"But to him that does no works, but believes on him that justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. All things are of God, who has reconciled us into himself by Jesus Christ. God was in Christ reconciling us and the world unto himself, not imputing their sins unto them. Romans 4:5, 2 Corinthians 5:18, 19.
The Gospel is good news for sinners and bad news for the religious self righteous. Those that accepted Jesus and repented, were prostitutes, thieves, tax collectors, etc. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being a wine bibber and a friend of sinners, Luke 7:34 also Matthew 9:10. Many find this offensive that Jesus was a friend of sinners, yet did not Jesus say that he came into the world to save sinners? Matthew 9:13. It should be no surprise then that it was the sinners that believed upon him, while the self righteous wanted to crucify him.
How does Jesus justify ungodly sinners and reconcile them unto God? Does he do this by doing something inside of them by the Holy Spirit? If that were true then the incarnation of Jesus was worthless. Jesus could have stayed in heaven and God could have sent the Holy Spirit into the world and rehabilitated lost sinners, making them holy and righteous. Of course we know that is not how Jesus justifies ungodly sinners and reconciles them unto God. It is the work of Satan to make the incarnation of Jesus Christ as something useless.
The Gospel took place totally and completely outside of us, we had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with it. Paul wrote, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. Before we were ever born salvation had already been provided for us and not us only, but also for the whole world, 1 John 2:2. Jesus, as God's new Adam and our new humanity, 2 Corinthians 5:17, had already made salvation available for everyone that would do no more than call upon his name to be saved, "Whosoever that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13. No religion needed, no predestination needed, no Catholic church needed, Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. Jesus saves and he saves to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25.
The Gospel is good news for sinners and bad news for the religious self righteous. Those that accepted Jesus and repented, were prostitutes, thieves, tax collectors, etc. The Pharisees accused Jesus of being a wine bibber and a friend of sinners, Luke 7:34 also Matthew 9:10. Many find this offensive that Jesus was a friend of sinners, yet did not Jesus say that he came into the world to save sinners? Matthew 9:13. It should be no surprise then that it was the sinners that believed upon him, while the self righteous wanted to crucify him.
How does Jesus justify ungodly sinners and reconcile them unto God? Does he do this by doing something inside of them by the Holy Spirit? If that were true then the incarnation of Jesus was worthless. Jesus could have stayed in heaven and God could have sent the Holy Spirit into the world and rehabilitated lost sinners, making them holy and righteous. Of course we know that is not how Jesus justifies ungodly sinners and reconciles them unto God. It is the work of Satan to make the incarnation of Jesus Christ as something useless.
The Gospel took place totally and completely outside of us, we had nothing, absolutely nothing to do with it. Paul wrote, "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" Romans 5:8. Before we were ever born salvation had already been provided for us and not us only, but also for the whole world, 1 John 2:2. Jesus, as God's new Adam and our new humanity, 2 Corinthians 5:17, had already made salvation available for everyone that would do no more than call upon his name to be saved, "Whosoever that shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" Romans 10:13. No religion needed, no predestination needed, no Catholic church needed, Jesus has done it all and he did it perfectly. Jesus saves and he saves to the uttermost, Hebrews 7:25.
