What Did Jesus Do For You When He Died? 1 Peter 2:24

What is so special about Jesus dying on the Cross? The Bible gets to the point in 1 Peter 2:24.

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds, you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24.

HE HIMSELF
This is a double emphasis. Christ had always intended to die for our sins. It was not an accident or a tragedy of history but his plan from the foundation of time.

BORE OUR SINS
Many people ask, "What is sin?" They want a list to check off and say, "I didn't do this or that, so I am OK." But sin is much more than a list of dos and don'ts. The Bible says, "He who knows what is right to do and fails to do it has sinned." (James 4:17). And elsewhere, "All wrongdoing is sin." (1John 5:17).

The word sin in the old language is used for missing the mark or failing to meet the standard. God is the standard and none of us can meet the standard of God's holiness; so He, being a God of love, sent his son to bear our judgment.

To bear something is to endure it; in this case, he bore the consequences of our sin. Christ carried our sins from us and took the punishment on our behalf.

IN HIS BODY
Jesus was not some kind of metaphysical spirit being or a ghost, he had a body that bled when whipped and pierced. He experienced pain and suffered.

Christ had no sin of his own to pay for so he was qualified to take on another's sin. Only as God could he could take the sins of all humanity.

ON THE CROSS
It was a terrible death and fulfilled the prophecy about the Messiah's death in so many ways. (Read Psalm 22 which describes crucifixion.)

SO THAT
Christ's death was not an accident or a mistake of history. He came with a purpose and an intention to give his life as a sacrifice for our sins.

WE MIGHT DIE TO SIN AND LIVE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
When we accept the death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf we enter into a relationship where our identities are exchanged. When God judges the believer He will not see a sinner, instead, God will see the righteousness of Christ.

Part of the believer's identity with Christ is that since Christ died on the cross to destroy sin the believer is included in that act; in Jesus, the believer has the opportunity and power to overcome sin.

BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED.
It is a poetic way of explaining it. These words capture the totality of Christ suffering and death.

• His death heals our broken lives.
• His death healed the rift between God and man.
• His death healed our divided spirit and our broken hearts.
• His death healed the broken relationships we have with each other.
• His death makes it possible for us to find peace.

To learn more about trusting Jesus as your Savor see the tab above for the gospel.

To learn about my books of poems visit my website, A.E. Dozat.com.

(c) Adron 8/27/17

Can God Ever Forget Our Sin? Isaiah 43:25

If we cannot forgive or forget our own sins then how can God? 

Can anything take our sin away, will good deeds, a great sacrifice, or heroic efforts? The Bible makes it clear there is one person who is able to blot our sin out of memory forever.

"I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." Isaiah 43:25.

I EVEN I AM HE
This repeat of I is an unmistakable emphasis that it is God who blots out our transgressions, not our own goodness or our efforts no matter how noble and righteous they may be.

WHO BLOTS OUT
If a scribe made an ink spot on a page, he would use another piece of paper to lift out the ink. Then the page is usable and purposeful. If a garment had a stain then blotting would lift the stain out without fraying the fibers. Blotting does not damage the thing being cleansed.

Imagine that God has written your sins in some heavenly logbook. Christ is the blotter, Christ takes on the black marks from the page and leaves it clean. He did this when he died as our substitute for our sin.

For a blotter to work, it must be clean first; if the blotter is full of ink already it will not lift the ink off of the page, but Christ had no sin so he was able to become our substitute in the judgment of God on our behalf.

YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS
Transgressions and sins are wrongs done against God; they include rebellion, disobedience, sins of omission, and sins done in ignorance. The Bible sums it up, "All wrongdoing is sin." John 5:17.

FOR MY OWN SAKE
This surprises us. We think salvation is all about us being rescued from hell and going to heaven, but it is secondary because our salvation is primarily for God's glory.

AND REMEMBERS YOUR SINS NO MORE
Our sins are forgotten forever and will never come back.

This is a promise and God always keeps His promises. We have problems forgetting the wrongs done against us but God is able to forget because all wrongs have been made right in Christ and paid for in his death on our behalf.

God does not differentiate between big and little sins. When He says," and remembers your sins no more," it is saying He counts all our sins big and little to be wiped away. Every sin, no matter how small, is worthy of eternal hell so for Christ's death to be sufficient for one sin it must be sufficient for all sins- big and little.

None of our efforts can take away our sin or its judgment, so we need someone else to do it, and here God is telling us that He is the one who promises to take away our sin which he did in the death and resurrection of Christ, (therefore this verse foreshadows the doctrine that Christ must be God).

When we are in Christ God the Father promises that He will forget our sins, it is like they never happened.

To learn more about how to find salvation see the tab above titled The Gospel.

To learn about my books of poems visit my website, A.E. Dozat.com.

(c) Adron 7/4/17

What Did Jesus' Death Do For Mankind? Galatians 1:4

Everyone agrees that Jesus is important and that his death is important, but not many agree on what his death on the cross did. What does the Bible say?

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever."  Galatians 1:4.

JESUS GAVE HIMSELF

Giving is a choice. Jesus' death was not forced; he could have done many things to avoid the horrible death on the cross. He was aware it was coming, so he could have left town. He knew Judas was his betrayer, but he didn't challenge or censer Judas. He could have done a miracle or said one of those wonderful things that silenced his critics. He said heaven had ready more than six legions of angels to rescue him. But he didn't do any of those things. He stayed quiet and endured humiliation and death.

