The Salvation of Our God

“Oh sing to the Lord a new song,

    for he has done marvelous things!

His right hand and his holy arm

    have worked salvation for him.

The Lord has made known his salvation;

    he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.

He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulness

    to the house of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

    the salvation of our God.” (Psalms 98:1-3 ESV)

What is the salvation of our God which he has made known to the people of the earth? God – Father, Son (Jesus Christ), and Holy Spirit – is our triune God who created the world and every living creature on the earth. And God the Father sent his only begotten Son Jesus Christ to the earth to be born as a baby to a human mother, to grow to manhood, to minister to the people of the earth, and to share with them the gospel message of his salvation.

So, what was the message of salvation that Jesus Christ taught us?

Jesus said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self), and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. But if for the sake of Jesus we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have the hope of eternal life. For he also said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).

Jesus also taught that we must repent of (turn from) our sins and that we must obey his commandments (New Covenant). 

[Matthew 4:17; Mark 1:14-15; Luke 5:32; Luke 13:1-5; Luke 24:45-47; John 3:19-21; John 6:35-58; John 8:31-32,51; John 10:27-30; John 14:15-24; John 15:1-11]

And he taught us that if we love our family members more than we love him, that we are not worthy (fitting) of him, meaning that we don’t have him as our Lord and Savior, and we are not part of his eternal kingdom, for we would not make him Lord. And if we do not take up our cross (die with Jesus to sin) and follow (obey) him, we are not worthy of him. And Jesus said, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.” 

[Matthew 10:37-38; Matthew 22:8; Luke 9:23-26,62; see also: Ephesians 4:1; Philippians 1:27; Colossians 1:10; 1 Thessalonians 2:12]

And he taught us that if we deny him by our words and by our deeds that he will deny us.

[Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 15:7-9; Luke 9:23-26; see also: 2 Timothy 2:11-13; 2 Timothy 3:1-5; Titus 1:15-16; 2 Peter 2:1-3; Jude 1:3-4]

But Jesus Christ did not come to the earth and take on human form just so that he could teach us the message of the gospel of our salvation, but that he would provide the way for us to be saved from our sins and to have eternal life with God via his death on a cross for our sins, and via his resurrection from the dead, that we might have life in him. For he died that we might die to sin and live to righteousness and no longer for self but now for him. For he shed his blood for us to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so we will now honor him with our lives.

[Isaiah 53:1-12; Matt 7:21-23; Matt 26:26-29; Lu 9:23-26; Lu 17:25; Jn 1:1-36; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 8:24,58; Jn 10:27-33; Jn 20:28-29; Rom 5:8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; Rom 9:5; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Co 11:23-32; 1 Co 15:1-8; 2 Co 5:15,21; Eph 4:17-24; Php 2:5-11; Col 2:9; Tit 2:11-14; Heb 1:8-9; Heb 2:14-15; Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:24; 2 Pet 1:1; 1 John 3:4-10]  

Draw Me Close To You  

Donnie McClurkin

Draw me close to You

Never let me go

I lay it all down again

To hear You say that I'm Your friend

You are my desire

And no one else will do

'Cause nothing else can take Your place

To feel the warmth of Your embrace

Help me find a way

Bring me back to You

Bring me back, oh Jesus

You're all I want

You're all I've ever needed

You're all I want

Help me know You are near

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAnwBixzuNo 

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