Searching For Meaning

Every person reaches a point where they begin to ask what the purpose of their life is. We see the world as it is and realize that most of the things that people do and set their passions upon are shallow and unsatisfying after we achieve them.

There has to be more to life than existing for 70 or 80 years and dying.

The good news is that we were made for much more than this world offers. We were created to live in beauty and perfection, forever. A place where no one gets sick or dies. A place where no one is hurt or taken advantage of. A home where love is so strong that it can be felt in every fiber of our being.

God made us for Himself. He created us to be loved by Him and receive a life that is beyond anything that we could presently imagine.

The way into to this new life is by a New Nature. An existence where we are not simply controlled by the desires of our body but one where we rule over ourselves and live a righteous and fulfilling existence. Have you noticed how good it feels when you do right and how bad you can feel when you say or do things that you know are wrong?

We were made for perfection. We are most satisfied when we do things well and live in an environment where things go well.

We were made like God. He took a part of Himself and created each one of us. Because God is perfect in every regard, He made us to be the same. The part of us that feels bad when we do wrong is reminding us that we were made for more.

The problem is that none of us can ever be perfect. No matter how hard we might try. Despite our best efforts we are always going to be imperfect. The Bible uses the term “sin,” but this is only half the story. In ancient times a person was known by the precision of their bow and arrow. If they could hit the bullseye they were considered perfect. If they missed the mark of perfection they were called “a sinner.”

All of us are known as sinners because of our inability to be perfect.

God knows that all of the suffering and evil that is present in the world is because we are imperfect. Some people take advantage of their sinfulness and enjoy hurting other people. Some people become so evil that they commit horrendous acts of murder and injury towards many people.

The reason that God sent His Son into the world was to give those who were interested, an opportunity to obtain forgiveness and become new persons, with a new nature.

Jesus came into the world to make it possible for any person to start over and become perfect again. While we are still here and living in these same bodies, we will continue to have problems with being all that we would like. We will still say and do things that we shouldn’t—things that we are embarrassed by. Things that cause us guilt and shame.

Jesus came to take away all of our sins and give us a fresh start.

How Our Problems Began

When God created Adam, He placed him on the earth and gave him dominion over every creature and the earth itself. This first man was subject to all the laws of the universe, just as we are today. Man does not live for himself. He exists within a set of boundaries that allow him to continue to reside on the earth. God established these laws for mankind, just as He established them for the universe.

There are Physical Laws which govern the universe:

• Gravity and Relativity
• Thermodynamics
• Continuity and Transfer
• Electromagnetism
• Classic Laws of Planetary Motion, Universal Gravitation
• Photonics; Reflection and Refraction
• Quantum Mechanics
• Radiation
• Chemistry
• Geophysical Laws.

There are Spiritual Laws with govern the universe:

• Sin and Death
• Judgment
• Forgiveness
• Salvation
• Eternal Life

The principle law that we will concern ourself with in this chapter is the laws of sin and death.

As gravity; “The force that attracts a body toward the center of the earth, or toward any other physical body having mass,” defines objects; the laws of sin and death defines behavior for human beings; “the soul that sins will die.” God did not place us on this planet with no directives. We all understand that in order for human life to exist, there must be laws to govern behavior. This only became true after the fall of man. Before Adam fell into sin and death began, there was only one rule: “Don’t eat from one fruit in the garden. This single law became the method, by-which, man could measure his love and obedience to his Creator. If Adam truly loved God and would do as He had instructed him; there would be no end to his life, nor the perfection of his existence. If Adam wished to exercise his right of choice and disobey God, then the result would be a loss of eternal life, and his relationship with God.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” Genesis 2:16-17

There was only one rule: don’t eat from this one tree, one penalty: death.

This is the law of sin and death that God had established: “The soul that sins will die.”

Ezekiel 18:4 “Behold, all souls are Mine; The soul of the father As well as the soul of the son is Mine; The soul who sins shall die.”

This is what God told Adam on the day that he first sinned. His disobedience would result in a “curse,’ that would permeate the entire earth and cause death and decay to begin.

