JESUS
So, you might be asking yourself who is Jesus and why does it matter to me? Good question. Let’s quickly consider what the Bible says about that very subject.
The Bible tells us in no uncertain terms humans (man and woman) have fallen or sinned against God. Romans 3:23 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 5:10 goes so far as to say that before Jesus, we are enemies of God. Many people, wrongly believe that if they live a good life, they will go to heaven. Unfortunately, Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us that “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.”
John 14:6 tells us that Jesus is the only way to heaven and God the Father. In that passage, "Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" Acts 4:12 tells us that there is no “salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” These statements make it clear that it is only by the grace of God, through Jesus Christ, that we can enter heaven. Essentially, this means we cannot receive salvation by good works that we do on our own.
So who is Jesus? Well, Jesus was the only begotten Son of God. John 3:16 tells us that “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus is the Son of God and the very image of God. Jesus said about himself in John 12:44-46 that “He who believes in Me, believes not in Me but in Him who sent Me. And he who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as a light into the world, that whoever believes in Me should not abide in darkness.” John 6:40 makes Jesus personhood even clearer when Jesus say’s “And this is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have everlasting life; and I will raise him up at the last day.” Jesus clearest statement about his personhood is found in John 10:30. Jesus tells the religious leaders that “I and My Father are one.” This statement was understood by the religious leaders to mean that Jesus and God were one in the same. Jesus statement so angered them that they raised stones to kill Jesus in the very next verse.
What did Jesus do to make us friends with God again? Well, the short version of this is that he died on a cross for us. He died as the final sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:22 tells us that “according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness)” of sins. Earlier we read in John 3:16 that God loved us so much he sent his Son, Jesus, to die for us. The very next verse, John 3:17, tells us that “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.” In John 3:3, tells u that “unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
So how does one become born again? The process is simple. 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess we have sinned against God, he will forgive us. Specifically, it says that “If we confess our sins, He [God] is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” You’ve already read the big secret. John 3:16 states “that whoever believes in Him [Jesus] should not perish but have everlasting life.” Romans 10:9 tells us what it means to believe in him. It says “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.” So the process is simple, 1) confess you are a sinner, believe that Jesus is the Son of God, believe that Jesus died for your sins, believe that he rose again, and confess him (tell someone you believe these things). That’s it. It is that simple. By doing this, the Bible tells us God is “faithful and just” to forgive us and give us life after death.
If you’ve read this and would like to know more, please contact us or visit us at our church. We would love to meet you, get you a Bible, and share more about what Jesus has done for us. You can experience his love, forgiveness, and grace.