Tag: salvation

  • 1 Corinthians 1:18

    “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” — 1 Corinthians 1:18

    When we share the gospel of LORD Jesus Christ, many people mock us or reject the message. Some say, “It’s not true,” or “I don’t need someone to save me, I can save myself.” Others insist there are many ways to be saved, not only through LORD Jesus Christ. Some even ask, “Why did LORD Jesus Christ have to die for us? Who asked Him to?” Some go as far as to joke that we’ll have a party in hell.

    The same kind of attitude we face today also existed in the Church of Corinth. Many sought to understand the wisdom behind the cross, yet the ways of God cannot be fully grasped by human reasoning. Paul spoke of this in his letter, saying, “We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory; which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory” (1 Corinthians 2:7–8). The cross was the hidden wisdom of God, a divine plan that satan could not comprehend it. satan believed that by crucifying the LORD Jesus Christ, he could end His mission. He thought that the death of Christ would stop the light from spreading and silence the voice that cast him out of those he had bound.

    From the moment the LORD Jesus Christ began His ministry the kingdom of satan started to tremble and fall. LORD Jesus Christ healed every sickness and diseases. Those who were bound by the devil were set free. He opened blind eyes, made the lame walk, and restored those who were broken in spirit. Every healing and every deliverance declared that the kingdom of God had come and that the power of darkness was being overthrown. Wherever the LORD Jesus Christ went, restoration followed. Miracles happened. Lives were transformed, chains were broken, and hope was restored. He cast out demons and stripped them of authority over mankind. He rebuked the winds and the waves, showing His dominion over all creation. satan despised this. He hated that the LORD Jesus Christ walked in authority, purity and holiness, showing us how we were meant to live as God originally created us before the fall. Unable to overcome Him in temptation or power, Satan entered the heart of Judas Iscariot to betray Him. He thought that by having LORD Jesus Christ beaten, spat upon, scourged, stripped naked and crucified on the cross, and counted among the notorious criminals, everything would return to his control. Yet what Satan meant for victory became his eternal defeat. The cross that Satan used as a weapon became the altar of his fall.

    In the time of the LORD Jesus Christ, the idea of a crucified Savior was not something people wanted to hear. Crucifixion was the most shameful and painful form of punishment, reserved only for the worst and most notorious criminals. To say that the God whom they served and followed had been crucified was unthinkable. To them, it sounded foolish and disgraceful. They said in their hearts, “You mean to tell me that the LORD Jesus Christ, who was crucified and counted as a criminal, is able to save me? How can He save others if He could not save Himself from the cross? You want me to follow Him and be treated as one of the condemned?”

    To the world, the cross was a symbol of defeat and shame. But to those who truly understand the message of the cross, it is the power of God to those who believe and are saved by it (1 Corinthians 1:18).

    The LORD Jesus Christ said that through the cross He would strip satan of his power and cast him out. “Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be cast out. And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Myself” (John 12:31–32). When the LORD Jesus Christ was lifted up on the cross, this prophecy was fulfilled. Satan’s power over humanity was broken. His authority to accuse and condemn was taken away. Through the LORD Jesus Christ death on the cross would draw every people’s heart to Him.

    Why are we drawn to Him? The apostle Peter declares, “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24). Upon that cross the LORD Jesus Christ carried the full weight of our sin and guilt. He took the record of our transgressions and nailed them there. As Paul wrote, “Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us, He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it” (Colossians 2:14–15). Before the cross, every sin stood recorded in the book of judgment in heaven. Each offense cried out for justice, and the law condemned us to death. Yet the LORD Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God took our place. The wrath that was due to us fell upon Him. The sentence that condemned us to hell was satisfied by His sacrifice. He bore our guilt and paid our debt in full. At that cross, the LORD Jesus Christ did not only remove our sin. He also stripped authority of darkness. All of satan’s accusations, every piece of evidence he held against us, all condemnation, even the curse of the law, and every legal right the enemy claimed over our lives were completely disarmed at the cross. The accuser of the brethren was silenced. The cross became a public display of his defeat. The cross became the courtroom of Heaven where the verdict was declared once and for all, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  Through His death, the LORD Jesus Christ destroyed the one who held the power of death. As it is written, “That through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil” (Hebrews 2:14).

