Scripture Readings:
Gospel Message:
• The word gospel literally means “good news” and occurs 93 times in the New Testament alone.
• In broad terms, the gospel consists of the whole of Scripture; and more narrowly, it is the good news concerning Christ and the way of salvation.
• In our Old Testament reading today in Deuteronomy we are reminded of the Law given by God to Moses.
• God expects us to follow His Law- obeying His perfect commandments.
• As we grow in grace and knowledge of the Lord God, through the reading of His Holy Word and obedient surrender to His will, we learn that perfect obedience is IMPOSSIBLE for us to comprehend much less maintain and uphold.
• Our sins, our breaking of Gods Law, separates us from Him.• None of us our exempt from this separation.
• Romans 3:23 declares, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
• In order for us to be reconciled to God and to go to heaven we must be freed from, cleansed of, these sins.
• The Law makes it clear that this cleansing freedom from the guilt of our sins can only happen through the sacrificial blood of an innocent life.
• Hebrews 9:22 states, And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.
• This is why in the Old Testament we see sacrifice after sacrifice after sacrifice being offered up the Levitical priests.
• These sacrifices, however, were not sufficient to cleanse the spiritual part of a human as they served to atone only for the physical and temporal aspects of our beings.
• Animal sacrifice is without spiritual power and served mainly to remind the people of their sin and serve as a symbol of the coming sacrifice of Jesus.
• When Jesus shed His sinless, perfect blood on the cross He fulfilled the righteous requirements of Gods Law and made perfect atonement for our sins- His blood ALONE having the power to cleanse EVERY aspect of us!
• Jesus’ death serves as the all-sufficient covering; the atonement for our sin.• With His death- Jesus conquered sin!
• That, my friends, is Good News!
• God makes it clear in His Holy Word that the penalty for sin is death.
• Jesus loves us so much, God loves us so much, that through His mighty power He raised His Only Begotten Son from the dead so that the penalty of death that we all deserve would be paid on our behalf.
• Romans 4:25 states that Jesus, …was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
• And in Romans 6:23 we read: For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
• Jesus died, was buried, and Praise God, He rose again on the third day!• Jesus not only conquered sin; He also conquered death!
• That, my friends, is even better news!
• Through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice made on our behalf, we can be cleansed of our sins, reconciled to the Father in heaven, and be raised to eternal life where we will share in the glory of His victory for eternity.
• Our reading from 1 Corinthians chapter 15 lays out the elements of the precious gospel of Jesus Christ providing us with much proof of the reality and truth of this life-changing, life-giving, redeeming, justifying, all powerful, all sufficient, miracle work of God Almighty!
• Our personal encounters with Jesus only serve to solidify this truth; to increase our faith, and to lead us; compel us to share it with others.
• Oh, my friends, it is the GOOD NEWS that God loves us and wants us to be with Him forever; that He wants us to live abundantly.
• 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.(John 3:16)• Believe on Him!
• That’s it! Believe on Jesus through faith!
• It’s not something you earn. Ephesians 2:8-9 declares, For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
• There is nothing we can do to justify or redeem ourselves apart from Christ Jesus! He paid the price, as the perfect spotless Lamb of God, and finished it on the cross at calvary!
• He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world. (1 John 2:2)
• And in Romans 5:10 we read, 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.
• 1 John 3:1 proclaims, Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
• The world will no longer know us but Our Father in heaven will! And that is more important than the things of the world that will pass away and becast into the fire.
• Matthew 24:35 declares, Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
• God makes it clear in His Word that we are to put Him first because He has given us the free gift of life through His Son, Jesus Christ!
• He tells us in Romans 8:1 that, There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.
• John 3:17-18 states, For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
• God has given us a way to Him; a way to eternal life through His Son. • Jesus is the ONLY way.
• Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. (John 14:6)
Prayer:
Father God, I pray that all of us would put our faith and trust and hope in Jesus Christ! That we would choose Him NOW saving our souls from hell; that we may find rest for our souls- for His yoke is easy, and His burden is light! I pray that we Walk in Faith in the Light of Christ alone! Amen!