WHY IS JESUS NECESSARY?

WHAT IS A CHRISTIAN?

A FOLLOWER OF GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST HIS DEAR SON WHO TAUGHT US THE WAY OF SALVATION, AND HOW TO LIVE OUR LIVES.

WE ARE ALL SINNERS, AND WILL NEVER COME CLOSE TO THE GLORY OF GOD IN OUR OWN WILL, STRENGTH, OR POWER.

- ROMANS 3:23 “FOR ALL HAVE SINNED AND FALL SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.”

WE HAVE A DAMAGED NATURE THAT WAS INHERITED FROM THE FALL THAT OCCURRED AT THE BEGINNING OF MANKIND WITH THE DISOBEDIENCE OF ADAM AND EVE.

- ROMANS 5:12 “THEREFORE, JUST AS SIN CAME INTO THE WORLD THROUGH ONE MAN, AND DEATH THROUGH SIN, AND SO DEATH SPREAD TO ALL MEN BECAUSE ALL SINNED.”

GOD PUT A MORAL LAW INTO OUR HEARTS. HE WROTE IT IN STONE ON MT. SINAI TO SHOW ITS PERMANENCE. THESE LAWS WERE TO BE A GUIDE TO US FOR LIVING, AND TO SHOW US HOW WE ALWAYS FALL SHORT AND OFFEND GOD. THEY WERE NOT MEANT AS A WAY OF ETERNAL SALVATION.

- ROMANS 2:14-16 “FOR WHEN GENTILES, WHO DO NOT HAVE THE LAW, BY NATURE DO WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES, THEY ARE A LAW TO THEMSELVES, EVEN THOUGH THEY DO NOT HAVE THE LAW. THEY SHOW THAT THE WORK OF THE LAW IS WRITTEN ON THEIR HEARTS, WHILE THEIR CONSCIENCE ALSO BEARS WITNESS, AND THEIR CONFLICTING THOUGHTS ACCUSE OR EVEN EXCUSE THEM ON THAT DAY WHEN, ACCORDING TO MY GOSPEL, GOD JUDGES THE SECRETS OF MEN BY CHRIST JESUS.”

OUT OF THE MASS OF CORRUPT HUMANITY, GOD CHOSE ABRAHAM TO BE A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE CAME OUT OF HIM.

- JAMES 2:23 “AND THE SCRIPTURE WAS FULFILLED THAT SAYS, "ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS COUNTED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS"—AND HE WAS CALLED A FRIEND OF GOD.”

GOD CHOSE THEM TO BE A PECULIAR PEOPLE TO HIM. THIS IS WHY HE GAVE THEM A LAW. HE MADE THEM A POWERFUL NATION.

- DEUTERONOMY 14:2 “FOR THOU ART AN HOLY PEOPLE UNTO THE LORD THY GOD, AND THE LORD HATH CHOSEN THEE TO BE A PECULIAR PEOPLE UNTO HIMSELF, ABOVE ALL THE NATIONS THAT ARE UPON THE EARTH.”

EVEN WITH ALL GOD’S LOVE AND ATTENTION, THEY MANAGED TO WORSHIP IDOLS AND STRAY FAR AWAY FROM THEIR GOD.

- 2 KINGS 17:15 ” THEY DESPISED HIS STATUTES AND HIS COVENANT THAT HE MADE WITH THEIR FATHERS AND THE WARNINGS THAT HE GAVE THEM. THEY WENT AFTER FALSE IDOLS AND BECAME FALSE, AND THEY FOLLOWED THE NATIONS THAT WERE AROUND THEM, CONCERNING WHOM THE LORD HAD COMMANDED THEM THAT THEY SHOULD NOT DO LIKE THEM.”

WHEN THE TIME WAS RIGHT, GOD SENT HIS SON JESUS CHRIST, WHO WAS AND IS GOD IN THE FLESH, TO BE OUR SAVIOR.

- ROMANS 5:6 “FOR WHILE WE WERE STILL WEAK, AT THE RIGHT TIME CHRIST DIED FOR THE UNGODLY.”

NO LONGER WAS IT A REQUIREMENT TO BE A JEW OR CONVERT TO JUDAISM AND LIVE IN ISRAEL TO BE A CHILD OF GOD. THROUGH FAITH IN GOD’S SON JESUS CHRIST, ALL THE PEOPLE OF THE WORLD COULD BECOME THE CHILDREN OF GOD.

- GALATIANS 3:28 “THERE IS NEITHER JEW NOR GREEK, THERE IS NEITHER SLAVE NOR FREE, THERE IS NO MALE AND FEMALE, FOR YOU ARE ALL ONE IN CHRIST JESUS.”

THROUGH FAITH IN GOD’S HOLY SON JESUS CHRIST, ALL WHO COME TO HIM CAN HAVE FORGIVENESS OF THEIR SINS (SIN=THE BREAKING OF GOD’S LAW).

- MATTHEW 26:28 “FOR THIS IS MY BLOOD OF THE NEW COVENANT, WHICH IS SHED FOR MANY FOR THE REMISSION OF SINS.”

