May 12
Ps 61-62, 64-67
Many mistakenly believe that Jesus is only the Savior for Christians. In John 14:6, we read, "Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me." When Jesus said on the cross, "It is finished" (John 19:30), He said that for everyone. It is an accounting term which means "Paid in full". His sacrifice was indeed perfect, and therefore will never be repeated for another people group. He died for Christians, Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Atheists, etc. When he went to the cross, He took the sins of all of humanity upon Himself, past, present, and future. He doesn't even ask us to clean up our act first, as we read in Romans 5:8, "But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners." We simply need to repent, or change our minds as to our sinful ways, and apply His payment, which has already been made, to our account. Yes, it really is that simple. But the great majority never choose to do so. For them, Jesus is like a wrapped present which they never bother to open.
We read in Psalm 65:3-4, "Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all. What joy for those you choose to bring near, those who live in your holy courts. What festivities await us inside your holy Temple." Our salvation is not dependent on how bad our sins are, how bad we feel about them, or how good we are. It is based on His perfect work for us on the cross. We read in 65:5-8, "You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds, O God our savior. You are the hope of everyone on earth, even those who sail on distant seas. You formed the mountains by your power and armed yourself with mighty strength.
You quieted the raging oceans with their pounding waves and silenced the shouting of the nations. Those who live at the ends of the earth stand in awe of your wonders. From where the sun rises to where it sets, you inspire shouts of joy." Just as God is the hope of everyone on the earth, "even those who sail on distant seas", Jesus is the Savior of everyone on the earth.
The question is "Who will apply His payment to their account?" When Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount, He began with Matthew 5:3-4, "“God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. God blesses those who mourn, for they will be comforted." What stops most people is pride. That is why Jesus started with this realization in the Beatitudes, an emptying ourselves of our pride, our self-righteousness, our sense of personal goodness and sufficiency, so that we can become the empty vessels which will accept Him and what He has done for us. Since He has done it all, what is our role? If you have never made this decision to accept His payment for your sins, we read in Romans 10:9 (NKJV), " 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." If we have accepted Him as our Lord and Savior, then we need to move forward and reach out to others with the Good News of Jesus Christ, along with our testimony, as David wrote in Psalm 66:16, "Come and listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he did for me."
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: