This is a fundamental Gospel question. At this time of year, everyone talks a lot about the birth of Jesus, believers and non-believers. We know He came into the world to save us. The first step in our life with God is to confess with our mouth that JESUS is the Lord so that we can be saved through Him (Rom. 10:9-11). But why do we need Christ? What exactly do we need to be saved from?
The Origin of All
Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. – Romans 5:18
It was in Eden that the first human being opted for disobedience and, from that, brought condemnation to all mankind. All of us from then on were born sinners, condemned and spiritually dead. I really like the child’s example: a good parent never teaches their child to be selfish. However, one of the first sentences of a baby is “It’s mine!” This simple behavior demonstrates that we were unfortunately born with sin. As the Word itself states: “If we claim we have no sin, we are only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth.“
We often look at the most morally repudiated sins such as violence, corruption, theft, murder, among others, and consider ourselves just or right for not doing them. We also think that, because we are charitable or cooperate with some social action, it makes us good. But as we have just read, there is nothing we can do to take away the sin that is upon us.
It is only Christ who can remove our guilt, declare us righteous before God, and quicken us spiritually. He alone can save us!
Only JESUS saves
The most incredible thing about this story is the love of Jesus. He is the only one who can save us and He wants to save us! He’s already chosen us, he’s already paid the price we should pay, he’s died in our place. It’s up to us only to choose Him back!
Unfortunately many argue that they can believe in their own way or believe that “all paths lead to God”. But biblically no one connects with God except through the Son. There are no multiple paths or multiple truths. In John 14: 6 Jesus said: “I am THE way, THE truth, and THE life. No one can come to the Father except through me. Also in the book of John (Chapter 8, vs. 36) it is written: So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free. We are actually only trylly freed from condemnation through Christ.
When Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist, the Bible reports that the heaven was torn open (Mark 1:10), indicating that Jesus was the One who OPENED the access to God (that access that was broken by Adam’s sin and his expulsion from the garden). The original Greek manuscript uses, to describe that the heaven OPENED at baptism, the same verb that was also used at Jesus’ death to describe that the temple veil was TORN (Matt. 27:50-51), indicating the new and living way that was opened by the work of Christ to access the Most Holy Place (Heb. 10:19-20).
Jesus’ baptism also reveals His superiority over any king or prophet who ever lived. While in the Old Testament men received a special anointing of the Holy Spirit to fulfill a certain purpose, office or occasion, John the Baptist described that at baptism the Holy Spirit descended and remained on Jesus. The permanence of the Spirit on Jesus indicated a definitive anointing. In John 3:34-35 that speaks about the superiority of Christ it is written: For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. And when Jesus ascends to heaven, He claims to send the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit upon us as well.
Through Christ, only through Him, we are reconciled and connected with the Father. He opens a new and living way for us. And it gives us access now to a life with the certainty of salvation and also with the permanent presence of the Holy Spirit, who helps us, consoles us and intercedes for us.
The question is: how to live without the Savior?
IMPOSSIBLE! Life (and eternal life!) only happens through Him.
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16
So, take advantage of the fact that the birth of Jesus is the most talked about topic at this time of year to talk about the good news of His coming to earth and the salvation that only He can give us. Going through difficult life situations recently I asked myself: what would it be like to go through all of this without knowing that I have the Holy Spirit by my side and without having this vision of salvation/eternal life? Certainly much more desperate!
So be intentional in sharing the Savior’s message!
God bless!
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