FREEDOM
THROUGH CHRIST
by:
Rev. Max Solbrekken, D.D.
"For
this purpose the Son of God was manifested that He might
destroy the works of the devil." (1 John 3:8)
(I) THE
DEATH OF JESUS CHRIST WAS NO ACCIDENT!
It was part of an
elaborate plan formulated in Heaven before the foundations
of the world were laid! The Bible speaks, "...of the
Lamb slain from the foundations of the world." (Rev.
13:8)
St. Peter declared,
"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with
corruptible things...But with the precious blood of Christ,
as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:
"Who verily was
foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was
manifest in these last times for you, who by Him do believe
in God, that raised Him up from the dead, and gave Him
glory; that your faith and hope might be in God". (1
Peter 1:18-21)
And the Holy Scriptures
state unequivocally, "Him, being delivered by the
determinate counsel, and foreknowledge of God, ye have
taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain;"
(Acts 2:23) The amplified Bible translates this verse
thusly, "...according to the definite and final purpose
and settled plan and foreknowledge of God..."
(II) JESUS
CHRIST CAME INTO THE WORLD ON A HOLY MISSION!
"For God sent not His
Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world
through Him might be saved." (John 3:17)
Jesus declared, "For
the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was
lost." (Luke 19:10)
THERE IS
ONLY ONE SAVIOR!
St. Peter stated,
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is
none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we
must be saved". (Acts 4:12)
The Bible says, "For
this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior:
Who will have all men to be saved, and to come to the
knowledge of the truth.
"For there is one
God, and one mediator between God and man, the man Christ
Jesus. Who gave Himself a ransom for all..." (1 Tim.
2:3-6)
Jesus Christ said, "I
am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the
Father, but by Me". (John 14:6)
(III)
JESUS CHRIST WAS BORN CRUCIFIED!
He was born to die. He
came to purchase our salvation through His sacrificial,
vicarious (substitutionary) death for us on the cross.
As the sacrificial lambs died on the
altars in Jerusalem, Jesus Christ died on the cross as the
'Lamb of God'. That's why John the Baptist could point to
Jesus of Nazareth as "…the Lamb of God, which taken
away the sins of the world". (John 1:29)
The Bible says, "Without
the shedding of blood there is no remission (forgiveness)
for sin". (Heb. 9:22) "It
is the blood that maketh atonement (covering) for sin".
(Lev. 17:11) "The blood of Jesus Christ, His Son
cleanseth us from all sin". (1 John 1:7)
Isaiah prophesied Jesus’
death 700 years before His birth in Bethlehem of Judaea!
"Surely He hath borne our griefs (heb. kholee-sickness)
and carried our sorrows (heb. makob-pains) 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." (Isaiah
53:4-5)
(IV)
CHRIST'S DEATH ON THE CROSS DEFEATED SATAN
& DESTROYED HIS POWER OVER US!
St. John wrote,
"...For this purpose the Son of God was manifested
(revealed) that He might destroy the works of the
devil". (1 John 3:8)
“Who hath delivered us
from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the
kingdom of His dear Son:” (Col. 1:13)
“Buried with Him in
baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the
faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the
dead. And you, being dead in your sins and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together
with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 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; And having spoiled principalities and powers, He
made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
(Col. 2:12-15)
The writer to the Hebrews
(probably Paul. Martin Luther believed Appollos was the
author) confirms the staggering victory Jesus Christ
obtained for us through His efficacious death on Golgotha!
"...that
through DEATH He might DESTROY him that had the power of
death, that is the DEVIL: And DELIVER them who through fear
of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage."
(Heb. 2:14-15)
"Christ hath redeemed us
from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it
is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That
the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through
Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the
Spirit through faith." (Gal. 3:13-14)
“And they overcame him (the
devil) by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their
testimony...” (Rev. 12:11)
(V) THROUGH
HIS SUBSTITUTIONARY DEATH & GLORIOUS RESURRECTION, WE
ARE SAVED & MADE ONE WITH CHRIST!
"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." (John 3:16) “For
when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died
for the ungodly.” (Rom. 5:6)
"In Whom (Christ) also
we have obtained an inheritance...In Whom ye also trusted,
after that ye heard the Word of Truth, the gospel of your
salvation: in Whom also after that ye believed, ye were
sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise.
"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."
(Eph. 2:8-9)
The Bible says that we shall
be declared righteous in God’s sight. “...if we believe
on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead: Who was
delivered for our offences (sins), and was raised again for
our justification.”
