It is important when we share the gospel with others that we share the simplicity that is in Christ. A message that is void of the simplicity that is in Christ, is an accursed message that puts a person in bondage. When works are added to the gospel of Christ, our minds becomes corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him – 2 Corinthians 11:3-4
Salvation is God reaching down to humanity through His great love for us.
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God – John 1:1
Scripture makes it clear that the Word was with God (Jesus) and the Word was God. This verse displays the deity of Jesus, who is co-equal with God the Father. Let’s jump to verse 14.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth – John 1:14
God Almighty came in the person of Jesus Christ to die on the cross as a sin offering, purging our sins, being the propitiation for our sins not only for those who would believe on Him in this lifetime, but even for unbelievers.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him – 2 Corinthians 5:21
who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; – Hebrews 1:3
and he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world – 1 John 2:2
God loves us first, and He loves us even when people hate and despise Him.
Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins – 1 John 4:10
Scripture makes it clear that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. This means that he died for everyone.
For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us – Romans 5:7-8
Scripture says that no thing that defileth, maketh a lie, or worketh abomination can enter heaven.
And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life – Revelation 21:27
That makes every single human being to ever walk the earth guilty before God, because we have all told a lie whether in word, thought, or deed – if we are honest with ourselves. Ever told your child that Santa Claus exists, for example, or what about the tooth fairy? The devil is the father of liars. It is good to be honest about our flaws and failures, it displays humility before a Holy righteous God.
God is perfect, and God has says that all have sinned, and God cannot lie. Are we to believe the human philosophers of this world, or God who created Heaven and Earth.
for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;– Romans 3:23
So, because God has said that all human beings have sinned, how do we become sinless in the eyes of God?
Even to the religious folk who say that have no sin because they haven’t committed murder, adultery, robbed a bank, committed incest – have you considered that these works that you are trusting in must compare to the righteousness of Jesus Christ, who was the sinless perfect Lamb of God? Do you have the sinless perfection of Christ Himself? Have you followed all of God’s ten commandments and 613 laws from the moment you were born, until today? If you can honestly say no, then it is foolish to reject Jesus’ payment for your sins. Your righteousnesses will not match up against Christ on that day, who was and will only ever be the sinless man ever to walk upon the Earth.
because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead – Acts 17:31
Ever had a hateful thought, ever gossiped, ever spoke evil of another, ever swore. James describes our tongue as a world of iniquity, an unruly evil, full of deadly poison?
5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell. 7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 8 but the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace – James 3:5-18
It is important to examine ourselves daily as to our attitudes toward God, and our fellow humans? Are we allowing the Holy Ghost to control our thoughts, words and deeds, or is the flesh in control of us?
It is never good to compare our human works to others, because we have all missed the mark of God’s perfection. All stand guilty before God. Since we all stand condemned and under the wrath of God, who could possibly fix our relationship with God.
Those who profess to be Christians, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, and the Mormons all believe that works play a part in salvation, and they deny that Jesus is God even when the name Jesus means Jehovah is Salvation or God who is our Saviour, Most channelled religions like those of the Jehovah’s Witness deny the Holy Trinity – the Godhead are three individual persons in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.
The Godhead is at work in this world – even today. The Holy Ghost is convicting the world of its sin and need for a Saviour in Jesus Christ. Jesus, paid for our sins on the cross, was buried, and rose from the grave, and those who believe in Him are reconciled with God the Father. The three, all equally God, restore lost mankind to a Holy God.
The name of Jesus in greek is 2424 Iesous, which is defined Jehovah is Salvation.
Christ in the greek is 5547 Christos, which is defined as the anointed one or messiah.
Since it is clear in scripture that Jehovah is God, the name of Jesus is defined in layman terms as God who is our Saviour.
God has made salvation simple, and we must receive this free gift of eternal life by faith in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection. Scripture is clear that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord – Romans 6:23
Wages in the greek 3800 is opsonion and defined:
1. a soldier’s pay, allowance
a) that part of the soldier’s support given in place of pay [ie rations] and the money in which he is paid
2. metaphorically wages: hire or pay of sin
Sin is the greek 266 hamartia, defined:
1. equivalent to 264
a. to be without a share in
b. to miss the mark
c. to err, be mistaken
d. to miss or wander from the path of uprightness and honour, to do or go wrong
e. to wander from the law of God, violate God’s law, sin
2. that which is done wrong, sin, an offence, a violation of the divine law in thought or in act
3. collectively, the complex or aggregate of sins committed either by a single person or by many
Death is the greek 2288 thanatos, which is defined:
1. the death of the body
a. that separation (whether natural or violent) of the soul and the body by which the life on earth is ended
b. with the implied idea of future misery in hell
1. the power of death
c. since the nether world, the abode of the dead, was conceived as being very dark, it is equivalent to the region of thickest darkness, i.e figuratively, a regioin enveloped in the darkness or ignorance and sin
2. metaphorically, the loss of that life which alone is worthy of the name
a. the misery of the soul arising from sin, which begins on earth but lasts and increases after the death of the body in hell
4. in the widest sense, death comprising all the miseries arising from sin, as well physical death at the loss of a life consecrated to God and blessed in him on earth, to be followed by wretchedness in hell.