The Curse:

Genesis 3:17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have heeded the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat of it: Cursed is the ground for your sake; In toil you shall eat of it All the days of your life.’ ”

The Bible is clear that all men, since Adam, are under a curse. From the moment that Adam disobeyed God, he was under the judgment of sin and death. Because all men are descended from Adam, all human beings have inherited this curse.

Paul wrote later in the New Testament that this was the purpose for Jesus coming into the world, to remove the curse.

Galatians 3:10-13 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in the book of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” Yet the law is not of faith, but “the man who does them shall live by them.” Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)…

What Happened To Adam After His Sin:

Genesis 3:7-8 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves coverings. 8 And they heard the sound of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Their eyes were opened; and for the first time, they noticed that they were naked. They felt guilt and hid themselves from God. Prior to Adam’s sin, he was not focussed on himself; he was looking at Eve and his relationship with God and all of creation. The fact that immediately after Adam’s sin occurs, he becomes self-aware; illustrates the defect that is in all of us. We are sinners by nature, being self-consumed. This defective nature that we all posses is the cause of all of the pain and suffering that is in the world.

The Bible is clear that all men, since Adam, are under a curse because of the actions of Adam. He was our representative and by his failure, every person on the planet has suffered the consequences. From the moment that Adam disobeyed God, he was under the judgment of sin and death. Because all men are descended from Adam, all human beings have inherited this curse.

We are not sinners because we sin; we sin because we are sinners.

Our propensity towards sin comes from the fact that we are inherently flawed in our basic spiritual D.N.A. We commit sin because that is what we do best. It is not really possible for any human being to not sin.

A large part of the plan of God in allowing Jesus to suffer for the sins of all people was that God would have a righteous basis to forgive sin. The pronouncement of God was that: The soul that sins will die.

In order for God to be seen as Just, He must punish sin by the death of the guilty. God does not ever overlook sin; He always judges it and punishes all wrong, just as He said that He would. There is, however, a provision in the law of God that allows for an innocent, who has done no wrong, to substitute his life for the life of the guilty. The innocent is made culpable by the transfer of sins to his account and then takes the punishment that is due. The former guilty party is treated as innocent, and there is no record of wrongdoing attached to his account. This is exactly what was accomplished by the provision in the law of God, to which Jesus availed Himself on our behalf.

Leviticus 1:4 Then he shall put his hand on the head of the burnt offering (who is innocent), and it will be accepted on his behalf to make atonement for him (who is guilty).

Although the process of sin’s removal is the same in both the Old and New Testament examples, through an innocent second party, the permanent removal of those sins in the Old Testament did not occur until the Messiah made His one perfect sacrifice for all those sins. After Jesus’ death, everyone who comes to Him, based on this provision in the law; they have their sins fully paid, and removed from their record.

In the Books of Exodus, Chapter 29, and Leviticus, Chapter 4, the Lord describes a process whereby a person who has committed sin may have those sins atoned for by the death of an innocent animal. This sacrifice did not remove the sin of the persons who committed them; it simply acted as a kofar—a covering, until the Messiah would come and make His one perfect sacrifice for the sins of all people. God was illustrating the seriousness of sin and the cost involved to have those sins judged. If no sacrifice was made, if there was no shedding of blood, then the sins could not be atoned for.

Hebrews 9:22 And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Jesus came, in the words of Isaiah; to proclaim to the ends of the world this great salvation that would be accomplished by the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled every point and purpose of the law of God, by becoming the perfect sacrifice that would; once and for all, remove our sins.

Hebrews 9:11-15 But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. 12 Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. 13 For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, 14 how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? 15 And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

Paul’s puts forth the argument in Hebrews Chapter 10, that if innocent animals who shed their blood, could take away the guilt of the offending sinner and allow them to continue to worship God, how much more can the precious blood of the Son of God completely remove our sin and our guilt—forever? The purpose of these Old Testament laws were to serve as a “shadow of the good things to come.” If the Old Testament sacrifices had been perfect, then the person offering the animal would have experienced the complete removal of their sins. This was not the case; however, the sinner who brought his sacrifice, understood that his sins were still present. God was allowing a temporary provision to cover the guilt of the sinner until the Messiah arrived to permanently remove them forever.

Hebrews 10:1 For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. 2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. 3 But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year. 4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats could take away sins.

