Let Africa Shine and be filled with his Glory!

Why Salvation? Why do I need to be saved? by Russell Peter Jacobs

It is imperative that the following scripture always be kept in mind, especially for those who do not believe, as believes the following scripture is fundamental to our core belief system, that is:

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. [2 Timothy 3 v 16-17 NKJV]

Lets start at the very beginning, the biblical account of the creation of this world. Please read the first 3 chapters of Genesis, click the link to an online bible to read biblical account. In the beginning man was created in right standing with God. When God had finished his creation and that included man, he said in Genesis 1 v 31 “Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good.”

BibleGateway - online bible

Blue Letter Bible - online bible

God then creates a garden and places man in the garden to look after it. The scripture in Genesis 2 v 9 tells us that the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil are in the midst of the garden. Further in v 16 and 17 God gives a command to man, saying “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in that day that you eat of it you shall surely die” Note, that God does not command man not to eat of the tree of life. It is important to see that God intended man to live for eternity and this has not changed. At the moment man disobeyed God and brought sin and death into the world, God had already planned in His heart, a way for man to be restored to right relationship with him, at a price!

Instantly God’s grace is evident, knowing the consequences of man now also eating of the tree of life, we read what now takes place in Genesis 3 v 22 - 24

Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of Us, to know good and evil. And now, lest he put out his hand and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live forever”— therefore the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken. So He drove out the man; and He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life.

As I pointed out earlier, it is important to see that God intended man to live for eternity and this has not changed. Let’s now go to the end of the age and read the words of Jesus.

31 “When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. 33 And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. 34 Then the King will say to those on His right hand, ‘Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; 36 I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? 38 When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? 39 Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ 40 And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.’ 41 “Then He will also say to those on the left hand, ‘Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: 42 for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; 43 I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.’ 44 “Then they also will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?’ 45 Then He will answer them, saying, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.’ 46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” [Matthew 25 v 31- 46 NKJV]

Verse 46 clearly tells us that man is an eternal being, those who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and saviour will go into everlasting punishment and the righteous into eternal life. Now that we have established that it was God’s design that man should live forever, we see the urgency in God putting his plan into action. First by making covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and then choosing the nation of Israel to show God’s goodness to the Earth.

Let’s now look at God’s plan for the restoration of the Gentiles to himself. Let’s hear what Paul says in the next scripture.

Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called the Circumcision made in the flesh by hands— that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. [ Ephesians 2 v 11 - 13 NKJV]

Yes, it is by the blood of Jesus that we can now be brought near and have restoration with the God of Heaven. Remember the tree of life in the Garden of Eden, the one that would have given man eternal life but God in his grace and wisdom withheld man from partaking?

Jesus says in John 14 v 6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.”The tree of life became guarded in the Garden of Eden, because if man ate of it, he would then have lived forever in eternal separation from God. What could be worse than eternal separation from Father God! Jesus is now the tree of life but once again we are giving a choice, either to obey God’s way or reject his way. Sound familiar? Just pause for a moment and think of God’s grace and mercy for mankind. God’s word tells us that he finds no pleasure in single person dying in there sin and therefore going into everlasting punishment. God is love and listen to His heart in the following scripture, remember that great price I spoke of earlier.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. [John 3 v 16 NKJV]

God himself has made a way that we may be restored to him through his son Jesus. Romans 3 v 23 says “for all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God”. 1 John 1 v 9 reads : “If we confess ours sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us ours sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. ” He died on the cross that you may have forgiveness of sin and that you may have life and life more abundantly.

Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord [Acts 3 v 19 NKJV]

The word of God tells us that we are to repent from our sin and confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord!>/p>

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. [Romans 10 v 9 - 13 NKJV]

Lets make a public acknowledgement of our faith, the bible says if we deny Jesus before man, then He will deny us before his father.

Finally, we are His creation, He loves us, He holds the whole world in His hand. His judgements are true; He is righteous, abounding in grace and mercy. As man, we were disobedient to our God, yet he made a way, not by works but by the free gift of salvation, given us by his beloved son Jesus. If you have not asked Jesus to come into your heart, ask him today. Acknowledge to him that you are a sinner, that you need him as your saviour. Ask him to forgive you for your sin and he will. He has already paid the price when he hung upon the cross. Thank him for dying for you and that father God raised him from the dead, that He may be the first resurrected from the dead, therefore opening the way for you. Then tell people that you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and saviour.