Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Jesus Christ
Cross
Sacrifice of Love,
Jesus Christ
Cross
All rights reserved. Lifestream International Ministries. Free use of this material is permitted for reproduction
and electronic or print distribution for non-commercial educational purposes. You may not alter this work or
use this work for commercial purposes. Sale of this publication in any format is prohibited.
For information, e-mail Publications@LifestreamInternationalMinistries.org, or send written inquiries to
Lifestream International Ministries Publications, P.O. Box 2131, Sanford, Florida, 32772-2131.
Published materials from Lifestream International Ministries are available at our website,
www.LifestreamInternationalMinistries.org in Portable Document Format (PDF) for free sharing or
downloading. Non-commercial use of authored materials for educational purposes, church, and private
reading is permitted.
Published in Sanford, Florida by Lifestream International Ministries, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked "KJV" are from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge, 1769.
Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV.
Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved
worldwide. www.zondervan.com The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the
United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.
Scripture quotations marked (AMP) are taken from the Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964,
1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Preface .
God of Deliverance 13
16
19
20
21
22
23
11 Appendices . 24
Appendix A: Biblical Word Definitions .. 25
Appendix B: Scripture Study References . 33
The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is one of sacrifice, love and hope for
humanity. There is hope for people in all the earth because of Gods unfailing plan of
redemption through His Son Jesus, the Messiah, who came to save all who believe in Him
from the condemnation, bondage, slavery, darkness, and degradation of sin.
Through Jesus Christ, you can triumph over all evil that is meant to harm or destroy
you. Jesus Christ has covered our sins through His Blood, and is ready to forgive you if you
believe in Him. He has overcome the Devil, all evil, and the power of death, hell, and the
grave, making it possible for those who trust and believe in Him to be restored to a life free
of sin and its consequences.
The principle of salvation is founded in having faith in Jesus Christ and the sacrifice
that He made for us on the Cross.
For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He [even] gave up His only
begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts in, clings to, relies on) Him shall not
perish (come to destruction, be lost) but have eternal (everlasting) life.
For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge (to reject, to condemn, to pass
sentence on) the world, but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound
through Him.
1.
2.
2a.
2b.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Introduction to Salvation
Humankinds descent from God, and the loss of the privileged close presence, peace,
and rest of God, ushered in decreased lifespans upon the earth, resulting in physical death.
Sin, which encompasses all disobedience and rebellion against all that is of God, calls for
the separation of the Holy from the unholy. It was because of the rebellion, which God
foresaw, that He implemented a way to restore humanity to fellowship with Him.
The good news for humankind, which is the message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, is
that because of Gods immeasurable love for His Creation, He had already determined a
way for restoration and regeneration of repentant humans, returning us to the gracious
blessing of having relationship with Him as our Father. Because God is Holy and only that
which is pure, and free from sin, can enter His presence, His Divine strategy was to give His
only begotten, sinless Son, Jesus Christ, as the Redeemer for the world. As our substitute He
would endure the wrath and punishment that mans sinful nature deserved. The blood of
Jesus was and is the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice that would ransom mankind from
the condition of sin.
Jesus Christ, in loving submission to the will of Father God, gave Himself, so that we
through His sacrificial blood atonement, could once again have access to eternal life in Him,
no longer subject to the death sentence of separation from God. Jesus Christ, sent by God
and knowing no sin,8 took upon Himself all of the sins of humanity and suffered the wrath
of God that sin merited. He died because of the condemnation and judgment that was due
to our iniquity.9
Jesus came into this world, born of a woman,9a so that in human form He could die in
our place in order to make atonement to God for our sins through the shedding of His
blood. Christ came as the fulfillment of the Mosaic Law and the Old Testament Sacrificial
System. To establish the New Covenant, Jesus Christ came as the lamb of God9b whose
blood was shed and carried by the Lord Himself, our faithful High Priest,9c into the Most
Holy Place in heaven, to atone for the sins of humanity once and for all.
8.
9.
9a.
9b.
9c.
Introduction to Salvation
At the time of His crucifixion, Jesus was arrested by Roman soldiers, tried before the
Council, beaten and scourged severely, crowned with thorns, mocked, spit upon, and finally
crucified on the Cross at a place called Golgotha. 10 His blood was copiously shed
throughout this excruciating experience of suffering. No mere mortal could have borne this
punishment. Jesus was then buried in a borrowed sepulcher, and three days later, Gods
Power raised Him from the dead, thereby demonstrating to the world, Jews and Gentiles
alike, that Jesus is the Messiah, the only One through whom mankind can be saved.10a
The power of death and the grave were defeated because of Christs resurrection.
The Lord God made an open show of Satan, the god of this fallen world, proving that
Gods power working through Jesus Christ had overcome the power of death, the grave, and
hell. Jesus now has the keys of hell and of death. Christ, being raised from the dead, never
dies again because death has no more dominion over Him.10b Satans dominion over the life
of a Believer in Christ Jesus has been ended through the blood, the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ. God continues to have victory over death and over all the
power of Satan and his demons.
