Romans 1:20- For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

All humans are created in the image of God and therefore have a certain innate knowledge concerning His existence. The Bible not only expresses that we know God exists deep in our conscience, but also we intuitively know what certain aspects of God’s nature are like. These things include His eternal power and divine nature as described in Romans 1:20.  The key to understanding God’s redemptive plan of salvation for humanity relates specifically to these two important aspects of who God is. Firstly, the Nature of God is both Holy and Loving. Secondly, God is immensely powerful and therefore is capable of saving anyone who calls upon His name, no matter how sinful they have been.

Isaiah 6:3- “And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

Let’s consider the fact that God is Holy and how it relates to His plan of salvation for us. For God to be Holy means that He is morally perfect in every way and therefore cannot ignore sin. Imagine a judge who claims to be just yet he ignores the criminal’s crimes and fails to impose the deserved penalty. This would be an imperfect, unjust judge. God is a perfectly just judge and will hold everyone to account for the wrong they have done in this life. With this in mind it would seem that all of us are in deep trouble. God’s perfectly Holy nature demands that we face the just consequences of our own actions. Thankfully, God is not only perfectly Holy but He is also perfectly loving.

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.”

In the interest of God’s preference of mercy over judgment He Himself entered into human history in the Person of Jesus Christ. He lived a sinless life in order to offer Himself as a perfect, satisfactory, payment for the sins that we have all committed. This act of perfect self sacrifice on the part of God was in order to demonstrate His righteousness and His love toward us in one perfect offering for sin. Without justice being satisfied, injustice would be the result. Without God’s love being demonstrated, only wrath and fury toward wicked actions would be the result. On the Cross, Jesus Christ revealed both the Holiness and extravagant love of God more perfectly than anyone could have imagined.

Romans 6:23- “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Our inherently wrong actions before a Holy God carry the penalty of eternal death and separation from God. This is bad news. However, because of God’s great love for us He Himself has made a way that all of mankind can be saved from this predicament. This salvation is through a free gift of eternal life to all who repent and put their confidence in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ that He performed on their behalf. He died the death that we deserve on the cross, in our place, for our sin so that we can receive the free gift of eternal life by faith in His provision.

Romans 10:9- ” If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Faith is putting confidence in something or someone. This is what God is calling us to do in response to the message about Jesus Christ. God is calling us to put our total confidence in Jesus Christ for the salvation of our souls. He alone has made the perfect provision for the salvation of every human who puts their trust in Him. Through the forgiveness that Jesus provides we are able to be reconciled from our sin and ushered into right relationship with God by His Spirit. We can know God through His Spirit and live a brand new life!

Our life is fragile and short. In a sense we are all standing “on the edge of eternity” without a parachute. Calling upon the name of Jesus by faith is similar to putting your entire trust in the parachute as you leap out into eternity. God is inviting you to trust Christ today. I want to personally invite you to pray and receive the free gift of eternal life right now through repentance and faith in Christ.

Romans 10:13- “For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Prayer to know God (follow along): Lord Jesus, I ask you to forgive me of all of my sins according to the sacrifice that you made on my behalf at the Cross. I surrender my life to you right now as my personal Lord and Savior. I believe that You have risen from the dead. I ask you to fill me with Your Holy Spirit and teach me how to be a faithful follower of Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, amen. 

If you prayed to receive Christ I want to congratulate you on your new journey of faith. God has given you His Holy Spirit so that you can live a brand new life. As a brand new follower of Christ it is important to find a local church that believes the Bible so that you can grow in your new found faith. It’s also important to follow the Lord’s command to be baptized in water and live a life that is filled with His Spirit. If you need help finding a church or getting material to study email me at kbailey@centerpointflint.com or call the church office at 810-743-0000.

-Pastor Kyle Bailey