FOR OUR SINS

What is sin?   The Bible says, "All wrongdoing is sin..." 1 John 5:17, and "He who knows the good he ought to do and fails to do for him it is a sin."James 4:17.  Every act of rebellion against God is a sin.

Sin must be judged, or else God would be guilty of compromise, and evil wins mankind. But since he is the God of Love, he sent a substitute to take our place in judgment.

God accounts Christ's death as on behalf of our sins. The resurrection is God's demonstration of approval or ratification that God accepted Jesus' death on our behalf.*

RESCUE

To rescue someone is to deliver them out of a threatening situation. There was purpose in his death. It was not an accident but an intentional act to save mankind.  We need rescuing since we are in danger because of our sins and the judgment of God, who is holy and would never compromise.

Your sin had to be paid for, and either you pay for them, or a substitute does. But the substitute must not have any sin of his own, or he would not be qualified to pay for them since he must have his own sin paid for. Christ lived a perfect and sinless life. Even the professional district judge Pontius Pilot found no wrong in him. His enemies had to fabricate lies to justify his execution. He was able to bear the sins of others because he had no sin of his own to pay for.

The payment must be equal to the judgment, so the person paying for the sin would have to be God since God is the judge. Jesus proved himself to be God in many ways, so he alone is worthy.

How does Jesus' death rescue us from our sins? It is because God accepted his death on our behalf.

THE PRESENT EVIL AGE

In Christ, we are brought into God's kingdom and have become separated from this age and freed from the judgment that will come. The age we live in is going to end. Those who do not have Christ do not have any assurance of surviving God's judgment.

WHAT WE MUST DO

Jesus did the work for us. He paid for our sin as only he could do. The Father accepted his death on our behalf and leaves nothing for us to do to make salvation. Christ declared it so when from the cross, he said, "It is finished." John 19:30. All that is left for us is to accept what he did for us the same way we receive a gift since salvation is a gift. As the Gospel of John says. "But to as many, as received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God." John 1:12.

If you want to know more about receiving the gift of salvation, see the tab above for the Gospel.

*Thoughtful readers will recognize this is the most simplistic explanation of the resurrection, and much much more could be said.

(c) Adron 10/13/16

Does The Bible Explain What Being Born Again Is? 1 Peter 1:3

Jesus taught that we must be born again but what if we need help understanding what that is, does the Bible explain it? The apostle Peter gives some insight.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," 1 Peter 1:3.

In his Epistle, or letter, Peter opens with a greeting of exuberant worship and the new birth is the pivot of his worship. In doing so he makes a few remarks that are very illuminating.

"HIS GREAT MERCY"
The foundation is not our deeds or our worthiness but His great mercy. Mercy is when you have the opportunity to exercise authority over someone but instead demonstrate forgiveness when condemnation is justified, like a judge who could condemn a guilty criminal but grants pardon instead.

"HE HAS GIVEN US"
The word "has" means that something already happened. This phrase is past tense. God did something for us already and we do not need to look for it to happen.

Being born anew is an event that happens at a point of time and you can point to that day and hour and say that was when it happened.

"NEW BIRTH"
This phrase is used several times in the Bible. It may be seen as a metaphor that describes salvation. A birth is an event. That which is born does not have any power to be more born or less born. The one being born does not make the birth he just experiences it. The one being born cannot take credit for birth because his birth is the result of another's action. In the same way we do not make salvation but we experience it when we by faith receive it.

"INTO A LIVING HOPE"
Not just a hope but a living hope. The word, living, is a present tense word, it is not a temporary hope but it is a hope that is a forever living hope. This is something more than just an idea, teaching, or concept, instead, it is a hope that is evident by the activity of the mercy of God and what He has given us.
Our hope is not in ourselves or our efforts but it is through or by something else.

"THROUGH THE RESURRECTION"
To be born again is a participation in the resurrection.

The resurrection is a cornerstone teaching of the Christian faith. It represents and confirms the validation by God and acceptance by God of Jesus' work of salvation on our behalf. The resurrection illustrates that the power of death is broken which means the threat of hell is revoked because the justice of God is proven to be satisfied. Because of the resurrection, we can be assured that Jesus took our sins upon himself and endured their punishment completely and is victorious.

"OF JESUS CHRIST"
It all points to this person. Only Jesus could save us.
      * Only Jesus was perfect and without sin (even his most fierce critics could find no fault in him, and a professional judge washed his hands of condemning Jesus whom He deemed innocent.) Being sinless, he was qualified to bear our sins.
     * Jesus gave his life willingly. He said, "I have the power to lay down my life, and I have the power to take it up again." John 10:18.
     * As the Son of God, he alone had the right to offer himself. If anyone else died for mankind's sins, we would be indebted to that one over God, which would be wrong. Only our creator could be our redeemer since we would not be in conflict with either our God or another who is our Savior. Jesus alone is the expression of God, and he alone could be our savior.

Because God is good and merciful, He gives us this new beginning of birth into a hope that will never die. The verse teaches that the new life is a gift that must be received, which means we must choose to receive it. When we receive by faith the work of Christ on our behalf, we receive the new birth.

No one can really imagine what blessings and joys are in store for those who come to God and receive the new birth.

To learn more about the plan of salvation, click on the tab, the Gospel, above. 

(c) Adron 9/23/16

How Many Ways Are There To Go To Heaven?

People say that there are many ways to get to heaven or that all paths lead to God, but what if there is only one way? What if that way is so different than we thought it should be that we miss it?

"Jesus is 'the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.'Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Acts4:12.

The context of this Bible verse is an apostolic sermon to the Jews explaining to them that the one they rejected was really the one they were seeking.

SALVATION...
To be saved begins with the assumption or awareness that you are lost and need to be saved. We are lost because our sins bring us into condemnation.

God is holy and must condemn sin and all wrongdoing- if God didn't He would be "guilty by association." If He compromised on one sin it would set precedence for all evil to triumph and He would not be the God of Love if He did so.

We have all sinned so we all need salvation.

IS FOUND....
There is hope for the sinner. It is a hope not based on works, effort, self-righteousness, ability or merit. It is not made by man but provided to man.

You cannot find something if you are not looking. If you are looking in only one place you are not really looking. God promises that we will find him if we seek him with all our hearts. Jeremiah 29:13.

NO ONE ELSE...
Salvation is not conferred by being born into a Christian country or household, it is not earned through a ritual or observation of a religious creed or doctrine it is found in a person. But not just any person, this 'no one else' is a phrase that is exclusive, these three words eliminate all others except the one, so we have no doubt that there is only one way.

NO OTHER NAME...
Only through one name is salvation available to mankind. It is not your name or the name of the head of a religious organization.  This is the second time the verse excludes all but the one name. When the Bible repeats something it has the power of the ancient legal requirement that every testimony must be confirmed by a second witness.

JESUS:
Jesus said it himself. "I am the way the truth and the life, No one comes to the Father but by me." John 14:6, I am the door...John 10:9  and "Come to me all you who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28.

It is through Jesus that we are saved. He did what no one else could do; since he had no sin he was qualified to pay for our sins and be our substitute before the justice of God. Our judgment was put on him when he died, and his resurrection demonstrates that his death alone satisfied God's requirements. Since he took our sins before God he gives us his righteousness before God.

WE MUST BE SAVED...
It is imperative and a truth taught over and over in scripture that we are lost because of our actions and are in danger of eternal condemnation. The Bible does not teach that there is another chance after this life but we can choose eternal life now by choosing Jesus.

To learn more about how to have eternal life see the tab above for the Gospel.

____________________________ 

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

You can contact me through comments or the email link. If you live near Columbia MD I would be glad to meet you and discuss how you can know for sure that you may have eternal life.

Adron

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(c) Adron

Is Just Believing Enough To Give Us Eternal Life?

Every now and then you hear someone say something like, "Just Believe."  Or "just have faith." Is it possible that believing is all we need to gain heaven? Jesus said something that makes you wonder if it is true.

"Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life." John 6:47.

The quote above is from a passage below where Jesus is teaching some difficult truths.

"VERY TRULY"
Jesus is telling something that is the purest truth. These are not only the words of the man who never lies but out of all the words he ever said these are words we should especially pay attention to. It is like he is saying "I am telling you something that is more important than any other thing you will ever hear."

"I TELL YOU"
Consider the source.

"THE ONE WHO BELIEVES"
This belief is not your church's creed, it is not something cultural, it is not your parent's belief or the teachings of society- you must be the one who believes. You personally must accept this as true, it must become your belief because you must be the one.

"HAS"
The word has is not the same as hope. It is a word that means you possess something now. Jesus did not say will have some day in the future, but as of the moment of belief, you will have something.

"ETERNAL LIFE"
Jesus taught eternal life is a reality. This must be more than eternal existence but life and the life implied here must be a life of blessing beyond anything we can understand.

JESUS TELLS US WHAT TO BELIEVE IN
Belief itself is not sufficient, but it is what you believe in that counts. Trusting in the wrong thing will fail us.

Man people are confused about what to believe in but the context of the verse Jesus makes it clear. it was after performing a miracle of feeding thousands with a few morsels Jesus claims to be the Bread of life. Jesus said we have to believe in him; we have to believe in his deity, that he is God expressed in human flesh. And that he is the one who gives life.

" No one has seen the Father except the one who is from God; only he has seen the Father. Very truly I tell you, the one who believes has eternal life. I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever..."

Jesus claims to be the giver of life from heaven. In the language and culture of the day, this was a claim to be God, the people of that time and place understood this was what he was saying.

The Bible teaches that as a sinless man Jesus alone was qualified to pay for our sins and his resurrection proves the sufficiency of his death on our behalf and that only belief in him gives us salvation.

Believing is enough if we believe in the right thing.

If you want to learn more about how to have eternal life see the tab above for the Gospel.
Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

To learn about my books of poems visit my website, A.E. Dozat.com.

 (c)Adron Dozat 5/21/16

What Will Fix The Empty Dryness I Feel Inside?

Many of us feel that our lives are messed up, empty, powerless, and dried up inside.  Can we find something that will not only fill us up with meaning and fix our brokenness but also make our lives a benefit to those around us?

Jesus was all about this very thing.  He promises that we could have "Rivers of living water flowing from out of us."

"On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:37-39.

First, it is a promise.
It is a promise based on God's Word in the Old Testament, and Jesus makes the statement strong so that there is no doubt that he is guaranteeing the promise. He promises that if we come to him then blessing (living water), which is the fruit of the Holy Spirit, will come out of us.

Second, it is a Metaphor
Jesus described physical things we understand so we can discover spiritual truths; here drinking means taking in, an act of accepting and receiving.  Water is life giving, we die without it; and spiritually Christ is life giving by his offer of eternal life. (John 3:16.)

Third, it is Simple
Drinking is something we all can relate to, and something we all need to do. It is common.  Jesus is saying that anyone can come and anyone can partake of his life.

