Living by
The Spirit
Why Salvation
is Only Through Jesus Christ?
Nab Bebawy
Sep 25, 2023
This message is for anyone, especially so, if you are an atheist, agnostic, religious, or non-religious. I am not writing to make a convincing case for what I’m about to tell you! I'm only presenting the facts. What you do with them is entirely up to you!
I am referring to God’s salvation (rescue or deliverance) plan for mankind. A plan that has been in force for almost 2,000 years, regardless of whether we know it or not; accept it or not!
_________
GOD'S SALVATION
IS OFFERED TO
ALL PEOPLE
ON EARTH!
_________
Hear me to the end, then decide what to do with this message. The countdown of our old humanity began when Christ died on the cross. So, it is paramount to know what that means and what to do about it. One must examine this matter either before he dies, or the old system abruptly ends according to God's will!
Not All Roads Lead to Salvation!
While some roads may give you a limited awareness of God, not all roads lead to salvation! You may be a Buddhist, a Muslim, a scientist, or a philosopher with enough wisdom (given by God) to sufficiently know that there’s an intelligent, perfect and wise Creator. Such knowledge, while advantageous, does not save any human from sin and permanent death. Devils and demons, not only believe in God but also fear Him! But their belief in Him does not save them!
Why was Christ’s Death Needed?
God’s law demanded the following conditions:
Life for life is God's rule! Through the death of Adam, sin and death entered the world. Then, through another Man (Jesus Christ), sin and death are permanently removed. Adam's death brought death to all, but Jesus' death brought life to all.
"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us." (Galatians 3:13 ESV)
See also the amazing passage in Romans 5:1-21 contrasting the death in Adam and life in Christ.
God's law also demanded a blood sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins for it says: "Without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness." (Hebrews 9:22)
So, the only human who ever possessed a perfect and sinless life (through birth and trials) was the Man Jesus Christ. By sacrificing His life for mankind, He completely fulfilled God's righteous requirements which are:
1) Life for life.
2) Blood sacrifice or death.
Christ's sacrificed life has the POWER and LEGITIMACY to permanently remove the Adamic sin and death, making life without death a reality for all those who truly believe!
Legitimacy?!
Christ's death was not just a sentimental gesture on God's part. It is God's perfect love embraced with His strict LAWFUL requirements to remove the curse of sin and death.
It pained God to sacrifice His Son, and it took a great deal of love, willingness, and commitment from Jesus to go through such an ordeal for sinful and lost humans! Consequently, no other human, no matter how good they were, could meet God's lawful requirements except Jesus Christ.
His death was not a weakness or failure as some might think. Not at all! It fulfilled God's law perfectly. It unleashed God's hidden wisdom and power to impart life without death to whoever truly believes.
I am afraid that for those who do not appreciate God’s plan of salvation or belittle Christ's death, a spiritual veil is put upon them that even the most knowledgeable and wisest will be hard-pressed to see the merits and the power of Christ's death!
"But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory." (1 Cor 2:7-8 ESV)
Christ's death is the ONLY determining factor to receive endless life as decreed by God. Many who ridicule it intentionally as foolishness will unfortunately perish. Those who embrace it will be saved. Read carefully the following passage contrasting the two groups:
“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 1:18 ESV)
Let us not repeat what people of different cultures and religions have misunderstood about Jesus Christ. He did not just come to teach high morality (although he did) or to remain dead like all other religious prophets and sages. Jesus was resurrected as a Mighty Spirit on the third day in AD 30 and was appointed by God as Lord and King over everything in heaven and on earth to bring a new humanity and usher a new creation unimaginable and incomprehensible by humans at the moment.
Five hundred years before Christ, it was astonishingly prophesied through the prophet Daniel, that all the kingdoms of this world had been transferred to Jesus Christ from AD 30 onward!
"As for the rest of the beasts [all worldly rulerships], their dominion [any legal rights] was taken away, but their lives were prolonged [staying in power] for a season and a time...and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man [Christ], and he came to the Ancient of Days [God] and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:12-14) ESV
The power of Christ's death eradicated what no man or government can achieve. It destroyed the sting of sin and death and offered life without death through the promised bodily resurrection (at the end of this age) to those who believed. Is there any human institution that can offer this?