Jesus Christ gave His life as the only acceptable sacrifice to God so that the children of
God, forgiven of their sins, could exercise dominion in the earth as heirs of the inheritance,
through the authority given by the Lord Jesus Christ, who has been given all power in
heaven and earth. Jesus arose from the dead to live forever as our faithful High Priest,
Savior, and Lord.
Because He suffered in the body and experienced every temptation that we as human
beings experience, He is able to intercede effectively for us with the Father, saving us
completely from the evils that threaten to cause us to sin or destroy us. Jesus, through His
Spirit living in us, is able to keep us from falling away from eternal life in the Father.11
Without God in this world, all humans are without hope. No matter how fulfilling and
successful ones life may seem to be without a relationship with God and Jesus Christ, the
true reality of its superficial nature is always revealed; that reliance on ones own abilities,
wealth, and accomplishments is ultimately futile and empty. Human wisdom and intellect,
and the things of this world, including its structured systems, have the ability to deteriorate
and fail. God gives us true wisdom, skill, and prosperous paths, which far exceed the
limitations of human ingenuity and understanding.
10.
10a.
10b.
11.
Introduction to Salvation
God never fails and cannot fail. Christ dwelling within you guarantees your salvation
and deliverance in the evil times. In troubles, He reveals to you the way of escape and the
solutions to problems. God may miraculously deliver you from humanly impossible
circumstances. He increases your understanding and knowledge so that His purposes for
you in the earth may be accomplished.
Deliverance out of oppressive situations may take time, but if you are in Christ and He
is in you, you can be assured that the Lord is always working on your behalf. There is no
true solution, salvation and deliverance from the evils of this world without Jesus Christ
who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Conquest over sin only comes through faith in
Christ and the victory that He won for us at the Cross. His Mission was accomplished: His
shed blood paid the price for humanity to be freed from the prison of bondage to sin,
thereby defeating Satans ability to hold humans captive as condemned sinners.
Salvation is the gift that God has provided to humanity through His Son Jesus Christ.
Salvation means that anyone who believes in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, and turns
away from sin with a repentant heart, receives forgiveness of sins and is no longer under
the curse of eternal condemnation and estrangement from God. A person saved through
Christ is no longer without God in the world; no longer hopeless, despairing, desperate and
unshielded from destruction.
The word salvation means to save, to deliver from slavery or imprisonment, to protect
or preserve safe from danger, loss or destruction. It also means to make whole, to heal or
restore to health, to deliver out of physical death, to be healed; to recover. God is the One
who accomplishes salvation for the repentant Believer. He delivers us from the
consequences of sin and brings us into a more abundant life of gladness and prosperity
spiritually and naturally.
Jesus saves His people from the guilt and power of sin. He purges your life and
conscience from the sins that would condemn you, or cause you to blame yourself for past
failures, catastrophes, and disappointments. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior brings
you into the family of God by enabling you to be born again of the Spirit of God, becoming a
new, living being in Christ whose sins have been pardoned and taken away by His blood.
Prior to forgiveness of our sins, we are considered dead in our transgressions
(disobedient to the laws of God). We are considered as dead because the state or condition
of sin separates us from the only Source of Life, the Lord God. Anything or anyone apart
from God cannot live eternally.
In the unregenerate, sinful nature, people are subject to practicing sins (or works) of
the flesh (the carnal nature before being saved), such as fornication, adultery (all sexual
immorality), lying, stealing, uncleanness, lewdness (filthiness, obscenity, vulgarity,
profanity), idolatry (anything worshipped, reverenced or admired more than God), hatred,
strife, envying, drunkenness, among others to name.12 This sin nature is supposed to be
rendered ineffective in the life and heart of the one who becomes saved through Jesus
Christ. The sin nature is to no longer be able to rule this individuals behavior.
The old self is to remain crucified with Christ (buried with Him in His death on the
Cross), and it is to remain dead as Christ Jesus lives through us as we believe on Him and
His Work at the Cross.
No one can enter the kingdom of heaven if their sins have not been forgiven through
Jesus Christ. Belief in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ at the Cross at Calvary is the only way to
receive forgiveness of sin and access to the Father. We are in Christ through faith.12a Once
you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are brought from death to life, made alive in
Him.13 Jesus paid the price and penalty for our sins, becoming our replacement, laying aside
His heavenly splendor and becoming a curse, according to the will of God the Father. His
gift of salvation restores all who believe in Him to a right standing with God.
At the start of salvation, you experience a personal encounter with the Lord, a unique
encounter, recognizing that He has made a change in you and believing in faith that God has
forgiven your sins.14 You pass from death to life spiritually, from the kingdom of Satan,
being ruled by the power of sin and darkness, to the kingdom of God, now ruled by the lifegiving power of God and His righteousness.15
The saved individual makes passage from Satans dominion to Gods dominion; from
darkness to light.16 In Satans evil kingdom one is spiritually dead, subject to the sinful
nature and under the influence of demonic powers and evil principalities. In the sinful
nature, ones way of life exhibits disobedience to the righteous standards of God. After the
Lord converts the repentant Believer into His kingdom, he or she has access to the Power of
God and a personal relationship with Him through Jesus Christ. Christ confers upon
Believers the power to become the sons of God.17
Because of Gods righteous nature, Divine authority, and Sovereignty as Judge of all of
His creation, He must judge and punish sin. In the sinful, unregenerate (not repentant,
obstinate, unyielding) condition, man is subject to the punishment for sin, which is death.18
Christs sacrificial death for us atoned for, or made amends with God, for our sins thereby
making it possible for us, through belief in Him, to be saved from the penalty of eternal
death that we would have normally incurred.19 Jesus Christ Himself rescued us from the
judgment that was due to humanity.