Fourth, it is an invitation
Jesus is always saying to people, "Come to me..." He said it to the fisherman, to the tax collection, the seekers on the way, and other times. (Mark 1:17, Luke 5:27, John 1).  It was a core to his message that we come to him.

Fifth, it is a call to Faith
The hardest part is faith.  We think we must come and do something.  We think we need to make ourselves better first.  We think salvation and blessing is the result of great deeds of sacrifice and charity.

Jesus only said believe. God is always generous; he gives life, love, the air we breathe, all that sustains us, but we think he stops being generous when it comes to salvation, forgiveness, and blessing.  Jesus paid for our sins in his death and the resurrection ratifies God's acceptance of that payment.  God is generous to give salvation, and a new life to any who will accept and receive it by coming to Jesus.

If you have not yet come to Jesus and want to know more see the tab above for the Gospel or contact me. 

____________________________ 

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

Adron

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Is Changing My Life Just Some Empty Hope?

Can our hope to get our lives right ever be more than just a hope?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy, he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 Peter 1:3.

IN HIS GREAT MERCY

God is full of mercy, and to call it great mercy is an understatement.  He has shown mercy to every living person every day, allowing us all just to live and breathe.  His mercy must be the focus of our hope and not our own efforts.

HE HAS

This is the past tense of what has been done.  When God promises something, you can be assured of it.  So, "In his great mercy, he has given," suggests it is here today.  Salvation, new life, and heaven are not just a future dream but for those who have received it- it is present now.

GIVEN

Something given is not something earned.  This Bible verse says salvation and the new person we become are given away by God.  Salvation and this new birth are not a payment or reward that we earn by anything we can do, or else it would not be a free gift.

NEW BIRTH

God gives us more than heaven. He also gives us a new birth, a new identity; who you are is now ready and able to change.  Because we have a new birth, we can turn from the things that led to death and have success over things that ruined our lives.  We can turn around and be the people God meant for us to be.

INTO A LIVING HOPE

Our hope in Jesus is not some far off, maybe so- maybe not, a vain thing; it is something that is living, current, active, and engaged.  Our hope in Jesus is real.

Jesus did what no one else could do.  He died to pay for our sins.  The resurrection proves he has the power of life and power over death, that the judgment has been paid for, and it proves God is satisfied with what Jesus did on our behalf.  If he can rise from the dead, we can trust absolutely in his promise of eternal life and new birth.

When you come to Jesus, you come to the one who makes us new, and we become who and what we are meant to be.  God has given the gift, but he does not force it on us, he offers it, and each of us must decide to receive it.

If you want to know more about receiving God's offer of free salvation, see the tab above.

(c) Adron 8/17/15

Does Jesus Want To Fill My Life With Boring Rules? Galatians 5:1

So is Jesus all about following rules and commandments to have a life of guilt and no fun?  But that is not what the Bible says.

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galatians 5:1

FREEDOM
Jesus did not come to put us under a set of rules that say do not do this and you must do that in order to go to heaven.  He said, "I have come that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10). The idea of an abundant life contradicts a life full of rules and regulations.

Once he was asked, "What is the greatest commandment?"  He replied, "To love the Lord your God with all your mind body and soul, and then he added as second love your neighbor as yourself," (Matthew 22:36-40). Jesus valued love above rules.

He did give some commands to his disciples.  He said, "A new command I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you so you must love one another."  Later he explained his love for others when he said: "Greater love has no one that this that someone lays down his life for his friend."  (John 15:13), and then he did just that on the cross.

CHRIST HAS
Christ was sinless, so he was the only one who could take our place in judgment.  The ultimate rule is the rule of judgment, that sin must be judged and condemned.  Christ was sinless so he was the only one who could take our place in judgment.  When he died he fulfilled the rule of judgment on our behalf as our sins were placed on him.

SET US FREE
Until we trust Jesus as Savior we are prisoners to sin and face sin's judgment.  Jesus' resurrection demonstrates he has power over the ultimate consequences of sin- death and hell.  His resurrection shows that God is satisfied with what he did.  Jesus not only sets us free from the judgment of sin but also the power of sin.

Rules do not save a person or get them right with God or guarantee heaven.  Only Jesus can do those things.  When we come to Jesus we come to him- not rules.

When Christ sets us free we can obey those commands out of love, to express devotion and as acts of worship.  Jesus did give commands but his commands to love are not a burden they are liberating.

If you want to know more about coming to Jesus and being set free from your sin see the tab above for the Gospel.

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

(c) Adron 8/12/15

Did Jesus Say Who Will Not Go To Heaven?

If there is one action that will defiantly keep you out of heaven wouldn't you want to know what it was?  Jesus said that there is one activity that absolutely will keep you out of heaven.

"Truly I tell you, anyone, who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:17.

TRULY I TELL YOU
Jesus begins with a double emphasis, truly, and I tell you.  He is saying make no mistake here, this is the solid fact, or you can be sure that this is the truth of the matter.

ANYONE
To say anyone is all-inclusive, in this case, there are no exceptions to this statement.  Anyone can also mean everyone, so no matter who you are these words of Jesus applies to you.

WILL NOT
To "will not" is a choice, you can by an act of will do something, or will not to do it; either way, you make a choice.  Everybody knows not choosing is a choice too- it is a choice of rejection.

