The Gospel
The logic and the wisdom of God’s free gift of salvation (forgiveness of our sins) is made possible through Jesus’s passion: His cross, death, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. So that God can tangibly show His love for us in order to save us from both our sins and the punishment of hell. He wants our salvation to be wholly dependent on His absolute infinite love.
To show this great love, Jesus died on a cross. Being mutilated through our hateful and toxic sins visited on Him in His flesh so to give us in exchange His spiritual life and riches:
Jesus became sin so that we might become the righteousness of God[1].
That is, we are able to receive His love – gifts and ability, (i.e., the desire, needed wisdom, and power) to care for people altruistically.
In other words, Jesus pours His healing, grace, humility, wisdom, mercy, love, and altruism into us. And He does so by forgiving us our sins, restoring our spiritual health, and giving us His Spirit’s presence to sustain us.
What is the greatest act or gift that God can give to us? Jesus said no one can give greater love than to lay down one’s life[2] for another. God wants our salvation to not be based on shifting standards, or things that change, pass, are transient, sloppy, fickle, or are built without proper foundation[3].
Dying for someone is the biggest and most sober gift anyone (including God) can give. From the smallest gifts to the greatest gifts. Dying on a cross ranks as the highest. Jesus showed His love in a way that should end our disbelief and cyncism. Nothing is greater than God’s love as shown on the cross in Jesus.
Jesus did not ever try to appease Father God for our benefit. Jesus knew God’s care and love for us. God’s love is not for sale, ever.
No one can buy healthy love. Jesus wins us because He cares about each one of us deeply. In a way that pleases God and that attracts us to Him. These all help us to draw closer to Him in truth and love[4].
On the cross Jesus was mutilated by our sins. In so doing, He was able to give us in exchange the mutilation coming from our horrible sins, His practical spiritual riches: His grace, wisdom, forgiveness, and mercy. This is the great exchange between Him and us: summarized in 2 Corinthians 5:21.
Which gives one among many motivations behind and why Jesus needed to die on the cross for us and our sins. Because of His great love and by His great love we can receive the salvation of our souls founded on God’s grace and truth.
Jesus when He hung on the cross brought heaven down to earth in His body, opening the way to heaven (right relationship with Father God by humble faith in Jesus).
And with outstretched arms and hands He embraces and reconciles us to God through the forgiveness of our sins. So that God’s grace and mercy prevail because of His great and caring love.
[1] Cf. 2 Corinthians 5:21
[2] Cf. John 15:13
[3] Cf John 1:13
[4] Cf. John 12:32
I can’t show God to anyone. I can only point to Him with faith filled fumbling words, and invite people to taste, savour, and connect with Him through Jesus the true peace bridge between humanity and God. People have to taste God for themselves. I can’t force God to reveal Himself to me, but He invites me to come to Him through His grace and anyone else who recognizes His voice. Having said this, here is what resonates with me:
The New Testament gospel openings call us to repent and believe in Jesus the good news. When I first believed, I thought that the repent part meant to stop sinning from the get-go… like a lot of people I tied instantaneous change of behaviors to faith as the conditions for Salvation. But now I see it differently (and yes I still see healthy behavior as very important).
If I were to put the gospels into my own language, I’d say the gospels call us to, “have a change of mind and to believe in Jesus” and that our healthy behaviors result from this commitment of trust in Jesus. Our relationship with Him is where invitations to transformations result.
My point is that a changed life is the result of faith in Jesus. We don’t self-righteously change our behaviors to somehow become acceptable to Jesus or God. Jesus is the author of our Salvation, not us, but we do cooperate with Him to make it happen. Salvation does not happen in our own strength, but through God’s grace found through faith in Jesus.
By salvation I mean: enjoying communion with the living through transformation that brings spiritual health that does away with separation from God.
Jesus is God’s ultimate gift to all of us. God wishes us companionship, peace, wisdom, humility, health, goodness, hope, joy, love, courage, meaning, purpose, and life to the full. Jesus has all these treasures within Him that we with faith can receive, grow in, and persevere in through relationship and commitment.
Jesus showed us what is most important and we killed Him for it. In so doing, Jesus died so our sins could be forgiven. It is through the forgiveness of our sins that we receive God’s Salvation. God’s Salvation can’t be earned, it is a free gift, it comes from grace: God’s unconditional love. This means that whether or not we do good, do bad, or are apathetic God still loves us. We can’t earn His love by doing good. He doesn’t stop loving us when we do bad. But if we cut ourselves off from God, God’s love can’t get through to us. We cut ourselves off through unbelief, pride, rebellion, mercilessness, and believing lies we ought not.
For those who knowingly reject what Jesus offers through the cross through faith in Him things don’t look good. To those who accept His invitation He grants them a share in His Spirit that starts a new journey, new life, new hope for the future, and introduces them to a new purpose, a new meaning, and an appreciation of beauty and love here on earth that is a foretaste of Heaven above.
I invite all people to examine: God’s promises found in His Scriptures, and the life of Jesus portrayed in the New Testament and to decide for themselves whether or not to embrace Him and His message of grace and love.
This Website tells about my messy story of how Jesus never gave up on me, and He promises to not give up on you either. I had many questions for God, and I believe He has answered many of them in the books He helped me write that are found here.