What happened in Bethlehem-Judah way back yonder 2,000 years ago? The Holy Bible still says in I Timothy 3:16 that, "God was manifest in the flesh." But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He come forth unto Me that is to be Ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting. God only became a human being with flesh and blood one time in human history; His name was Jesus of Nazareth, and Emmanuel, God with us. God is holy and good; and every man is sinful and crooked. All of us have sinned, and God must punish all sin, and our sins must be paid for by Someone. Now, Jesus Christ was God and man in one Person. He is the Son of the Highest. He came to Earth supernaturally and was virgin born as a Jewish baby in Bethlehem-Judah. He slept on a woman's bosom, and grew up as other children do.
Christ Jesus became a man in fullness of stature and wisdom, living here on planet Earth which He created in Genesis (See John 1:3). He lived here for 33 years, always going about doing good. Men found God here on earth in human form, and their thoughts and ways were full of enmity, malice, envy, and murder towards Him all the days of His life. They hated the Lamb of God without a cause. But He lived a spotless and sinless life, and loved His enemies to the death. On the Cross, He said, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!" God was made flesh, crucified for sinners, buried, risen from the dead according to the Scriptures, and now whosoever simply trusts in JESUS' Blood shall not perish but have everlasting life.
And then at the last, The great Mediator between God and man laid down His life, and died "the Just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God," dying in the place of guilty and sinful man, that He might bear man's punishment, that God might be just, and yet the Justifier of the sinner that believeth in Jesus' Precious Blood alone. Jesus became Sin on the Cross, that you might be made the Righteousness of God through faith in His most Precious Blood. Behold the Lamb of God which taketh the sin of the world! The Creator died for sinners on Calvary's Cross, and He was buried for three days, but the grave could not contain Him. Early in the morning on the third day, the Lord Jesus arose and left the dead, no more to die.
And behold, now He is alive for evermore. Forty days later, Christ Jesus ascended up into heaven in the presence of His disciples, a cloud receiving Him out of their sight. This same Man who died upon the tree is now enthroned in the highest heavens Lord of all, and every angel and saint delight to worship Him. The Lord Jesus Christ, JEHOVAH Himself in human flesh, and was punished for my sins, without the gate in Jerusalem. My Sinless Substitute bled for me, to atone for all my sins. On Earth God in human form dwelt, He bore the burden of human sin and the fierce wrath of God that I deserved, He paid it all for my soul's sake. He bled out His very life for godless rebels like me.
Man loves sophisticated religion, it lets him keep wondering and wandering without making a decision about his sin or the Savior. Man wants to get to Eternity in his own way, not God's way (John 14:6). The natural man is walking around in a sinful trance, wandering around in spiritual darkness and speculation. Man hopes for the best, and hunts for truth in all the wrong places. God will let you have it your way if you don't watch it. If you don't give Christ all the glory for salvation, you'll have to go to Hell where you really belong. Leave me in the dark, I don't want my sinful deeds exposed. Conversion is exposure to the gaze of a holy God.
Moral darkness and hopeless wandering occurs when you reject the Gospel. Accept and respect sexual deviancy - this is man's warped way. If you reject God's moral standard, you will always choose moral darkness. Man is utterly unable to connect the dots of truth without the help of the Holy Spirit. Man cannot interpret and understand truth no matter how high his IQ may be. The man who deliberately shuts his eyes against the light of truth, shall gradually lose the power of seeing the Truth (John 14:6). Man wants and loves darkness, and one day if he dies in his sins, he will spend Eternity in outer darkness. Darkness was all around Calvary when Jesus was dying. Sin always brings darkness. First an atheist will not see, and then he cannot see. God sees your heart, and your heart in its sinful state can never make the journey to Heaven.
Christ Jesus was the Best man who died for the worst men. You know you're a sinner, you've got that much sense, hopefully. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Every atheist is highly interested in himself, because he worships himself, every atheist has a god, he looks at him in the mirror every morning; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. You need to get ready for life, death, judgment, and Eternity. Bible Salvation is a sinner coming to God as a SINNER, repenting of his sins, and by faith trusting the Blood of Jesus Christ to take away his sins.
Bible Conversion is instantaneous, it happens the second you stop trusting yourself, and entirely trust Christ Jesus with your soul. After conversion, there is a long process of sanctification, growing in grace, but when you get saved from the love of sin, you are saved in a moment. Right this minute, come by faith as a sinner to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and receive HIM, the living God. God manifest in the flesh shed His own Blood for your sins. Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ SHALL be saved from the love and penalty of sin.
Divine Justice said, “Where is the sinner? I must have him, for he is a sinner, and he must perish.” Then Christ Jesus comes forward, and asks Justice, “Whom do you seek?” “Sinners!” answered Justice. Then said Jesus, “He is not a sinner any more; he was once a sinner, but he is righteous now, he is clothed in My Righteousness. If you seek the sinner, take Me instead.” “What!” said Justice, “are you the sinner?” “No, not the sinner, but I am the sinner’s Substitute; all the sinner’s guilt has been imputed to Me; all his unrighteousness is Mine, and all My Righteousness is now his; I, the Savior, am the sinner’s Substitute; take Me, and let the sinner go free.” Divine Justice accepts Christ's Substitution and Blood; Justice takes the Savior, crucifies Him, and nails Him to Calvary's Cross. The curse of Sin fell upon the head of Jesus, and the Blessing of God fell upon me for Jesus' sake.
The Lord Jesus Christ was the Incarnate King of Heaven who loved me and gave Himself for me. Hear the glad tidings, Jesus bore your hell and suffered for your sins so you could be ransomed and rescued by simply trusting in His Precious Blood. And now, the most reasonable thing you can do is to trust yourself upon His bloody Atoning Sacrifice. Trust only the wounded Savior, trust in His perfect Atonement - truly He was God manifest in the flesh, He was not a part of God, but Jesus Christ was God in perfection. He loved you to death. Christ Jesus, God manifest in the flesh, came into the world to save sinners. This is why God became a Jewish man.
