The Gospel of The Lord Jesus Christ
1. The Nature of God
God is Infinite. His very being is infinite.Revelation 22:13 - “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
He has always existed and will forever exist. God is Immortal.
Revelation 1:8 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty."
1 Timothy 1:17 - Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
God is omniscient (meaning that He knows all things). God is infinitely wise.
Isaiah 40:28 - Do you not know? Have you not heard? Yahweh is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never grows faint or weary; there is no limit to His understanding.
John 3:20 - For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things.
God is omnipresent (He is everywhere).
1 Kings 8:27 - “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you. How much less this temple I have built!” (Solomon speaks to God)
Jeremiah 23:23-24 - "Am I only a God nearby," declares the LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven and earth?" declares the LORD. (God speaks to Jeremiah)
God is omnipotent (He has all power).
Psalm 62:11 - Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God;
God is the living and true God.
Jeremiah 10:10a - But the LORD is the true God; he is the living God, the eternal King.
God is the source of all life. Apart from God there is no life.
Colossians 1:16-17 - For by him (God) all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.
Acts 17:25 - And he (God) is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.
God is Immutable. His values and character does not change.
Malachi 3:6a - I the LORD do not change.
God is Holy (He is completely sinless and righteous).
Psalm 99:9 - Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his holy mountain, for the LORD our God is holy.
Leviticus 11:44a - I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy.
Psalm 119:137 - Righteous are you, O LORD, and your laws are right.
God is a Just God who delights in Justice.
Jeremiah 9:24 - but let him who boasts boast about this: that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness, justice and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight," declares the LORD.
2. The Nature of Man
Man is born in sin. Man is Sinful and Evil since birth.
Psalm 51:5 - Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
Ephesians 2:3 states that ‘by nature we were objects of wrath’.
Romans 5:12 - Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned.
Genesis 8:21 - The LORD smelled the pleasing aroma and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of man, even though every inclination of his heart is evil from childhood. And never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.”
The heart of man is deceitful and wicked.
Jeremiah 17:9 - The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?
Ecclesiastes 9:3 - This is the evil in everything that happens under the sun: The same destiny overtakes all. The hearts of men, moreover, are full of evil and there is madness in their hearts while they live, and afterward they join the dead.
Everyone has sinned and broken God’s law! All mankind is unrighteous and sinful.
Romans 3:23 - For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.
Romans 1:28-32 (Man is carnally wicked and hates God).
Romans 3:10-18 (Man does not fear God, but walks in wickedness).
3. The Problem
Everyone on this earth will face God on Judgment Day.
Hebrews 9:27 - Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.
The Bible offers two options at the judgment.
Heaven – an eternity of extremely satisfying peace with God.
Hell – a place of eternal torment where there is gnashing of teeth.
Many people think that God will let them into Heaven because they aren’t as bad as most people. But, the Bible offers absolutely no such judgment where God compares people with other people, to see who is good and who is bad.
If man were to compare himself to Hitler, then man would look pretty good with respect to Hitler’s evil actions. Hitler founded the regime that killed over six million Jews throughout Germany, Poland and other European nations before and during WWII. So, when man compares his so called ‘little sins’ to Hitler’s so called ‘gigantic sins’… man begins to look pretty good.
The problem with that type of thinking is this… God is not going to Judge us by Hitler’s unrighteousness. On Judgment Day, God will judge men by His own standard, not ours.
God’s standard is perfection. (Little/Big sin is still Sin)
Matthew 5:48 - Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
God will judge humanity by His laws and righteousness.
Romans 3:19-20 (Man can know his unrighteousness by looking at the law).
Romans 7:12-14 (The law is holy and shows us our sinfulness).
When a man compares his life with the Holy and blameless law of God, mankind truly realizes how sinful they are. They understand the wretched sinfulness and evil about themselves that they previously could not comprehend.
Let’s say, there is a sheep in a field of grass. You walk by and say ‘Wow, such a beautiful sheep. It’s so precious and clean and nice and white. Its wool is so vibrant and amazing.’ It’s so nice-looking your daughter even says ‘Mommy, can I have one?’
Let’s say we take that exact same sheep and put it in a field of snow. You walk by and say ‘Uhhh! That is the most disgusting, filthy, piece of garbage I have ever seen in my life’. It’s so dirty your daughter even says ‘Mommy, that sheep needs a bath’.
What changed in this situation? Did the sheep’s cleanliness change? Absolutely not! The sheep did not change at all. Your perception of the sheep and its cleanliness changed. In the same way when you compare yourself to other people, you seem mighty clean. But, when you compare yourself to God’s law, you realize that you are just as disgusting and filthy as the sheep in the snow.
God is a Just Judge. He is Holy and Righteous. He must punish the unrighteous for their sinful acts against Him.
Genesis 18:25 - Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
There is a clear problem between God and man. God is Holy and Righteous, man is carnal and wicked. God has a perfect law and standard. Man has broken God’s perfect law and standard. God hates all sinfulness and evil. Man just so happens to be an evil sinner.
John 3:36 states plainly that God's wrath remains on sinful man.
Psalm 5:5 - The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You (God) hate all workers of iniquity.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 - They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His Power.
If God is truly a just judge, then God must punish the wicked for their wrongdoing. If God is truly just then it seems God must send mankind to hell where they deserve to be for eternity.
The problem is that a righteous judge will not let a criminal go free. Therefore, it is logical to look at this situation as if you were in a courtroom. You are the criminal that has absolutely broken the law. There is no doubt about it. You are guilty. If the judge is a truly just judge, then He must punish you for your disobedience.
