We should be diligent
There are some topics where we need to slow down and put forth a diligent investigation in to. Who Is Jesus Christ is one of those topics. If you know very little about Jesus Christ there is literally no subject that you’ll ever ponder that is more important. It’s extraordinarily important that you take your time to ensure you understand who He is.
With the advent of the World Wide Web we have easy access to an enormous amount of information. In fact, so much information is available that many people often seek out brief summaries of issues that interest them. This has led to a trend where many people formulate strong convictions on important topics based on little information. Often times people will go to a trusted source, read the headline, and move on to the next subject. The headline alone reinforced what they think they already know. That’s fine if you are trying to determine the weather for the day. But it doesn’t work when it comes to Who Is Jesus Christ.
Jesus the Christ is God.
In the Holy Bible we read an account of an angel foretelling the birth of Jesus. The angel says: “… Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.” Holy Bible, Isaiah 7:14. They wrote this 700 years before Jesus was born.
In Jesus/Immanuel, the divine nature united with the human. Immanuel was the manifestation of God in the midst of mankind. As you become more and more acquainted with the Bible you’ll see why this is an essential concept.
Additionally, the name Jesus means “God saves” whereas Christ is a title that means “anointed one.” So “Jesus Christ” is more properly “Jesus the Christ.” An “anointed one” was someone with a special, God-ordained purpose. In the case of Jesus, He was anointed to redeem people from the penalty of their sin.
Jesus is the only WAY mankind can go to heaven
We have access to God when we have faith in Jesus and faith in the work for mankind that He completed. The work that Jesus completed is that He paid the penalty for the sins of those who believe in Him. By believing that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins we acknowledge His sacrifice. And we acknowledge that He is the one and only way to avoid hell and live with God forever more. No one goes to heaven unless they believe in Jesus the Christ. Jesus is the guide to the lost and wandering. He is the teacher of those who do not know truth, and He is the example to all.
Jesus is the sole source of TRUTH in the government of God
In this life we are constantly exposed to lies, misrepresentations, and confusion. But with Jesus, we can be assured that we know the truth because Jesus, being God, cannot misrepresent the way things are. Jesus taught and embodies what mankind ought to know and believe about God. Jesus instructed and demonstrated what mankind should do as His created beings. The teaching of Jesus the Christ are the complete and perfect representation of the things of the eternal world. The truth that Jesus communicated is the true way to eternal life. Without Jesus we have no path to heaven.
Jesus is the sole source of eternal LIFE
By taking the penalty of the sins of those who believe in Him upon Himself, Jesus is the author, the giver, and the purchaser of eternal life. It is very common for mankind to seek favor with God by working for God (doing certain activities and by not breaking the commands of God). But Jesus explained that these activities of mankind cannot earn heaven. We have eternal life solely by the work that Jesus came to this earth to do. Jesus instructed us in the way we should live. We should keep the law of God. But keeping the law is not the mechanism by which we go to heaven. We find the way to heaven when we believe in Jesus the Christ.
Summary
This article is just a brief summary of who Jesus is. I can say so much more. But knowing that Jesus is God and that He is the sole means by which a person can go to heaven is the foundation of truth. With our life there are no “do overs” – we don’t get another chance to get it right. Once we pass from this physical life, our destiny (hell or heaven) is set.
The Holy Bible communicates what God wants us to know about His creation. It communicates what He wants us to know about our sinfulness. Further, it communicates what He wants us to know about His plan to save us from our sins. And it communicates all that we need to know about our eternal home. I pray that anyone reading this would spend some time in the Holy Bible to find out more about God. You will learn what a magnificent, loving, generous, merciful, and patient God He is. Here is a good place to start: John 1 NLT – Prologue: Christ, the Eternal Word – In – Bible Gateway. If you don’t know God, ask, as humbly as you can, that He would reveal Himself to you.
I close with a quote from a great Christian teacher name Charles Spurgeon (1834 – 1892):
suppose you feel persuaded and honestly admit that you are not prepared to die, not made ready for heaven? Do not utterly despair, but be grateful that you live where the Gospel is preached. The Holy Bible teaches “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” Seek out the Word of God (Holy Bible) as much as you can, and pray that the hearing may be blessed to your soul. Above all, give diligence to that divine command which tells you to trust in Jesus Christ, whom Father God has sent. Eternal life lies in the nutshell of that one sentence, “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.” All that is asked of you is simply to trust in Jesus who died for the sins of men. May God give you faith, and then may you meet death with joy, or look forward to the coming of Jesus with peace, whichever may be your lot. Amen.
Charles Spurgeon
PREPARATION FOR HEAVEN
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