The Lord is faithful to complete the salvation of the Believer by delivering the child of
God from the bondage, the power, and rule of sin over his or her life. Adopted into the
family of God, you come into fellowship with the Holy Spirit who lives in you to do the work
of sanctification (purification to make one holy and free from sin). The Holy Spirit within
you witnesses with your spirit that you have a special relationship with God as your Father
and with Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.20
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
Once you receive the gift of salvation by having faith in Jesus Christ as the Son of God
and your Redeemer, you must consider yourself dead to sin, meaning that your life is no
longer controlled by former sinful desires that influence your actions. You are dead to
this carnal nature and now live for Christ. You have died and buried your old life, the sinful
self, and are born again with a new spiritual nature, to live in loving obedience to the
teachings and commands of Jesus Christ and the Father. The death and burial of your
former sinful nature, and the new life imparted to you by God is a testimony of your faith as
a Believer, exemplifying the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. You have become
a new being in Christ Jesus, His Spirit also now dwelling within you.21
As Christians, we are not to yield to the former temptations that once enticed us to sin,
but are to depend on the power of the Holy Spirit to give us strength to resist these lures.22
The Lord Jesus Christ has overcome the world and all sin and temptation that would cause
you to fall from the grace of God. His presence in you enables you to overcome any evil with
which you are tempted.23 We are required as children of God to separate ourselves from
sin24 and everything that would corrupt or interfere with our walk with God.25
Ask the Father for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, the Power of God by which you live a
holy and pure life in this world of proliferating immorality.26 We are to serve the Lord with
our whole heart and demonstrate His love and righteousness in the earth for the
advancement of Gods kingdom against Satan and his kingdom of wickedness.27
All Christians strive toward the goal of our future salvation, when Christ delivers us
from Gods coming wrath on the ungodly. Saints of God will reign with Christ and share in
His glory.28 The Lord will reward the faithful who have overcome the world.29 Believers
must take care not to forfeit this future salvation. Regard all warnings, instruction,
discipline, and correction that God sends to you through His Word and through His people.
Those who rebel against Gods commands and righteousness will not enter the Kingdom of
God. He admonishes and guides us in order to build within us a holy character and nature
that is like His, transforming us into the image of His Son.30
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
Romans 6:1-14.
Romans 8:1-17. John 8:31-32; 14:21. 2 Timothy 3:15-17.
John 16:33. 1 John 2:13-14. 1 John 4:4; 5:4. Revelation 2:7, 11; 3:5, 12, 21; 17:14.
Romans 6:1-14.
Acts 2:40. 2 Corinthians 6:17-18.
Acts 2:33-39. Ephesians 5:18.
2 Corinthians 10:4-5. Ephesians 6:11-18. 1 Peter 5:8-9.
Romans 8:2-30. 1 Corinthians 15:49.
Revelation 2:7.
Romans 8:29. Romans 12:9-21. 1 Corinthians 1:9; 9:24-27. Philippians 2:12-16. 2 Peter 1:5-11.
Hebrews 1:1-4. Hebrews 5:8. Hebrews 12:1. 2 Corinthians 4:3-4. Colossians 1:13-17; 3:5-11.
In order for your sins to be forgiven and to be made right with God, you begin with
accepting Jesus Christ as Savior, believing that He is the Way to salvation, the Way to the
Father. You must confess your sins to God, and acknowledge that Jesus Christ is the Son of
God, and that He died for your sins, being raised from the dead to live eternally.
Repentance is the first step to being pardoned of your sins so that you may enter into the
presence of God through the blood of Jesus Christ.
In the Book of Acts, chapter 2, verse 38, the apostle Peter proclaims the Word of the
Lord: And Peter answered them, Repent (change your views and purpose to accept the will
of God in your inner selves instead of rejecting it) and be baptized, every one of you, in the
name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of and release from your sins; and you shall receive
the gift of the Holy Spirit. (AMP, Amplified Bible, KJV)
The gift of the Holy Spirit is a promise to all who believe in Christ Jesus. The Holy Spirit
indwells us and enables us to live as children of God in the earth, and does the work of
cleansing, purifying, and refining our spirits, hearts and minds.
The word of confession for repentance is found in the following Scriptures.
{Scriptures are from the New International Version [NIV] of the Holy Bible}
Romans 10:9-10
(9) That if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God
raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (10) For it is with your heart that you believe and
are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved. [NIV]
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all
unrighteousness. [NIV]
Proverbs 28:13
He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds
mercy. [NIV]
Salvation
Prayer of Salvation
There are many Scriptures in God's Word that will show you His provision of salvation.
