We have seen that Christ came to lead us out of the darkness of sin into light. He is the light of the world. God has maintained His presence on the earth so that people could find Him. God has chosen the nation of Israel to be the light to nations.Prophets were the witnesses of that light.The light of the Jewish nation culminated in Jesus Christ. He brings salvation to gentile nations. (Lk 2:32). One of the feature of the Church is to bring light to nations through the Gospel. Today Christians are the light of the world(Matt 5:14).But God's own creation or the world and in particular the nation of Israel did not recognize Him. In fact they rejected Christ But as many as received Him to them God gave the power or authority to become sons of God(John 1:12).
What is salvation? Salvation means deliverance from sin and it's consequences. Salvation also means conversion. Salvation is not the ABC's of Christian life but the entire experiences of Christian life. In salvation we see God brings to completion what He has begun in regeneration(Phil 1:6).Salvation of man is very precious to God. "For God so loved that world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"(John 3:16).
There are three central truths about salvation. Salvation is not by works but by grace(Eph 2:8,9).Grace means God's special favor to undeserving people. By the deeds of law no one is made righteous. Law describes what pleases God but does not have the power to produce that life.Christ came to fulfill the law and to deliver us from sin. Salvation is not initiated by us but by God. It is not man reaching out to God but God reaching out to man. When we were utterly helpless and still sinners God saved us(Rom 5:6-8).Also Salvation is not an after thought of God but it was included in the eternal plan of God for mankind. God chose His Son to be a ransom for us long before the world began but now revealed unto us in these last days through the Gospel(1Pet 1:18-20). Gospel is Christ. Peter gives us a summery statement of the Gospel in 1Peter 3:18.So Salvation is entirely of God, entirely of grace, entirely through faith, and entirely in Christ. God poured out the wrath sinners deserve upon His begotten Son on the cross. He became our substitute and willingly suffered our death on the cross.
Salvation is not by the blood. It is not on the basis of our lineage. Being born from Christian parents would make you a believer. Salvation is not by the flesh. Reformation will not save us. Salvation is not of the will of man. It simply means conformation will not save us. Pharisees were conformed to the law and reformed religious people. But there were not saved. The followers of John the baptist were reformed people but not saved. John the Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus Christ and said this is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.. John said you need less of me and more of Him. He knew that only Christ can bring about the radical change in their lives.John could baptize them with water but Christ by the Holy Spirit. Salvation is only by the supernatural work of God called regeneration. Those who are born and brought up in Christian homes and who ares conformed to morality and Christian behaviour can be mistakenly think that they are saved.. Nicodemus is an example. Jesus said to him, you must be born again.
Salvation is a gift from God. But as many as as received Jesus and believed in His name become the sons of God.(John 1:12).In this verse we see two action words. Receive and Believe. Man's action is to receive and believe. Receive means more than receiving a mail. it means to welcome Christ as one's Lord and Savior. To believe means more than mental agreement. It is more than admiring Jesus as a great teacher. Also it is more than admitting Jesus as God. Satan not only believe that there is a God but also tremble in terror(James 2:19).Believe simply means active trust in Christ with the desire to treat Him as God and Savior. Also in this verse we see God's action word."To them he gave the power to become the sons of God. Bible says if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.(2Cor 5:17). Jesus is the Savior because He is Lord. Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior?
Apostle John was an eye witness of the glory of Christ. Christ is eternally equally and essentially God. Yet He was willing to be born as a human. This is called incarnation. It is a great mystery(1Tim 3:16).His coming was voluntary. Paul says He was send in the likeness of sinful flesh to become a sin sacrifice for us(Rom 8:3).
In His incarnation Jesus never ceased to be God or exchanged His deity for humanity.But voluntarily emptied the independent exercise of divine attributes and became obedient even unto the death on the cross.He had to be made like His brethren in all things in order to cleanse our sins and serve as our high priest(Heb 2:17).He experienced all range of human infirmities so that he could help us in our needs( Heb 5:2).He had an ancestry, a mother, normal physical growth, brothers and sisters. He experienced hunger, thirst, temptations, sorrow and even experienced an agonizing death.
Those who followed Jesus saw His glory. Glory is the visible manifestation of God.Many traveled with Christ but few followed Him. Many people saw the miracles He performed but failed to see His glory(John 2:23-25).Because Satan has blinded their minds to see Christ's glory. John was an eye witness of Christ's moral and divine glory. Christians are privileged to see His moral glory as we follow Him.in obedience to His Word. John saw His glory as the unfailing love or favour and the perfect divine revelation from God. There is a perfect balance in the revelation of grace and truth in Christ. Let us love and adore this wonderful Savior!!.