To be “saved,” means to be rescued from the law of sin and death, so that it no longer has any effect upon you.

How Salvation Happens

The death of Jesus on the cross was the just basis which God required in order to pay for the sins of all people.

When God chose to punish His Son instead of the sinner, He was able to righteously carry out the sentence of death upon Jesus for the wrongs which we committed, without punishing those who committed the acts directly. Jesus bore the full penalty for the sins of all people, for all time. In this way; God can be both Just and Merciful. The opportunity for a full pardon exists today for every person because Jesus was willing to die for us.

When the Old Testament speaks of the Messiah—bringing “Justice,” this means that He is coming to make a way for all of us to be seen as just in the sight of God, because the Messiah has removed all of our sins.

What happened to our sins?

The Bible describes forgiveness as the remission of sin. The basic meaning of forgiveness in this context is to send away our sins. Another way of thinking of forgiveness or remission is that when God forgives our sins, He separates us from them so that they no longer exist.

When Jesus died on the cross, God had a just basis to forgive us, providing that we choose to remain under the protection of Jesus’ offering for those sins. Without us personally appropriating—to our own account—what Jesus has done for us, we remain guilty, with no hope of salvation by any other means.

How salvation works

Romans 5:18-19 Therefore, as through one man’s offense (Adam) judgment came to all men, resulting in condemnation, even so through one Man’s righteous act (Jesus) the free gift came to all men, resulting in justification of life. For as by one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so also by one Man’s obedience many will be made righteous.

At the moment that we ask God to place into our account, the righteous sacrifice that Jesus made, in taking the penalty for all of our sins; His righteousness is transferred to our account. Our many sins are removed from our record as if they never existed.

God now has a righteous and just basis to forgive us and grant us eternal life.

Knowledge is insufficient

This is why it is not enough to simply know who Jesus is. We must enter into a personal relationship with Him, whereby we ask God to appropriate the death of Jesus’ life for our sins, into our personal account. God will not forgive us on the basis of Jesus’ death until we ask Him. To force us to take Jesus’ sacrifice for our salvation, without our full consent, would be a violation of our freedom of choice.

As much as God loves us, He will not force anyone to be saved. He provided a just basis for our sins to be permanently removed—then He made available this forgiveness to every person. For this reason, if we fail to seize this one-time offer for a full pardon for all of ours sins, those sins will forever remain on our account. At the end of our earthly life, we will face the judgment for those sins.

What happens when you believe?

For the person who has believed that Jesus has died for his sins and has asked Him for forgiveness, based on Jesus sacrifice, this person immediately has the removal of all his sins. At death, and even into the life to come; there awaits no future judgment by God. Jesus took the penalty for our sins and He was judged in our place, so that no judgement awaits anyone who has received Jesus Christ as their Savior.

For the person who will not believe and ask God for a pardon for his sins, based on Jesus’ sacrifice, those sins remain on his account, forever. At a day—future, all those who have a record of sin remaining on their account after their death will stand before God and pay for those sins themselves.

When Isaiah writes that the Messiah will not fail nor be discouraged, Till He has established justice in the earth, He is describing what Jesus will accomplish. Nearly 700 years before Jesus was born and gave His life for us, God was informing the world, through His prophet—how, and when our salvation would be accomplished. It is a sacrifice of such great worth that God has a just basis to forgive all those who come to Him, based on the merits of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says: “In an acceptable time I have heard you, And in the day of salvation I have helped you.” Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment…

Ephesians 2:13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.

Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

Salvation is available for every person. Jesus died for the sins of the whole world, not just for the good or a select few. In fact, it was for the very worst whom Jesus gave His life. There is no sin which Jesus cannot forgive. There is no guilty stain upon a man’s life that Jesus cannot wash it—white as snow. There is no sinner who is so lost that Jesus cannot find him and bring him home to heaven.

Is it too late?

You may think of yourself as the greatest sinner the world has ever known. Perhaps you have committed murder, adultery, or any other sin that you know in your heart, was wrong. Jesus will forgive you of any sin which you have committed. He will expunge these mistakes from your record at the moment you call on Him in repentance and receive Him as your Savior.

