I recently learned that someone I knew as a child (but have not seen since then) has late stage, terminal cancer. I was unsure of whether or not this person has received the free gift of salvation, and so I wrote them a letter. Here is the portion of it that explains the gospel:
What is so maddening about the devil’s deception is that Adam and Eve were already made in God’s image – so by eating the fruit, they became LESS like God, since He is HOLY and never does anything wrong. Ever since their “fall,” we have all inherited Adam’s sinful nature (since it comes from our fathers). We ALL use our free will to disobey God, pretty much as soon as we are able (as we can easily see all around us). Jesus is referred to as the “last Adam,” because He restores the spiritual life that the first Adam’s actions caused to die. Jesus didn’t inherit the sinful nature, because His Father is God by the Holy Spirit’s overshadowing of the Virgin Mary. He still had free will and endured temptation, but without EVER sinning.
Fast-forward from the Garden to Jesus’ birth (the only begotten Son of God – also known as the Word became flesh and Immanuel – God with us). Through Him (the Word – “let there be light”) and FOR Him, everything was made. This is impossible for us to truly understand, but God is ONE and yet Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Jesus said that He was in His Father and His Father in Him, and that, very importantly, He would send the Spirit (a/k/a “Helper”), who would be in US who believe (after He returned to His former glory in heaven). His presence in us is what determines whether we will be welcomed into heaven, or not. He ONLY dwells in true BELIEVERS, and seals them as His own.
Jesus suffered horrifically and died on the cross WILLINGLY to pay the penalty for OUR sins. Why? Because forgiveness of sins requires shed blood (since the LIFE is in the blood, as foreshadowed by the animal sacrifices of the Old Testament), and ONLY a PURE sacrifice is acceptable. The OT priests had to make a sacrifice for their own sin before offering one for the sins of the people. However, Jesus NEVER sinned, so His sacrifice of Himself was accepted on OUR behalf. Proof of the acceptance of it was His resurrection on the third day. ONLY by His blood can our sins be washed away so that we can come into the presence of HOLY God.
When Adam and Eve sinned, they realized they were physically naked. Prior to that, they were innocent and covered in righteousness. God then killed an animal in order to cover them. When we sin, we are naked spiritually. In order to be clothed, we must be covered by the righteousness of Jesus, who died to take away our sins. His blood “covers” us in the same way that the lamb’s blood that the Israelites put on their door lintel and posts in Egypt protected them from the plague of the firstborn. He is our “Passover Lamb.”
Jesus has “purchased” (redeemed/ransomed) those who believe with His blood. Because we who believe BELONG to Jesus, He will return for us – first the dead and then those still living at that time, to take us to be with Him forever. Those who rejected Him will suffer God’s wrath, forever. We have ALL sinned and deserve to pay for it. There really just isn’t any excuse for people who despise God and the ONE way that He provided for mankind to be forgiven and restored to fellowship with Him. All of nature testifies to His existence, and the entire work of salvation has been finished by Jesus. All we have to do is ACCEPT our need for a Savior and His sovereignty over us. We’re NOT God; He is. Easy enough (and pretty obvious), right?
Often people have a mental crisis when they come to understand the gravity of their sin and the cost to Jesus. They realize their utter unworthiness. They feel like He could never love them after all they’ve done. That’s a normal process, but Jesus knows it ALL and loves us anyway. He knew every single sin anyone would ever commit before He laid down His life for us, but He chose to do it anyway. (Time is NOTHING to God – He knows it ALL from beginning to end. In fact, another name for Jesus is the Alpha and the Omega. There are NO surprises for Him, and everything He says will happen will come to pass.) Unbelief is what condemns people.
All we, including you, have to do is give up the fight. Stop rebelling against God and surrender to His great love and infinite power. Believe. Submit. Once we have done so, we are born again as a child of God. We are expected to follow Jesus from then until the end of our lives. For some, that road is shorter than for others – like the thief on the cross, who died shortly after He confessed Jesus as Lord and was assured of being with Him in Paradise that same day. But regardless, works (including refraining from sin) do not save – works are a natural result of the salvation that has already been received, out of love, gratitude and respect, produced by His Spirit within us.
Isn’t it amazing that all we have to do is accept a FREE gift in order to become children of God? Wow. What an unbelievable privilege! Doesn’t it make you wonder how anyone could claim to have common sense and still refuse? Who wouldn’t want to accept such a great gift? How about you? I hope to see you “on the other side” as they say. I care about you, and so does Jesus, enough to suffer and die to make you His own. I will be praying for your health and for your soul.
I will put together a PDF with this letter as well as a multitude of supporting Bible verses and post it in the free download section of my other blog: Layout for Today (click on the Free PDF downloads link at the top of the page there).