The Complexity Of God’s Plan To Bring Christ To Earth - Offering Salvation
Posted: Wednesday, September 21, 2011
by Joel Hendon
http://hebronics.org/index.html
Consider how physical humans might be started on the earth with the full intent of being given free moral agency and still be offered eternal life in exchange for two acts. Faith in God and obedience to him. He was to have limited mental capacity, nothing near that of God, yet enough to understand the rewards and consequences of his own manner of life.
But God, with infinite wisdom, knew from before the creation that such a person, with physical urges and cravings, would fail to live a sinless life and would often “miss the mark”. So this also required a solution and a plan for the bringing it into fruition.
The obstacles which existed were that man did not, and could not, have the capacity not to sin. It was not God’s purpose to create robots whose every move would be controlled. Man was to have the ability to choose forbidden, yet appealing, desires, activities and so on. God’s purpose, and sincere desire was that man freely believe in Him and willingly obey him. And the refusal to do so, had no provision for being forgiven him insofar as anything he could do for himself. That has been in effect since the creation. The only way man alone could have been a subject for salvation, would have to have been a totally sin free life. Complete faith and obedience to God. But such was not to be.
Because of the differences in primitive man’s living conditions, his knowledge, the lack of written words, etc. It was necessary that God give him instructions and commands, directly by miraculously speaking directly to him or in visions and dreams. He gave them the information as to what they must do and must not do. But as God knew before time, they failed to obey Him in many cases. After Adam, Eve, and Cain sinned, it does not tell us if they lived penitent lives thereafter.
But this method of instruction to man continued for 2500 years. For the most part, the patriarchs were expected to pass the instructions to their offspring but we know from the scriptures, that God sometimes again spoke to some of the clan patriarchs. It was in this manner that he brought the people to His next phase of establishing the plan for man to be saved, even though he had sinned and could not, within himself, remove those sins.
When the earth was become very wicked again after the flood, Abraham found favor in God’s sight due to his faith in God. It was through him, that God chose his descendents to furnish he lineage to His son, Jesus the Christ. He miraculously allowed Abraham and Sarah to give birth to a son, Isaac, after they were old. And through Isaac, to his son, Jacob, who was later called Israel, came the twelve tribes of Israel, forming the Jewish nation.
The Israelites were in bondage in Egypt when God, again miraculously arranged their escape under the authority given to Moses. And once out of the bondage, God gave them the Old Testament Law, based on the ten commandments, and given in detail in the second, third, fourth and fifth books of the bible. This law excluded all except the Israelites and the balance of the world remained under the Patriarchal law. This law had rituals and animal sacrificial offerings which could roll ones sins forward for one year. But after that, they were remembered against them again.
The Old Testament Law had one purpose which the apostle Paul describes in a statement to the church at Galatia:
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24 KJV)
The Law given to the world through Jesus Christ, the sacrificed saviour who had never sinned, offers the only possible way that one’s sins can be forgiven and never again be remembered against them. However, they can sin again and be lost eternally. Only by faith and obedience can one be forgiven and remain forgiven, “faithful unto death” means both that one must remain faithful until he dies, plus it also means to be faithful if it means giving your life.
The reward of eternal life in glory with the Father and Jesus where all is bliss and happiness, is worth all of our efforts for the short period we call life here on this earth. “Study, to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of God”. (The word “study” here, although it does carry the meaning of study, it is best translated as “give diligence” and is so translated in many versions.)
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)You are definitely a "writing machine" - appreciate you and look forward to buying your book - when is it being published? I am serious!Thank You Marijo, for reading and commenting. The only book I have written was published in 2004. The publisher folded before it got it's feet off the ground (if indeed it would have ever). I barely got my set-up fees back from the sales. Incidentally, If you have read all of my religious articles, you have probably read 3/4 of the book in peace-meal. I think Amazon may still have some copies or second hand copies. It was titled "Final Stronghold". I had a couple of statements which I would have edited, had I ever started to re publish.ohh, will check it out as would like to have it all in one cover!If you can't find it for sale, email me your mailing address. I have 3 copies I was holding onto for my close relatives if they wanted them, but I guess most already have them or don't want one. In fact, don't even bother looking for one...although I'd like to know if they still have any. Send me the address and I'll send you a copy with my beautiful signature shook all over it. No cost.ONE left on Amazon and I hadn't ordered it yet. THANKS so much!Are you going to send me your mailing address?I did on SW messaging system - will send again another way...
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