We are all on death row. The Bible says, Romans 6:23a "For the wages of sin is death;" What are wages? Wages are what you earn because of work that you do. Romans also says in chapter 3:23 "for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.3.KJV That little word ALL in the Greek actually means--ALL. Other than Jesus, there has never been a perfect person. I'm so glad that Romans 6:23 didn't end after the phrase above but it continued, 23b "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.6.KJV We could probably all quote John 3:16 but verse 17 expounds on verse 16. "16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.3.KJV Romans 8:1 "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.8.KJV 1 John 4:9 "In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. 10 Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1JN.4.KJV So, what is that big word, propitiation? According to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance "Corresponding Greek / Hebrew Entries: The concept of ἱλασμός in the Greek New Testament corresponds to several Hebrew terms related to atonement and propitiation, most notably:• Strong's Hebrew 3722: כָּפַר (kaphar) • to cover, purge, make an atonement, make reconciliation.• Strong's Hebrew 3725: כַּפֹּרֶת (kapporeth) • the mercy seat, the place of atonement.• Strong's Hebrew 3724: כֹּפֶר (kopher) • a ransom, gift to secure favor, atonement." https://biblehub.com/greek/2434.htm To make an atonement for our sins. The word atonement can be broken down like this: At one ment. God was giving us a way to be reconciled to Him through Jesus. Romans 5:10 "For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.5.KJV 2 Corinthians 5:18 "And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 to wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/2CO.5.KJV Colossians 1:12 "giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: 13 who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son: 14 in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins: 21 And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled 22 in the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:" https://www.bible.com/bible/1/COL.1.KJV "It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day in contemplation of the life of Christ. We should take it point by point, and let the imagination grasp each scene, especially the closing ones. As we thus dwell upon His great sacrifice for us, our confidence in Him will be more constant, our love will be quickened, and we shall be more deeply imbued with His spirit. If we would be saved at last, we must learn the lesson of penitence and humiliation at the foot of the cross." DA 83.4 https://egwwritings.org/read?panels=p130.313&index=0 Matthew chapters 26-28 contain the record, as well as Mark 14-16, Luke 22-24 and John 17-20. For a good Bible online or on your phone: https://www.bible.com/ it has any version that you want. (The version that I choose is the King James Version because I believe it to be the most accurate, without leaving verses out of it. I am not fond of all that is in the app, such as the "guided meditation" which I believe can be used by the devil to cause people to stray from the truths in the Bible.)
I began this blog to talk about the infinite love of God, but I don't think that we can begin to comprehend God's love for us unless we first can see: #1 how abhorrent sin is to God and #2 how sinful we are. One might think to themselves that they are a good person, because they don't go around raping, or killing people, they hold down good jobs and are good spouses, and parents, but that is not how God sees even the "smaller" sins, like lying or lusting. The Bible explains in Matthew 5:21 "Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment:... 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/MAT.5.KJV If anyone can honestly say that they have never gotten angry, or lusted it would be very surprising; in fact 1 John 1 says, "8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1JN.1.KJV Jesus came to take those wages, that we earn by our sin so that we could live forever in the paradise made new. Isaiah 53 is a prophecy about Jesus and it says in verse 5 "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ISA.53.KJV 1 Peter 2 further explains, 21 "For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 23 who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 24 who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1PE.2.KJV Oh what infinite love. There is a story about a young boy named Jimmy Carver; his grandfather had taught him how to whittle. For several weeks he spent every day whittling away on different pieces of wood. He made a fine sail boat and even carved figures of people on the boat. He put a sail on it and carved his initials on the bottom-JC. Jimmy tied a string to the bow of his boat and put it on a nearby lake. Jimmy would let the wind catch the sail and take the boat out as far as the string would allow and then he would pull it back to shore. Oh he had so much fun with his boat. One day, while playing with the boat a strong gust of wind came up and yanked the string right from his grasp. He tried very hard to get his boat back, but the wind carried it away too quickly. Jimmy was so sad. The weeks and months went by slowly. One day as Jimmy was going to the store for his mom, he stopped and stared into the shop window, for there in the window sat his boat. He was so excited, he ran in the store and cried out to the shop owner, "mister, mister, mister, you have my boat in your window." The shop owner responded slowly, "well, son, that's my boat. You see I bought that boat from a gentleman who brought it in here a little while ago." "But mister," Jimmy said politely, "I made that boat, if you get it down for me I will show you that it has my initials in it." The shop owner did get it down for Jimmy and he did see Jimmy's initials in the bottom of it. "Well," he said at last, "I just paid good money for it, and I'm afraid, if you want it back, you are going to have to buy it back from me." Jimmy promised to return as soon as he had enough money to buy it back. Every day, all summer long, Jimmy found odd jobs to do in his neighborhood; he mowed lawns, whatever he could find that people would pay him for. By the end of the summer, he had made enough money to buy back his boat; he made sure by counting it twice. He walked down to the store and counted out the money to the shopkeeper, who then handed Jimmy back his boat. Jimmy hugged it to himself tightly and whispered, "Now you are twice mine, because first I made you, and then I bought you back." God made us in His image, (Genesis 1:26 "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:..." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/GEN.1.KJV) we rebelled and satan became our rightful master, (Romans 5:12 "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.5.KJV) Jesus bought us back (Acts 4:10 "be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ACT.4.KJV"). The price had to be paid. OH, what INFINITE LOVE! Ephesians 3:14 "For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 15 of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, 16 that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; 17 that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; 19 and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/EPH.3.KJV
So now, let's talk a little bit about the different kinds of love and found out more about how God loves. For this example we go to the book of John chapter 21:15 "So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.21.KJV In Greek, Jesus asked Peter twice, if Peter agapaō loved Him. But Peter responded that he phileō loved Jesus. Agapaō love is an unconditional love and Peter knows that at that time in his life his love is not as strong as that. Phileō love is like a regular friend might love someone. The last time Jesus asks this question Jesus uses the word phileō, and Peter responds again with phileō 1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God IS love." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/1JN.4.KJV (emphasis supplied) John 13:34 "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.13.KJV John 15:12 "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. 13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.15.KJV God could have created an army of robots, who would obey Him and daily repeat the phrase, "I love you"; but would they really? God could have made the world in black and white with shades of grey; but He didn't. God didn't have to give us animals like cats or dogs to be our friends; but God loved us so much that He wanted to give us good things. James 1:17 "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JAS.1.KJV God's love isn't based on our "goodness", because in and of ourselves we have none. Romans 3:10 "as it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:" https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.3.KJV God's love isn't based on race, or gender. Galations 3:28 "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/GAL.3.KJV If God did not love us we would not even exist, and we definitely wouldn't have any hope of an eternal life with Him. Titus 1:2 "in hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;" https://www.bible.com/bible/1/TIT.1.KJV
The story is told of a man who took his son and a neighbor boy on a fishing trip. During the trip the boat capsized and the boys were thrown on opposite sides of the boat. Both boys began to drown. The father looked at his son, and then at the neighbor boy, knowing that he could not reach both in time to save each them. The son realized this and nodded to his father just before going under the water again. The father swam towards the neighbor boy and saved him. Now reread John 3:16, 17 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. 17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/JHN.3.KJV Hebrews 4:14 "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/HEB.4.KJV
It has been said that, nobody cares, unless you care; nobody loves, unless you love, but God demonstrated His love for us before we were ever born. Romans 5:8 "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." https://www.bible.com/bible/1/ROM.5.KJV We need to show others just how much God loves and cares for them.
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