How the Gospel Works Out

Dear Judah and my future grandchildren,

We left off the last entry at a really bad place.  We are all under sin and God’s judgment.  We don’t have any hope of rescue unless God does something.  And indeed God did.  Starting with the very first sin of Adam and Eve, God provides hope for his children.

I will put enmity between you and the woman,

    and between your offspring and her offspring;

he shall bruise your head,

    and you shall bruise his heel.

Gen 3:15

God promises to bring a war between the serpent (Satan) and the woman’s offspring, or seed.  Note that God’s seed will “bruise your head”.  That is ‘the seed’ will render the serpent powerless.  In the process the serpent will “bruise his heel”.  The serpent will hurt ‘the seed’.

The rest of the Bible is the progressive revelation of the fulfillment of that promise. It finds its fulfillment in Jesus who is the seed, in His death and resurrection.  One of the most clear statements in the Bible of this fulfillment is when Jesus says:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.

John 3:16

God sent Jesus to die on the cross and be resurrected so that anyone who believes (trusts) in Jesus will have eternal life.  The life, death and resurrection of Jesus is worked out in our life in two ways:

• First, There is a transfer that happens. Jesus’ death on the cross paid for our sins.  Those who put their trust in Jesus have had their sins and punishment for those sins put on Jesus at the cross.  There is nothing in a believer’s past sins, present sins or future sins that God will hold against his child.
  
  In addition to our sins being put on Christ, Jesus’ perfect and glorious righteousness is put on us.  Each believer inherits all the good and righteous things that Jesus did.  When God looks on us, He sees Jesus’ goodness.
  
  There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
  Rom 8:1
  
• Second, the righteousness of Christ is worked out in our lives by the work of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit works in us to change us and give us power not only not to sin but also to please God.  He takes our evil desires and gradually transforms them into Godly desires.  We can’t do this.  Only God can make that change.  Without that change we are doomed to the ultimate results of sin which is decay, destruction and death.
  
  For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.
  Rom 8:2
  

So in the end God just wants us to trust/believe Him.  He will do the rest.  This starts with acknowledging our need to be saved from our sin.  We then repent, which means change our minds and direction, and by the power of the Holy Spirit trust in Jesus to forgive that sin.

Jesus just wants us to believe Him.

Never forget that,

Grandpa