4. The Solution: Jesus Christ
You are still in the courtroom. The judge is about to bring the gavel down and sentence you to jail. Or, in reality God is about to bring the gavel down and sentence you to hell. But, just as He is about to make His judgment known to the public, the doors in the back of the courtroom bust open and a man runs in the court saying “I will take His place”. The officers try to stop Him but He busts through shouting “I will pay His fine”. The bailiff tries to tackle Him but he again makes it through to the judge to say “Punish me, and set Him free.” The man portrayed in this courtroom drama is none other than Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, God’s only son, was born of the Virgin Mary.
Matthew 1:20-23 - But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
He did not inherit any sin nature at birth and He lived a perfectly righteous life.
Isaiah 53:9 - He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
1 Peter 2:22 - "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
1 John 3:5 - But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
“Have you looked at His life and seen the way He (Jesus) treated people?
He stood for what’s right, what’s just, plus He judged evil.
He healed the sick, the lame, plus He fed the poor.
The perfect person! What person could ever ask for more?”
- Marcus Gray (Flame)
The wages of sin is death. Jesus bore our sins and was crucified on our behalf.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
2 Peter 2:24 - "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
Isaiah 53:4-6 (Jesus Christ paid the punishment for us all, so that if we repent of our sins and believe in Him, we can be saved and granted everlasting life.)
Leonard Ravenhill said that he believed that the three most important words in all of history were declared by Jesus on the cross, saying… “It is Finished.” (John 19:30).
The problem with that type of thinking is this… God is not going to Judge us by Hitler’s unrighteousness. On Judgment Day, God will judge men by His own standard, not ours.
God’s standard is perfection. (Little/Big sin is still Sin)
Matthew 5:48 - Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
James 2:10 - For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
God will judge humanity by His laws and righteousness.
Romans 3:19-20 (Man can know his unrighteousness by looking at the law).
Romans 7:12-14 (The law is holy and shows us our sinfulness).
When a man compares his life with the Holy and blameless law of God, mankind truly realizes how sinful they are. They understand the wretched sinfulness and evil about themselves that they previously could not comprehend.
Let’s say, there is a sheep in a field of grass. You walk by and say ‘Wow, such a beautiful sheep. It’s so precious and clean and nice and white. Its wool is so vibrant and amazing.’ It’s so nice-looking your daughter even says ‘Mommy, can I have one?’
Let’s say we take that exact same sheep and put it in a field of snow. You walk by and say ‘Uhhh! That is the most disgusting, filthy, piece of garbage I have ever seen in my life’. It’s so dirty your daughter even says ‘Mommy, that sheep needs a bath’.
What changed in this situation? Did the sheep’s cleanliness change? Absolutely not! The sheep did not change at all. Your perception of the sheep and its cleanliness changed. In the same way when you compare yourself to other people, you seem mighty clean. But, when you compare yourself to God’s law, you realize that you are just as disgusting and filthy as the sheep in the snow.
God is a Just Judge. He is Holy and Righteous. He must punish the unrighteous for their sinful acts against Him.
Genesis 18:25 - Far be it from you to do such a thing—to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?"
There is a clear problem between God and man. God is Holy and Righteous, man is carnal and wicked. God has a perfect law and standard. Man has broken God’s perfect law and standard. God hates all sinfulness and evil. Man just so happens to be an evil sinner.
John 3:36 states plainly that God's wrath remains on sinful man.
Psalm 5:5 - The boastful shall not stand in Your sight; You (God) hate all workers of iniquity.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 - They will be punished with everlasting destruction and shut out from the presence of the Lord and from the majesty of His Power.
If God is truly a just judge, then God must punish the wicked for their wrongdoing. If God is truly just then it seems God must send mankind to hell where they deserve to be for eternity.
The problem is that a righteous judge will not let a criminal go free. Therefore, it is logical to look at this situation as if you were in a courtroom. You are the criminal that has absolutely broken the law. There is no doubt about it. You are guilty. If the judge is a truly just judge, then He must punish you for your disobedience.
4. The Solution: Jesus Christ
You are still in the courtroom. The judge is about to bring the gavel down and sentence you to jail. Or, in reality God is about to bring the gavel down and sentence you to hell. But, just as He is about to make His judgment known to the public, the doors in the back of the courtroom bust open and a man runs in the court saying “I will take His place”. The officers try to stop Him but He busts through shouting “I will pay His fine”. The bailiff tries to tackle Him but he again makes it through to the judge to say “Punish me, and set Him free.” The man portrayed in this courtroom drama is none other than Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, God’s only son, was born of the Virgin Mary.
Matthew 1:20-23 - But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."
He did not inherit any sin nature at birth and He lived a perfectly righteous life.
Isaiah 53:9 - He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.
1 Peter 2:22 - "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."
Hebrews 4:15 - For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin.
1 John 3:5 - But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin.
“Have you looked at His life and seen the way He (Jesus) treated people?
He stood for what’s right, what’s just, plus He judged evil.
He healed the sick, the lame, plus He fed the poor.
The perfect person! What person could ever ask for more?”
- Marcus Gray (Flame)
The wages of sin is death. Jesus bore our sins and was crucified on our behalf.
Romans 6:23 - For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
2 Corinthians 5:21 - God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.
Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
2 Peter 2:24 - "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed."
Isaiah 53:4-6 (Jesus Christ paid the punishment for us all, so that if we repent of our sins and believe in Him, we can be saved and granted everlasting life.)
Leonard Ravenhill said that he believed that the three most important words in all of history were declared by Jesus on the cross, saying… “It is Finished.” (John 19:30).
+ Jakab +
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