
Originally Posted by
Resurgence
1Cor 3:19: For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.
2Cor 4:4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
Eph 3:9: And to make all men see what is the fellowship of the mystery, which from the beginning of the world hath been hid in God, who created all things by Jesus Christ:
God, since from the foundation of the world already have in his mind the eternal plan of man's salvation. He already have all the countermeasures he is going to have should man fall and disobey his will.
Since the dawn of time, man in his early stage have limited knowledge about the world around him and God knowing his limitations, gave him a simple Law which is to obey him. Man is autonomous and disobeyed him. God punished man by causing a great flood in the entire earth.
As man's knowledge and awareness develops, God also supplies the need of man for certain Laws which is necessary for them to replenish and co-exist with fellow humans. They received the 10 commandments. But still, man in his autonomy, pride and disobedience, would always incline to commit sin and to resist God's rule. God sees man to have fallen short from his holiness and find him worthy of death and punishment.
But despite of this, God in his eternal Love to humanity (which he has in the community of the trinity) revealed his third and final plan, sent His only begotten SON to shed his blood for us as a remission of our sins. God sees that nothing in man can satisfy his wrath that he is going to pour out like what he did on the flood and to justify man before his HOLINESS and JUSTICE!
1Cor 15:22: For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Rom 5:12: Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:
Rom 5:14: Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.
Rom 5:17: For if by one man's offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.)
1Cor 15:21: For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead.
WE ARE NOW UNDER GRACE! Through the finished work of Jesus on the cross. This has something to do with the words of Jesus also and what it meant when he says "IT IS FINISHED" while hanging on the cross and giving up the ghost. We can read more about the LAW and the GRACE contrasted in the book of Romans chapter 7.
Gal 2:16: Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Rom 3:20: Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Rom 4:15: Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression.
Rom 5:13: (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.
Rom 5:20: Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:
Jesus, when he revelead himself as the one sent from the father was accused of heresy and was conspired to be put to death.
John 19:7: The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
Heb 9:26: For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
John 1:10: He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the world knew him not.
John 3:17: For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.
Rom 3:19: Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
I think the main purpose of Christ here on earth is to advance God's kingdom by becoming the perfect sacrifice through fulfilling the will of the father.
We need to know that Jesus in his human form, was given supernatural powers to raise the dead, heal the sick, cause the blind to see, let the lame walk, feed the multitudes, walk on water and so on...But, do you think that he is unable to manipulate his accusers? Absolutely he had that power but he was just doing what the father wills in him!...as what he says, IT IS FINISHED!
Simply because he felt pity on them who don't know the truth! Jesus knew what would it be like to be in Hell and being away from the presence of God! He knew the judgment and the just wrath of the father.
That is where we see how great and deep is the love of God for us!
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We have the freedom to disbelieve. but by doing so, we cannot dent and demerit the truths of his sacrifice on that cross!
Rom 5:1: Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 5:9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
You have the point bro, but we have to accept the whole message of the gospel of Jesus and not just portions of it. If we take lightly of the cross of Christ, the death of the HOLY one of GOD, we should consider what would be the perfect and righteous judgment we should undergo to suffice God's justice to ourselves. Let me ask you this, what have you done in your entire life where can be proud of yourself and could stand before the judgment of God?
Rom 5:9: Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
Rom 5:10: For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
1Cor 1:18: For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Cor1:21: For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
Paul as an Apostle, teaches us these things through his encounter with the resurrected Christ and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit in his life. All things were changed for him!
By putting our faith in Him as the one sent by God and believing on his teachings. Believing also means with the core of our being. There should be a significant changes in our lives as a result of the working of the Holy Spirit in us.
Rom 10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
Eph 2:8: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
Eph 2:9: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Let me ask, haven't all the prophets and the commandment of God already taught us that? what's the difference of Jesus and the rest fo the prophets if that is the only point and purpose why he was here leaving his Glorious throne and status in the heavens?
Still, the world will be same even if we hear long lines of prophets preaching about the Love of God, the first and foremost commandment. And still man will fall short before a HOLY GOD!
We have to understand the whole message of the cross and God's eternal plan of salvation!
Phil 3:10: That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
Heb 9:15: And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.
1Pet 1:14: As obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: