Friday, May 20, 2011

The All-Sufficient Savior

Jesus Christ is for all men, because He is the only and all-sufficient Savior. By His death He made propitiation for the sins of the whole world. “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world” (1 John 2:2). In Christ God reconciled the world unto Himself. “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). Jesus Christ is the only Savior (Acts 4:12; 1 Timothy 2:5).
          Jesus Christ is an all-sufficient Savior. His name is “Jesus” (Jehovah Savior) (Matthew 1:21), and in His death He met and satisfied every demand of the Law and every claim of Divine holiness, so that God can be just and at the same time justify the guilty sinner who believes on Jesus Christ. “Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus” (Romans 3:24-26). Jesus Christ perfectly accomplished redemption when He died on the cross (John 19:30), and He is a perfect and all-sufficient Savior.
          Our Lord and Savior was perfect and He loved us so much that He was willing to suffer and die on the cross so that we can have forgiveness of sins through obedience to His Word. Each one of us should have a passionate desire to live for our Savior each and every day. We should be determined to follow in His steps. We love Him because He first loved us (1 John 4:19). May we all strive to abide fully and completely in Christ because we realize that He truly is our perfect and all-sufficient Savior!

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Our Influence for Jesus

Have you ever stopped to think about how you influence others? Well, it is a fact that no matter what we do, we definitely have an influence on others. For the Christian it is vitally important that our influence reflects Jesus living in us. There are two areas in our life that show others very quickly whether or not we are having a positive influence for Jesus and that is the way we dress and the things we say. Christians will make sure that we always dress appropriately and speak in a way in which God will be pleased with. The apostle Paul wrote to the Colossian brethren, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). Jesus said, “For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matthew 12:37). The only way that we can have a godly influence on others is to make sure that we are trying to please our Father. I am so encouraged when I see Christians behaving like Christians and not like others in the world. Anyone can be worldly but a Christian has learned and understands that we have been bought with a price and that we are here to live for God and do His will. Our eternal destiny depends on what kind of influence that we are trying to have on others every day. Let’s make sure that our influence is centered on Jesus and not those of the world (Colossians 3:1-2).