However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ. That is why the Scriptures say, “When he ascended to the heights, he led a crowd of captives and gave gifts to his people.” Notice that it says “he ascended.” This clearly means that Christ also descended to our lowly world. And the same one who descended is the one who ascended higher than all the heavens, so that he might fill the entire universe with himself.”
Ephesians 4:7-10 NLT Jesus came to earth and took on human flesh. This is called "the incarnation". He was God who became a man in order to bear the sin of fallen humanity. “For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.” 2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT “And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.” 1 Timothy 3:16 KJV “For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ,” Colossians 1:19 NLT “For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.” Colossians 2:9 NLT Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Only God is sinless. Only a sinless sacrifice could take our place in death. He died, the sinless for the sinful, to redeem us. In doing so, He has bought, and paid for, the gift of salvation. It is a gift. A gift can't be bought by the recipient. The recipient can only receive the gift. The gift isn't achieved, it is received. The only action a recipient must take is to accept the gift. Jesus is the greatest gift anyone could ever receive. When we recognize our sinful condition, repent of our sins, and receive Jesus as the payment for those sins we are accepting God's provision of salvation. The gift is then received. It is free. “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23 NLT We cannot earn it or pay for it. It is impossible to earn it and we could never afford it. God loved us so much that He gave His only son. ““For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. “There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son.” John 3:16-18 NLT
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Author
![]() Rev. Curtis Norris Archives
March 2020
|