RECEIVE
He did not use terms of earning, merit, or deserving.  The Bible always presents salvation as a gift of God's grace.  The Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:8-9.  Since salvation is a gift it must be received.  The Gospel of John says, "But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God," John 1:12.  Jesus' words here do not have any reference to earning the kingdom of God.  The picture of a little child is one who is helpless to earn.  He said specifically, little child, not a child or even youth, a child or youth has some abilities but a little child, a toddler, has no skills with which to earn, but can only receive.

LIKE A LITTLE CHILD
It is easy to understand the metaphor of the child.  A little child is trusting and open, innocent, eager to please, and gives affection readily.

You must come with childlike or simple faith.  That does not mean you throw your brains out the window.  You can be the smartest man in the world and still approach God with the faith of a child, and you may have a less than average education but still come with the faith of a child.

NEVER
No other place in human literature has the word never had such a dire dark promise.  The use of the word never in this verse is to say there is no other way, no exception, no other option, no second plan or last chance.  Jesus said it is only in the manner of a child that salvation may be received.

Little children believe the words of adults around them. We must believe the promise of Jesus.  He said. "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.

If you want to know more about how to receive eternal life see the tab above about the gospel. 

* * * * * 

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

(c) Adron 6/25/15

Why Did Jesus Come?

The angels who gave the word to Mary and later Joseph made it clear that Jesus was coming for a unique purpose.

"She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21

This is what the angel said to Joseph in a dream while he considered breaking off the marriage with Mary.  Mary also received a similar angelic message.

HE WILL
These two words of affirmation state that Jesus and no one else can save us.  The angel did not say Jesus was one of many.  It is an emphatic "He," as in he who is the doer.  It is not just an identifying he, but he, above all others.  He alone is able, worthy, and qualified to bring salvation.

Jesus is the one above all the others.  When John baptized him, "A voice from heaven (God) said, this is my son in whom I love; with him, I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:17). Jesus stilled the storms, fed thousands with a few pieces of fish and bread, raised the dead, healed the sick, walked on water, knew the thoughts of others, cast out demons, gave sight to the blind, and spoke with love and compassion.  Peter said, "You are the Christ the son of the living God." (Matthew 16:16), the guards who were sent to arrest him returned empty-handed saying, "No one ever spoke like this man," (John 7:46). Pontius Pilate declared, "I find no fault in this man" (Luke 23:4), the centurion who witnessed his death said, "Surely he was the son of God." (Matthew 27:54). His death was accompanied by an earthquake, darkness, the opening of tombs, and resurrections of righteous contemporaries.  He rose from the grave on the third day by his own power having conquered sin and death.

SAVE
This is absolute. The Bible always teaches salvation is sure- either you are or you are not one of his people.

If there is salvation then logically there is something to be saved from.  To be saved is to be rescued, redeemed, or ransomed.  We as people need to be saved from our sin and its consequences both eternally and here in this life.   Our sin, the wrongs we do against God and people, demands judgment.  God must judge in a holy way or else be guilty by compliance and association, which would mean evil will triumph, but Christ was sinless and was thereby qualified to stand in our stead and take our judgment upon himself thereby he satisfied justice and God's perfect holiness.

HIS PEOPLE
You might think the angel was speaking about a savior for Israel, but his people are not only Israel they are from every family, tribe, and tongue.  When you trust in Jesus and the death he died to pay for your sins then among other blessings you become one of his.  You belong to Jesus and are part of his community.

FROM THEIR SINS
If there is salvation then logically there is something to be saved from. To be saved is to be rescued, redeemed, or ransomed.  We all sin in some way to some degree, and all sin, big and small must be paid for, but Jesus took all sin from every human being and endured its punishment.

THAT IS JUST THE BEGINNING
When you receive the salvation he offers you become one of his people, and part of his kingdom of love and reconciliation.  You become a new person in him and have a new eternity.

Salvation as a free gift paid for by his death, but the choice is ours to receive it.

If you want to learn more about how to receive eternal life see the tab above for the gospel.

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Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful to you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

(c) Adron

Who Gives Eternal Life To Our Soul?

Do we earn eternal life or do we receive it? And if we receive it then who could possibly give it to us?

We find clues in the dialogue Jesus had with this opponent in John 10.

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand." John 10:28.

JESUS DID NOT SAY

     * That we earn eternal life.
     * That we go somewhere for cleansing first and then to heaven.
     * That angels, saints, or patriarchs grant it.
     * That everybody would have eternal life.
     * That our good deeds balance out our bad deeds and buy us eternal life.

JESUS' CLAIM INFERS THIS

     * To do something only God can do- to give eternal life.
     * To be all-knowing since he said he knew his sheep.
     * He claimed to possess eternal life.  To possess eternal life he would have to be God.
     * To give life away, to have command and authority over life he would have to be God.
     * Authority to forgive a lifetime of sin.  Sin condemned the sinner to judgment. To be able to give eternal life he had to have the authority to forgive sin, so he would have to be God.
     * Equal power with God, because he said no one would snatch his sheep out of his hand, or else he would have to say no one but God can snatch them out of my hand, but he says no one.

JESUS' WORDS IN THE CONTEXT OF THE FIRST CENTURY.

People look for Jesus to say these three words, "I am God." He wouldn't say that.  In the first century, gods were cheap and petty.  Everybody claimed to be some kind of god, all the Caesars, Pharaohs, kings, and generals.  If Jesus said I am god the Roman and Greek people of his day would have said, "So what?" and it would have ended there.