    When the LORD Jesus Christ cried out, “It is finished,” the work of redemption was complete. The debt of sin for all mankind was paid in full. The record of our transgressions was blotted out, the evidence of our guilt destroyed. Sin could no longer hold its claim over us. The righteous wrath of God was satisfied. At that moment, the veil in the temple was torn from top to bottom, signifying that the separation between God and man was removed. Access to the Holy of Holies was opened, and through the blood of Jesus we received forgiveness and reconciliation the greatest gift of all.

    The blood of the LORD Jesus Christ, shed upon the cross and falling to the earth, speaks better things than the blood of Abel. It does not cry out for judgment, it proclaims reconciliation, forgiveness, restoration, and grace to all who believe.

    The LORD Jesus Christ endured the cross for the joy that was set before Him, knowing that through His sacrifice we would be redeemed and drawn back to Himself. He despised the shame, seeing beyond the suffering to the glory that would follow (Hebrews 12:2). To Him, the cross was not a mark of disgrace but the perfect demonstration of His great love for us.

    That cross stands as the immutable evidence of the love of the LORD Jesus Christ that transcends time, space and matter. His greatest love that no power in heaven nor on earth can separate us from. “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? …Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans‬ ‭8:35, 37-39‬)

    No wonder Paul declared his unwavering faith to the Corinthians, saying, “For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified” (1 Corinthians 2:2). And to the Galatians he wrote, “But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world” (Galatians 6:14). To those who are perishing, the message of the cross holds no value. They see it only through the eyes of the world, as something shameful, disgraceful, and foolish. But to Paul, and to all who believe, the cross is the greatest expression of God’s love. It is through the cross that the LORD Jesus Christ poured out His grace upon all humanity. What the world calls foolishness, God calls salvation. 


  • Romans 1:4

    “And declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.” — Romans 1:4

    Paul begins, before this passage, by saying that Jesus is the offspring of David according to the flesh. Paul emphasizes that Jesus came from a royal lineage the fulfillment of God’s covenant with King David that from his line would come One whose kingdom would reign forever (2 Samuel 7:12–13). Paul is declaring that Jesus is both fully human and fully God.

    Then Paul continues, “And declared to be the Son of God.” The word declared in Greek is “horizō,” meaning to ordain, determine, or appoint. Have you ever noticed this or asked the question, Why did Jesus have to be declared, ordained, or appointed to be the Son of God? Isn’t He already the eternal Son of God?

    There was no Son in heaven in the human sense before the incarnation. From the beginning, the Word of God existed eternally in the Father. John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” The Word was in the Father, His very expression, His divine self-revelation yet not yet revealed in human form as the Son, just as your word is not separate from you but comes out from within you.

    Then, in the fullness of time, that Word stepped into His own creation. The angel told Mary that the Holy Spirit would come upon her, and the power of the Most High would overshadow her. The child conceived in her womb would be called the Son of God. In that moment, the invisible Word took on visible flesh. John wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” This is where we begin to understand why Jesus was determined, declared, and appointed to be the Son of God, when He took on humanity. In taking on flesh, He humbled Himself, just as Paul said in Philippians, “though He was in the form of God, He made Himself of no reputation and was made in the likeness of men.” He was born of a woman, born under the law, so that He could redeem us who were under the law and make us sons and daughters of God (Galatians 4:4–5).

    Through His incarnation, the Word was revealed as the Son, God in human form so that we, through faith in Him, might become children of God. As John writes, “To all who received Him, to those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become the sons of God (John 1:12).” And Paul adds, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus (Galatians 3:2).” This is one of the most important parts of God’s redemptive plan. He had to put on human flesh for a reason. First, the earth He gave to the sons of men for dominion and authority (Psalm 115:16). Second, without the shedding of blood there is no remission of sins (Hebrews 9:22). God has no blood, but man does. This is also what we can understand in Colossians 1:18, when Paul says that Jesus is “the firstborn from the dead.” Why He is “firstborn from the dead”? Paul explains this in the book of Romans through Adam’s transgression, death came upon all men (Romans 5:12). Adam brought sin and death into the world, and because of that, we were all spiritually dead. In Luke 3:38, Adam himself is called “the son of God,” yet he died because he transgressed God’s command. His disobedience brought separation and death to all humanity.

    Then came Jesus, the second Adam who obeyed perfectly, even unto death mark a new beginning for mankind. He became “the firstborn from the dead.” This is where we begin to understand what Paul meant when he said, “Declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness.” For the Lord Jesus was not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:13). A body was prepared for Him by God Himself, as it is written, “Wherefore when He cometh into the world, He saith, Sacrifice and offering Thou wouldest not, but a body hast Thou prepared Me” (Hebrews 10:5). And Paul also declares, “The first man is of the earth, earthy; the second man is the Lord from heaven” (1 Corinthians 15:47). This is where we understand that God was preparing a holy body and a pure blood. A body not continuing the corrupted flesh of Adam who transgressed. He created a new, undefiled flesh, made from heaven, and placed it in the womb of Mary. That is why the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary because He was forming a body that would become the perfect sacrifice for sin, one that would satisfy God’s wrath against man’s transgressions. And this is where we truly understand the words of John the Baptist, who declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29). Jesus was like a Lamb that is pure, spotless, and holy prepared by God Himself to bear the sins of all mankind

    God not only prepared the body of Jesus to bear our sins, but He also declared Him to be the Son, so that through Him we all obtain sonship. “For whom He did foreknow, He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Romans 8:29) Through Jesus Christ, we were adopted into the family of God, redeemed by His blood and accepted in His grace. “Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to Himself…” (Ephesians 1:5)

    Now we can fully understand more clearly what Paul meant when he said, “by the resurrection from the dead.” Because the power of the resurrection of the Lord destroyed the power of death, which is the wages of sin (Romans 6:23). When He rose, we rose with Him. As Paul said, As Paul said, “If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: [We are no longer counted under Adam’s lineage] old things are passed away [Paul refer to Adam’s transgression that brought sin and separation from God] behold, all things are become new [in Him we have obtained a new life, new nature, and restored fellowship with our Heavenly Father] (2 Corinthians 5:17).

    Jesus was declared to be the Son of God for you and me. The purpose of His sacrifice was not only to redeem us from sin, but to restore our rightful position as sons and daughters of God. Through His death and resurrection, Jesus brought us back into fellowship with our Abba Father, so that we might dwell with Him in His Kingdom forever.

    Now, because you are a child of God, you have direct access to the Father in every situation whether in need, in struggle, or in confusion. Everything you will ever need can only be found in Him, for God alone is our source, our provider, and our help. Do not be deceived into thinking you are far from God. Jesus has brought us near to the Father. We are no longer distant or separated. This right cannot be taken away from us, it is a gift, not of our works, but by the grace of God. (Ephesians 2:8)

    The only way to lose this fellowship is to reject or turn away from the truth, but for those who believe and remain in Him, our place as sons and daughters is secure forever.

  • John 10:7–9 

    Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture.” – John 10:7–9 

    He uses the imagery of a shepherd and his sheep to illustrate His relationship with those who believe in Him. For us to understand the illustration from the Lord, we must first visualize what the structure of a sheepfold is. A sheepfold had no roof, only four walls and one gate or door. Sometimes it was built next to the owner’s house; other times, it stood out in the open fields.

    That single door was intentionally designed for the safety and protection of the sheep. Sheep are among the most helpless of all animals. They spend their days grazing, wandering from place to place without ever looking up, and as a result, they often become lost. Unlike other animals, sheep have no sense of direction or homing instinct. Even when the fold is within sight, they cannot find their way back on their own. By nature, they are followers, if one sheep steps off a cliff, the rest will follow without hesitation. They are easily injured and completely defenseless against predators. If a wolf enters the pen, they will not fight or flee; instead, they will huddle together, making themselves easy prey. If a sheep falls into moving water, it will drown. 

    Sound familiar? In many ways, we are just like sheep, wandering, vulnerable, and in desperate need of a Shepherd to guide, protect, and rescue us.

    So the structure of the sheepfold was deliberately created for their safety, four walls, one door, complete protection.

    In the ancient Near East, sheepfolds often had a single opening “a door or gate”, that served as both the entrance and the exit. At night, the shepherd would lay his body across that opening, protecting the sheep from harm and keeping them safe from thieves and predators. By doing this, the shepherd literally became the door. Jesus is declaring that He Himself is that Door. Just as there was only one entrance to the sheepfold, there is only one way to be saved and that through Jesus Christ. He is the Door through which we must enter to find safety, security, and salvation.

    When Jesus says, “I am the Door,” He makes a bold statement about the exclusivity of salvation. Just as there is only one way into the sheep pen, there is only one way into the kingdom of God. There are many religions in the world and many supposed ways to reach God, but there is only one gate. Salvation is found in no one else except Jesus Christ. He is the gate for the sheep.

    “This is the gate of the Lord, through which the righteous shall enter.” – Psalm 118:20 

    That gate is Jesus. He said the same truth again in

    “Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.’” – John 14:6

    These are not popular words in a diverse culture such as ours, but they remain the truth. Jesus is the one and only way to the Father. He is the Gate, and only those who enter through Christ will be saved.

    Why is Jesus the only way to salvation? Because we are all sinners, and the wages of sin is death. Only Jesus offers the solution for sin.

    “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” – Romans 6:23

    He died on the cross in our place, paying the penalty for our sins so that we could receive forgiveness and salvation through Him. There is no other way. As Paul writes in Galatians,

    “…for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.”” Galatians‬ ‭2:21‬ ‭

    But Christ did not die in vain. He died for you and I, so that we may be saved. He is the Gate for the sheep. Salvation comes through Jesus alone.

    When Jesus says, “All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers,” He is referring to those who were used by satan to steal the sheep from God. Anyone who tries to enter the sheepfold by any means other than the gate is a thief and a robber. In the same way, if someone enters a house without using the door, that person is not the owner but a thief. Likewise, anyone who tries to lead God’s people apart from Christ is also a thief and a robber. How can anyone truly lead others without having fellowship with the Lord Jesus Himself? We are all followers of Jesus, and as you and I continue to follow Him daily, Anyone we invited into the Kingdom of God , We all led them to follow Jesus, not us, but Him. Because He is the Gate for the sheep. Salvation comes through Jesus alone.

    In context, the Lord Jesus was speaking about the Pharisees, who were also spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins. They tried to offer people spiritual life apart from Him. But how can anyone lead others to salvation without first recognizing their own sin and their need for a Savior? How can we offer direction to someone who is lost when we ourselves are lost as well? Jesus said,

    “Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into the ditch?” – Luke 6:39,

    Remember, one of the defining characteristics of sheeps is that they only listen to their shepherd voice. Just as the sheep spend their days listening to their shepherd’s voice as he speaks to them, guides them, and cares for their needs, they come to know his voice because they hear it every day. In the same way, those who truly know God and seek after Him will not listen to anyone who tries to lead them away from Jesus. But those who listen to false teachers show that they do not belong to God’s flock.

    In ancient Israel, shepherds often mixed their flocks together at night. In the morning, each shepherd would call out, and his sheep would follow his voice, because they recognized it. Even today, Middle Eastern shepherds can separate their flocks simply by calling them. The sheep know their shepherd’s voice because they hear it daily. Likewise, those who truly belong to Christ recognize His voice through His Word and Spirit.

    When Jesus says, “If anyone enters by Me,” we are reminded that God is sovereign, yet He never uses His sovereignty to control or dominate us. Instead, He always gives us a choice. He extends an open invitation to everyone, it doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, or what you’ve done. God wants each of us to decide whether to accept His offer of salvation or not. This is a promise of salvation for anyone who is willing to enter. But notice, there is an action required on our part. We must enter through the Door. We have to take that step of faith, an active faith that responds to His call.

    Then the Lord goes on to say: “He will come in and go out, and find pasture”. Some people get confused about this part of the illustration. If Jesus is the gateway to salvation, what does He mean by “going in and out through the gate”? Is He talking about gaining and losing salvation?

    Does the purpose of the pen is to keep the sheep safe and protected, not to trap them inside. Do the sheep ever go out without their shepherd? Of course not.

    “Coming in and going out” does not refer to eternal life but to the quality of life we experience through Christ. It is not a picture of gaining and losing salvation, but of freedom in Him. “Coming in” represents the safety and rest the sheep experience when they enter the fold for the night, while “going out” represents our daily walk with Him, this is where our training happens. It’s where He teaches us to recognize His voice, to trust His guidance, and to follow His lead.

    As the psalmist wrote,

    “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters” Psalm 23:2

    The Lord doesn’t just offer us salvation to secure our eternity; He also gives us peace, provision, and guidance in our daily lives. Salvation is not only about being rescued from sin, it’s about being led into a life of abundance in His presence.

    Jesus said,

    …I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundant – John 10:10.

    Because when we come to the LORD Jesus for salvation, He doesn’t stop at forgiving our sins; He also restores our relationship with the Father and fills our lives with His goodness.
    Think about it, what loving Father would delight in seeing His children, who have accepted His salvation, live in pain, lack, or constant fear? Of course not. Our Heavenly Father is a good, good Father. He loves His children and desires what is best for them. Because He is good, He will never give us anything that will harm us or lead us away from Him. Even when He allows trials to come, they are never meant to destroy us but to give us hope and future.

    Today, Jesus is inviting you to enter through His Door. 

  • Luke 22:42

    “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” – Luke 22:42

    In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed in deep anguish. His sweat turned into drops of blood Three times He cried, “Father, if it’s possible, take this cup from Me”—the cup of God’s wrath to be taken away.

    But He knew what was coming. The betrayal, not just from Judas, but the heartbreak of watching His disciples run away.

    The denial. The spit on His face. The mocking. 

    The scourging—lashes that would tear His flesh so deeply you could see bone. The Bible says His form was marred beyond human likeness.

    A crown of thorns driven into His skull.

    The cross—reserved for the most notorious criminals 

    The greatest pain of all? Heaven would turn its face away

    He knew all of this. Yet He didn’t run. He didn’t stop. He submitted to the Father’s will.

    He took all the wrath of God so we don’t have to face it.

    He chose to be counted as a sinner so we could be made righteous.

    He descended into hell and took the keys of death.

    He conquered death so we wouldn’t have to.

    He gave His life so we can have life—eternal life.

    He let the Father forsake Him so we would never be forsaken.

    Jesus also showed us the heart of a true child of God;

    A heart that trusts the Father’s plan even when it hurts.

    A heart that submits even when we don’t understand.

    A heart willing to lay down our lives for others.

    A heart that lets go of our plans to embrace His greater purpose.

    This is what it means to follow Him:

    To forgive when we want revenge.

    To obey even when it costs us everything.

    To say “Your will be done,” even when it breaks us.

    To love people who hurt us, because Jesus loved us first.

    To pick up our cross daily and trust that His way is better than ours.

    Think about this:

    If Jesus prayed for the wrath to pass and the Father did not remove it, that means there is no other way for salvation or redemption.

    Works can’t save you. Religion can’t save you. Wealth can’t save you.

    “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Only Jesus!!!