Isaiah’s picture of the Messiah describes Him as unable to fail in delivering salvation to all people. Though the task is great, He shall accomplish the purpose for which He came to the earth. All those who believe in Jesus can find the forgiveness of their sins now and eternal life as a present reality.

John 20:31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The skeptic may scoff at the claim that there is a God who made all things and cares for the plight of man. A fact that no one can dispute is the reality that millions and millions of lives, over the course of the past 2,000 years, have been incredibly changed by coming into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. There is no argument against the reality that following Jesus will change a person’s life. There is no program of man nor diligent work which can be done by any human institution, which has the same lasting and profound effect that simply surrendering a life to Jesus, can equal.

Though God may not be seen, His power to change a human life is visible and unmistakable.

Nicodemus has a question

Nicodemus is a Pharisee of Israel. The Pharisees were the teachers of the law. Nicodemus has heard Jesus speak and his heart is moved. He knows that no one has ever expounded on the true intent of the word of God—like Jesus. His wisdom, power, and authority, when He spoke, is unparalleled in the history of the world. The way that Jesus loved people, while calling them to repentance for their sins, was the perfect balance of love and correction. Nicodemus wanted to know more about Jesus. He is afraid that if he goes to speak to the Lord during the day, his colleagues might see him and rebuke his actions.

Coming at night, Nicodemus finds that Jesus has all the answer to his questions and meets the deepest longing of his heart.

There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.” Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”  — John 3:1-7

Jesus counsels Nicodemus that it is not a man’s outward religious activities that causes God to accept him. It is his heart of repentance for his sins and a willingness to receive God’s chosen Savior. The work of Salvation is accomplished by the Holy Spirit who moves in the hearts of those who are sincerely seeking God and are willing to do what He has said. In this example, Jesus is a Wonderful Counselor who bypasses all of the religious objections of Nicodemus, and simply tells him: “you must be born again.”

Two Births

In our first physical birth, we were born of water as we came out from our mother’s womb—through water.

In our second spiritual birth, we are born of the Spirit when we turn our life over to Jesus Christ, trusting in the sacrifice that He has made for us on the cross. At that moment, God causes our spirit to come alive and be joined to Him in fellowship.

Every living human being has experienced birth by water. Only those who choose to be born of the Spirit will be born a second time. Spiritual rebirth sets us free from the curse of Adam because we are no longer under the power of sin and death. When we place our trust in Jesus as our Savior, God causes the rebirth of our formerly dead spirit. This is what Jesus was referring to when He told Nicodemus that he must be born again.

Those who refer to themselves as “Born again Christians” are describing this new spiritual birth, in which Jesus has removed the old curse that sin had formerly placed us under and He has given us a new life directed by the Holy Spirit. Everyone who is born again is no longer the same person, they become a new creature.

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Jesus said, in the above verse from John Chapter 3, that admittance into heaven comes only by a spiritual rebirth, through Him, as our Messiah; not through any good works that we might try to perform in order to please God. Nicodemus was a leader in Israel. He believed that his righteousness came from the fact that he was a son of Abraham and because he kept the laws of Moses. Jesus informs Nicodemus that God only accepts those who come to Him through a new spiritual rebirth, not by being a son of Abraham, or by keeping the laws of Moses.

John 3:6-8 “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ 8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

The spiritual birth which occurs when we sincerely turn our life over to Jesus, is not something that is always outwardly visible. New birth happens internally within our spirit where our true self resides. The real you is spirit, and this spirit is dead to God while we remain under the curse. God created your spirit to exist for eternity. However, without this new birth, our spirit will remain dead within us. If we do not experience a new spiritual birth, we will remain dead to God and separated from Him forever. Without the new birth, we will remain under the curse of Adam’s disobedience and our own sins that we have committed.

This is the reason that a person who is unsaved cannot understand the Bible, nor the nature of God.

The Lord only reveals Himself to those who diligently seek Him. A vital relationship with God is only possible through a new spiritual relationship with Him. This happens after the curse of Adam is removed; through the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us on the cross.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But people who aren’t spiritual can’t receive these truths from Gods Spirit. It all sounds foolish to them and they cant understand it, for only those who are spiritual can understand what the Spirit means. (NLT)

If we choose to live our life apart from God by denying Jesus and His desire to remove our sins, then there remains no other way for God to save us. If we live for ourselves and to please our flesh, then we are already dead. If we choose to be born again and live our life directed by the Spirit of God, then we will live forever.

