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”.
Hallelujah!
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).
GOD
BLESS YOU
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