These greek definitions of wages, sin, and death are sobering. Notice that the verse doesn’t end, because it continues in saying that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
What an amazing Creator we have who would bear the punishment of sin for us on the cross of Calvary, because He loves us so much. He would rather die for us than live without us. That is how important we are to God.
And it’s so sad that the message of salvation has been so corrupted by Satan and his counterfeit teachers who steal the glory from off of God, and get the church members to look at themselves for evidence of salvation. It’s a vicious cycle that can bring no assurance of salvation. That person who has been given a false gospel of works for salvation is going to be looking for evidence that they are saved because the church told them that this is how you are saved, without told that salvation is by grace through faith in Christ, not of ourselves, and not of human works.
We can know that we have eternal life because Jesus says so.
15 that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. 16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life – John 3:15-16
He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God – John 3:18
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him – John 3:36
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life – John 5:24
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life – John 6:47
11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. 13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God – 1 John 5:11-13
The good news of Christ’s death, burial and resurrection in full payment for our sin, received as a gift by simple faith in Him, is lost today in religious humanistic rituals that will never take away sin. The unsaved world, including those who are trying to live the Christian life without ever trusting on Christ alone and his finished work on the cross as FULL payment for their sin, do not believe in God’s gift of salvation, available to everyone. Other religions like Atheism mock the God of the Bible as a fairy tale or myth. What blasphemy that people have the pride and guts to say that Jesus had children with Mary Magdalene. Jesus who is the express image of God, was without sin and gave His body as a ransom for many.
who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; – Hebrews 1:3
Much of the world cannot see its need for a Saviour in Jesus because it doesn’t see sin the way that God sees it. The simplicity that is in Christ is corrupted to include a myriad of non-biblical terms like:
- you need to turn from your sins, they often defined as ‘repent’ to be saved
- you must persevere to the end to be saved
- you must commit to Christ to be saved
- you must be water-baptised to be saved
- if works are not present then you were never saved
- receive Jesus into your heart to be saved
- make Jesus the Lord and Master of your life to be saved
- the Christian no longer sins, and if you do you will lose your salvation, or you were never ‘truly’ saved
- you must confess Jesus is Lord to be saved
If you hear a gospel message of grace plus any one of the above, or anything else that includes a human work that you have to do to be saved, run away from that pastor or church.
God saves us in His good grace. It is a gift that we receive through faith in Christ. It’s as simple as that. God made salvation simple enough for the entire world to understand and believe, and God is no respector of persons. We must receive eternal life through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Everyone, whether rich or poor, celebrity or pope, requires sinless perfection, and this righteousness of God is imputed unto our account through the Son, Jesus Christ.
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him – 2 Corinthians 5:21
We need His righteousness imputed unto us, His precious sacrificial blood that washes away all of our sins. The only way we can be righteous to enter heaven is by grace alone, in faith alone, in Christ alone.
Once we stop trying to work our way to heaven and believe the report that God sent his precious Son to bear our sins on the cross (our wages of sin being death), we receive the gift of eternal life instantly. It is not a feeling or an experience. Faith is pleasing to God, and we are sealed by the Holy Ghost the moment we put our full trust in Jesus.
All sins were paid for by Christ.
but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; – Hebrews 10:12
Why is a scripture like this so difficult for Christians to believe? All of our sins were in the future because when Christ died, we were not yet even born.
It is Christian denominations that often turn people away from God, full of Satan’s ministers of righteousness who give an accursed gospel message that does not contain the clear message of the simplicity that is in Christ, when you trust that he has made the full payment for your sins through his death, burial, and resurrection.
Christ paid it all so that we wouldn’t have to. We must trust in Him, and Him alone.
Salvation has absolutely nothing to do with our righteousness, which God says are as filthy rags, and everything to do with our need to be imputed with the righteousness of God, by trusting Christ alone.
The clear gospel gives the simplicity that is in Christ, and it is important that we also share the simplicity that is in Christ, because this gives God all of the glory and, even when others mock or belittle our message, Christ is glorified.
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified – 1 Peter 4:14