Jesus used unmistakable word pictures that his Hebrew audience would never miss then or today, and his reference to shepherd and sheep is clear in their minds of God the Shepherd in Psalm 23.

The people took up stones to stone him because as they said, "We are not stoning you for any good work, but for blasphemy, because you, a mere man, claim to be God.” John 10:33.

TODAY
Jesus gives his sheep eternal life.  The question is, "Are you his sheep?"  Sheep follow the shepherd in the Middle East if you are one of his sheep you are his follower.  To follow Jesus you first have to know him.

Jesus invites us to him he said "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls," Matthew 11:27-29.

To learn more about the plan of salvation click the tab above for the Gospel.

(c) Adron5/16/15

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How Can I have Righteousness Before God? Philippians 3:9

What does the Bible say about being right before God?

We try so hard to have righteousness but we are not confident that when God sees us He will not be satisfied.  Paul the Apostle wrote about this thing.

"...I have suffered the loss of all things and count them but rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ--the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith." Philippians 3:9

AND BE FOUND IN HIM
There is a teaching in the New Testament that those who have come to God through faith in the person and work of the Savior are in him- in Christ. Judgment for our sin has been laid on Jesus as our substitute, and His righteousness is on us.   When God's justice sees those who have trusted Jesus as their Savior and believed the promise of God's gift of salvation they are seen as if they are one with Jesus.  So they are found in Him who did no wrong and is not liable to judgment.

RIGHTEOUSNESS
Righteousness means that as far as the law of God's absolute perfect standard is concerned there is no guilt or transgression of the law.  There is Righteousness instead.  This is a person who is without blame or guilt.

NOT FROM THE LAW
The keeping of rules and laws never made anyone righteous before God it only shows them how far from the mark of God's standard they fell.

FAITH IN CHRIST
Jesus died for your sins.  God accepted Christ's payment as evidenced by the resurrection.  God offers acceptance and righteousness as a gift, but we must take it.

People of faith use different ways to express this; some may say that they trust the Lord, or accept the Savior, or invite Jesus in.  These different terms express the same thing- that a moment of faith comes when you acknowledge your sins and your need and that you agree with God in his assessment of your sins as worthy of judgment.  Once you acknowledge your lost situation and need you can agree with God that what Jesus did was right and completely satisfies God's judgment against you.

This is personal and some may express it one way or another, many talk to God with a prayer and tell him that they agree to His promise and accept the sacrifice of Jesus on their behalf.

We must trust in Jesus because he did what we cannot do.

If you would like to read more about the plan of salvation see the tab above for the Gospel.

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Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful to you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

 (c) Adron Dozat 3/5/15

What Does The Bible Mean When It Calls Jesus The Lamb Of God? John 1:29

This is a short post looking at what the Bible means when it calls Jesus the Lamb of God.

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"The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, 'Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.'" John 1:29

A LITTLE BACKGROUND:
Lambs were sacrificed at the temple every morning and evening as sin offerings to bear punishment as a substitute for the sinner.  Sin is rebellion against God, and sin must be punished because God is holy; but because God is love He accepts the lamb as a substitute for man's sin. The lamb represents innocence. God credits the innocence of the lamb to the sinner's and the sinner's sins are attributed to the lamb.

BEHOLD:
To behold is to have a sustained look. John is saying, "Take a good look at Jesus, look at him for yourself."  Even a casual reading of the Gospels will convince that Jesus was unique among all humanity.  He lived a beautiful and perfect life, there was no sin in him- even those who wanted to find fault in him could not find any wrongdoing.  His actions and miracles proved his divinity.

LAMB OF GOD:
Not the lamb of any man but the Lamb of God for God does what man cannot.   God who had no sin makes a sin offering.  The thousands of lambs offered at the altar only pictured the eventual sacrifice of Christ's death that would be enough for all mankind and satisfy the justice of God.

The lamb is singular, not plural as was the thousands of sacrificed lambs given at the altar over the years.  John spoke of one lamb and there is only one way to have peace with God through the offering of His one and only lamb- Jesus.

We cannot be our own lamb of sacrifice because of our sins.  We need another to save us. Jesus' righteousness becomes ours and our sins become his.

TAKES AWAY:
To take something away is to remove it or transport it.  The ancient custom of a scapegoat is suggested here, the scapegoat would symbolically bear the sins of Gods people out of the community as he wandered the wilderness.   Jesus became our scapegoat when he took our sin away.

THE SIN OF THE WORLD:
The scapegoat served the nation of Israel but was a picture of Jesus who would come not only for a nation but for the entire world.  God does not regard borders, ethnic identity or nationalities but offers the sacrificial lamb for all humanity.

That Jesus is the Lamb of God is salvation for the world but he must become your lamb in your own heart.  Trust him as Savior then you can say he is the lamb who takes away your sin.

To learn more about having your sins forgiven and how Christ saves then click on the tab above for the Gospel.

(c) Adron

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Am I Too Far From God To Come Back To Him?

Is anyone too far from God to be able to come to him?  The words of The Almighty Himself answer this question.

"Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and I know of no other." Isaiah  45:22.

TURN
When we turn, we are engaging in a choice. Here we see God inviting us to seek him, and he asks us to turn to him.  To turn suggests that you are going one way or looking in one direction, and you redirect yourself either in the way you are going or in the direction you are looking.

We may be going our own way in rebellion against what we know is right or going a way we think is right without knowing it is wrong.  In either case, we can still choose to correct the direction we are going.

God is not asking something hard; He isn't asking us to do some Herculean deed or build some epic monument of repentance.  He only asks us to turn.

