Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Why Did Jesus Come? 1 Timothy 1:15

Why did Jesus come? Everybody has their own answers, but the Bible makes it plain.

"Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am the worst." 1 Timothy 1:14, NIV.

A Trustworthy Saying
You can trust the teaching of the Bible.  Here is a statement that says, "Of all the statements of the Bible, pay special attention to this one," as if this one saying stands above all the others.

Full Acceptance
The saying is not only trustworthy but must have your full acceptance. If you believe anything in the Bible, you need to believe this one. You must completely accept the nine words; Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. If you accept or believe only some of them, it is not full acceptance.

Who?
Christ is the God One who saves by sacrificing himself on our behalf.

He is the one who came; the quote does not say born but came as if he was somewhere else before. This verse is clear that he existed before his earthly incarnation.

Why?
Jesus did not come simply to teach, establish a new religion, modify an old one, or be a revolutionary- he came to save sinners. We need salvation; we need to be rescued from the bondage of sin in our lives and be delivered from the future judgment of sin. Sin offends God, and being holy, he must judge sin, but being loving, God sent his son Jesus to die in our stead and take the punishment for our sins. God accepts Jesus' death as payment in full for our sins and gives us Jesus' righteousness.

Could The Apostle Have Been A Sinner?
Paul the Apostle was once a Pharisee who observed the strictest sect of Judaism. His teaching and writings were central to the establishment and survival of the church. He penned portions of the New Testament, and his writings give context for the teaching of Jesus. How could he say he was a sinner? In one place, he wrote about his struggles with pride, and in another, he discusses covetousness, and in another, he recounts his former way of life when in the name of God, he persecuted the church, even voting for the death penalty against Christians. Despite his sinfulness, the Apostle found Salvation in Jesus.

(c)Adron Dozat 7/11/12