St. Paul declared, "Even
when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us (made us alive)
together with Christ, (by grace are ye saved); And hath
raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly
places in Christ Jesus". (Eph. 2:5-6)
“THEREFORE
IF ANY MAN (PERSON) BE IN CHRIST JESUS, HE IS A NEW
CREATION: OLD THINGS ARE PASSED AWAY; BEHOLD, ALL THINGS
HAVE BECOME NEW.” (2 Cor. 5:17)
"I am crucified with
Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in
me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the
faith of the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for
me." (Gal. 2:20)
The Bible says, "The
wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life
through Jesus Christ our Lord". (Rom. 6:23)
“Set your affection on
things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead,
and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, Who is
our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with Him
in glory.” (Col. 3:2-4)
(VI) THE
GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST HAS PURCHASED ETERNAL LIFE &
TOTAL FREEDOM FOR US!
Jesus Christ says, "Ye
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you
free". (John 8:32) You may ask "What is
truth"? Pontius Pilate asked our Saviour those same
words during His infamous trial.
He was speaking to the
ULTIMATE TRUTH and didn't know it. Jesus Christ is truth
personified. He was God in the flesh! He is the Living Word
of God and the Holy Bible is the written Word of God!
"In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made
by Him; and without Him was not any thing made that was
made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men.
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us..."
(John 1-4, 14)
In his epistle, St. John
confirms that Jesus is the Logos, the Word of God.
"That which was from the beginning, which we have
heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have
looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of
Life;...declare we unto you, that ye also may have
fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the
Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ." (1 John 1:1-3)
Jesus said, "I am the
WAY, the TRUTH and the LIFE..." (John 14:6) Not only is
He the only way to God and the Ultimate Truth but Jesus is
the life! AND SINCE HE IS LIFE, WE CAN RECEIVE LIFE FROM
HIM!
The Bible says, "In Him
(Jesus) was life; and the life was the light of men".
(John 1:4) "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that
heareth My Word, and believeth on Him that sent Me, hath
everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but
is passed from death unto life.
“Verily, verily, I say unto
you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall
live...For as the Father hath life in Himself; so hath He
given to the Son to have life in Himself;" (John
5:24-26)
"Verily, verily, I say
unto you, He that believeth on Me hath everlasting life. I
am that bread of life." (John 6:47-48)
Jesus said, "The thief
cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I
am come that they might have life, and that they might have
it more abundantly." (John 10:10)
(VII) THE
HOLY SPIRIT GUARANTEES OUR SALVATION!
By trusting in the work of
Jesus Christ on the cross, we are born again and receive
eternal life. The Bible says, “In Whom (Jesus Christ) also
after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that Holy Spirit
of promise, which is the earnest (GUARANTEE) of our
inheritance of the purchased possession...” (Eph. 1:13-14)
Here is the staggering truth
- the Baptism of Holy Spirit is the guarantee that God's
seal is upon us and the Blessed Holy Spirit Himself is 'the
Guarantor' Who guarantees that we are the Children of God.
We are going to make it to Heaven. He has already given us
Eternal Life!
His guarantee will last until
we are glorified and presented unto our Heavenly Father by
Jesus Christ Himself! "Now unto Him that is able to
keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy." (Jude
24)
Jesus declared, “My Father,
Which gave them Me, is greater than all; and no man is able
to pluck them out of My Father’s hand”. (John 10:29)
A word of warning is
necessary here: God’s promises are conditioned upon our
willingness to obey or not obey Him. “No man can pluck us
out of God’s hand”, but a believer can unilaterally walk
away from God through deception, pride, bitterness, hated,
lust or rebellion!
In such case, God’s mercy
would no longer be covering that individual because He
cannot force anyone against his own will to love God!
St. Paul again confirms the
work of the Holy Spirit in the life of believers who trust
Jesus Christ as their Saviour and Lord: “For the Son of
God, Jesus Christ, Who was preached among you by us… was
not the yeah and nay (yes and no) but in Him was year (yes).
“For all the promises of
God in Him are yeah (yes), and in Him (Jesus Christ) the
amen (even so be it), unto the glory of God by us. Now He
which stablisheth us with you in Christ, and hath anointed
us, in God:
“WHO HATH
SEALED US, AND GIVEN US THE EARNEST (PART PAYMENT OR
DEPOSIT) OF THE SPIRIT IN OUR HEARTS.” (2 Cor. 1:19-22)
Jesus promises believers,
however: “...and lo, I am with you always, even unto the
end of the world (age)”. (Matt. 28:20) And
St. Paul confirmed His words in Hebrews 13:5: “...for He
hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee”.
Jesus used a double
imperative (gr.) which makes His promise even stronger. He
actually said, “I WILL NEVER, NO NEVER LEAVE THEE. I WILL
NEVER, NO NEVER FORSAKE THEE”.
St. John declared, “Beloved,
what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that
we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world
knoweth us not, because it knew Him not. Beloved, now are we
the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall
be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like
Him; for we shall see Him as He is.” (1 John 3:1, 2)
In closing this brief paper,
I present these awesome words from our Master: "Ye
shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free. If
the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be FREE
INDEED". (John 8:32, 36).
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