Message of the Cross
Introduction
Today we are celebrating a very special day!
I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
(Luke 15:7)
So today is a day of Celebration and Joy!
The Holy Bible reports that God created the heavens and the earth and everything in them.
It also says that God created man in His image and likeness, giving man total freedom, but instructed him not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, warning that if he did so, he would surely die.
But man disobeyed God, and from then on lost the right to live eternally, being separated from God.
So we understood that we were all destined for hell.
But this is where the greatest and most beautiful love story that ever existed in this universe comes in.
This is the plan of Salvation, Rescue, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, Healing, Deliverance...
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)
Salvation Is Only Through Jesus
But if we go back to the beginning of the story since creation, we will notice that after sin, the Lord already had a plan to restore those whom HE LOVES.
Adam and Eve sinned and realized they were naked, so they used leaves to cover themselves and hid from God.
But when God finds them, He talks to them, and after this conversation, what does God do? God kills a lamb and uses its skin to clothe them.
THE FIRST SHEDDING OF BLOOD!
At this moment we see that a “lamb” died in the place of Adam and Eve—this is already a SYMBOL of the sacrifice of Jesus in our lives.
“The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21)
So we see there that human hands were not enough to cover their sin.
Someone had to die so that they could be covered (literally).
Then came Abel, Cain, Abram, Isaac, Jacob, Noah, Joseph, Moses, the Priests… But none of them were able to restore all of humanity. (Not in this chronological order.)
Why couldn’t they? Because the Grace of God could only be poured out through divine hands.
God already knew that no human being would be capable of fulfilling the whole law and justifying sin, for we were all born out of sin.
So only He could justify us and repair the error.
Only through Jesus.
John 3:16
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10)
SALVATION BY GRACE
The term GRACE sometimes sounds like something that had no value.
But the TRUE ORIGIN OF GRACE is unmerited favor.
Grace is God choosing to bless us instead of curse us as our sin deserves.
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” (Ephesians 2:8)
SALVATION BY FAITH, BUT IT HAD A PRICE
Man’s salvation happens by grace, through faith in the Son of God. Man cannot be saved by his own works.
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. (Romans 10:9)
For me and for you, salvation has no price to be paid, but for the Grace of God to exist, it had to be paid for by someone.
And it was Jesus who paid that price—He paid with His own life, with His own blood.
So from here on we can enjoy eternal life.
SALVATION IS NOT THE END, BUT THE START OF THE CHRISTIAN LIFE.