the fruit, she condemned herself, but herself only. The blood of the child in the mothers’ womb comes from the father, not the mother. So if Adam who was not deceived had not taken of the fruit, then the evil would have perished with Eve. 1 Timothy 2:14 states, Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression. But since Adam did partake, then every child born upon the earth after that, was condemned already to die, because we are all prone to sin. Even though we may think were good, we aren’t even close according to God’s standards. The bible tells us that our righteousness is as filthy rags before God. Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. For example, if you think you are good, take a look at what God calls worthy of death: And remember what Christ said in Mathew 5:28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. With this scripture we learn that the law could be broken with out physically committing the sin. We can be found guilty by the thoughts we deliberately entertain.Works of the flesh
Here is a list of things that God calls the acts of the flesh, or things we do when we are not walking fully in the Spirit of God, but living our lives as we choose.
Galatians 5: 19 – 21
Adultery – Sex between someone married with someone else other than their spouse.
Fornication – Consensual sex between two people not married to each other.
Uncleanness – Morally or spiritually impure. To defile or pollute thyself. To taint, contaminate or defile.
Lasciviousness – To show sexual desire. Be lustful. Wantonness.
Idolatry – the worship of a physical object as god. Immoderate attachment or devotion to something.
Sorcery – the use of power gained from the assistance or control of evil spirits. The use of drugs to gain advantage.
Hatred – Prejudiced hostility or animosity
Variance – to quarrel, wrangling, contention or strife.
Emulations – Jealousy, emulation, envy, fervent mind, indignation.
Wrath – fierceness, indignation
Strife – faction, contention
Seditions – causing divisions
Heresies – dis-union – to take for ones self.
Envying – ill will. Jealousies
Murders – to slay with slaughter
Drunkenness – to be intoxicated
Revelries – letting loose , rioting.
The scripture tells us that people who do any of these things shall not inherit eternal life. Galatians 5:21 The last sentence in that verse says: they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God
Fruits of the Spirit
Galatians 5: 22 – 23 Things that God expects out of people, or personality traits people will show if they are walking in the Holy Spirit.
Love – show affection, benevolence, putting other before yourself
Joy – cheerfulness, delight, gladness, exceeding joyfulness.
Peace – quietness, rest, set at one with God again
Longsuffering – forbearance, fortitude, patience.
Gentleness – goodness & kindness
Goodness - virtue, benevolence
Faith – persuasion, credence, conviction, assurance, belief, fidelity, reliance upon Christ for Salvation
Meekness – humility, gentleness
Temperance – Self control.
The last part of Galatians 5:23 after it mentions these fruits of the Spirit, says: against such there is no law. In other words, if you live your life walking in the Spirit, there is nothing that can condemn you.
If it were possible to live your life totally by the above fruits of the Spirit continually, 24 – 7 and never stray from it, then you would be pleasing in Gods eye. Even our thoughts would have to remain in that good way. As you can see, it would be virtually impossible for us to do that, because we all have the force in us to push us towards evil of some sort.
Why Christ had to die on the Cross
This brings us to Christ. When God impregnated Mary, he used his seed. Not the seed of man, so the blood of the child was pure without the sin nature. That is why Mary had to be virgin. This being further proof that her Child came from God not man. This doesn’t mean that Christ wasn’t tempted just like we are. He was tempted in every way we are. Since Christ was pure as Adam was before he fell, Christ as Adam was never deceived and was able to overcome all temptation he faced. Where Adam wasn’t deceived by the serpents’ lies, he loved Eve enough to go against the word of God. Christ on the other hand loved us enough not to. He left his home in heaven and took upon himself the form of a servant. He spent 33 years upon this earth and never did any wrong. He walked constantly in the fruits of the Spirit listed above. He healed the sick, raised the dead, fed the hungry and clothed the poor, yet he didn’t even have a place to call his own. He never committed a single wrong upon humanity, but he was falsely accused and put to death anyway. Romans chapter 8 is a beautiful picture of how Christ delivered us from the laws that condemned us, and set us up as temples for the Holy Spirit to live by the Spirit of God, not by the laws of the flesh.
When Christ gave up his life on the cross, he went down into Sheol where Abraham and all the other people who trusted God for salvation were kept. He set them free and they were now worthy (by his blood) to enter into heaven. Christ spent 3 days down there teaching the saints. Then he took the keys of death and hell from Satan, and rose from the grave himself on the third day. He presented himself before Mary, but couldn’t be touched by human hands until he presented himself and his blood before the throne of God.
The first resurection
In Mathew 27:52 And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arouse, 53) And came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many. Don’t miss the part about them coming out of the grave AFTER Christ resurrection on the third day.The blood of Christ covers Sin
After the cross, Christ went before God and presented his blood upon Gods alter for human kind. His blood was worthy and accepted by God to cover all sin. . Christ took upon himself all their sins as his, and took upon himself all future sins as well. Romans 2:23 -26 23) For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24) Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; 25)Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past , through the forbearance of God; 26) To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness; that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. The word propitiation in verse 25 above means that this is the act of God whereby he becomes gracious to the sinner through Jesus Christ.
The law given to the Jews was good, for it let people know they were sinful and needed forgiveness, but the law had no power to help people keep the law.
Faith in Christ Jesus, however, does have that power. God will send the Holy Spirit into your heart and now writes the commandments of God upon your heart instead of tablets of stone. Of course knowing that Christ has completely forgiven us of our sin does not give us license to commit any of the acts listed in Galatians 5: 19 – 21. We are to continue daily to strive to do only those things listed Galatians 5: 22 – 23, but if we do slip up and sin, we have an advocate now with the Heavenly Father. We can now confess those sins, and know he is faithful and just to forgive us. 1 John 2:1 My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
After Christ’s' resurrection and he presented his blood to God, then all the saved souls that were held captive down in sheol were released. They were once again united with God and no longer separated from him. Christ reversed the effect of death brought on the human race by This wonderful gift of eternal life is now freely given to all people. All that we have to do is believe. If we believe in Jesus Christ, this free gift from God is ours, and all it cost us is that we let Christ come into our hearts. For all those who choose not to believe and not accept this free gift from God, then nothing will change for you. When you die, you pass from this world down into Sheol. Those trapped in Sheol will stay there until the Great white throne judgement. From there, it will be the eternal lake of fire the bible calls the second death.
Praise and glory to our Lord Jesus Christ forever.
No comments:
Post a Comment