2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
There’s no escaping. Because of sin, man is on his way to hell.
Ok so that didn’t sound well. But what could we do? This is the truth that causes man to either:
- make excuses about his sin,
- make excuses about how his sin isn’t that bad,
- make excuses about how some other guy is worse than he is, or
- don’t even want to have anything to do with it.
Sorry, mate, there’s nothing we can do. We have to face the truth just like someone who is sick with cancer will ONLY face the truth when he finds out about his condition. Well that’s Man’s condition. Man is a sinner and he’s on his way to the lake of fire.
Revelation 21:8
But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
This is also why men would get out of their way and work the living day lights out of themselves to:
- do good works so hopefully the accumulation thereof will be his ticket to Heaven. (all men)
- scourge themselves and have themselves crucified. (Catholics especially Filipino Catholics)
- be baptized. (Baptists, Catholics and Protestant groups)
- be faithful. (Baptists, Catholics and Protestant groups and Muslims)
- speak in tongues. (Charismatics and some protestant groups)
- deny themselves of, well, just about everything (Buddhists)
- give money to the church. (everyone)
- give money to the poor. (everyone)
- kill infidels. (Jihadists and other radical groups be it Jew or Gentile.)
There’s one problem with all that was just mentioned. God already told us in the Bible that:
Ephesians 2:8 & 9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5 & 6 …Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour…
God says that we cannot do anything to save ourselves. Because of our sin we ought to die a sinner’s death in hell but Jesus Christ paid that debt for us!
Romans 5:8
But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
ALL THE WORK that was necessary for the salvation of Man was done and FINISHED by the Lord Jesus Christ when He died, was buried and the third day He rose again!
John 19:30
When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, he said, It is finished: and he bowed his head, and gave up the ghost.
Now, friend, do you think any man can undo what God has already done? Do you think anyone can “un-finish” what God has already finished? Hmm… I guess that about makes all the repetition of the crucifixion every holy week useless, doesn’t it? See, when Jesus paid our debt in the cross –
Isaiah 53: 3 – 11 He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death; because he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities.
See, we cannot do anything to save ourselves from our sin and from hell that is why Jesus did it for us and when He did, God the father was SATISFIED. This satisfaction is based on what Jesus has done. What we do, no matter how good it is, cannot satisfy God because of our sin.
Isaiah 64:6
But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Man, it’s looking bleak, isn’t it? Let’s go back to the score sheets, shall we? —
- We cannot do anything to satisfy or to please God.
- The only thing that satisfied or pleased God is what Jesus did and finished.
- SO WHAT CAN BE DONE?!?!?! IT ALL SEEMS USELESS!!! MAN IS HELPLESS!!!!
Yes sir! That is what God wants us to see before anything else. You know why man can’t fully trust on what Christ did on the cross? Because He’s not satisfied with what Jesus did. He still wants to be baptized or join the choir, or complete the yuletide mass, or crawl from the back of the church all the way to the altar! Well that does not satisfy God! He’s only satisfied with what Jesus did!
Man needs to repent of his sin and from trusting that he can do something to the acknowledgment that he is totally helpless to save himself. Then and only then can he be satisfied with the sufficiency of what Jesus did. It’s that simple, friend. Jesus did all the hard part so it can be simple for us. Hallelujah, what a Savior!
How about it, friend? Maybe you’re thinking that it’s too simple to be true. Well, come back to our very first verse –
2 Corinthians 11:3 But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Maybe you’re thinking that nobody can really know that they have eternal life in Heaven. Well, see what God says –
1 John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
Maybe you’re thinking that there must be another way or another thing you can do because in you’re mind what we discussed is way too simple.
John 14:6
Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Acts 4:12
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
So how about it friend? What would you lose if you abandoned all trust in yourself that you can save yourself and give your full trust in the Lord Jesus Christ? What would you lose? Nothing. On the other hand, what would you gain? Eternal Life! What Jesus did in the cross was sure beyond hard. Human words cannot even describe it. But what He did is sufficient so it would be simple for us.
Trust in Christ now, friend, before it is too late. No one knows when the day of his death is. It could be today. What about you? What’s stopping you from trusting in Christ’s finished work?
Acts 16:31
…And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved…
