Untitled

The purpose of the death of Jesus was to remove the barrier between God and mankind so that we could continuously relate to God and have a personal relationship with Jesus and The Father and through this relationship have eternal life (Salvation) Jn 17:3. We relate to Jesus as saviour when He we is our lord by decision and not by compulsion. In other words we want Him to be our Lord as we love him and do not obey Him because we are forced too. We relate to the Father as adopted children and to The Holy Spirit as a ward of whom He is guardian of on behalf of Jesus.

In the beginning God and mankind walked together as friends in a wonderful garden God created for mankind to live in.

Mankind (consisting then of only Adam and Eve) rejected God because they listened to His enemy, Satan, and did not obey God. God then removed them from

This separation from God meant that when they died that they did not go to where God ruled (heaven) but to the kingdom of His enemy (Hell)

.God saw that mankind was not able to undo the damage to the relationship, which prevented them once again walking with God as His friend! So He sent Jesus to die in our place and meet the requirements of God so we could be able to relate to Him on a personal basis once again.

This is what the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus is, that Jesus broke down the barrier separating us from God through meeting the punishment we should have suffered so we can now go to heaven and not hell and that through faith in who Jesus, God come to earth ,born of a virgin, as well as obeying His requirements, we can have eternal life with Him in heaven

.Jesus died on the cross to remove the barrier that stopped us relating to God as His friend as well as meeting the punishment for our failings (sins) against God. Because of Calvary and its effect covering all time and eternity our failings and its their spiritual consequences are dealt with before we even do them so that there is no shame, guilt, condemnation any more, just a need to repent (turn from the wrong we are doing) and to continue to try and obey Jesus in all we do.

You will not go to hell because you tried to obey and failed. You will go to hell because you stopped trying to obey.

Salvation is by faith in Jesus but the Calvary made it possible to live in that salvation relationship.

Any Gospel not based on the revealed truths of the Bible or that adds to it or subtracts from it is apostasy and belongs to the teachings of demons!

Man was made to relate to God on a personal basis and when man is not in this relationship He is not living the life God desires him to live and is not placing Himself in the way of the blessings God wishes to give him!

God created people male and female in His Image. When we look at people we are seeing a reflection of God’s (Spiritual) Nature and it is to this nature that He desires us to mature into.

(Genesis 1:26-27) Then God said, "Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; …So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

Originally all creation was in harmony with God, It was probably on the day of rest that Adam and Eve sinned as the first six days were ‘good’ but the Seventh was not described as such.

(Genesis 1:31-2:1) Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day. Thus the heavens and the earth, and all the host of them, were finished.

Mankind walked in a face-to-face relationship with God in the park He had created for them

(Genesis 2:15-17) Then the LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it. And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die."

A man (Adam) disobeyed God and rejected God’s rule and that this resulted in mankind being separated from God. This is what spiritual death is, a separation from The Presence of God (Heaven) and placement in the kingdom of His enemy (Hell)

(Genesis 3:5-8) "For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil. So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

(Genesis 3:9-11) Then the LORD God called to Adam and said to him, "Where are you?" And He said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?"

Physical death resulted from this as spiritual death had already occurred through Adam’s rebellion. (Man had separated himself from God through rejecting the Authority of God which is spiritual death). Note that it is to the man that the sin was accounted to as being the cause of death and not the woman who ate first. If Adam had been carrying out his headship responsibilities correctly Eve would never have been near that tree and as head of the family He was responsible for protecting her from sin. He also failed in His stewardship responsibilities as he was also responsible for protecting that tree from danger.

So the first two sins were against the stewardship God had given Adam, firstly of The Garden of Eden and secondly of his wife, Eve.

(Romans 5:12) Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned;

(Genesis 3:14-15) And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel."

Note that the woman is stated to be Satan’s enemy and not the man. The man was at fault and allowed the woman to sin so he has excluded himself from being used because He was not deceived but sinned voluntarily. The woman did not sin voluntarily but was deceived because the man did not protect her so has the privilege of being used to destroy Satan and his words.

This is perhaps the main reason why women have been Satan’s main area of attack and which is why Jesus loved women and was so gentle with them because they were hurt so much by Satan to prevent His coming and being born.

Mankind’s relationship with God was broken and as a result as man was cast out of the place where he used to walk in a face-to-face relationship with God.

(Genesis 3:24 So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

All have voluntarily sinned (done that which is evil and wrong) and fallen short of God’s Glory (His moral requirements) and are unable to save themselves from the punishment of rebellion (sin) against God. It is an offence against an infinite God so is infinite in its need to be dealt with.