What God offers through His Son is this:
"I came that they may have life and have it abundantly." (John 10:10 ESV)
What Happens if I Don't Respond!
Without Jesus Christ, we will perish forever! Don’t think I’m too conceited in saying this. I am certainly not; for I too had to submit to God’s will with open arms. Without it, I will also perish.
Those who choose not to believe will live their allotted time on earth, but they will have missed God’s redemption and rescue. They will die in their sinful nature since they CHOSE willingly not to believe and have their sinful nature removed. Any human with a sinful nature must end in death (which explains why every human dies!). But any who has his sinful nature forgiven and removed (by faith in Jesus Christ that leads to repentance), will be resurrected to a new and endless pure life. Hear what Jesus Himself said so powerfully:
“Everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40)
"Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said...“Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (Acts 2:37-38 NLT)
What About Those Who Never Heard of Jesus Christ?
In Paul's writings to the Romans, he showed that God will have NO partiality whatsoever when judging humans (believers and non-believers alike) according to this scriptural pattern:
Those who sin without God's law will perish without the law.
Those who sin under God's law (old or new) will be judged accordingly.
Those who unknowingly fulfill God's new law by nature (unconsciously), will be judged accordingly.
This is the scriptural passage that supports the view above:
"God shows no partiality. For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified.
"For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature, do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus." (Romans 2:11-16 ESV)
Because of Jesus' death, God mercifully overlooked our past sins and ignorance. Now He is COMMANDING ALL PEOPLE (regardless of who they are) to REPENT (to change their hearts and minds) before our own physical death and His Day of Judgment.
"The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this, he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” (Acts 17:30-31 ESV)
Consider Jesus Christ More Seriously!
For those who do not know God or do not believe or doubt, I urge you to seriously consider God’s salvation through Jesus Christ regardless of what you believe or think. It really does not matter what we think. God has been deciding who is in and who is out with every passing generation. Because human life is short, it is paramount to decide where you stand before your death or mine comes calling!
If God’s plan of Salvation looks foolish and unnecessary to you, it is perhaps so because you have not asked Him to open your eyes! Ask with a sincere heart and He will answer. Just be very attentive as to how He will engineer the answer for you.
Having total faith in Jesus Christ is not just an intellectual exercise. Initially, you will need to know about God’s plan by digging into the scriptures or with the help of a sincere believer. But when it comes to faith and conviction in your heart and mind, something else (not by you) has to happen, and it is this:
“No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day…This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by the Father.”
(John 6:44, 64-65 ESV)
Yes, you heard it right! God must grant you to be drawn to His Son. God does the choosing! This is not coercion; rather, it is His mercy extended to you according to your new sincere conviction.
We Can Only Plead for Mercy!
None of us have any right to existence. Life was fully gifted by God to all of us according to His determination. Our parents did not invent the miracle of procreation and birth. God did all that out of love.
He then placed deep within us an innate knowledge of Him and gently left us to seek and grope for Him. This innate knowledge of Him is common in all humans. So, whether you are an atheist, agnostic, believer, or non-believer, you and I will one day, stand before His judgment seat to answer for the life we owe to Him.
In case you haven't noticed, we all live in God's universe! We are His creatures whether we acknowledge it or not! Therefore, we must realize that we cannot debate or plead our case with Him. There is only one thing we can do which is this:
PLEAD FOR
GOD'S MERCY
WITH SINCERE FAITH
IN CHRIST'S WORK
ON THE CROSS
TO BE SAVED!
Remember we cannot bypass or ignore Jesus Christ as the only way to salvation (rescue) by thinking we can find God and salvation without Him! Jesus emphatically said:
“Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) ESV
This requires deep humility which is quite lacking in a world that fosters self-worship! If you plead for God's mercy, Do It Now since,
“It is appointed for man to die ONCE, and after that comes JUDGMENT.” (Heb 9:27 ESV)
If this message touches your heart, there is no better time than NOW or TODAY to accept God’s true gift of an endless and pure life through Jesus Christ in true repentance by changing your mind and heart in submission to our Heavenly Father.
"Behold NOW is the favourable time; behold, NOW is the day of salvation" (2 Cor 6:2)
Do it while you can. Let Him remove the sinful nature attached to all humans through the washing and regenerative power of Christ's blood or death, and you will be healed—forever!