TO ME
God presents himself as open and welcoming.  He calls us to Himself, not to some complicated creed or religion, but to a relationship with Him as a person.  This is the word of someone who intends to be knowable; this is not the word of a far-off god.

BE SAVED
Be saved, these two words together state an absolute.  It is not vague or hopeful but concrete.  "Be" is an affirmative word, and saved is the past tense.  This suggests that God is offering something here and now in this life, not just some promise for the afterlife, but something tangible and present.

ALL YOU
No one is left out of the invitation; no matter who you are God is calling you.

ENDS OF THE EARTH
You may feel that you are too far from God, but no matter where you are physically, spiritually, or emotionally, you are not too far away to come to God, even if you are at the utter end of the earth.

No matter where you are in your life or how far you have wandered Your Father in Heaven calls you to turn back to Him.  If He calls you to come back to Him, it means He will accept you; otherwise, He would not call you to Him.  Resolve to turn to God and find the life He wants you to have.

To learn more about coming to God, see the tab above for The Gospel to learn more.

(c)Adron Dozat 1/28/15

Is Jesus All About The Here After, What About Life Now?

We live in the real world and though we think about what happens to us after we die we have needs for God's help today, and we need new life in us right now.  So does Jesus offer anything for me here and now?

JESUS SAID
"Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them." John 7:38. NIV.*

A LITTLE CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND
Many times Jesus spoke in word pictures to give power to his statements.  This statement was made at the end of the feast of the tabernacles, a time of celebration where one act of worship was to draw water and pour it out on the altar as a sacrifice.  Water is essential in the arid region and represented life.  The act of pouring water on the altar symbolized giving one's life to God.  It was also a memorial of the time that God provided water for the people in the wilderness by his miraculous powers.

WATER
Clearly, water represents life especially in such a dry region; it was sought, valued, and fought over.

RIVERS
Those who believe in the person and work of Christ are promised rivers- not just a tap, or a trickle, or a well, but plural rivers; and notice the absence of specific number given, there are countless rivers of blessing.

LIVING WATER
Water is life-giving and life-sustaining but this water is more, it is the Holy Spirit, (see vs 39).  Believing in Christ is like having life itself in us and it is busy; it is trying to bless us and others; it is trying to be life.  

WILL FLOW
Stagnate water is dead and even poisonous.  Flowing water is healthy, it is filtered and aerated by rolling over river rocks, and purified by the UV light of the sun. Flowing water is the best.

Flowing water is going somewhere; it has a direction, it can do things and take things with it. It leaves a mark on the landscape.

Flowing water is almost irresistible.

The water metaphor speaks of His Spirit entering our lives and becoming a force of abundant blessing to us and those around us.

FROM WITHIN THEM
When we come to Jesus we become a co-worker with him in blessing others.  We get his new life in us in exchange for our old life which he takes to the cross.   We become the sources of blessing that Jesus spoke of when he said, "You are the light of the world," and "You are the salt of the earth."   Jesus life is within us; we are his hands and his feet in this world.

ALL JESUS ASKS
His words were, "Whoever believes in me..."  Jesus asks us to believe in who he is and what he did for us when he died in our place for our sins.  We must believe not with an in your head knowledge way but with an in your heart and with all your soul way of believing.

Jesus offers us something now in this life; he said it like a promise that these rivers of living water will flow. It is a waste to delay coming to him and to delay the flow of blessing.

Spend time reading his words and reading the accounts of his life in the gospels to understand better who he is and what he has done for you.

To learn more about coming to Jesus click on the tab above for "The Gospel."

*There are many references in scripture to water that Jesus may have referred to such as Isaiah 58:11 Joel 3:18; Zechariah 14:8; Ezekiel 47:1-12; Isaiah 44:3; Isaiah 55:1 and Zechariah 14:8, to name a few.

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful to you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

(c) Adron 1/25/15

Do We Know the Right Way To God In Our Heart?

Are we born with some kind of map in our hearts that will lead us to God?  If we follow this inner sense will we find Salvation? The Bible's answer is surprising.

"There is a way which seems right to a man but in the end it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12.

WHICH WAY
     * We think that we can ascend by stages of enlightenment to Heaven.
     * We think if we keep a clean conscience we will be saved.
     * We think we can tally up enough good works to outweigh the bad and please God.
     * We think we can practice self-denial and earn Heaven.
     * We think with enough religious disciplines will achieve salvation.

Proverbs 14:12

SEEM RIGHT
These ways seem logical or appeal to us in some way or other. Maybe it is our sense that good works should be rewarded

END
All of these rely on our own abilities and powers. None pass the test of God's courtroom.

DEATH
These ways fail to satisfy God's judgment on sin. Jesus warned that "wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to death and many enter through it." Matthew 7:13. The ancient prophet said, "The soul that sins shall die." Ezekiel 18:4. The Apostle said, "The wages of sin is death." Romans 6:23.

ETERNAL LIFE
Salvation and eternal life are not in what we do but who we know. The Bible says, "He who believes on the son has life, but whoever rejects the Son of God has not life." Gospel of John 3:36 . And the apostle said, "I write these things unto you who believe in the name of the son of God so that you will know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13.

GOD'S WAY
It may not seem right to us that salvation is by believing in the death and resurrection of God's son, and that he paid for our sins and took our judgment for us, and that all God asks is that we trust him to save us. But God invites us to come to him, Isaiah 1:18;19. He offers salvation as a gift. Ephesians 2:8-9.

