The Way for Salvation

2003-07-10 17:31

We can go our way when we know the way. The way Jesus Christ went on ahead is the way for salvation. We can go the way only if we die first and are raised. Our old self must die and our new self must live, and then we can enter the Father's house, the final destination.

Old self, that is, flesh and blood cannot enter the Father's house. Therefore, Jesus who is the way for salvation said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6).”

God our Father sent his own Son in the likeness of sinful man, and condemned sin in sinful man, a descendant of David, in order to get rid of disobedient old self from his people who are looking for the way for salvation.

A son of man has the nature of disobedience because he is by nature object of wrath. Because Jesus, the son of man, who was a descendant of David had the likeness of sinful man, he denied himself and killed disobedient old self, a descendant of David, on the cross. In Mathew 26:39, he fell with his face to the ground and prayed, "My Father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

In other words, “the reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life--only to take it up again (John 10:17).” The Bible also says like this: “regarding his Son, who as to his human nature was a descendant of David, and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 1:3-4).”

Without doing away with the object of wrath by nature, we cannot inherit the kingdom of God. The Bible says, “I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable (1 Corinthians 15:50).”

Doing away with the son of man who cannot inherit the kingdom of God is to put off our old self on the cross. It is because the way for salvation is in being sure of your faith in that we are crucified with Jesus, the son of man. This is the way of throwing off the son of man and being the son of God.

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrew 11:1). The apostle, who finished this and went on ahead, testifies, “Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1).”

The way for salvation is the way Jesus Christ went ahead. Therefore, we cannot go the way if we don’t know Jesus Christ. It is written in the Bible: until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ (Ephesians 4:13).

When John chapter 3 verse 16 and John chapter 17 verse 3 are united, we can go the way for salvation and live with Jesus Christ in Father’s house.

This way for salvation is the gift of God for his people following the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, whom the Father sent in Jesus’ name in order to make those God foreknew conform to the likeness of his Son.

Therefore, the Bible says: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God (Ephesians 2:8). ... for not everyone has faith (2 Thessalonians 3:2). If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection (Romans 6:5).

Those who are longing for a better country with Jesus throw off the country they had left. Only those who know a new life with Jesus Christ throw off the old life. The Truth says: Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free (John 8:32).

Let’s listen to the witness of a spiritual body: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come (2 Corinthians 5:17)! Amen.

Consequently the way for salvation is the way of the Cross. Thank you, Lord.

The least brother, Kim Yun-gu