Romans 8:6-8 So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace. 7 For the sinful nature is always hostile to God. It never did obey Gods laws, and it never will. 8 Thats why those who are still under the control of their sinful nature can never please God. (NLT)

If we choose to be Born Again, God’s Spirit will begin to live within us, helping us to make better decisions to not sin as often as we once had.

Romans 8:9-10 But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. 10 And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

The body that we live in is not a part of God’s plan of salvation, only our spirit (you will receive a new body). Because our bodies are unredeemed for the present time, we will continue to struggle with sin—throughout our lifetime. We have a new nature that comes from being born again, while at the same time, we live within our old body that loves to sin. You can see how this presents us with great difficulty. Romans 8:6 above describes this conflict as a state of war between our flesh and our spirit. We want to please the Lord with our new spiritual nature that has been born again, while our body seeks only to please itself.

Thankfully, because Jesus will live within us for the rest of our life, He gives us the power to overcome sin, if this is our desire. The Lord will also give us the power to rise from the dead, never to die again, when He returns for us.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

It was by the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us on the Cross, where He took the curse of Adam and removed it, that we are no longer under the condemnation which God placed on Adam and all of his descendants.

Galatians 3:13 …Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us…

Your Sins Are Gone

All sins which you have committed in your former life, before the moment you received Jesus as your Savior, no longer exist. God has placed all of your past failures and the terrible things which people have said and done to you, on Jesus’ Cross. When He died, everything that has happened in your former life, also died. You are now a brand new creation with a clean record before God.

The Bible is specific in that all who come from Adam are under His curse, and all those who are Born Again by the Spirit of God, through Jesus’ sacrifice, are released from the curse.

1 Corinthians 15:21-22 “For since by man (Adam) came death, by Man (Jesus) also came the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.”

Throughout the Old Testament, the sacrifices which were offered as the atonement for sins, were also bearing the punishment which had been earned because of those sins. Jesus’ sacrifice completely satisfied the penalty that was due for all our sins.

Anyone, no matter how severe his sins might be, has the opportunity to have those sins removed as if they never happened. This is the power which is behind the sacrifice that Jesus has made for us at the Cross. The very essence of the word Justification or Justified means that when we believe Jesus’ death has paid the penalty which we deserved for our sins, we are Justified: “Just-as-if-i had never sinned.”

Salvation Begins With Repentance

John the Baptist was the last of the Old Testament prophets. Jesus said, “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” The Old Testament ended with the arrival of John the Baptist who was to fulfill the role of Elijah the prophet, foretold in the Book of Malachi—to prepare the hearts of the people for the arrival of the Messiah. Jesus said that “if you are willing to receive it, he (John) is Elijah who is to come.”

When the repentant came to John at the Jordan river—in the spirit of Elijah, John called them immediately to repent—to change their minds about sin and agree with God that they are a sinner. Then as a sign of true repentance, the contrite were to cease from continuing in their sins and begin to perform righteous acts.

Some today mistakenly believe that they can continue in a lifestyle of sin while claiming to be “Born Again” and saved by Jesus Christ. This is not possible since repentance requires a turning from sin to live for Jesus Christ. If a person was a habitual liar, he needs to start telling the truth. People cannot continue to tell their lies while claiming that salvation has occurred, and they are a Christian. If a person was unfaithful to their spouse, they need to start being faithful, or their claim to be saved is not valid. If a person was living a homosexual or lesbian lifestyle, they must cease to act on those impulses that caused them to engage in their wrongful sexual behavior. It is impossible to live in a continuing lifestyle of sin while being “Born Again.”

John’s message was repent of your sins, and God will forgive you and grant you eternal life. If you do not repent and continue in those sins, you cannot be forgiven and have eternal life.

Are homosexuals or lesbians worse sinners than the liar? No. Sin is an equal opportunity employer. All sin separates us from God. When Jesus was questioned regarding whether some sins are worse than others, here is what He said:

Luke 13:2-5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things?”