JUST LIKE ANY HUMAN LAW, BEING SORRY FOR BREAKING THE LAW DOESN’T GET ONE OUT OF TROUBLE. YOU MUST PAY THE FINE, WHETHER IT BE MONETARY, AS IN THE CASE OF A SPEEDING TICKET, OR YOUR VERY LIFE, AS IN THE CASE WITH MURDER. HOW DOES THE BREAKING OF GOD’S LAW GET PAID FOR? NOTHING UNHOLY CAN ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD. UNHOLINESS IS SIN, AND YOU AND I HAVE SINNED MANY, MANY TIMES. GOD WOULD BE TOTALLY JUST IN SENDING US TO HELL. JESUS CHRIST, PERFECT MAN AND GOD IN THE FLESH, PAID YOUR FINE FOR YOU, MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO SHARE IN GOD’S MERCY AND HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. ALL GLORY AND HONOR BELONG TO JESUS CHRIST!

- JOHN 3:16 “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.”

- ROMANS 10:9-10 “BECAUSE, IF YOU CONFESS WITH YOUR MOUTH THAT JESUS IS LORD AND BELIEVE IN YOUR HEART THAT GOD RAISED HIM FROM THE DEAD, YOU WILL BE SAVED. FOR WITH THE HEART ONE BELIEVES AND IS JUSTIFIED, AND WITH THE MOUTH ONE CONFESSES AND IS SAVED.”

- JOHN 3:18 “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM IS NOT CONDEMNED, BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE STANDS CONDEMNED ALREADY BECAUSE HE HAS NOT BELIEVED IN THE NAME OF GOD'S ONE AND ONLY SON.”

WHAT’S THE ALTERNATIVE? KEEP READING.

- 1 CORINTHIANS 6:9-10 “OR DO YOU NOT KNOW THAT THE UNRIGHTEOUS WILL NOT INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD? DO NOT BE DECEIVED: NEITHER THE SEXUALLY IMMORAL, NOR IDOLATERS, NOR ADULTERERS, NOR MEN WHO PRACTICE HOMOSEXUALITY, NOR THIEVES, NOR THE GREEDY, NOR DRUNKARDS, NOR REVILERS, NOR SWINDLERS WILL INHERIT THE KINGDOM OF GOD.”

- REVELATION 22:15 “OUTSIDE ARE THE DOGS AND SORCERERS AND THE SEXUALLY IMMORAL AND MURDERERS AND IDOLATERS, AND EVERYONE WHO LOVES AND PRACTICES LIES.”


IF YOU THINK YOU ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE ABOVE LIST, YOU PROBABLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE MORE. WHO’S RIGHT? YOU OR GOD WHO SAYS ALL HAVE SINNED? ONE LIE, ONE THEFT, ONE CASE OF ADULTERY, ONE HATRED, ONE GREEDY MOMENT, ONE CASE OF SEXUAL IMMORALITY, MAKES YOU A SINNER AND SEPARATED FROM GOD, JUST LIKE ONE RAPE MAKES ONE A RAPIST AND ONE KILLING MAKES ONE A MURDERED. GOD=TOTAL PERFECTION AND HOLINESS. MANKIND=SHOULD HAVE BEEN HOLY BUT WE'RE NOT.


MAYBE YOU THINK THIS SOUNDS TOO HARSH. THINK ABOUT IT. AM I LYING TO YOU? WHAT HAVE I GOT TO GAIN BY TELLING YOU WHAT THE SCRIPTURES SAY? IF YOUR HOUSE WERE ON FIRE I WOULD BANG ON YOUR DOOR TO WAKE YOU UP AND GET YOU OUT OF THE FIRE.


SO, THE CHOICE IS YOURS. BELIEVE WHAT YOU THINK IS RIGHT IN YOUR HEART (THERE IS A WAY THAT SEEMS RIGHT TO A MAN, BUT ITS END IS THE WAY TO DEATH. – PROVERBS 16:25) OR BELIEVE WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS, WHICH IS THE WORD OF THE LORD. (EVERY WORD OF GOD PROVES TRUE; HE IS A SHIELD TO THOSE WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. – PROVERBS 30:5)


THIS ISN’T WRITTEN TO MAKE YOU FEEL BAD ABOUT YOURSELF. THIS IS SIMPLY WHAT THE WORD OF GOD SAYS. THIS IS WRITTEN TO LET YOU KNOW HOW GLORIOUS AND WONDERFUL OUR SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST IS!


HOW DOES ONE GET SAVED/BORN AGAIN/BECOME A CHRISTIAN?

- ACTS 16:30-31 “SIRS, WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED? AND THEY SAID, BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND THOU SHALT BE SAVED, AND THY HOUSE.”

- MARK 16:16 “WHOEVER BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED, BUT WHOEVER DOES NOT BELIEVE WILL BE CONDEMNED.”

THERE IS MUCH MORE TO WRITE, BUT THE BASICS OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE ARE BELOW.

- GALATIANS 5:14 “FOR ALL THE LAW IS FULFILLED IN ONE WORD, EVEN IN THIS; THOU SHALT LOVE THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF.”

- JOHN 13:34 “A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE TO YOU, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER: JUST AS I HAVE LOVED YOU, YOU ALSO ARE TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER.”

- 1 JOHN 4:7-8 “BELOVED, LET US LOVE ONE ANOTHER, FOR LOVE IS FROM GOD, AND WHOEVER LOVES HAS BEEN BORN OF GOD AND KNOWS GOD. ANYONE WHO DOES NOT LOVE DOES NOT KNOW GOD, BECAUSE GOD IS LOVE.”

- JAMES 4:6 “BUT HE GIVES MORE GRACE. THEREFORE IT SAYS, "GOD OPPOSES THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE."