June 2020 - You Must Live Like Jesus to be Saved by Jesus

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST

In Matthew 1:21-23 we read that Jesus Christ, the son of God, was born to a virgin, Mary. “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shall call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins”. From this we can understand WHAT Jesus set about to do, to save people from their sins. The verse goes on to say, “Now all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, “Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel”, which being interpreted is, God with us”. Here we read that he would be called Emmanuel, which shows HOW he would do it, by showing the character of God in the way he lived his life.

WHY DID HE HAVE TO DIE?

Though he lived a sinless life, Christ, through the grace of God, died FOR us - Romans 5:6-8, “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us”.

Christ died as a representative for us, he did not die instead of us. Christ being our representative is therefore the means by which God can show us His grace, whilst upholding His own righteous principles. If we live like Jesus Christ lived, then God will forgive our sins.

HOW TO LIVE LIKE JESUS CHRIST

In Titus 2:11-12 “For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world”.

Titus show us that to live like Jesus means to live a moral life. A moral life is a holy life, separated to God.

Holiness fundamentally means ‘separation’.

Separation from unholy things,

• “For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.” Romans 8:13
• “But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.” Romans 13:14

Separation to spiritual things.

• Therefore “as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy’” 1 Peter 1:15,16
• “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.” Colossians 3:12-15