The result of Sin is spiritual death (separation from God) and physical death but through Jesus, God gives us the gift of eternal life (Spiritual life in His presence)

Unworthy as we are of God even considering us as possible citizens of His Kingdom, Jesus died for us out of His love for us so we could enter into a relationship with Him, The Father and The Holy Spirit now and in Eternity

(Romans 5:7-8) Very few people will die to save the life of someone else. Although perhaps for a good person someone might possibly die. But God shows his great love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners.

Jesus is the only way to God’s forgiveness and the reconciliation that results from accepting that forgiveness.

Jesus has broken down the wall that separates us from God and has reconciled (removed the barriers between) God and us:

There is only one way to God and that is Jesus and only one man that can help us relating to God and that is Jesus. Anyone who says they are a mediator between God and mankind are deceived by Satan.

(Jn 14:6) Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

(1 Timothy 2:5 For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,

(John 5:24) "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life.

You must declare Jesus to be your Lord and Saviour and believe Him to be so and show it by your lifestyle. (Righteousness simply means being in a correct relationship with God). You must also believe God has raised Him from the dead to a new life in heaven so that you can believe you too will have that after you die.

(Romans 10:9-10) 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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

If you have done these things and have decided to obey Jesus as your Lord in all you do, you now have eternal life in Jesus and have been restored to a relationship with Him! This will result in a new lifestyle in which you reject all that was wrong in your old lifestyle.

(1 John 5:11) This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life, but whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

Salvation is a relationship that needs to be nurtured and maintained to keep your Salvation.

(Jn 17:3) And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.

(CEV) My dear friends, you always obeyed when I was with you. Now that I am away, you should obey even more. So work with fear and trembling to discover what it really means to be saved.

This Salvation is for everyone as Jesus came to save people and not condemn people. All are redeemed but only those accepting what Jesus offers and whom live in accordance with His requirements, are saved.

(John 3:16-17 "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. "For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

(Col 1:12-13) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

CEV Col 1:12-13 I pray that you will be grateful to God for letting you have part in what he has promised his people in the kingdom of light. God rescued us from the dark power of Satan and brought us into the kingdom of his dear Son,

(1 Corinthians 15:3-4) For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,

You must show you are a follower of Jesus by doing His work and living and He desires you to live.

As a result of your obedience to Jesus you must believe Jesus has prepared a place for you in Heaven and will reward your faithful obedience and trust in Him and His promises!

(John 14:2-3) "In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.

(Heb 11:6) But without faith it is impossible to please him : for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

(Hebrews 11:6) Without faith no one can please God. Anyone who comes to God must believe that he is real and that he rewards those who truly want to find him.

(2 Corinthians 5:10) For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.

(Galatians 6:7-9) Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.

When you are with Jesus you will no longer have the problems you had on the earth

(Revelation 21:4 "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

And we will once again walk in face-to-face fellowship in heaven as Adam and Eve did in the park called Eden.

You are not saved by Calvary. You are redeemed at Calvary. There Jesus removed everything that made you unacceptable to God. Salvation has always been through faith and examples in the Bible are Abraham (representative of the Jews) and Rahab (representative of the gentiles).

At Calvary all the consequences of sin were dealt with by Jesus so that there is nothing we have done or that is in us to stop God accepting us. The requirement for being acceptable is to follow Jesus as Lord and Saviour.

Faith saves you and what happened at Calvary allows you to live the lifestyle faith results in.

At Calvary all our sins were forgiven so we do not need to ask for forgiveness of them as the redemptive work of Jesus at Calvary was complete and does not need to be repeated again. However, we do need to admit to God we have sinned and then turn away from the thing causing us to sin and try to do His Will for us (repentance).

By this redemption you are justified (All in you or which you have done that stops God accepting you has been removed)

You are righteous as a result of this (in a proper relationship with Jesus and The Father if you accept salvation)

Salvation (results from faith in Jesus, who He is and what He did and taught)

Transferred from Satan’s kingdom to that of God’s Kingdom

God sanctifies you ( marks you as His and sets you apart for His service)

Because of this you are holy to Him (set apart for Him) and should live a holy life

You become His Child and enter into all the rights, responsibilities, rewards and relationships of a citizen of The Kingdom of God.

Jesus by His death on the cross, was able to pay the penalty required by God for our disobedience and restore us to a relationship with God and that when God sees us, we are accepted because of what Jesus has done for us.

(Romans 5:18) Because of Adam’s sin and the way it affected us we all ended up doing wrong and falling short of God’s requirements and were going to be punished but Jesus met God’s requirements and gave us the chance to be restored to a relationship with God and eternal life if we accept what He offers us.

(1 Corinthians 1:30) Because of God you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God. In Christ we are put right with God, and have been made holy, and have been set free from sin.

This is a result of nothing we have started or could do, but purely a result of God’s actions - our role is obedient faith.

(Ephesians 2:8-9) For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.

CEV Eph 2:8-9 You were saved by faith in God, who treats us much better than we deserve. This is God’s gift to you, and not anything you have done on your own. It isn’t something you have earned, so there is nothing you can brag about.