According to the Scriptures referenced above, if you pray in sincerity to the Lord, He will hear and
come to dwell within you, saving you from Satan's kingdom of darkness and bringing you into the
kingdom of God. The following prayer is an example, based on the Word, which you may follow as
you pray. The Lord may speak to your spirit during prayer and guide you accordingly in the
confession of sins.
"LORD God, I confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, the Son of God who died for my sins. I believe in my heart
that you raised Him from the dead. I confess my sins to you, asking for forgiveness, and I receive your
mercy. Thank you Lord Jesus that your blood cleanses me from all unrighteousness. I accept you into
my heart as Lord and Savior of my life. Amen."
After you have prayed the prayer of salvation, you receive Christ Jesus as your Lord and Savior,
and you are saved through the blood of Jesus. The Holy Spirit will come to live in you and continue
the work of purging you of all that is not like God. Through your study of the Holy Scriptures, which
are the voice and will of God, your mind will be washed, transformed and renewed. Ask the Lord to
direct your path to a place of worship where God's Word is being taught and demonstrated in truth,
holiness, in love, and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Salvation
As a true disciple of Jesus Christ, you have put to death your old identity and its sinful
inclinations and desires. The immoral character, behaviors, patterns of thought, and
communications in which you used to engage must now be abandoned so that your life
represents who you are supposed to be as a child of God. The Spirit of God gives you the
power and the ability to overcome these former ways. Your strength in this overcoming
power remains in the fact that Jesus Christ has already overcome the issues that His people
experience in the world.31 The Lord Jesus Christ has deprived the world of the power to
harm those who believe in Him. He has conquered the world and made it possible for His
followers to have victory in this life.31a
Your responsibility as a true Believer is not only to profess Jesus Christ, but to live and
act according to His righteous teachings so that your life is a shining example to those who
do not know Christ. You must purpose in your heart and mind that you will allow God to do
the work of purification within you, making you holy, and that you are committed to living
a life pleasing to God.32 You continue to mature in God by learning, through His Word, what
He requires of His children in regard to moral character and righteous behavior and
attitude. His holy character is built up in you as you continue to pursue a righteous life in
Christ through loving obedience to God and His Word.
Scripture gives testimony of how Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry,
demonstrated that He is the Savior, the Messiah, sent from God. He cast out demonic spirits,
bringing salvation to those who sought Him, delivering them and restoring them to a state
of wholeness. Jesus Christ, who God raised from the dead to live forever, is the same today
as He was then.32a He continues to deliver individuals from demonic possession and
oppression. In the Name of Jesus Christ, in which all authority exists over all the powers of
the Devil, demonic spirits are cast out. Jesus also gave this authority to His disciples.
The following are some of the Scriptures that speak of the power and authority of Jesus
Christ over all the power of the enemy. [Scriptures taken from the New International Version [NIV] of
the Holy Bible].
Matthew 8:28-33 (see also Luke 8:26-36)
When he arrived at the other side in the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed
men coming from the tombs met him. They were so violent that no one could pass that way.
29
What do you want with us, Son of God? they shouted. Have you come here to torture
us before the appointed time?
30
Some distance from them a large herd of pigs was feeding. 31 The demons begged Jesus,
If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.
32
He said to them, Go! So they came out and went into the pigs, and the whole herd
rushed down the steep bank into the lake and died in the water. 33 Those tending the pigs
ran off, went into the town and reported all this, including what had happened to the
demon-possessed men.
28
Matthew 9:32-33
While they were going out, a man who was demon-possessed and could not talk was
brought to Jesus.
33
And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was
amazed and said, Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.
32
God of Deliverance
That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed.
The whole town gathered at the door, 34 and Jesus healed many who had various
diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because
they knew who he was.
32
33
God of Deliverance
Mark 16:15-18
He said to them, Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be
condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will
drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their
hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their
hands on sick people, and they will get well.
15
16
John 12:31
Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be
driven out. 32 But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself.
31
Living for God is a joyful experience for the true Believer. Even during challenges, hard
times and difficulties, the security of having Christ as Lord and Savior removes the effect
that the stresses of living in this fallen world can bring. Because you belong to Jesus Christ,
you can go directly to God in prayer, knowing that Jesus has qualified you as righteous
according to His atonement for your sin. As a former sinner, you did not have the privilege
to receive into your life the blessings and grace that God gives as a result of the Lord Jesus
finishing all that was necessary to save you from every consequence of sin.
Each day of your life, purpose in your mind and heart that you will live for Christ in
every way. Determine that you will do that which is pleasing to Him according to His
teachings and righteous standards in His Word. Success in this is not achieved by the
cleverness of humanistic methods and beliefs, or by self-help solutions. This is attained by
the total surrender of your life to Christ Jesus who will give you the power and desire to
obey Him in your attitudes, behaviors and decisions.
Your life as a Christian is not to consist of a repetitive cycle of sinning and repenting.
God is merciful and longsuffering; however He also searches the hearts and intents of
men.32b One who shuns the sacrifice that Christ made on the Cross by yielding to sinful
behaviors repeatedly demonstrates to God their unbelief in the grace, sanctity and power
of Gods gift of salvation. Jesus died to save you from these very sins.
