Ten Essentials for New ChristiansSample

#2: Jesus Died So You Could Live

Love is the reason God sent Jesus into the world to give his life for us so that we might be rescued from our sinful condition and our rebellion against God and be restored to a right relationship with him.

But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8).

The greatest thought you could ever have is this: God put this incredible plan into action because of you. He loves you that much. Live in constant appreciation for the salvation you have received, knowing that the price for your sins was paid by Christ taking your place on the cross. Jesus suffered death so you can have eternal life that you didn’t deserve.

Q&A

Does Jesus Save Everyone?

Jesus said that the short answer is no, absolutely not. Not everyone is saved.

To our human sensitivities, this answer seems harsh. But remember that God “does not want anyone to be destroyed but wants everyone to repent (2 Peter 3:9). His design is that “everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). So, some are saved because they believe in Jesus, and others are not saved because they have chosen to reject Christ.

Jesus cautioned that some people on the wide road—living for themselves—mistakenly believe their token acknowledgment of Jesus is enough to get them through the “narrow gate” (Matthew 7:13-14). Using the illustration of sheep (those who are saved) and goats (the unsaved), Jesus gave this warning about the Day of Judgment (read Matthew 25:31-46 for the whole passage):

“All the nations will be gathered in [God’s] presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

“Then the King will say to those on his right [the sheep], ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world.”

And a few verses later,

“Then the King will turn to those on the left [the goats] and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons.”

The passage ends a few verses later with

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life” (Matthew 25:31-46).

Jesus saves everyone who comes to him in repentance and genuine submission. These attitudes need to be in the heart of every sinner seeking salvation. It is not enough to be a goat who says, “I love you, Jesus.” The King will say, “You don’t truly love Jesus unless you love like Jesus.” Jesus saves those who come to him with the desire to be fully devoted to him. The goats say they love Jesus but never leave the carnal ease of the wide road. They miss out on salvation because they:

• Like the idea of salvation but resist the concept of submission;
• Want the rewards of salvation without assuming any responsibilities for service to Christ;
• Claim some connection with Jesus but don’t want to be inconvenienced by him;
• Love the idea of forgiveness from God but have no intention of making a lifelong commitment to Jesus.

The Bible is clear - those who come to Jesus in true repentance, humility, and genuine commitment are saved. Those who approach Jesus half-heartedly and insist on their terms are “goats” who are walking on the wide path towards the wide gate that leads to hell.