"After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a spunge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished: and he bowed His head, and gave up the ghost." John 19:28-30.
Jesus, perfectly and completely, fulfilled the prophecies written of Him in the Old Testament of the Bible. "And He (Jesus) said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning Me." Luke 24:44.
"He said, It is finished" When Jesus suffered, bled, and died on Calvary's cross, He, completely paid the penalty for our sin. Our sin debt was bought and paid for at that time.
"And gave up the ghost." Luke 23:46 puts it this way, "And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, He said, Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit; and having said thus, He gave up the ghost." Man did not kill our Savior, Jesus freely, willingly, lovingly, gave Himself for us! "Therefore doth my Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. No man taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my Father." John 10:17,18.
SAVED BY GRACE ALONE!
The gospel message is God's good news to man, and GRACE is the reason this is good news!
Because of sin, we are separated from God. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23. And Romans 6:23 says "For the wages (or penalty) of sin is death (spiritual, or eternal death): But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
As we have already seen, Jesus finished the work that was necessary to pay the penalty for our sin, when He died for us. Jesus was the only perfect, sinless, one that could offer the sacrifice necessary to God to pay our sin debt. This was accomplished over 2000 years ago, but we are still in the day of grace, that is, the gift of salvation is still available to anyone willing to repent and receive the free gift of salvation! To repent means to be willing to turn from the path you have been on, to following after God. Receiving the free gift of salvation means realizing you can't do anything to earn your salvation, and you must simply receive it as a gift. When someone buys you a birthday present, wraps it up and holds it out to you, until you take it and claim it as your own, it is not yours!
"Not of works", again, there are no good works we can do to earn God's favor. When Jesus was asked about this, this was His reply: "Then said they unto Him, what shall we do that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, this is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent." John 6:28,29.
I trust and pray that each one who reads the words of this post, will do some serious soul searching, because this is the most serious of all decisions you will ever have to make. Where you will spend eternity depends on it! Remember, just by choosing not to believe, doesn't mean it is not true.
"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11. One day, each one of us will bend the knee to Jesus, and confess that He is Lord and Savior, how much better to do it now, when it will lead to eternal life with God in Heaven, than after you die, and face Him at the day of judgement, when it will be too late!!! "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:" Hebrews 9:27.
"So what makes us think we can escape if we ignore this great salvation that was first announced by the Lord Jesus Himself and then delivered to us by those who heard Him speak?" Hebrews 2:3. Please don't put this off, none of us knows when we will die, we are not guaranteed of tomorrow. Receive the free gift of salvation today!
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