As humans, we may experience weakness in many areas of life; however we do not
have to fail and must not use weakness as an excuse to deliberately sin. We are to be dead
to sin, having died with Christ on the Cross, being raised to a new life in Him. We no longer
have contact with that to which we are dead. We do not overcome the sin nature in our
own strength, but in the strength of the Lord.32c Our faith is not in ourselves but in Christ
and the Work that He finished for us at the Cross. Our faith may be tested at some points in
our lives, but we must never let go of faith in Christ, who brought us out of darkness.
This is the key to living a righteous life before God. Know and remember each day that
Jesus Christ has already defeated Satan and all evil powers at the Cross at Calvary. He took
away the Devils legal right to hold you captive, in bondage to sin and dark ways of life. The
blood that Jesus shed during His crucifixion made forgiveness of sin possible for every
individual who would believe in Him. By faith in Jesus Christ and His blood atonement,
your sins are forgiven. You have been absolved of the sin that would give Satan the right to
hold you captive in his kingdom. Regardless of your past, you have been forgiven (cleared,
released, freed, liberated) from your sins through faith in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit then
does the work in your heart and life to make you a holy child of God.
You are no longer a slave to sin, but a servant to Righteousness, living for the Most High
God. God now sees you in His Son Jesus, your sins covered by His blood, with righteousness
imparted to you. The Father, through Jesus Christ, receives you as His son or daughter. This
is your confidence in living a true Christian life, regardless of what life circumstances may
present.
It is when we forget this magnificent gift of God that we fall prey to temptations that
the Devil sends to us. Some fall away, returning to a degenerate sinful state, rejecting the
price that Christ paid for their salvation. Losing faith in Christ Jesus means rejection of the
only Way to be saved. God does not take away an individuals salvation, but rather, one can
make the choice to reject the Way through unbelief.
Unbelief is a sin of the heart and is demonstrated to God by ones conduct and life
choices. Continuing to act in a way that opposes all that God considers right is the
demonstration and expression of unbelief, which excludes a person from the promises of
God. The end result of being ruled by the sin nature is death and eternal separation from
God. Ones soul would live eternally in hell.
Surrender yourself to God; resist (refuse to accept; refuse to go along with, refuse to
give in to, withstand, be proof against, avoid, refrain, abstain from) the Devil, and he will
flee from you.32d This is what the Lord Jesus did during His temptation in the wilderness. He
submitted His will to God and resisted the lures of the Devil with the truth of Gods Word.32e
Once you have received Jesus Christ into your life, His power helps you to resist and
renounce the desires of the sin nature (the flesh). God does not tempt His people because
God cannot be tempted with evil. If one sins then, he is led away to do so by his own lustful
desires.32f As a true disciple of Jesus Christ, your desire should be to decline any invitation
to engage in immoral deeds.
32d. James 4:7.
32e. Matthew 4:1-11.
32f. James 1:13-15.
As a Christian, you must also be aware of one of the greatest forces of the sin nature,
which the Word of God addresses as lust. Lust is a strong desire of any kind, whether it
relates to appetite, physical desires, or an intense desire for power. You are able to
overcome any evil temptation of lust by knowing and trusting that Jesus Christ won this
victory for you already, by atoning for sin of every nature and defeating Satans power to
rule the desires that originate in the hearts of individuals. Jesus Christ through the Holy
Spirit reigns in the hearts of the born again Believer and overpowers the sin nature as we
yield ourselves to His rule and sovereignty.
Victorious living for the Believer is defined by the Word of God which prescribes the
order in which we are to live. The Scriptures declare that the New Covenant with God and
His people has been established through the Finished Work of Jesus Christ at the Cross and
by His great Sacrifice for all who believe in Him. The blood and the Cross of Jesus Christ is
the answer to sin.32g
Remaining triumphant every day of your life is not accomplished by your own
strength, ability, or willpower, but by your sincere belief in Jesus Christ and His Grace, and
understanding that He already conquered sin and defeated Satan for your sake. If you are
struggling with certain enticements to sin, remind yourself of why you do not have to yield
yourself to the sin - because Christ has overcome this and the Holy Spirit lives in you to give
you the power necessary to remain strong and submitted to God.
Jesus Christ attained our salvation by paying a ransom with His life and the shedding of
His priceless blood. Fallen humanity, alienated from God, had to be redeemed bought
back from the bondage and power of sin.33 In the sinful condition, human beings are under
the dominion, or rule and authority, of satanic powers.34
Anyone who remains unrepentant, whose sins have not been forgiven through
redemption in Jesus Christ, is still a slave to sin35 and is in need of deliverance from the
guilt of sin, its power, and the punishment that it merits.36 Believers who are in Christ Jesus
(who have received His gift of salvation) are not condemned under the Law of Sin and
death, but are under the Law of the Spirit and of grace.37
Jesus Christ paid the price to free us from the captivity of sin by shedding His blood and
giving His life as a substitute sacrifice for us.38 Redemption through the blood atonement of
Jesus Christ means that we are free from the law - from its legalistic ordinances which
could not be kept completely and perfectly by humans. Christ Jesus is the only One who
was and is able to fulfill the law completely and perfectly. He came to fulfill all of the Law.39
As Believers in Christ, we are considered justified before God because all of the
commandments of God have been fulfilled by His only begotten Son. Since human beings
could not keep the Mosaic Law in its entirety because the Power of God did not reside
within the worshipper under the Old Testament, Jesus Christ came to fulfill the Law. He
kept the Law perfectly for us. He covers us with His perfect obedience as we trust in Him,
having faith in Him as our Savior and Lord.