Are some sinners worse than others?

Luke records an event that is otherwise unknown to us from anywhere else in the Bible. Apparently Pontius Pilate had ordered the death of certain individuals who were attempting to offer sacrifices. In the process, the tower at Siloam fell and many innocent people were killed. Jesus asks the question: “Were these people who died as a result of the tower’s fall, worse sinners than any other people in Galilee?” Jesus’ answer is “No.” There was no connection between this accident that happened, which resulted in their death, and their own personal sins. This tower at Siloam may have been a part of the wall of Jerusalem, near the pool of Siloam. When it fell and killed many people, God was not personally targeting these individual persons for judgment. Their sins were no worse than any of the others in Israel, or any other person throughout the world.

Luke 13:1-5 There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”

We have this idea that some sins are worse than others. In this example of those who were killed by the collapse of the Tower of Siloam, Jesus taught that all sins are equal before God. All sins separate us from our Holy God. Jesus said that unless we all repent, we will all perish (eternally).[1]

Jesus described the tragic death of eighteen people, as an example that all of us are equally guilty before God for our sins. Every one of us needs a Savior, and none of us are worthy of heaven by our own efforts. Only the blood that Jesus has shed for us on the cross is sufficient to pay for the sins of the whole world.

Jesus is able to save us all because His life was perfect, without sin, and eternal—as the Son of God. Having an infinite life of eternal value, He could take our place at the judgment of God and bear the punishment we all deserve.

The liar, the fornicator, the adulterer, the homosexual, and the lesbian are all sinners—equally before God. This truth is declared throughout the Bible: All sins must be repented of, turned from, and ceased in the life of the person who will come to Jesus Christ for salvation. If there is no repentance, there is no salvation.

Unless we all repent of all our sins, we will all perish.

John the Baptist came first before Jesus began His ministry, to prepare the hearts of the people to repent and receive Jesus as their Messiah. John came, as Elijah had arrived during the days of King Ahab to declare that his sin was evil and he needed to repent.

John’s message to the leaders of Israel and everyone in the whole word—was the same—“repent” and believe in the Savior God has provided.

This is God’s plan, not man’s. This is the way that God saves people, not the way that man thinks he is saved by doing good works. There are no good works that anyone can perform that are acceptable to God, until they first repent and turn to Jesus Christ. There is no such thing as a good person apart from those who come to God through Jesus Christ. We only become acceptable to God when we first repent and then receive Jesus as our Savior. Jesus’ sacrifice makes us perfect and perfectly acceptable to God.

John began this message—Repent and believe! Jesus continued the same message and persists in this message to the present day:

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

If You Believe, You Will Be Saved

Those who have received Jesus as their Savior, have no future judgment awaiting them because their sins were already judged at Jesus’ cross; where they were fully paid. There remains no future judgment for those who have taken God’s pardon for their sins by Jesus’ Sacrifice.

Romans 5:9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath (judgment for our sins) through Him.

Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus….

Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross..

Those who lived before Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead were saved by looking forward to His coming. Those who live after Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead are saved by looking back to His completed sacrifice. All people are saved in the same way, whether by looking forward or backward; all who look to Jesus for their salvation, will be saved.

John the Baptist’s baptism at the Jordan river, was looking forward to the coming of the Messiah. Christian baptism is looking back to the completed work of the Messiah.

As Jesus completes all that is required of Him at the cross and fully pays for all of our sins, those who had witnessed His great sacrifice came to only one conclusion:

“Truly this was the Son of God!”  —Matthew 27:54

Why would Jesus do this?

Simply because He loves us all so much. This is why He was willing to allow these evil men to torture Him to death.

This may be the first time in your life that you have heard what Jesus went through, in such graphic detail. Perhaps, you were not aware that Jesus had gone through so much suffering and that He had endured it all because of His love for you.

This is the graphic and unmistakable love of God.

