The
Bible is the one and only true, eternal, inerrant, infallible, unchanging and
unchangeable Word of God: “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one
of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Psalms 119:160). It is
forever established in Heaven: “Forever, O Lord, Your word is settled in
heaven” (Psalms 119:89), and in Lord Jesus’ own words, at the end, we will
be judged by the Word: “He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words,
has that which judges him--The Word that I have spoken will judge him in the
last day” (John 12:48).
The
Bible is also known as the “Word” and is the written revelation
of God Himself: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God,
and the Word was God” (John 1:1). The Lord Jesus is God incarnated in human
form, the Living Word, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we
beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of
grace and truth” (John 1:14), and He is also known by His title “Son of
God” – which is just one of the ways the Lord Jesus was to be known by; it does
not denote any familial relationship with God: “And the angel answered and
said to her, "The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the
Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born
will be called the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). The theme of the Bible
is the Lord Jesus, and the Bible contains everything that
we need to know about Him. During His life on earth Lord Jesus preached
repentance from sins and the Kingdom of God: “…Jesus came to Galilee,
preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, "The time is
fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the
gospel." ” (Mark 1:14-15); and He went about doing good to all “God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about
doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with
Him” (Acts 10:38).
In His own words, the Lord Jesus came into the
world to save sinners: “I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners,
to repentance” (Luke 5:32). He was came to save the
world from the consequences of sins: “For God so loved the world that He
gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into
the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is
condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten
Son of God” (John 3:16-18). To save us from our sins, although He lived a
sinless life: “Who committed no sin, Nor was deceit found in His mouth”
(1 Peter 2:22), yet He took the sins of everyone of the whole world upon
Himself, and paid their penalty by dying for them, and then as proof of His
being God, He rose up from the dead on the third day: “who gave Himself for
our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the
will of our God and Father” (Galatians 1:4); “…Christ died for our sins
according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the
third day according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4). Now,
whosoever, irrespective of their nationality, caste, color, education, worldly
status or any other consideration, on his own will sincerely and humbly accepts
what the Lord Jesus has done for deliverance from sins, repents and asks
forgiveness for sins from Him, and voluntarily submits his or her life into the
Lord Jesus’ hands, is immediately saved from sins and becomes the child of God
for eternity: “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to
become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of
blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God”
(John 1:12, 13); by this one simple act of faith that involves no human works or rituals of any kind and no human mediation of any
kind: “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast”
(Ephesians 2:8, 9). Any one, at any time, at any place – even you, right now,
can do it for yourself: “if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and
believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth
confession is made unto salvation” (Romans 10:9-10), by saying in sincere
heartfelt faith a simple prayer: “Lord Jesus please forgive my sins and accept
me. I submit my life into your hands. ” His offer of salvation is free and open
to all, no matter what, or how severe, their sins may have been – His
forgiveness is way above any human depravity and extent of sinfulness.
Lord
Jesus is the only way to God, “Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me” (John
14:6); He is the only way to be saved from sins: “Nor is there salvation in
any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we
must be saved” (Acts 4:12). His kingdom is not of this world: “Jesus
answered, "My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this
world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews;
but now My kingdom is not from here" ” (John 18:36). This world and
all things and all the worldly minded people will perish:
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the
world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world--the
lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life--is not of the
Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it;
but he who does the will of God abides forever” (1 John 2:15-17); therefore
the Lord Jesus is preparing for His disciples to be with
Him in Heaven forever: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God,
believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so,
I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare
a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am,
there you may be also” (John 14:1-3). Before ascending to heaven, the Lord
Jesus gave His disciples the responsibility to go into the world to preach and
teach not any religion or conversion from one religion to another, but this gospel
(good news) of salvation from sins through faith in Him, because He has paid
for the sins of the world and He asked them to make disciples from all nations
of the earth: “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, "All authority
has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of
all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of
the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age" Amen” (Matthew
28:18-20).
Hence: I call heaven and earth as witnesses
today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and
cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live
(Deuteronomy 30:19) – so make a wise choice for yourself.
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