The Works of Christ

  The world is in crisis. Not since the time before the flood when God wiped out all mankind except Noah and His family, has the sickness of sin been more evident. We are at a crucial point in our existence. Sadly, the hostile forces of Satan have gained the upper hand over many a poor soul, leading him down the path of total separation from God.  He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. John 12:25 NKJV  Through Adam sin, with it’s venomous poison, has inflicted pain and suffering on all mankind. Sin, a cancer that grows from birth, left unchecked, will eventually destroy us all.  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law.  But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:56-57 NKJV

Through the ages, Satan tried to use his diabolical powers to stop Jesus from reaching His goal of paying the ultimate sacrifice for our sin.  Ever since the day God promised us a redeemer  until Christ cried out on the cross, “It is finished,” Satan has tried to prevent the completion of God’s plan for salvation. Throughout the centuries Satan made many attempts on the lives of those who, through their lineage, would bring forth the promised Savior. Satan convinced Cain to kill Abel thinking that the seed of Christ would be carried on through him.  During the time of Noah Satan turned many toward the lust of the flesh and forced God to bring the flood. He tempted Abraham to bring forth a child from Hagar instead of waiting on God for the birth of Isaac.  For years Satan put it on the heart of Saul to kill David. If this had occurred, the lineage of Christ would have been broken.

In Matthew we read the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. In Luke we read about the genealogy that follows through the line of Mary the mother of Jesus. When Jesus was born Satan worked through King Herod who had all the babies killed who were under two years of age. God warned Joseph to flee to Egypt to escape Satan’s dastardly plot. When Jesus fasted in the wilderness Satan tempted Him with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life. On many occasions during His ministry Satan tried to kill Jesus. Through the unbelief of the Jews they tried to stone Him many times. The Nazarites tried to throw Him off a cliff when He proclaimed Himself to be the Christ. All the forces of evil were against Him as He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus was under so much stress His sweat was like large droplets of blood. Think about the beating He took from the Roman soldiers. No mortal man could have withstood such an onslaught.

From Adam to the cross Satan tried to prevent God’s plan of salvation. Surely He has borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV The road to our salvation has been marked by the blood of many who died so that we might be introduced to God. Christ suffered so that we might receive the privileges of adoption into the kingdom of God. Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  John 15:13 NKJV

  If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and you obey His Word, you are His friend. All the things Jesus heard from our heavenly Father will be made known to you. The price, the suffering, the loneliness that Jesus endured here on earth is for you.  Please do not allow the wonderful gift of salvation to go by without taking advantage of the many blessings that come with faith in Him. Live as though you are free from the evil of this world. Do not participate in her lusts. If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.  1 John 1:7 NKJV Jesus delivers us from the pleasures of sin and gives us true pleasure, through living for Christ. We are cleansed by the Word of God, and it is important for us to be washed by the Word through regeneration on a daily basis. We are cleansed from the sin, of unbelief when we are reborn into God’s family. But we need a daily cleansing from sins that hinder us from the joy of being a believer.

Won’t you make a commitment to spend just a few minutes a day studying the Word of God. It could be the Bible itself, or it could be a book written by Bible scholars. It doesn’t matter just as long as it is based on scripture. It is just as important to spend time with our heavenly Father in prayer. All of us sin on a daily basis. Some of these are sins of commission and some are sins of omission.  We are commissioned to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all we come in contact with. This can be by word or by deed. There are many things we leave undone that we should take to our heavenly Father in prayer and ask for His guidance. We are instructed to serve our King and Savior by bearing fruit. It is important that we develop a ministry and put others first. We begin with prayer so the Holy Spirit can lead us in the right direction. It all comes down to following the steps of Jesus and completing the work He started while He was here on this earth. A work that leads us into blessed fellowship with God.