It is a love that is demonstrated in vivid color before the whole world. It is a love that was not ashamed to die for you. Jesus did it all, so that you might believe in Him as the only means by which your sins could be fully paid, so that you could have the opportunity to receive eternal life. If you have been moved to make a decision for Jesus and to receive Him into your heart as your Savior, you can do so by a very simple prayer of faith:

“Jesus, I did not realize how much you suffered for me. I understand now that it was because of my sins that you had to die. Thank you for giving your life for me and for paying the price that I owed for my sins. I want to accept you as my Savior and my Lord. I turn away from all my sins and I ask you, Lord, to forgive me based on what you did for me at the cross. Jesus, please come into my heart and live in me forever. I ask these things in the name of Jesus, amen.”

Jesus said: “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”  —Matthew 10:32 -33

Two Natures

As believers in Jesus, we now have two natures: the old and the new. The old man is the fleshly nature who actively pursues the things of this world. The new man is directed by the spiritual nature who has been Born Again by the Spirit of God (John 3:3). This new man earnestly desires that he might please the Lord in all things. As a result of the old and new natures residing within us at the same time, they are constantly at war with each other. The nature that we feed the most will be dominant in our life. If we feed our flesh everything that it asks for, the spiritual man will starve and become weak. If we feed our spirit by continuing to read the Bible daily, attending a local church where we can have good fellowship with other believers, and maintain a life of constant prayer, these things will strengthen our Spirit.

The body that we live in is not a part of God’s plan of salvation, only our spirit (you will receive a new body). Because our bodies are unredeemed for the present time, we will continue to struggle with sin—throughout our lifetime. We have a new nature that comes from being born again, while at the same time, we live within our old body that loves to sin. You can see how this presents us with great difficulty. Romans 8:6 above describes this conflict as a state of war between our flesh and our spirit. We want to please the Lord with our new spiritual nature that has been born again, while our body seeks only to please itself.

The New Testament describes three terms which define all human beings:

1. Natural – Gr. “Psuchikos” meaning senses, or sensual. This is a person who is naturally born into the world and is guided primarily by their feelings. (James 3:15 and Jude 19)
2. Carnal – Gr. “Sarkikos” meaning fleshly. This person is “born again” by the Spirit of God but lives and walks to please their flesh. They are described as “Babes in Christ” who have not yet grown into spiritual maturity. (Romans 8:4 1 Corinthians 3:1-4)
3. Spiritual – Gr. “Pneumatikos” meaning spiritual. This is the person who has been “born again” by the Spirit of God and is directed by and controlled by the Spirit. (Ephesians 5:18-20)

The natural man may be highly educated, possesses great ability and be endowed with considerable knowledge. He may be personable, well spoken, and possess the ability to captivate those who listen to his lectures, read his books, or see his programs by visual media. Though wise, the natural man is not able to discern spiritual principles—they are foreign to him. The meaning of scripture is hidden from those who have not yet been born again, as well as the carnal Christian, who can only understand the most basic and simple of Biblical truths.

1 Corinthians 2:14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Thankfully, because Jesus will live within us for the rest of our life, He gives us the power to overcome sin, if this is our desire. The Lord will also give us the power to rise from the dead, never to die again, when He returns for us.

Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

All sins which you have committed in your former life, before the moment you received Jesus as your Savior, no longer exist. God has placed all of your past failures and the terrible things which people have said and done to you, on Jesus’ Cross. When He died, everything that has happened in your former life, also died. You are now a brand new creation with a clean record before God.

Staying Close To Jesus

In our personal life, we should remember that all of our sins have been forgiven. There should be no condemnation that we place upon ourselves or allow others to heap upon us. Jesus’ cleansing of all our sins is complete and perfect. Not one sin remains on our record; we have been made righteous by His precious Blood. Every day that we live, we will continue to sin. All those sins are also covered under the blood of Jesus Christ. All that is required when we sin daily is that we come to the Lord in sorrow for what we have done each day and confess those sins to Him. When we do, we have the confidence that those transgressions are cleansed, and we have our fellowship with God restored.