We have a new freedom in our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and are able to live righteously
and obey Him freely by following His commandments, the greatest of which is to love one
another.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
Romans 3:10-18.
Acts 10:38; 26:18.
Romans 6:6; 7:14.
Acts 26:18. Romans 1:18; 6:1-18, 23. Ephesians 5:8. Colossians 1:13. 1 Peter 2:9.
Romans 6:14; 8:1-2.
Matthew 20:28. Mark 10:45. 1 Corinthians 6:20. Ephesians 1:7. Titus 2:14. Hebrews 9:12. 1 Peter 1:18-19.
Matthew 5:17-18. Romans 8:15-17. Galatians 5:13-14. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; 7:22-23.
Justification is part of the conversion experience of the Believer in which the individual
is made right with God, starting anew with Him as His child. It is a gift of God. 42 No person
can make himself or herself right with God by keeping the Law or by merely performing
good works because we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God and are in need
of the salvation of Jesus Christ.43
The sacrificial death of Jesus Christ and His blood atonement was necessary for us to be
vindicated before God. Jesus was raised from the dead after being crucified, being the
perfect and complete appeasement of Gods judgment and wrath on sin. He satisfied the
judgment on sin, a judgment necessitated by the evil of sin and the righteousness and
holiness of God. Christs resurrection from the dead was confirmation that the price had
been paid for the sins of humanity.
God Almighty justifies the Believer on the grounds of Christs death and blood
atonement. God acquits men of their guilt on the conditions of His grace in Christ Jesus and
the acceptance of Christ by faith. God the Father, because of the blood penance of Jesus
Christ, credits the righteousness of Christ to the Believer. This credited righteousness is not
our own, but that of Christ.44 God sees Believers covered in the perfect righteousness of His
Son Jesus. This allows mortal humans to be accepted into Gods presence and kingdom,
permitting our entry into the kingdom of heaven. No one can ever be good enough of
themselves, separate from Christ, to merit entrance into Gods eternal presence.
The Lord Jesus Christ is our Advocate, our Counselor, before the Father. He intercedes
on our behalf, and is able to present us before Father God as being credited with His
righteousness. God justifies those who have faith in Jesus. Justification is the heavenly legal
and formal acquittal from guilt by God as Judge, the pronouncement of the former sinner as
righteous. Justification means that there is no more condemnation of the one who is
justified.
Once you receive Jesus Christ as your Savior, His Spirit comes to indwell you.45 The
Lord Jesus makes all things new. You go through the process of being born again from the
Spirit of God, becoming a new creation in Christ, with a new nature imparted by God, to
begin a new life in righteousness. The Holy Spirit abides with you and enables you to live
successfully as a child of God. 46 The Holy Spirit witnesses with your spirit that you now
belong to the family of God.47
Each day of your life may bring temptations, tests, and trials that may cause you to
desire to return to former unrighteous ways. You may even experience pressure from
family or friends, or be ridiculed by those who are not saved. This is not an uncommon
persecution that Believers experience. It is imperative that you rely on the power of the
Holy Spirit to enable you to be victorious over these situations. Falling back into habitual
sins will cause you to become entangled again with the bondage of sin, and the road back is
difficult, and, as the Word of God teaches, it is impossible to be renewed unto repentance.48
If a person rejects the way of salvation by returning to the habitual practice of sin, the
Voice of the Holy Spirit eventually becomes quieted in your spirit, heart and mind. You
must remember that Jesus Christ died, was crucified and shed His blood, so that your sins
would be forgiven resulting in restoration to God. You have gained access to entrance into
the kingdom of heaven, and to all of the promises to which the seed of Abraham are heirs.
Once you belong to Jesus Christ, you are Abrahams seed by faith.49
If you fall away by making the choice to return to the practice of a lifestyle of sin after
you have accepted the Lords gift of salvation, grace, and mercy, you have rejected the only
sacrifice that Father God deemed acceptable for forgiveness of sins. You crucify the Lord
Jesus again, bringing Him to open shame, and there is no more sacrifice acceptable to God
for sin.50 As you commit to obey the Greatest Commandment, to love the Lord God and one
another, and as you observe to follow His leading and teaching, be encouraged in your walk
of faith. The Lord searches the intents of the hearts and knows whose hearts are sincere
toward Him. He is able to keep you from falling from the grace of God.51
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
Galatians 2:16-21.
Romans 8:5-14.
Romans 8:16-17.
Hebrews 6:4-6.
Galatians 3:7-9, 16; 4:28. Romans 9:8.
Hebrews 6:6.
Jude 1:24.
As part of your daily worship, hide the Word of God in your heart by studying and
meditating on it, receiving the message that the Holy Spirit is speaking to you. True study
that feeds your spirit does not consist of superficial memorization, but of committing your
mind to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as the voice of God speaks to you through His Word.
