Salvation for All!

Jesus declared, “All authority in Heaven and on Earth is given to me, therefore - Go! Make disciples of all nations!” He dispatched his disciples to announce his Lordship and Salvation to the “uttermost parts of the earth,” to every nation. The Era of Salvation commenced with his Death and Resurrection, and his life-giving message must be announced to all men. The Son of God achieved salvation for his people, and everlasting life is offered to one and all.

God exalted Jesus to the Messianic Throne as promised in the Scriptures: “I will give you the nations for your inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for your possession,” and therefore, he now sends his emissaries to announce his Sovereignty and the forgiveness of sins to all nations and peoples – (Psalm 2:8).

[Photo by Jackson Eaves on Unsplash]

By bestowing the Gift of the Spirit on them, Jesus empowered his disciples to proclaim this Good News to the entire world, and he assigned this mission to his Church before his Ascension:

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judaea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the Earth” – (Acts 1:8).

This salvation is for men, women, and children of every generation and nation without exception. Jesus died and God raised him from the dead so they would live no longer for themselves but for Him in the newness of life.

God loved mankind so much that He “gave his only born Son” so all men might believe and receive “everlasting life.” Jesus has bequeathed to each of his disciples the ministry of reconciling men and women to His Father. No one is worthy of his gracious gift of forgiveness and life. It is offered freely to each of us. Each man or woman who repents and believes is set right with his Creator through the redemption achieved by Jesus Christ – (John 3:16, Acts 2:36-38, Romans 3:24, 2 Corinthians 5:17-20).

Because of his suffering “for our sins,” God raised him from the dead and “highly exalted him, granting him the name that is above every name” – JESUS - the name that means “Yahweh saves,” for he was sent to “save his people from their sins” – (Matthew 1:21).

Through this same Jesus, the salvation promised by the God of Israel became real and is now offered to all men. His Son is the “Ruler of the Kings of the Earth” who is “shepherding the nations” toward the light of the Gospel, and he will do so until the day when they stand before him in the New Creation – (Philippians 2:6-11, Revelation 1:4-6, 7:9-17, 12:5-11).

All people belong to him whether they understand this or not. His death voided the legal claim of Satan over humanity, and his resurrection from the dead broke the iron grip of death that held us all. This is a radical message of liberation from the tyranny of Sin, Satan, and Death that all men must hear – (1 Corinthians 15:1-6, Philippians 2:6-11, Hebrews 2:14-15, Revelation 1:6-8,3:21, 5:5-14).

ONE MESSAGE, ONE PEOPLE

God has “spoken” definitively and with finality through His Son. It is the Son alone who “achieved the purification of sin,” therefore, he sits “at the right hand of the Majesty on High places” as the Great High Priest who mediates salvation and life for his people. He alone has achieved victory over Sin and Death. He alone provides salvation and the forgiveness of sins to every man, woman, and child who acknowledges his Lordship and embraces his life-giving offer – (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Salvation is available to all men “through the faith of Jesus Christ for all who believe, for there is no distinction.” This is because of the faithful obedience of the Son of God who “died for our sins” when we were “enemies of God,” “dead in our trespasses,” and enslaved by the “fear of death” – (Romans 3:21-22, Hebrews 2:15).

Sin is the Great Leveler that condemns each of us to bondage, decay, hopelessness, and death. Neither ethnicity, political power, nor economic status will make any difference in the end. Death awaits us all.

Because of the Death and Resurrection of Jesus, anyone may now receive the forgiveness of sin and justification before God, whether Jew or Gentile, male or female, rich or poor; namely, “from the faith of Jesus Christ.” Death still occurs, but for his disciples, the sentence of death will be reversed when he raises him from the dead on the last day. The “sting of death” will be no more! – (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 15:50-57).

Considering this gracious offer, our only possible rational response is to place our faith in Jesus and what God has accomplished through him.

God is forming a new people composed of men and women from every nation redeemed by his blood, the ‘Ekklésia’, the “Assembly.” Every person who repents and places faith in Jesus becomes a member of this holy community and receives salvation and everlasting life – (Ephesians 2:15).

[Photo by Mike Lorusso on Unsplash]

His Gospel is “good news” for every man, woman, and child. His message transcends all national and cultural boundaries. His disciples proclaim one message for all men, whether “Jew or Gentile, bond or free, male and female, for all are one in Christ Jesus” – (Galatians 3:28).

In the truest sense, this is a universal message and religion. All men have sinned. Everyone needs the forgiveness of sin as well as salvation and everlasting life. No one deserves it, “No, not one,” but God offers it to one and all through Jesus of Nazareth, and “freely” so.

Finally, salvation is provided on the same basis to every man, woman, and child, namely, from the faith of Jesus Christ. All we can do is respond in repentance and with faith to the self-sacrificial act of Jesus, the Messiah who “gave his life as a ransom for many,” including his “enemies.” The choice – life or death - is up to each of us.

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RELATED POSTS:

• Call His Name Jesus - (‘Jesus’ means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the man from Nazareth, the salvation promised by the God of Israel arrived in all its glory)

• The Mission - (The mission of the Church between now and the return of Jesus is to announce the Good News of his Kingdom to all nations – Matthew 24:14)

• As many as He calls - (The Gift of the Spirit is for every man who repents, even to those afar off, and this is in fulfillment of the Promise - Acts 2:37-41)