Salvation - Part Two

SALVATION - Part Two

 

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There was once a problem that God had to solve. Of course nothing is hard for Him because He knows everything. Yet this problem has only one answer. The problem was, how could God save men who are sinners? The reason this is a real problem is because God is holy. He could not just forget about sin. Sin had to be punished. But He could not just punish us all without any mercy, for He is love too. How were Gods holiness and love to work together to save men? God found a way– just one way.

All through the Old Testament times He was explaining this way. Do you remember how Cain and Abel brought their sacrifices? Cain brought fruit, and God was displeased with his offering, though it may have been very beautiful. Abel brought a lamb and shed its blood, and though this was not pretty at all, yet God was pleased, and could accept that sacrifice. Again, many, many times we read of how the lambs were brought and killed as sacrifices. What was this for? God did not like to have the innocent lambs killed (Hebrews 10:6). That was not the reason at all. God was making a picture, to explain the only way He had found to save men. That way was through the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the lamb was killed and laid on the altar, so the Lord Jesus died on the cross. The lamb had never done anything wrong. It was a perfect lamb, without spot or blemish. So the Lord Jesus was perfect. He had never sinned. He had no sins to die for. So He took our sins on Himself, and bore the punishment that should have been ours.

 

The blood of Jesus takes away our sins. The night before He died, when He was having the last supper with the disciples, the Lord Jesus took the cup, and said, “This is the blood of the new testament, shed for many for the remission of sins” (Matthew 26:27-28). Again God says, “Without shedding of blood there is no remission” (Hebrews 9:22). Remission means taking away, or forgiveness, or deliverance. So, apart from the shedding of the blood of the Lord Jesus there is no taking away of sin. This taking away of sin is a very important part of salvation.

 

The Lord Jesus gave His life as a ransom for us (Matthew 20:28). His blood was the price paid for our salvation. Silver and gold could not have paid the price for our redemption. So we read that we are not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot (l Peter 1:18-19).

 

The Lord Jesus sometimes speaks of us as His sheep. He said He was the good shepherd, and gave His life for His sheep (John 10:11-15).

 

Here are some verses to look up. Each one tells something different about our salvation, and how the Lord Jesus secured it for us. John 12:24-32, 33; 3:14-15.

 

This last verse says that the Lord Jesus must be lifted up on the cross. That was the answer the only answer to God’s problem of salvation.

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