"Live Xtreme" 4 Jesus: Chapter 1 Believe

SNEEK PEEK Preview of chapter 1

I begin with “Believe” a person cannot experience or live the Xtreme Life without first believing in Jesus and surrendering their life to him.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who BELIEVES in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT)

This is the foundational verse of Christianity. It promises eternal life to all who believe in Jesus Christ. God’s gift to the world through which he demonstrated his love to sinners. Jesus did not come for the healthy but for the sick. He came to rescue humanity from their sin. When sin entered the world, man was cursed with the second death an eternal state of anguish and pain.

God had a plan of salvation even before he created man. The atoning sacrifice of Jesus on the cross was alluded to at the fall of man, when sin entered the world. Man is God’s creation he loves man and enjoyed a connection with man in the garden. God would walk and talk with Adam in the garden. Adam experienced divine fellowship with God until that fateful day when Adam gave into sin which resulted in this connection with God being terminated. God cannot associate with sin. Their walks together in the cool evening were over.

An elaborate plan was established with Moses in the desert for man to follow to attain atonement, reconnecting with God. This scheme was reliant upon man’s obedience to the Law. Hebrews 8:7 (NLT) If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it. The Law revealed man’s sin and disobedience. The first covenant required yearly atonement rituals reminding man of his constant state of sin. The only way for man to be atoned is through the mercy and grace of God. Man does not deserve, nor is he able to achieve atonement by his own means.

Mercy is not receiving that which we deserve, man according to God is deserving of the second death. Instead of death, God has shown man mercy by not giving man what he deserves but giving him the gift of eternal life. Grace is extending a gift to the unworthy. Man, in his own actions is not worthy of God’s love, yet God extends love and forgiveness through the gift of his son Jesus Christ. Salvation is provided freely to all who believe on Jesus and call on his name. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” Romans 10:13 (NLT)

Jesus’ act of atonement, the second covenant provided permanent cleansing for man from all his sin forever, never to be remembered. Scripture says he separated man from sin as far as the east is from the west. Jesus’s work on the cross provided eternal life to man.

In John 3:16, all that is required is that one believe in Jesus Christ for salvation. As the Scriptures tell us, “Anyone who trusts in him will never be disgraced.” Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect. They have the same Lord, who gives generously to all who call on him. For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” . Romans 10:11-13 (NLT) One cannot work their way into heaven or obtain eternal life simply by following the law. Jesus fulfilled the law. The only use of the law is to reveal a man’s sin. How can one repent of their sin unless it be revealed? One will not repent, change their behavior, unless they are offended by their behavior. The Law and working of the Holy Spirit reveal our sinful condition.

Belief entails faith, trust and obedience. It is not simply accepting a person existed or performed a certain act. Belief in Jesus is an action. A person who professes to believe in Jesus will obediently follow the teachings of Jesus and model their life after his. The action does not save you. Jesus did the work on the cross. Salvation-eternal life is not attained through a merit based system. Salvation is freely given to all who believe and call on his name.

Anyone who believes in him, Jesus, will be saved. What essentially is meant by believing? Belief, as I said is not simply believing he existed. It is a collection of issues in which we must believe to be saved. To be saved we must believe we are in jeopardy of being lost. Lost in this instance is the result of sin. Therefore, we must believe we are sinners in need of salvation. Seeking Jesus for salvation requires belief that he did something to provide salvation. We must believe in his sinless life and his sacrifice of atonement on the cross. If we are saved from the second death, we believe that he has resurrected from the dead and ascended into heaven, is the son of God and is coming back again for believers as promised in scripture. Failing to believe any part of this scenario nullifies it all.

Many preach a salvation of grace without change. When I read the scripture, I see a call for repentance. Sinners are called to turn from their sin. Paul in Ephesians teaches that we are to be examples of Jesus. Jesus lived a sinless life. So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. 15 This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. Hebrews 4:14-16 (NLT) There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.

Jesus experienced temptation just as every other person. He, however, did not sin. This is important in the plan of redemption as a perfect sacrifice was required. If you believe in Jesus you will believe and be obedient to his message, the Good News, the gospel calls for all believers to repent turn from their sins. As we are washed in the soul cleansing blood of Jesus and our sins are washed away. Jesus requires us to turn from our sin and be baptized. “A person who is really saved by grace does not need to be told that he is under solemn obligations to serve Christ. The new life within him tells him that. Instead of regarding it as a burden, he gladly surrenders himself, body, soul, and spirit, to the Lord."- C.H. Spurgeon