You will find that the Lord will minister directly to you through His Word by bringing
Scriptures to your remembrance, at the time of need, to comfort, to direct, and to give you
wisdom in every situation.52 Diligent prayer and Bible study will enable you to live
according to the leading of the Spirit of God.
SALVATION
4982. sz.
To save, i.e. deliver or protect (literal or figurative):heal, preserve, save (self), do well, be
(make) whole. To save, deliver, make whole, preserve safe from danger, loss, destruction.
(I) Used of persons: To keep safe, to preserve, or deliver out of physical death.
(Scripture references: Matthew 8:25; 14:30; 16:25; 24:22; 27:40, 42; Mark 3:4; 8:35;
13:20; Luke 6:9; 9:24; John 12:27; Acts 27:20, 31; Hebrews 5:7; Jude 5).
(II) Of sick persons: To save from death and (by implication) to heal, restore to health;
passively, to be healed, recover.
(Scripture references: Matthew 9:21-22; Mark 5:23, 28, 34; Luke 7:50; 8:36, 48;
John 11:12; Acts 4:9; James 5:15).
(III) Specifically of salvation from eternal death, sin, and the punishment and misery
consequent to sin. To save, and (by implication), to give eternal life.
(Scripture references: Matthew 1:21; 10:22; 18:11; 19:25; 24:13; Mark 10:26; 13:13;
16:16; Luke 8:12; John 5:34; 10:9; Acts 2:40; Romans 5:9-10; 11:14; 1 Corinthians
1:21; 5:5; 1 Timothy 2:15; 4:16; 2 Timothy 4:18; Hebrews 7:25; James 1:21; 5:20).
Also refers to those being saved, those who have obtained salvation through Christ and are
kept by Him.
(Scripture references: Luke 13:23; Acts 2:47; 1 Corinthians 1:18; 2 Corinthians 2:15;
Revelation 21:24).
SALVATION
4990. str.
A deliverer, i.e. God or Christ:savior, deliverer, preserver, one who saves from danger or
destruction and brings into a state of prosperity and happiness.
(I) Of God as savior.
(Scripture references: Luke 1:47; 1 Timothy 1:1; 2:3; 4:10; Titus 1:3; 2:10; 3:4;
Jude 25).
(II) Of Jesus as the Messiah, the Saviour of men, who saves His people from the guilt and
power of sin and from eternal death, from punishment and misery as the consequence of
sin, and gives them eternal life and blessedness in His kingdom.
(Scripture references: Luke 2:11; John 4:42; Acts 5:31; 13:23; Ephesians 5:23;
Philippians 3:20; 2 Timothy 1:10; Titus 1:4; 2:13; 3:6; 2 Peter 1:1, 11; 2:20; 3:2, 18;
1 John 4:14).
4991. stria.
Rescue or safety (physical or morally):deliver, health, salvation, save, saving.
(I) Deliverance from danger, slavery, or imprisonment.
(Scripture references: Luke 1:69, 71; Acts 7:25; Philippians 1:19; Hebrews 11:7).
By implication, victory. (Reference: Revelation 7:10; 12:10; 19:1).
(II) Deliverance from sin and its spiritual consequences and admission to eternal life with
blessedness in the kingdom of Christ.
(Scripture references: Luke 1:77; 19:9; John 4:22; Acts 4:12; 13:26; 16:17; Romans
1:16; 10:1, 10; 11:11; 13:11; 2 Corinthians 1:6; 7:10; Ephesians 1:13; Philippians 1:28;
2:12; 1 Thessalonians 5:8, 9; 2 Thessalonians 2:13; 2 Timothy2:10; 3:15; Hebrews
1:14; 2:3, 10; 5:9; 6:9; 9:28; 1 Peter 1:5, 9, 10; Jude 3).
By association, a source or bringer of salvation, Saviour. (Scripture reference: Acts 13:47).
SALVATION
4992. strion.
Defender or (by implication) defense:salvation. Delivering, saving, bringing salvation.
SIN (verb)
264. hamartan.
(literal) To miss the mark (and so not share in the prize), swerve from the way, to err,
especially (moral) to sin:for your faults, offend, sin, trespass.
(I) To err, swerve from the truth, go wrong; speaking of errors of doctrine or faith.
(1 Corinthians 15:34; Titus 3:11).
(II) To err in action, in respect to a prescribed law, i.e. to commit errors, to do wrong, sin:
(Scripture references: Matthew 27:4; John 5:14; 8:11; 9:2-3; Romans 2:12; 3:23; 5:12,
14, 16; 6:15; 1 Corinthians 7:28, 36; Ephesians 4:26; 1 Titus 5:20; Hebrews 3:17;
10:26; 1 Peter 2:20; 2 Peter 2:4; 1 John 1:10; 2:1; 3:6, 8-9; 5:16, 18. (with the prep. eis
(1519), unto, to sin against anyone, to offend, wrong (Matthew 18:15, 21; Luke 15:18,
21; 17:3, 4; Acts 25:8; 1 Corinthians 6:18; 8:12).
Used in the NT (a) of sinning against God (1) by angels, 2 Peter 2:4; (2) by man,
Matthew 27:4; Luke 15:18, 21.
