1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. I heard someone said that what we need the most is reformation, another one said, it is transformation, but I would say that what we need the most is resurrection. Ephesians 2:1 says , "And you had he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins". Yes, it is true that we are breathing, talking, and doing things in a physical sense, but the truth of the matter is, when a person does not have Christ living in him/her, that person is dead spiritually. Jesus Christ Himself said to Nicodemus, "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God." Of course, since Jesus Christ was talking to a living corpse, Nicodemus was in shock and responded and said, "How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? (John 3:3,4). Of course, Jesus Christ was not talking about the physical birth, but a spiritual birth that could only come from heaven. Going back to the gospel of John 1:4, it says, "In him (Jesus Christ ) was life, and the life was the light of men. Jesus Christ as the Bible says was the life, and not only the He is life, but also the light that would shine upon men's dark hearts. Again, Jesus Christ said in John 14:6, "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." Most of the people that I talked to concerning sin, death, salvation, hell, heaven in the past and at the very present moment have a difficulty admitting their sinful nature, the sins that were filed up in the course of their daily lives, the reality of hell, and heaven, and the grace of God that He freely offer to all. But then I come into my senses that these people were living corpse. How could a living corpse respond to heavenly things? How could they cross from physical to the spiritual realm, when there is a wall that separate them from going to where God is. Sin, of course, is the wall that separate us from God. How could this sin that act as a wall between man and God be broken? God have already answered that in Roman 1:16, It is His only Begotten Son death on the cross, His burial, and resurrection. It could only be done through the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the power of God unto Salvation. No religions of any sort erected by brilliant men could penetrate this wall, no matter how hard they tried. Muhammed tried, but failed, Buhda tried but failed, the popes in the past and presently they were in the process to at least put a dent on it, through their sacramental acts, and other things that they can think off, but failed hopelessly. There are many programs, formulas, steps, and plans that were presented by scholars but with no avail. Today in our culture many have offered brilliant solutions to the problem of sin, but failed. Now that all our plans and efforts failed to break the wall that separate us from God, What option do we have, but to turn to God. 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. Again, Jesus Christ is at the door knocking, and inviting himself to come in to our house, best yet to our hearts. Evidently, Jesus Christ want to dine with you, and talked with you about a very important message from God His Father. Remember, that Jesus Christ was crucified, was buried, and rose again from the dead, but He left earth and went back to His Father's kingdom. Now, the resurrected Jesus is giving us this message through John the apostle in the island of Patmos. If you open up your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ, and dine with Him, what would His important message be? I guess Jesus Christ will go back to tell the story of His cross at Calvary. How he was crucified, and His precious blood that was shed on the cross was the full payment of your sin, and the sin of the world. He will tell you that by His precious blood your sin, past, present, and the future was paid in full. He will going to tell you that, you must repent, and confess your sin to the Father, and placed your trust in Him. You will have to come to a place in your life that you will going to receive the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord at your own volition. 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, [even] to them that believe on his name: Evidently, There are many people around the world that heard the gospel of Christ, and some received Christ as their Savior, and some did not. Those who received the Lord Jesus as their Savior and Lord understood perfectly that Jesus Christ is the redeemer, the Savior, the reconciler, and Lord of their life. The gospel of Christ indeed was the power of God into Salvation, because we have experienced and tasted the love and grace that salvation brought to life. We have the confidence and assurance that when physical death knock on the door, we are going to be in the presence of God our Father. What a blessing and rejoicing that will be to all of us who placed our trust in Jesus Christ. The moment a sinner will come to God in repentance, and placed his/her faith in Christ Jesus, and His finished work at Calvary, God the Father will then impart life, eternal life to the believing sinner.
3:5 not by works `done' in righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, The word regeneration simply means "to impart life", It is the act of God to impart eternal life to a believing sinner. Remember that we are dead and sin and tresspasses, before we came into a place in our life and recieved Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord. Not only that God imparted eternal life in us through His Son Jesus Christ but also he adopted us as sons, and daughters into His family.
1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he the right to become children of God, `even' to them that believe on his name: Adoption refers to God placing a believer as an adult son/daughter into His family, giving him/her access to all previleges that goes with it. God now becomes your Father, a Father that care (1 Peter 5:7,) A Father that promised He will never leave us, (Heb. 13:5,6), We become co-heir of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17), The Holy Spirit indwells the Saints, (Romans 8:16). 4:5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. Not only that God adopted us, but justifies us. Justification is the legal, and judicial act where God declare the believer righteous in Jesus Christ. There are two aspect of justification; first the forgiveness, and the taking away sin of the believer, and second, the imputation of righteousness of Christ to the believer. (Romans 22-26). Sometime, we take for granted the gift of life that God our had given it to us, and it seems it does not matter to us because of the way we live day by day. On the otherhand, God our Father is so much concerned, and I believed that God hurt when we live like the world. Even the Holy Spirit who dwells in us is grieve if we live in carnality. 2:13 But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth: The next best part that God had done to us was that He Sanctified us, He set us apart unto Himself, and set us apart away from the foot hold of sin, so we could live in our daily lives in holiness. Again, this is an act of God to set us apart where He consecrate the believers unto Himself. The topic of sanctification is found one thousand times in the Bible, which tells us that God is really concerned the way we represent Him in private, and public arena. God want us to really understand the important of a holy living while we are here on earth as the light of the world, and His Ambassadors, and of course as His Royal Sons, and Daughters. Probably, most of us Christians won't realized, and admit it that indeed we are a Royal family representing, and conveying the Kingship of our Father: The God of Heaven and Earth. The word sanctification have three tenses concerning Salvation in the New Testament; first the initial Sanctification, the moment a believing sinner come to Christ, placing his/her faith in Christ and His finished work on the cross, God set him/her apart. The second is the progressive sanctification which refers to our present daily holy living here on earth. Third and the final is the final completion of God work in us. Remember, God is the author and the finisher of our faith. The final completion of our salvation is the act of God. There are lot to be said in this word sanctification, but we have to move on, God had another work done in us to understnad. The next word that we need to look at is the word Reconcialation. This word simply mean; to be brought back from imnity to friendship. To bring peace where there was once a hatred and strife. However, God is not reconcile to man, but man to God. to be continued to be continued! |