The Victor…

If you happened across this site and you have some questions or a desire in you to know more. Jesus Christ is the best place to start. He is central to our faith and everything flows from understanding who he is, what he’s done and what it means for us.While greater, more detailed answers can be given, a good place to start is John 3:16. “For God so loved the world that he gave up his only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life”.

So, what does that mean?

“FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD.”

According to Scripture, because of the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, (Genesis 3) we are marked with a sinful nature that separates us from God. This keeps us from being able to and even wanting to fellowship with God. (Romans 5:11) Our hearts are now wicked and there is nothing good in us. (Psalm 14:1) Yet despite that, God still loves us, even from the very foundation of the world. (Ephesians 1:4-5) He showed it to Adam and Eve almost immediately by covering their nakedness (sin) with garments of skin (a sacrifice). He continued to repeat that pattern over and over again throughout the Old Testament. Whether by Ark, when God sealed them in from the destruction brought on by the flood. (Genesis 7:16) or by parting waters to bring them out from captivity(Exodus 14). He was always  in the habit of rescuing his people from sin and the destruction it brings.

He also gave them the law.(Exodus 20) The law was good, but it would eventually show them and now us how much more we needed God’s intervention, because no one can keep the law perfectly. (Romans 3:20) King David, a man after God’s own heart, was a prideful, lustful, adulterer and murderer. (Acts 13:22) Paul called himself “the worst among sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15) who could not do what he wanted, but did what he didn’t want to do. (Romans 7:18-23) Consider even now, whether you’re a Christian or not, if you can keep just a few of God’s Ten Commandments, by physical acts or even in your thoughts and attitude towards others. Jesus enlightens us on how badly we miss the mark on keeping any of the law.(Matthew 5:21-28) If we are all honest with ourselves, the answer has to be a resounding no.

This is why God always had a plan to provide for his people, whether through covenants, laws, sacrificial system or direct intervention when they failed and turned away. These were all sign of his caring for them and all these things provided opportunities for them to turn their faces back toward God. These were all immediate signs of his caring loving nature, but even more importantly they were pictures looking forward to a final and firm plan for his people. God so loved the world, that he was always providing for them and would and did provide them with the best and perfect path of reconciliation, His Son, Jesus Christ, which message we now share with the world. (2 Cor. 5:17-18)

“THAT HE GAVE HIS ONLY SON”

Jesus, the second person of the Trinity, the Son of God himself. (Luke 1:35) God loved us so much that He sent His willing Son to take on human flesh and be that once and for all sacrifice for the sins of mankind.(Philippians 2:5-11) He was that one final propitiation (appeasement of God’s wrath) for our sins.(1 John 2:2) He lived a perfect sinless life, (1 Peter 2:22) because that was the sacrifice required (a perfect spotless lamb) to fulfill the law.(John 1:29) The sins of the world were put upon him and he died on the cross as the final payment required for our sins to be washed clean. (1 John 1:7) Jesus’ final words on the cross sum it all up:  It Is Finished! (John 19:30)

Jesus Christ did two amazing things for us: The first as previously mentioned, he died for our sins on a cross he didn’t deserve. He took on the wretched rags of our sin and wore it as if it were his.(1 Peter 2:24) But that’s not all. While he wore our sin stained “coat”, he gave us his glorious robe of righteousness. (2 Cor 5:21) The perfectly  sinless life he lived has been credited to our account before God. God can looks at us as his own sons and daughters. (1 John 3:1) Our relationship with God restored. No more division. Its nothing we deserved or earned. Nothing we could have ever hoped to have achieved by our own merits. It is purely and completely an awesome and wonderfully gracious gift of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

If this is something you sense that your gravitating towards, than God has already blessed more than you know. Because no one comes to the father, unless he first calls them. (John 10:27) God has begun the work in you by the power of his Spirit and will bring it to completion. (Hebrews 12:2) He by his Holy Spirit has gifted you with faith to believe and trust in Him.

“THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM SHALL NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE”

This is a wonderful promise of God not a choice to be made. Believe that the Son has done these things for you, believe that God’s plan has always been to reconcile mankind back to himself by the work of the Son on the cross, by the work of his righteousness credited to you own life. It is faith God has given you to believe these things and We are saved by faith alone in God’s Gracious plan, through the Work of Christ alone.

I am sure others have explained this better than I, but if anything in this has a ring of truth to you, seek a place among other believers to grow in the grace you’ve been given through Christ and know deeper in what his word says, so you might trust in that and not in any feelings that may cause you to sway one way or the other.

FINALLY

If you need help finding a church, feel free to email me HERE and I will do the best I can to help you find a place, wherever you may live.

Many blessings on this journey in or towards Christ. My hope is that as you approach, you continue to trust God more with each step.

-Dominick