What is salvation? Salvation means deliverance from sin and it's consequences. Salvation also means conversion. Salvation is not the ABC's of Christian life but the entire experiences of Christian life. In salvation we see God brings to completion what He has begun in regeneration(Phil 1:6).Salvation of man is very precious to God. "For God so loved that world that He gave His only begotten Son , that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life"(John 3:16).
There are three central truths about salvation. Salvation is not by works but by grace(Eph 2:8,9).Grace means God's special favor to undeserving people. By the deeds of law no one is made righteous. Law describes what pleases God but does not have the power to produce that life.Christ came to fulfill the law and to deliver us from sin. Salvation is not initiated by us but by God. It is not man reaching out to God but God reaching out to man. When we were utterly helpless and still sinners God saved us(Rom 5:6-8).Also Salvation is not an after thought of God but it was included in the eternal plan of God for mankind. God chose His Son to be a ransom for us long before the world began but now revealed unto us in these last days through the Gospel(1Pet 1:18-20). Gospel is Christ. Peter gives us a summery statement of the Gospel in 1Peter 3:18.So Salvation is entirely of God, entirely of grace, entirely through faith, and entirely in Christ. God poured out the wrath sinners deserve upon His begotten Son on the cross. He became our substitute and willingly suffered our death on the cross.
Salvation is not by the blood. It is not on the basis of our lineage. Being born from Christian parents would make you a believer. Salvation is not by the flesh. Reformation will not save us. Salvation is not of the will of man. It simply means conformation will not save us. Pharisees were conformed to the law and reformed religious people. But there were not saved. The followers of John the baptist were reformed people but not saved. John the Baptist pointed his disciples to Jesus Christ and said this is the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.. John said you need less of me and more of Him. He knew that only Christ can bring about the radical change in their lives.John could baptize them with water but Christ by the Holy Spirit. Salvation is only by the supernatural work of God called regeneration. Those who are born and brought up in Christian homes and who ares conformed to morality and Christian behaviour can be mistakenly think that they are saved.. Nicodemus is an example. Jesus said to him, you must be born again.
Salvation is a gift from God. But as many as as received Jesus and believed in His name become the sons of God.(John 1:12).In this verse we see two action words. Receive and Believe. Man's action is to receive and believe. Receive means more than receiving a mail. it means to welcome Christ as one's Lord and Savior. To believe means more than mental agreement. It is more than admiring Jesus as a great teacher. Also it is more than admitting Jesus as God. Satan not only believe that there is a God but also tremble in terror(James 2:19).Believe simply means active trust in Christ with the desire to treat Him as God and Savior. Also in this verse we see God's action word."To them he gave the power to become the sons of God. Bible says if any man be in Christ he is a new creation.(2Cor 5:17). Jesus is the Savior because He is Lord. Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior?
Apostle John was an eye witness of the glory of Christ. Christ is eternally equally and essentially God. Yet He was willing to be born as a human. This is called incarnation. It is a great mystery(1Tim 3:16).His coming was voluntary. Paul says He was send in the likeness of sinful flesh to become a sin sacrifice for us(Rom 8:3).
In His incarnation Jesus never ceased to be God or exchanged His deity for humanity.But voluntarily emptied the independent exercise of divine attributes and became obedient even unto the death on the cross.He had to be made like His brethren in all things in order to cleanse our sins and serve as our high priest(Heb 2:17).He experienced all range of human infirmities so that he could help us in our needs( Heb 5:2).He had an ancestry, a mother, normal physical growth, brothers and sisters. He experienced hunger, thirst, temptations, sorrow and even experienced an agonizing death.
Those who followed Jesus saw His glory. Glory is the visible manifestation of God.Many traveled with Christ but few followed Him. Many people saw the miracles He performed but failed to see His glory(John 2:23-25).Because Satan has blinded their minds to see Christ's glory. John was an eye witness of Christ's moral and divine glory. Christians are privileged to see His moral glory as we follow Him.in obedience to His Word. John saw His glory as the unfailing love or favour and the perfect divine revelation from God. There is a perfect balance in the revelation of grace and truth in Christ. Let us love and adore this wonderful Savior!!.