A person will not seek salvation without first understanding and believing that their eternal destination is in jeopardy or that there is a HOPE of living eternally. Romans states, “the wages of sin is death.” If we revisit the garden we will recall Adam and Eve were warned that if they eat the forbidden fruit they will surely die. Their sin unleashed the curse of death on all of creation. They ate the fruit and continued to live, however, they would now one-day die. They were unaware that God was speaking of the second death. Revelations calls the lake of fire, a destination reserved for all evil, wickedness, and sinners, which is the second death. This will be an eternal destination. Man cannot enter into a relationship with God while in the bonds of sin. It is interesting he does not require man to cleanup prior to submitting to him. Man is not required to go through a cleansing ritual to receive salvation. Scripture states, “While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Whatever your sin Christ accepts you just the way you are. Come to Jesus believe in him and then he will forgive all your transgressions.

The actions of Jesus Christ, as the perfect sacrifice on the cross, was for the atonement of man’s sin. Man can receive forgiveness, atonement, and the hope of eternal life simply by believing and calling on Jesus Christ. Without Jesus, you face a second death. Romans also reveals that, “all have sinned.” If it were possible to live a sinless life since birth you would still be guilty of sin. 17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ. Romans 5:17 (NLT) Jesus was born of a virgin. He has no earthly father. Many theologians believe that the inheritance of death through sin is passed through the father. Yes, Adam’s one sin brings condemnation for everyone, but Christ’s one act of righteousness brings a right relationship with God and new life for everyone. Because one-person disobeyed God, many became sinners. But because one other person obeyed God, many will be made righteous. Romans 5:18-19 (NLT) Jesus is the perfect sinless atonement for the sins of man. Through him all who believe are made righteous and receive life eternal.

It was necessary for Jesus to come and die as a perfect atonement for sin. In fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness. That is why the Tabernacle and everything in it, which were copies of things in heaven, had to be purified by the blood of animals. But the real things in heaven had to be purified with far better sacrifices than the blood of animals.

For Christ did not enter into a holy place made with human hands, which was only a copy of the true one in heaven. He entered into heaven itself to appear now before God on our behalf. And he did not enter heaven to offer himself again and again, like the high priest here on earth who enters the Most Holy Place year after year with the blood of an animal. If that had been necessary, Christ would have had to die again and again, ever since the world began. But now, once for all time, he has appeared at the end of the age to remove sin by his own death as a sacrifice. Romans 9:22-26 (NLT) Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. Redemption required a blood sacrifice as did a covenant. Jesus was establishing a new covenant through his actions on the cross. His sacrifice was a one and done deal unlike the sacrifices conducted throughout the history of the Israelites which required repetition on an annual basis.

A belief is required in the life death and resurrection of Jesus. His work did not end on the cross. While his body lay in that tomb for three days, his Spirit body was defeating death, hell, and the grave. Jesus was victorious in defeating sin, through him those that believe will escape the second death. Jesus not only conquered death he rose from the dead. While the leaders of other faiths have died and remain in the tomb. Jesus rose from the dead, which was witnessed by many. Of his core apostles, all died a violent torturous death except John who died in exile. All went to their death never recanting one word of their belief in Jesus, the work he completed while on the earth, or his resurrection and ascension. They were all willing to go to the grave for their belief.

Jesus before his death and throughout his ministry spoke of his return for those that believe. John in Revelations (The Revelation of Jesus Christ) speaks at length of the second coming of Jesus. Jesus will come for his church, those who are pure, without spot or wrinkle. He is coming to rapture those who have believed and called on his name. Those that Paul speaks of here And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect. Romans 12:1-2 (NLT)

Jesus promised eternal life to all who believed. This promise would not have held much weight if he hadn’t risen from the dead. Muhammad, Gandhi, and Buddha all have died and their bodies remain in the grave. Jesus died and rose again. Many had witnessed his resurrection and the empty tomb. After that, he was seen by more than 500 of his followers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have died. 1 Corinthians 15:6 (NLT) At his ascension into heaven to sit at the Father’s right hand it was affirmed he would return. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!” Acts 1:11 (NLT)

To say one believes in Jesus entails more than believing he was born in a manger and died on a cross. Billy Graham Evangelistic Association states, “The word “believe” in the Bible means more than simply agreeing in our minds that something might be true. It means “trust”—that we believe so strongly in God that we are willing to commit our lives to Him and live the way we know He wants us to live.” In the following chapters, we will discuss living the Xtreme Life.

We began this chapter with this verse, “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who BELIEVES in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16 (NLT) Belief denotes action. Believing a car will drive through a green light without stopping will result in your stopping at a red light. When you believe in Jesus you may not immediately know and understand all that has been written here however in time the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth and provide you understanding.