At the end of our previous meeting, we briefly touched on the mission of Jesus Christ while here on earth. In a nutshell, this involved fulfilling God’s plan of saving "the lost," that is to say, humanity.
However, Jesus’ earthly mission did not abruptly come to a standstill because of his sacrificial death on the Cross. In fact, Jesus appeared to His disciples and others for 40 days following his resurrection (Acts 1:3).
It definitely was not an opportunity for him to relax and take it easy! Time and time again during this interval, Jesus taught them about the kingdom of God and the Scriptures, along with additional instructions and encouragement.
Jesus also stressed some basic points regarding how lost sinners could hope to be saved. These were: through the repentance and remission of sins (Luke 24:46-47); and the importance of faith and baptism (Mark 16:16).
We lost our once close relationship with God due to our sins (1 Corinthians 15:21). In order to genuinely experience that happiness again we require more than the forgiveness of our sins. Thankfully for us, Jesus provides that answer.
Again, the main purpose of Jesus Christ's mission was to reconcile (restore) our relationship with God. He was specifically sent here for that reason by God the Father (2 Corinthians 5:21). Indeed, Jesus shared this truth with all (John 14:6).
Have you ever wondered, “What is the importance of having a relationship with God?” This is not as uncommon a question as you might think. Let's spend a moment on this and see if we can clarify it a little better.
We hear a lot about having "eternal life" with God, but how..? When it's all said and done, we cannot honestly become familiar with the meaning of having "eternal life" without first participating in an intimate relationship with God.
And this is exactly what Jesus provides, or presents to us (John 17:2-3). There is no one, or anything else that does this for you and I. What's more, the "eternal life" he offers includes becoming acquainted with both Father and Son!
Up to this point, we've learned that the way to a better life includes: the forgiveness of sins, and a pathway to God. All in all, I would say these are wonderful blessings, wouldn't you? (Acts 4:12)
But let's not stop here! There's still more to come! And that's what we shall see when we meet again. I hope this teaching has blessed you; perhaps even enlightened you, and I invite you to join me next time.
Scripture: John 5:24; 1 John 2:25; Ephesians 2:8-9; 1 John 5:11; Romans 5:21
Prayer: "And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life." - 1 John 5:20 (ESV)
May God bless you!
Brandi
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