1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

When a person comes the first time to Jesus Christ, confesses all his sins, and asks Jesus to cleanse him of those sins—He does. When the prayer of repentance is sincere, the penitent are “Born Again” and Salvation occurs. It is not necessary to continue to be saved again and again. Only one heartfelt surrender of the old life and a complete turning to a new life in Jesus Christ is necessary.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Of equal importance after salvation has occurred is a daily confession of sins that we continue to commit. When a Christian sins, it breaks their fellowship with God, but not their salvation. In order to continue in fellowship with the Lord, we are required to confess those sins that we engage in. The Bible speaks of this continual confession of daily sin as “walking in the light.” A failure to confess our day-to-day sins is to “walk in darkness.” The person who continues to “walk in darkness” cannot experience fellowship with the Lord. The idea here is that daily confession of sin keeps us in the place of fellowship with God. Refusal to acknowledge sins each day breaks our fellowship with God and makes Him a liar concerning what He has said about sin.

1 John 2:1 My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

John writes to encourage the follower of Jesus to not sin. Once people have experienced the forgiveness of their sins and understand what the cost was for Jesus to make their forgiveness possible, they should cease from their old lifestyle. However, no one can ever completely cease from sinning altogether as long as they live in their body. At the moment of salvation, the Lord redeems our soul and spirit, but our body is left as it is. The body will not be redeemed until the Rapture takes place. When Jesus returns for all those who love Him and eagerly await His return, He will transform our “lowly bodies” into glorious bodies apart from sin.

Philippians 3:20-21 For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

All of us sin everyday. With this in mind, John says, “These things I write to you, so that you may not sin.” However, when you do, “we have Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.”

If we will simply confess our sins each day, He will be faithful and just to forgive those sins—faithful to forgive, just to place them under the sacrifice Jesus has already completed for us. Jesus has fully paid for all our sins—once and for all. This daily confession allows us to continue in unbroken fellowship with God.

1 John 1:5-10 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.

Now that you are saved, what’s next?

Find a Bible teaching church where love is the primary focus. It is the teaching of the Bible that the new believer needs the most. There are many churches where sermons are the primary focus. Find a church where the pastor takes the church through the entire Bible from Genesis through Revelation. You cannot grow and maintain your relationship with Jesus without receiving weekly teaching and reading of God’s word.

Do not neglect the attendance of this church once you find it. It is by fellowship with other believers that you will find strength and encouragement to continue a meaningful relationship with Jesus.

Hebrews 10:25 not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Talk To The Lord

Every morning, start your day with a few minutes in the Psalms or a portion of the New Testament. Focus on the goodness and love of Jesus and pour out your heart to Him about anything that is on your mind.

Throughout the day, stay in constant communication with Jesus and think about Him as you go about all the things you need to do. Prayer is simply taking to the Lord and then listening for His voice as He speaks to you. Sometimes we need to get to a quiet place before we can really hear the Lord. Other times He will speak to us while we are in the midst of something or while reading our Bible.

Find Someone To Encourage

A Part of your new life is to seek out other believers and enjoy fellowship with them outside church. Use these opportunities to encourage each other. Avoid negative talk about other people. Focus on the goodness of the Lord and all the wonderful things He is doing in your life. Pray with other believers and share scriptures and stories of how the Lord is working in your life. Study Paul’s epistles in the New Testament for instruction on how to live as a follower of Jesus.

Enjoy Your New Life In Christ

Above all, enjoy this new life you have been given. All the past is gone now and there is no more recored of your mistakes from before. God has forgiven all of your sins. Live in this new freedom and the joy that comes from knowing that all is well between you and God. Never allow discouragement or doubts to control your mind. If you stay in your Bible each day, pray and talk to the Lord, and maintain attendance at a loving church that exalts Jesus, you will continue to grown and enjoy the rest of your life in Christ.

Remember, Jesus is coming soon. Live for Him as though He may come today. Tell everyone you meet what Jesus has done for you and invite them to attend church or Bible study with you. Thee are hundreds of helpful articles on this website that will increase your knowledge of Jesus and strengthen you new faith.

• See The Four Spiritual Laws
• See The Chapter On Salvation

If there is any way that I might be able to encourage you in your new Christian life, please send me a note from the form below. If you gave your heart to Jesus as a result of this website, please let me know; this is extremely encouraging news for us. Helping people find out who Jesus is and begin a new life in Him is my ultimate goal.

May the Lord richly bless your life as you continue to live for Jesus and study His word,

Rob

NOTES:
[1] Luke 13:3