In the beginning, God wanted to reveal the riches of His love. He couldn't display mercy and forgiveness without creating people who would fail.
Before the foundation of the world, He knew that Adam and Eve would sin in the garden of Eden, and He knew that we would too.
He allowed us to be born with a sin nature, so that we could personally experience forgiveness and a second chance, the opportunity to live life right. Forgiveness is not freedom to sin, but freedom to try again.
Imagine a judge who didn't punish crimes. He wouldn't be fair.
But God, looked into the future, added up the sins of each person He would ever create, calculated the total punishment that we deserved, and punished His Son instead. His anger toward us was put to rest, because He turned it on Jesus in our place.
Now when God looks at us, He doesn't see our sins, the Bible says, He has cast them into the depths of the sea.
"I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22
Imagine a parent who stood up in court sentencing to take their child's punishment. That's what Jesus did for us on the cross and He was glad to do it, to Him it was worth it.
"Looking unto Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:12
"Jesus Christ ,who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Revelation 1:5
"He takes away the sins of the world"
Now that our sins are taken away, Jesus commands us to believe in Him and obey.
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
On judgment day the court will be seated, and we will all be judged according to our testimony here on earth. Did we confess Jesus with our mouth? Or were we to ashamed? Our words matter to God.
"And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Revelation 12:11
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26
"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:32
"The court was seated, And the books were opened." Daniel 7:10
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt". Daniel 12:12
Before the foundation of the world, He knew that Adam and Eve would sin in the garden of Eden, and He knew that we would too.
He allowed us to be born with a sin nature, so that we could personally experience forgiveness and a second chance, the opportunity to live life right. Forgiveness is not freedom to sin, but freedom to try again.
Imagine a judge who didn't punish crimes. He wouldn't be fair.
But God, looked into the future, added up the sins of each person He would ever create, calculated the total punishment that we deserved, and punished His Son instead. His anger toward us was put to rest, because He turned it on Jesus in our place.
Now when God looks at us, He doesn't see our sins, the Bible says, He has cast them into the depths of the sea.
"I have blotted out, like a thick cloud, your transgressions, And like a cloud, your sins. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you.” Isaiah 44:22
Imagine a parent who stood up in court sentencing to take their child's punishment. That's what Jesus did for us on the cross and He was glad to do it, to Him it was worth it.
"Looking unto Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Hebrews 12:12
"Jesus Christ ,who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood." Revelation 1:5
"He takes away the sins of the world"
Now that our sins are taken away, Jesus commands us to believe in Him and obey.
"That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." John 3:36
On judgment day the court will be seated, and we will all be judged according to our testimony here on earth. Did we confess Jesus with our mouth? Or were we to ashamed? Our words matter to God.
"And they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony." Revelation 12:11
"For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in His own glory, and in His Father’s, and of the holy angels." Luke 9:26
"Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven." Matthew 10:32
"The court was seated, And the books were opened." Daniel 7:10
"And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, Some to everlasting life, Some to shame and everlasting contempt". Daniel 12:12