We would gladly give our lives to build some great work in God's name if it would buy our salvation from judgment- but we balk when all he asks is to believe in his Son Jesus and live a life of gratitude and obedience.

To learn more about how to get saved see the tab above for the Gospel.

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Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

Beyond These Dark Lands
Are Edges of Joy
Words of Comfort and Hope ©
By A.E. Dozat

If you know someone who needs encouragement you should buy them a copy of my book, Beyond These Dark lands Are Edges Of Joy, Poems of Comfort and Hope. You will be glad you did.

$9.62 plus 4.17 shipping

Use this link for bulk orders with my print on demand partner or digital download TheBookPatch.

To learn more go to AEDozat.com.

(c) Adron 1/3/15

Do We Have Some Spiritual Light Within Us Or Do We Need To Do Something To Get The Light

Are we brought into this world with an inner light that will guide us to God, or is there something we have to do to get spiritual light?

"Believe in the light while you have the light, so that you may become children of light..." John 12:36.

Jesus was teaching the crowd that he would soon die for them. They did not understand that he would suffer for the sins of mankind. He was warning them that soon he would not be with them.

BELIEVE IN THE LIGHT. If you are going to walk in the light, you must believe in it. "Jesus said, "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12). We must believe in him.

WHILE YOU HAVE THE LIGHT
Jesus was not going to be with them forever. Their opportunity to know him was limited. A person who has not trusted Jesus as Savior may have the opportunity for now, but procrastinating may cost eternity in heaven.

BECOME CHILDREN OF LIGHT
Jesus says we have to become children of light because we are not naturally that way. Jesus said, "Unless you become as little children, you will not see the kingdom of God" (Matthew 18:3). Children come from the parents; they are not self-generating. We cannot self-generate our light. God makes us children of light once we believe.

BELIEVE
Jesus asks us to believe in the light. This is not just some mental acknowledgment of facts but an act of putting your trust in him like a person who trusts the fireman to carry them down the ladder out of a blazing building. We must trust that Jesus' life and death did pay for our sins and will to bring us into fellowship with God.

Until we believe in Jesus, we will still be walking in darkness.

To learn more about trusting Jesus as your Savor see the tab above for the gospel.

(c)Adron Dozat 2/20/14

Do Any Good Deeds Wipe Out Bad Deeds In God's Judgment? Romans 5:8

Where does the Bible teach a good deed wipes out a bad deed?

"So then,as through one trespass there is condemnation for everyone, so also through one righteous act there is life giving justification foe everyone. Romans 5:18.

A LITTLE BACKGROUND
One man, Adam, sinned against the clear command of his Creator. The results were expulsion from the Garden of Eden, but worse than that death entered the human race with the prospect of eternal judgment.

THE ONE RIGHTEOUS ACT
God is merciful and full of grace so he offers the free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ. In Jesus God offers more than Adam had in the garden.  In Jesus, the condemnation was taken care of by his death. There is no longer the threat of judgment since Christ took the judgment for us.

One man, Adam, did one act of rebellion and brought all mankind into a state of spiritual death. In contrast, one man, Jesus, did one greater act of obedience and offers all mankind spiritual life.

EVERYONE
The sin of Adam has been an inheritance passed onto every human being giving us a nature that sins. The death of Jesus which paid for our sins is good for every human being giving us an offer of forgiveness and eternal life.

God offers the gift of salvation to all who are willing to receive it. It is not based on our righteous acts or good deeds but on the basis of His righteous act where he obeyed the father and accepted our punishment on himself.

Only one good deed ever wiped out a bad deed and Jesus already did it when he died to pay for all our bad deeds. The good deed Jesus did on our behalf is available to us if we receive it.

To learn how to receive the Gift of God's Good deed see the tab above for the Gospel.

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

(c) Adron 11/27/14

What Is The Basis Of Salvation According to The Bible?

Does the Bible have a clear teaching about the way to get to heaven and be saved from our sin and judgment?

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ."    1 Corinthians 3:11.

NO ONE
You will not succeed to build heavenly salvation on the foundation of worldly man-made things such as education, charity, service, sacrifice, family upbringing, or other virtues you can think of. If you have any sin in your life the building of your own salvation would be compromised and not strong enough for the Day of Judgment.

FOUNDATION
A foundation is the most important part of a structure, system, or organization. The Bible speaks figuratively using the term foundation as what salvation is all about- the core truth of salvation. This foundation is the essential truth of salvation.

This foundation has been laid by God's hands. He is perfect so his foundation would be perfect. He is all-powerful so it would be able. He is all-knowing so his foundation would be faultless.

OTHER
"...None other than the one already laid," God has already laid the foundation this is in the past tense, it has been done we do not need to do it over. You cannot do better than God did.

JESUS CHRIST
Jesus is the foundation that The Almighty provides for our salvation. The Father sent his son as God-man and mediator to be the perfect substitute, and his sacrifice by death on the cross paid for all of our sins. The resurrection removes all doubt that the death of Jesus is anything but the perfect satisfaction for the judgment of our sins.

God doesn't force salvation on you- he offers it to you as a free gift. If you reject the foundation God provided for you it is an insult to him. If you try to do better than His foundation you will be more than disappointed.

Let Jesus become your foundation today for this life and for eternity. To learn more about how to get saved click on the tab above for the gospel.

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Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

You can contact me through comments or the email link. If you live near Columbia MD I would be glad to meet you and discuss how you can know for sure that you may have eternal life.

Adron

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