SIN (noun)
266. hamartia.
(literal) A missing of the mark. Offence, sin (-ful).
(I) Aberration from the truth, error (John 8:46; 16:8-9).
(II) Aberration from a prescribed law or rule of duty, whether in general or of particular
sins:
(A) Generally, (Matthew 3:6; 9:2, 5, 6; Mark 1:4-5; John 9:34; Romans 7:5;
1 Corinthians 15:3; 2 Corinthians 11:7; Hebrews 4:15; 10:26; James 2:9; 1 Peter 2:22).
(B) Spoken of particular sins, which are to be gathered from the context; e.g. of
unbelief (John 8:21, 24); of lewdness (2 Peter 2:14); of defection from the gospel of
Christ (Hebrews 11:25; 12:1).
(C) Sinful, i.e. either as causing sin (Romans 7:7, i.e. Is the law the cause of sin?), or as
committing sin (2 Corinthians 5:21, i.e. He has been treated as if He were a sinner).
(D) The practice of sinning, habit of sin. (Romans 3:9; 5:12, 20-21; Galatians 3:22).
(E) Proneness to sin, sinful desire or propensity. (John 8:34; Romans 6:1, 2, 6, 12, 14;
7:7; Hebrews 3:13).
(III) From the Hebrew, the imputation or consequences of sin, the guilt and punishment of
sin as in the phrase to take away [or bear] sin, i.e. the imputation of it.
(John 1:29; Romans 11:27; Hebrews 9:26; 10:11; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 3:5)
In the NT, a comprehensive term for moral obliquity; (a) a principle or source of action, or
an inward element producing acts (Romans 3:9; 5:12, 13, 20; 6:1-2; 7:7-9, 11, 13) (b) a
governing principle or power, e.g. Romans 6:6, (the body) of sin, here sin is spoken of as
an organized power, acting through the members of the body, though the seat of sin is in
the will (the body is the organic instrument). This governing principle is personified
(Romans 5:21; 6:12, 14, 17; 7:11, 14,17, 20, 23, 25; 8:2; 1 Corinthians 15:56; Hebrews 3:13;
11:25; 12:4; James 1:15).
SINNER
268. hamartlos.
(I) As adj.: erring from the divine law, sinful, wicked, impious:
(A) Generally: a sinful generation (Mark 8:38); a sinful man, a sinner (Luke 5:8; 19:7;
24:7; John 9:16, 24); a sinful woman (Luke 7:37, 39);
(B) Oblivious to the consequences of sin, guilty and exposed to punishment
(Romans 5:19; 7:13; Galatians 2:15; Jude 15).
(II) A sinner, transgressor, impious person:
Sinners, despisers of God; used by the Jews to refer to the Gentiles, heathen or pagan
nations. (Matthew 26:45, Matthew 20:19; Mark 10:33; Luke 18:32).
859. phesis.
The remission of sinsmeaning to remove the guilt, punishment, and power of sin
(Matthew 9:2, 5-6; 26:28; Luke 7:47-49; John 20:23; Hebrews 10:4). Thus, in John 9:41,
your sin remaineth means your guilt and exposure to punishment remain. The same may
be said of 1 Corinthians 15:17, where ye are yet in your sins indicates one is still under
the guilt and power of sin (Hebrews 9:26, 28).
863. aphimi.
To remit sins.
REDEEM
59. agoraz.
To purchase; specially to redeem:buy.
Metaphorically, to acquire for ones self by a ransom or price paid; in the NT, spoken of
those whom Christ has redeemed by his blood from the bondage of sin and death.
(1 Corinthians 6:20; 7:23; 2 Peter 2:1; Revelation 14:3-4).
629. apolutrsis (n.)
A releasing for (i.e. on payment of) a ransom. Used of (a) deliverance from physical torture
(Hebrews 11:35); (b) the deliverance of the people of God at the coming of
Christ with His glorified saints, in a cloud with power and great glory, Luke 21:28, a
redemption to be accomplished at the second advent, 2 Thessalonians 2:8; (c) forgiveness
and justification, redemption as a result of expiation, deliverance from guilt of sins
(Romans 3:24; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; Romans 6:4; Hebrews 9:15); (d) the
deliverance of the Believer from the presence and power of sin, and of his body from
bondage to corruption, at the coming (the Parousia in its inception) of the Lord Jesus,
(Romans 8:23; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Ephesians 1:14; 4:30).
1805. exagoraz.
[Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament]
(v.) denotes to buy out, especially of purchasing a slave with a view to his freedom. Used
metaphorically (Galatians 3:13; 4:5) of the deliverance by Christ of Christian Jews from the
Law and its curse. Signifies the price paid with a view to redemption.
[Strongs New Testament Greek Dictionary]
To buy up, i.e. ransom; (figurative) to rescue from loss (improve opportunity):redeem.
From ek (1537), out or from, and agorzo (59), to buy. To purchase out, to buy up from the
possession or power of someone. In the NT, to redeem, to set free from service or bondage
(Galatians 3:13; 4:5).
REDEEM
[Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament]
JUSTIFICATION
[Vines Complete Expository Dictionary of the Old and New Testament]