What has Jesus accomplished?

Jesus was on a mission. He came to save the world. All around us we see the results of a world gone wrong, a world in chaos and turmoil. For all its beauty and wonder, the world is tainted by suffering and pain, death and decay. The Bible tells us that this stems from human beings rejecting God’s rule (what is called ‘sin’).

We have all rejected God’s rule. Whether we know it or not, we’re all prone to doing things that are unhelpful and just plain wrong. We’re all prone to living self-centred lives that reject God’s right to command our obedience. We are all guilty before God. God has given his law of how we should live and none of us measure up. Justice demands that we pay the penalty, and the penalty for sin is death.

In Jesus, God came into the world to deal with this problem once and for all. As God in human form, he lived a faultless life and did not sin like we do. He was rejected by those he came to save and killed on a cross by Roman soldiers, but the Bible tells us that this was all part of God’s plan. Jesus, the innocent one, died for us, the guilty ones, paying our penalty. This was the only way that we could be saved from death. Not only that, but Jesus came alive after death, (He was seen by over 500 witnesses and it was recorded by in a number of historical accounts). He proves that he has dealt with the problem of sin and that he has the power to rescue us from death.

What does it mean for us today?

Jesus has proved that he is indeed God in the flesh. We need to recognise Jesus as God. We need to acknowledge that we have done wrong. We need to ask for his forgiveness. As we do this, God forgives us for our wrongdoing. He gives us a new life, so new that it’s called being ‘born again’. God himself is with us in a special way. He puts his Spirit in us. As we seek to live God’s way and as we commit ourselves to following Jesus, His Spirit works in our hearts and minds to do that which we cannot do for ourselves, renewing us and transforming us into our true and best selves, the people God made us to be. Jesus promises the gifts of peace with God now and eternal life to all who respond to him in this way.

How do I find out more?

Get a copy of the Bible and read it. Ask God to help you understand it and apply it to your life.

The Bible is available online at Bible Gateway. This is the New International Version, which is a good translation that is easy to understand.

Come along to church. If you’re not in our area, get in touch with a church that believes the Bible is the word of God and is committed to teaching the Bible clearly and faithfully. Make sure that the teacher / preacher is showing you from the Bible where he is teaching from.

How do I respond to Jesus?

God knows you completely – even your deepest thoughts and feelings. You can talk to him in your mind and heart and he hears you. Pray to God and tell him that you believe in him and you’ve realised your wrongdoing and your guilty state before him. Tell him that you’re sorry for your sin and ask for his forgiveness. Commit yourself to growing as a follower of Jesus. This is spiritual growth in knowing God and living God’s way. It’s not something we can do alone, so you’ll need to ask God to help you do this by his Spirit, and get in touch with other Christians who can help you on the way.