THE
CHRISTIAN’S JOURNEY
WHEN DOES THE CHRISTIAN JOURNEY
BEGIN?
The Christians journey begins
when a lost sinner hears that Jesus is God’s Son, Who came into
this world to save sinners; died on the cross as a sacrifice for
their sins; and rose again from the dead. The instant a lost
sinner acts on this knowledge and reaches out to Jesus Christ in
sincere faith, asking Him to save him or her, and believing Him to
do it, that lost sinner is born into God’s family. Jesus is their
Savior; God is their Father.
Spiritual
Insight Grows Sharper and Stronger
The
new Christian may not have a clear understanding of God’s work of
salvation at first, but as they read God’s word and sit under the
teaching and preaching of mature Christians, the following truths
become crystal clear:
1)
Jesus is God’s Son
come in the flesh.
“In the beginning was the Word
and the Word was with God and the Word was God…All things were
made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was
made…And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld
His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full
of grace and truth.”
John 1:1, 2, 14. (See
also Hebrews 1:1-3).
2)
Jesus lived a
sinless life.
“And
you know that He was manifested to take away our sins ,and in Him
there is no sin.”
1st John 3:5 (See
also 2nd Corinthians 5:21; Hebrews 4:15; 1st
Peter 2:22).
3)
Jesus accepted the
sins of all mankind to be laid on Him.
The prophet Isaiah revealed, “All
we like sheep have gone astray, We have turned, every one, to His
own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”
Isaiah 53:6.
The Apostle Paul confirmed, “For
He (God, the Father) made Him (Jesus) who knew no
sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of
God in Him”. 2nd Corinthians 5:21.
4)
Jesus received the
full punishment for all sin (past, present, and future)
by His sacrificial death on the
cross.
Isaiah also revealed, “Surely
He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed
Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded
for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; the
chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are
healed”. Isaiah 53:4, 5.
(See also Romans 4:25; Hebrews 9:26, 28; 1st
Peter 2:24; 1st John 2:2.).
5) Jesus arose from
the dead and ascended to His heavenly Father’s right
Hand.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ
is one of the most well established facts of history:
a).
The Old Testament Prophesied His Resurrection
Psalm
16:9, 10 “
Therefore may heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also
will rest in hope. For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor
will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” – These
verses were quoted by Peter at Pentecost and by Paul in the
synagogue in Pisidia. (Acts
2:26,
27; Acts 13:35).
Psalm 2:7
- “I will declare the
decree: The Lord has said to Me, You are My Son, Today I have
begotten You.” Quoted by Paul at Antioch in Acts 16:33;
(See Acts 13:33; Hebrews
1:5; 5:5; Colossians 1:18; Revelation 1:5).
Isaiah 26:19. “Your
dead shall live; Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust; For your dew is like
the dew of herbs, And the earth shall cast out the dead.”
b). Jesus
foretold His death and/or His resurrection six times.
“From that time Jesus began to
show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many
things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised the third day.” Matthew 16:21.
(Also recorded in Mark 8:31 and Luke 9:22).
“Now while they were
staying in
Galilee Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be
betrayed into the hands of men, and they will kill Him, and the
third day He will be raised up.’ And they were sorrowful.”
Matthew 17:22,
23.
(Also recorded Mark 9:9, 10).
“Now Jesus, going up
to Jerusalem, took the twelve disciples aside on the road and
said to them, ‘Behold, we are going up to
Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be
betrayed to the chief priests and to the
scribes; and they will condemn Him to death,
and deliver Him to the Gentiles to mock and
to scourge and to crucify. And the
third day He will rise again.’”
Matthew 20:18, 19
After His teaching on the Mount
of Olives Jesus “said to His disciples, ‘You know that after
two days is the Passover, and the Son of Man will be delivered up
to be crucified.’” Matthew 26:1, 2 See additional statements
in Matthew 20:18, 19; 26:1,2;
“ And when they had sung a
hymn, they went out to the
Mount of Olives. Then Jesus said
to them, ‘All of you will be made to stumble because of Me this
night, for it is written, ‘I will strike the Shepherd, And the
sheep will be scattered.’ But after I have been raised, I will
go before you to Galilee.’”
Mark 14:26, 28;
The first time Jesus drove the
money changers and merchandisers from the
Jerusalem
Temple the Jews asked, “What sign do you show us, since You do
these things?” Jesus answered,
“. . .Destroy this temple,
and in three days I will raise it up.” ‘But He was speaking of
the temple of His body.’” John 2:19, 21,22.
c).
There are twelve recorded appearances of Jesus after His
resurrection:
Mary Magdalene and
another “Mary” – Mark 16:9; John 20:18.
Other women – Matthew 28:9.
Simon Peter – Luke 24:34
The two disciples walking to Emmaus – Luke 24:13-31.
Ten apostles (Thomas absent) – John 20:19-24.
Eleven apostles (Thomas present) John 20:26.
Seven apostles at Sea of
Tiberius – John 21:1
Eleven apostles on a
mountain of Galilee
– Matthew 28:16, 17.
Over 500 believers
at once – 1st Corinthians 15:6.
James (step-brother of Jesus) – 1st Corinthians 15:7
The apostles and believers on the Mount of Olives at His ascension
back
to Heaven – See the parallel records of Mark 16:19; Luke 24:45-51;
Acts 1:4-9.
The apostle Paul – Acts 9:1-12; 1st Corinthians 15:8.
The power of the above evidence
is better understood when we realize that no other person at this
period of time has half as much documented eye witness that they
even lived.
6). The supreme
ministry of Jesus through the church age is being High Priest
Mediator between God and
man.
“For there is one God and one
Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus.”
1st Timothy 2:5.
“But now He has obtained a
more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a
better covenant, which was established on better promises.”
Hebrews 8:6.
“…How much more shall the
blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself
without spot to God. Cleanse your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of
the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the
transgressions under the first covenant…” Hebrews 9:15, 16.
“But you have come. . .to
Jesus the Mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of
sprinkling. . .” Hebrews 12:22-24.
The word “mediator” means “a
go-between”. It describes a person who mediates between two
parties for the purpose of producing peace. In regard to Jesus it
points out that Jesus possessed the nature of sinless deity Who
satisfied the holiness and justice of God and also the nature of
sinless humanity by which He provided cleansing from sin by the
shedding of His blood on the cross.
The great value of Jesus being
our High Priest Mediator is explained beautifully in Hebrews
4:14-16.
“Seeing then that we have a
great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a
High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in
all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and
find grace to help in time of need.”
A
clear understanding of the above truths provides a strong
foundation for a successful Christian journey. There is a great
profit in learning these truths well.
Copyright © 2008 Truth Helpers Inc.
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