Friday, July 25, 2014

Behold the Crucified and Living God!

Take a few minutes out of your busy schedule today and fix your heart's eyes on the Crucified and Living God - The Lord Jesus Christ Himself.  People today are too busy to behold the Lamb of God.  Things and places are more important to them than their own soul's eternal safety.  Christ died for the ungodly; God manifest in the flesh came into the world to save sinners just like you and me.  Be wise - focus on the Atoning Blood of the Lamb of God. You're a sinner, that's for sure, and someone (either you or Jesus Christ) must pay for all of your sins. You must have a Substitute to take your sin’s punishment before you die, or you must suffer for all your sins for eternity in the Lake of Fire.

You have offended God all through your life by your open and secret sins and rejection of Christ; God must punish every sin, He could not be a just God unless He did; it is a fixed eternal law that all sin must be punished. You have already sinned, and you cannot undo those sins.  Christ's Atoning Blood is the only Remedy for your sin problem.  Your own conscience tells you that God must punish sin. You’re a sinner, the Bible says you are; you know it, and you feel it. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. There is not a just man upon the earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not.

You’ve sinned and violated God’s laws and spurned God’s love and shed blood, you’re always sinning, and you must die an eternal death for it. All have sinned, and “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” There is but a step between you and death; and even if your life is prolonged for a little season, yet it will soon be over. You will die physically before long – it is inescapable, but the second death is eternal death in Hell, separation from God forever and ever. Human sin is a devilish thing, which God’s justice must punish. The penalty for sin is eternal death. Your lies, lusts, greediness, and envy transgress God’s law daily.

Your sin is on your soul right now and the wrath of God abides on you – and unless you repent, you must die in your sins and perish forever. Be sure your sin will find you out – God will bring every secret work of yours into Judgment. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Christ died for the ungodly, that's you.  Christ Jesus is the Creator of the universe that was crucified in your place, and He took the punishment and vengeance that your sins deserved.

God Almighty in the person of Jesus Christ made a free way for you to escape the damnation of Hell. There is only one way – Substitution – that is the word! And there is only One Substitute for the ungodly sinner: The Lamb of God sent from Heaven is the only Substitute for sinners: God became a human being in the person of Jesus of Nazareth, and suffered for sinners what they ought to have suffered. Christ Jesus came into the world to seek and save lost sinners just like you. He is the one and only Substitute for your guilt. Jesus Christ, the God-Man, lived a sinless life and glorified the law of God. He kept the law of God perfectly for you; the law of God that you have broken all your life.

Christ Jesus went to the Cross of Calvary, and offered up Himself as a sinless blood sacrifice in your place. “The blood of Jesus Christ God’s Son cleanseth us from all sin.” God laid your sin on Jesus, and He bled to death for you. Jesus Christ bore your sins in His own body and suffered the wrath of God in your place. Christ died for the ungodly, not the good and respectable. Your good works are good-for-nothing.

This is the most beautiful thing you’ll ever hear: One day 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem’s manager, God became a Jewish man, Christ Jesus was His name. He died to save sinful men. He was bruised, beaten, and then spilt His blood for your sins. Judas Iscariot betrayed Him; Pontius Pilate falsely condemned Him. On His precious head was placed the crown of thorns you deserved, and the lips of the angry mob cursed Him and cried out in their scorn as He bore the Cross.

JESUS was the Holy Sacrifice required for your sins. His Divine Blood Sacrifice alone pleased the justice and vengeance of God. The weight of your sin bowed Him down on Calvary's tree. Your sins were the nails in His hands and feet. The unbelief of your vile heart was the spear in His side. Christ cried out in anguish as He bled there for you. The wrath of Almighty God was poured out that day on the Sinless Lamb of God, God's dear Son. God the Father turned His face away and forsook Jesus that day because of your sins. Christ was made SIN for you, and suffered untold agony in your place - He was God's Sacrifice of Love for you personally. Then He was buried, and rose again the third day according to the scriptures. Ye must be born again.  I have staked my very life, soul, and Eternity on the Atoning Blood of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, God manifest in the flesh.

If you take Christ, He’ll take you. Your human goodness and morals can never save you. You have transgressed God’s law – you need the Substitute. Don’t toy with sin – repent and trust Christ’s precious blood before it’s too late. You must have the Substitute before you die – nothing else will do. Jesus is God, but He is man, He is the Substitute for real sinners; He is willing to receive all who trust Him. He will save you right now, if you will simply rely on Him. Now, you can never be saved from your sins until first you come to the Cross, and see Jesus Christ dying there for you, as your Substitute. You must trust Him alone — the moment you do, all your sins are laid on Him, you are eternally saved and clear of the penalty for your sin. The sinner who rejects the Bleeding Substitute who died upon the Cross will bring eternal ruin to his soul. Please don’t reject the Bleeding Substitute, for if you do, you must perish in your sins without hope.

A real sinner's hope is only found in the Incarnate, Crucified, and Risen God. This is the Gospel, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, for if you do not believe this Good News, you will incur the wrath of God, and prove that you are lost, and under the influence of the devil himself. You have run headlong off into everything that is evil. You are without strength to do anything that is good and right. It is a little hell on earth to live on rebelliously in your sin and misery. This is the Gospel of Christ: if you believe it, your soul shall be saved; if you reject Christ, you shall be eternally damned. By sinning, you have written out your own death warrant. Flee from the wrath to come!

Sin is the root of all your problems. You reject Christ to your own destruction. Make no bones about it - if you try to untie all the knots of the skeptics, they will only tie you some more. Stick to publishing the Crucified Savior. The fallacy of mortal reasoning will only land you in hell. You are certainly lost and have an awful future without Christ as your Savior. Christ died for the ungodly; you are ungodly, so that means He definitely died for you. Come along to the Savior who freely justified the guilty through His Righteousness. If what did for sinners on the Cross will not save a sinner, I am damned for sure; for I have nothing else to depend upon; but if Christ's blood will save, and I am sure it does, I am saved as surely as Christ has risen from the dead. This is the root of the matter - Christ Jesus saves sinners, and we trust Him. Your sins can only be forgiven by the grace of God in Christ. Look now to the Bleeding Lamb, and your guilty conscience will be pacified. Humble yourself. Do not try to make out that you are good. Miserable sinners are simply bidden to trust in the Living Savior. The Gospel Message is all of Mercy, and is only directed toward those sinners whose only claim is their need of the Savior.

The Gospel is plain and simple. The Glorious Gospel reveals the perfect and finished work of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is God manifest in the flesh (I Timothy 3:16), the eternal Son of the Father, by whom all things were made, for whom all things were created, and through whom they continue to exist. When we were His enemies, He came to us with His salvation, and reconciled us to God by His blood. The Son of the Highest came down to earth in infinite Pity, He took on our nature, and was virgin born as a Jewish baby in Bethlehem, He was truly man as He was assuredly God. God became a man to reconcile God to sinful men. The Creator put on flesh so that He could have mercy on guilty sinners. The offended One died for the offender; Who His own self bare our sin in His own body on the tree. The Lord God became Immanuel - God with us. Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given, and His name shall be called Wonderful.

All things were made by Jesus Christ; and without Him was not any thing made that was made. He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. He came unto His own, and His own received him not. But as many as received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name. For by Christ were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by Him, and for Him: And He is before all things, and by Him all things consist. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. WORTHY IS THE LAMB that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing!

JESUS laid aside His divine glory. The mighty God dwelt here on earth among common men, preaching and teaching, working miracles of mercy, showing Himself compassionate and gentle. He humbly received to Himself the lowest and basest and least of the people. His whole life was Good News. It was a miracle that God Himself should dwell among men, and was found in fashion as a man.  The God that hates sin came down to earth to die in the sinner's place. Amazing love, how can it be, that thou My God shouldst die for me. He was patient, gentle, self-sacrificing, just and true. He was without sin, and He never knew sin. And in due time Jesus gave Himself for our sins, making an offering of His soul, flesh, and blood as a Propitiation for the guilt of every man. Jesus bled out His life for His enemies. By the grace of God Jesus tasted death for every man. Look to the Cross, see there God in human flesh - bleeding, suffering, dying. The wrath of God is only appeased by the death and blood of Jesus. Come on to the Cross as a guilty sinner, ask for free pardon through Christ's precious blood. Rest upon the Substitution of the Son of God, repose in the completeness of His Atonement.

Jesus prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane and was oppressed with our load of guilt till a bloody sweat came from Him. He bore our enormous load of SIN up to the Cross all alone, and was nailed and hung there in agonies of death, deserted by His Father, dying the Just for the unjust to bring us to God. He was obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. This is the Gospel of Substitution, that Jesus was judged in the sinner's place and bore in the sinner's stead what was due to the divine justice and law of God on account of human sin.

A real sinner's hope is only found in the Incarnate, Crucified, and Risen God. No better news ever came to a sinner than that the Incarnate God bore man's sins and died in the sinner's place. He that died for sinners was buried and is now risen from the dead, and ascended up into glory and sits at His Father's right hand. Jesus is now able to save sinners to the uttermost that come unto God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make intercession for them. Christ is All. This is the Gospel of the glory of Christ. Christ is the Great Mediator between the holy God and sinful man. God's love, mercy, and blood can wash the vilest sinner clean. If you are burdened with your sin, look now to the Sin-Bearer, and your deadly burden will be gone. The Great Sufferer died for you. Jesus came to save lost sinners just like you. You reject Christ at your own peril.

The Gospel is most plain and clear. The fact of the Savior's Atonement is plain enough for a child to understand. Jesus suffering in my place is a simple matter of truth. All the merits of Christ's finished work comes to you simply by believing in HIM. What is believing? Well, it is trusting, depending, leaning hard upon, and relying completely upon Christ's Person and Blood - that is all. There is nothing hard about that. The fact that the true and living God was made flesh and died to save sinners. Be still, and Simply trust Jesus. Simple trust in the Great Atonement. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, and whosoever believeth in HIM shall not perish, but have everlasting life. Jesus only!  Become altogether dependent upon JESUS.

A man who trusts Christ will not remain a lover of sin. The religious world constantly tries to hide and bury the Gospel beneath human performances and ceremonies. Satan blinds the minds of men today, so that they cannot see the crystal clear Gospel. The devil hoodwinks the sinner with fear of ridicule. Sinful pride and the love of sin perverts the discernment and judgment of your heart. Unbelief slowly hardens the human heart. The mercy of God is only for sinners full of demerit, unworthiness, worthlessness. The Gospel is only for the guilty, the unrighteous, the underserving. Salvation is not of human merit, but of divine Grace.

If you neglect Christ, the devil is your father and master, and you will soon be condemned with him to the Lake of Fire. The man that believes not on Jesus Christ is a lost man under the wrath of God. While you remain among the unbelieving world, you are perishing, and the devil has you blindfolded. Only the Holy Spirit can reach your conscience and truly convict you of your Christ rejection. Jesus is the only One that a sinner can trust to, and yet you still reject Him. It is the simplest thing in all the world to trust in Christ, but you still refuse to do that simple thing. Insane pride damns every Christ rejector. The devil throws his dust into your eyes, so you can't see the beauty of the Savior, of sins forgiven, of adoption into God's family, and the certainty of eternal life. He that believes in JESUS is saved on the spot, and saved eternally. Yield yourself up to Jesus. Trust the Savior, rely on the Incarnate, Crucified and Risen God - trust HIM at once. All your sins will disappear the instant you look to the wounded and bleeding God on Calvary's Cross. Jesus takes care of every soul who puts their trust in HIM.

You can only come to know Christ Jesus personally through trusting, or simply believing like a little child. Simply rest on Christ’s Blood Atonement alone. Stake your soul's eternal destiny on Christ's finished work; leave your sins with Him for time and eternity. God’s way of salvation is for you rest and rely on Christ alone. Christ offered Himself to God as your Substitute: through faith you receive Him: and from that moment on God accepts you.  Believe in the finished work of Christ alone for yourself. The Blood of God will certainly save you if you place a simple childlike trust in the Substitute for sinners. Plead God’s precious blood! You have God’s word on it. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ shall be saved. God be merciful to me a sinner for Jesus’ sake.