…and saying, "Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness." Acts 14:15-17
Last time we considered how God revealed Himself, in different ways, to all people everywhere. We mentioned that when Jesus came, the one gospel of Jesus is the ultimate revelation to all people (whether Jew or Gentile).
We left off with some questions: Why Jesus? How does one receive forgiveness? What is the responsibility of those who are saved? Stay tuned. Let’s chip away at those…
Why Jesus? Because, being God and man, the one and only God-man, He alone is worthy to pay for our sins, since He had no sins of His own. And because becoming a man, He was also able to die. Before His incarnation, being God but not man, He could not die!
Why Jesus? Because God’s entire revelation of Himself and His plan for humanity in the Old Testament point to Jesus (John 5:39-40). Jesus is the fulfillment of every aspect of the Old Testament (the covenants, the law, the poetry, and the prophets)!
Why Jesus? Because (though He is ever and always sinless!), He alone lived a sinless life, and died a sinner’s death for those He came to save. And because He rose from the dead the third day, defeating sin, death, Hell, and Satan for those He died for!
I hope you are not one who thinks, “Why does this pastor keep telling us the gospel over and over! We already know it!” Here is the answer: Because the gospel is the greatest news of all time and eternity! Those who tire of being reminded of God’s grace do not understand that the gospel is everything. No matter what else is happening, whether easy or difficult, what we need most of all at all times and in all circumstances is to have our minds marinated in the gospel—over and over and over again!
Next Time: How does one receive forgiveness? What is the responsibility of those who are saved?