The scriptures states that God requires another animal to die in our place for us to be redeemed from the eternal consequences of our wrongs against Him through not doing what He requires of us! Every sin has two parts: the disobeying of a requirement of God and the lack of love shown to another that causes them eventual hurt or pain.

(Leviticus 17:11) This is because the life of the body is in the blood, and I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar to remove your sins so you will belong to the LORD. It is the blood that removes the sins, because it is life.

(Mat 25:39) Verily I say to you, Inasmuch as ye have done it to one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it to me

Jesus was God and only needed to die once because the scope and coverage of His death was infinite and eternal in consequences (it covered all the universe and all time and all who have lived, are living and will live) but is only of value for those who accept salvation!

ALl have been redeemed so all can enter into the relationship God wants them to have but it is only those whose faith in Jesus Christ results in salvation that can take advantage of the redemption that was freely given to all at Calvary.

(Hebrews 9:28) so Christ was offered as a sacrifice one time to take away the sins of many people. And he will come a second time, not to offer himself for sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.

Heb 10:10-12 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Jesus has removed the need for us to sacrifice animals to redeem us from the eternal consequences of sin

Hebrews 10:14 For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Heb 10:14 NEV By His death on the cross he has made acceptable for ever those that are set apart to Him

We now can be restored to the relationship with Jesus, whenever we do fail to meet God’s requirements through sincere repentance of our sins - admitting to God we did wrong and trying very hard not to do this wrong again, as we continuously try and develop the Lordship relationship of Jesus in our life.

He will never reject anyone who comes to Him for salvation. You know you belong to Jesus because you can go to Him for your needs.

You must believe in your heart that Jesus is The Lord of all, that He rose from the dead and are willing to tell othes all about Jesus and what He has done for you and them.

Rom 10:9-10 So you will be saved, if you honestly say, "Jesus is Lord," and if you believe with all your heart that God raised him from death. God will accept you and save you, if you truly believe this and tell it to others.

(Luk 4:18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.

Matthew 4:23:
And Jesus went about all Galilee,
teaching in their synagogues,
and preaching the gospel of the kingdom,
delivering people from the effects of Satan on them
and healing all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease among the people.

Jesus will help you in this as he said that anyone who wanted to know what to do to serve Him would be taught by The Holy Spirit.

(Joh 16:13) Howbeit when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatsoever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will shew you things to come.

"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in My name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world.

One of themaion signs of our being a follower of Jesus is our love for Him expressed in the way we live in obedience to His Will for us as well as express His love to others around us. Obedience results in The Holy Spirit being sent to live in us and help us:

Joh 14:15-16 Jesus said to his disciples: If you love me, you will do as I command. Then I will ask the Father to send you the Holy Spirit who will help you and always be with you.

This obedience will result in The Kingdom of God manifesting in and through our lives and we will demonstrate it as He commanded us too in Mark 16:17-18. Jesus said the signs in these verses would be performed by His followers:

shall they cast out devils;

they shall speak with new tongues;

They shall take up serpents;

and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them;

they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover

We will be rewarded for our obedience and one of the requirements of faith is that we must believe God will reward us for our loving service of Him:

Heb 11:6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

We must endure to the end to receive the reward and not be concerned about dying in the service of Jesus.

1 Cor 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

Rev 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death.

Remember that evangelism is really telling what Jesus has done for people in the kingdom of Satan and how He has affected your life as a result of your accepting what He has done.

If you love as Jesus Loves you will go and tell people what He has done for them so they can enjoy what you have received as a result of your accepting what He has done for you.

Remember that trials are a sign of His Love as he uses them to mature you to His character or guide you back to where you should be.

The key to victory is to put the things of Jesus before your own values and purposes and be faithful to His Calling of you till you die:

Rev 12:11 (MSG) They defeated him through the blood of the Lamb and the bold word of their witness. They weren’t in love with themselves; they were willing to die for Christ.

Rev 12:11 CEV) Our people defeated Satan because of the blood of the Lamb and the message of God. They were willing to give up their lives.

You must hold the Will (what God wants you to do) of God as being more important than your own life and its purposes"

God promises to supply all you need in this life for those who seek to be in a correct relationship with him as well as being used by Him to further His Kingdom :

Mat 6:31-34 Don’t worry and ask yourselves, "Will we have anything to eat? Will we have anything to drink? Will we have any clothes to wear? Only people who don’t know God are always worrying about such things. Your Father in heaven knows that you need all of these. But more than anything else, put God’s work first and do what he wants. Then the other things will be yours as well. Don’t worry about tomorrow. It will take care of itself. You have enough to worry about today."

1Co 10:13 There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

To become a follower of Jesus will cost you all that you have but in return you will gain riches unimaginable in the world to come.