Evangelical Greek Free Church

Good News Magazine - Do you know God's way?
The Bible shows very clearly how God’s hand has moved through the ages in carrying out his plan for the redemption of mankind. It says that, in accordance with God’s eternal purpose, Christ was made in the likeness of man so that man might be made in the likeness of God — the prince literally taking the place of the pauper so that the pauper might become a prince.

God’s justice required that sin be punished, but his mercy provided a substitute for man in the person of Christ. The Bible says that Christ and God are one. In the triune Godhead there is no distinction of substance, only of manifestation. Therefore, in the person of his Son, God himself suffered the punishment for sin.

Miracle of God’s Grace

The Bible teaches that Christ was made flesh. It says, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God… without him was not any thing made that was made… And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us.”(John 1:1,3,14) This great miracle of the virgin birth was the result of the greater miracle of God’s loving this sinful, warring, wicked world so much that he gave himself in the person of Christ for its redemption.

When the Lord Jesus was born in the flesh, it became possible for man to be born of the Spirit. That is the reason Jesus could say, “Ye must be born again.” (John 3:3-7) Α Marxist, speaking in Hyde Park in London, pointed to a man in rags and cried, “Commun­ism can put a new suit of clothes on that man.” Α Christian standing nearby pointed to the man and shouted, “Christ can put a new man in that suit.” That is the difference between communism and Christianity. Christ came in the flesh to make new men and women and to make a new society and a new race of men. You are not simply reformed when you come to Christ; he does not just put a new suit on you. Jesus Christ makes a new man. He gives you a new heart. You are regenerated by the Spirit of God. That is what being born again means.

Power Greater than Man’s

The Bible also teaches that Christ was made sin. History records the repeated failure of man to attain righteousness by his own methods. The Old and the New Testaments tell us the same story. Man failed in Eden and carried the race down with him.

Today we have the same spectacle that history records time after time - the spectacle of a civilization committing suicide. Α continuous record of thousands of years proves that a power greater than man’s must intervene for his salva­tion, and that is what God provides in Christ’s act of substitution. “He bath made him to be sin for us, [him] who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (ΙΙ Corinthians 5: 21) Christ took the responsibility for your sins and mine when he died on the cross. More than that, the Scriptures say, “the Lord bath laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53: 6) He volun­tarily took your sins and mine and was actually counted to be a sinner.

The Bible also teaches that Christ was sep­arated from God for us. His suffering on the cross was more than physical, it was the far greater agony of separation from God. When Jesus cried, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Matthew 27: 46) he clearly showed that whatever else hell may be, it certainly is separation from God.

It is only in Christ’s dying on the cross for us that we can see the sinful depths of man. You can never see sin, you can never understand what it means to transgress the law of God, unless you look at the cross. You can see a sin­ful world about you, you can read the exposes by congressional committees, and you will understand a little of the sinful depths of the human heart. But for true understanding you must go to the cross and find the holy Son of God dying there. The Bible says that you are responsible as much as anyone else in the human race for putting Jesus Christ on the cross, because you are a sinner. The Bible says, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) The Bible says, “the wages of sin is death.” (Rοmans 6:23) The Bible says, “the soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:4) And Jesus Christ in that awful hour bore your sin.

Love Beyond Understanding

The cross of Christ also reveals the love of God. You, will never understand how much God loves you until you look at the cross, be­cause Jesus Christ was God in the flesh, dying on the cross for you and for me. Jesus Christ died because he loved you. The Scripture says that “God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)

The Way to Know God

The cross of Christ declares that it is the only way of salvation. There is no other way. You cannot be saved by your good works, you can­not be saved by philanthropic deeds, you cannot be saved by way of any other road or avenue than through the cross of Jesus Christ. Only as you receive and trust him, committing your life and yourself to him, can you be saved from hell to heaven, and have a whole new way of life here and flow.

God’s way is the only way and right where you are now you can say “yes” to Christ. You may ask, “what do Ι have to do?” All you have to do is acknowledge that you are a sinner and then by faith accept Jesus Christ as your per­sonal Saviour. This is God’s way for you.


www.greekfreechurch.com.au