JESUS DIED FOR EVERYONE
JESUS DIED FOR EVERYONE!
I once heard the story about a young man who was unable to walk. He used to move about on a board using his hands to help him navigate. This man, it was said, loved going to church. He was a believer. One day after service as he was crawling out of the church, a woman saw him for the first time and remarked: “Really! do cripples also now come to the church?” And as she walked past she looked down disdainfully at him.
What a shame! That anyone could think like that, let alone utter such words! The LORD Jesus, whom we come to worship in church (and of course we can worship Him anywhere else), came to heal the sick and deliver those who were oppressed and depressed, amongst other things. “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” Acts 10:38 NLT
My message today is that Jesus is NOT the exclusive Saviour of certain people. We must understand that the two fold sacrifice of Jesus Christ, at the whipping post and at the cross, is for everyone; saint and sinner. Jesus came to save the world from the wicked agenda of Satan. He came for everyone. The password is to believe in our hearts and confess with our mouths that Jesus, the Son of God, died for our sins, and is now our LORD and personal Saviour. “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9 NLT So though He died for all mankind, we must confess Him as LORD, in order to access that salvation.
In the Old Testament, we see a type of this. It was the case that after childbirth, every woman had an opportunity to be cleansed as it was stated in the law of Moses – both rich and poor alike. The animals used for this sacrifice were graded relative to what one could afford. If you were not rich enough to afford a bull or a goat, turtledoves and pigeons were also acceptable if that was what one could afford. “If a woman cannot afford to bring a lamb, she must bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons. One will be for the burnt offering and the other for the purification offering. The priest will sacrifice them to purify her, and she will be ceremonially clean.” Leviticus 12:8 NLT Even Mary, the mother of Jesus, who was not able to present a lamb for her cleansing brought two birds at the time of her purification. Nobody was put under pressure and nobody had to be running around to look for money to perform this ceremonial cleansing. Turtledoves and pigeons were so cheap in those days. So if they could afford nothing else, these birds could almost be gotten for free. And such is the case today. Everyone is welcome to receive Jesus Christ as their own Saviour. No matter your status in the society, Jesus is for you too. Come to Him as you are.
It is written in John 3:16 thus: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The word whosoever means, absolutely anyone. Nobody in this world is beyond the ability of Jesus to save. Nobody is so bad that they cannot be saved. The scripture in Romans 10:9 says once anybody can openly declare Jesus is Lord, salvation is for them too.
As we continue in the celebration of the Resurrection of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, let us remember those who have yet to come to confess Him as Lord, and keep praying that God will send help their way. ‘Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” Matthew 9:37-38 NIV
JESUS DIED FOR ALL OF US!
BELIEVE THIS, CONFESS THIS AND BE SAVED!
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©