It Starts With The Heart

For centuries man has put much effort trying to understand the human mind and behavior. Birthed out of the combination of philosophy and biology this has come to be known as psychology. Although it is somewhat difficult to capture everything that psychology encompasses, the simplest definition of psychology is that it is the study of the human mind and human behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. However, it is limited due to one simple fact. The human soul, that is, the mind, will and emotions, became corrupted by sin at the fall of Adam in the Garden, effecting the human mind and behavior in a negative, destructive, depraved manner. However, the destructive nature of sin did not stop with the soul, it completely corrupted the entire human himself, spirit, soul and body, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5)

Even after the fall of Adam we see the gross destruction that one human brought upon another. "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord . Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." (Genesis 4:1-5)

Notice, Cain became very angry. Anger is considered a secondary emotion because people tend to resort to anger in order to protect themselves from or cover up other vulnerable feelings. A primary feeling is what is felt immediately before one feels anger. Anger is defines as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Next, we see the results of what the mind can produce if anger is not immediately dealt with, "So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." (Genesis 4:6-8) 

We see in the above scripture that not even the Almighty, All Wise God of Heaven in His intervention was able to convince Cain to change his thinking, his mind, which would have changed his behavior. It is apparent that Cain's mind was already fixed by anger that eventually produced a horrific action. The murder of his own flesh and blood brother. As we can see in this example, the mind has been so corrupted with sin, how can one even think that a science that deals with the corrupted mind is able to produce any true positive and lasting results, especially when we see that Cain would not change his mind even when God Himself intervened. Cain's mind was so corrupt, I believe if a psychologist showed up on the scene to try and reason with Cain, there most likely would have been two murders. So, what is the solution to truly fix the human mind and behavior?

 It is not mind over matter, it is not doing good works, it is not even delving into religion although these things in and of themselves may be considered good things. However, it is not any of these things. It is "New Birth" through faith in Jesus Christ, period! Why? Because new birth is not mental, but spiritual. Psychology has to do with the mind, and the new birth has to do with the "hidden man of the heart," (1 Peter 3:4) or the spirit of man. Understand, man is in God's class of being, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." (Genesis 1:26) "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than yourself, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet." (Psalm 8:4-6)

When man was created in the Garden he was made in the image and likeness of God, that is he was created as a spirit being with a soul in a body, because God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) Man was created so that, by partaking of God's nature, he might become a child of God. If man was simply a physical being, then he would not have receive God's nature, thereby, making him nothing more than a mental being. He had to be a spirit being, an eternal being, who would live as God lives. Man was created so that he could be the companion and associate of God Himself. As we saw in Psalm 8, God gave man authority over creation, that is, the laws of nature as well as over every living thing. If we were to study the gospels, the ministry of Jesus, we would find that the same authority that Adam had was also given to Jesus. We would see in the gospels such things as Jesus walking on water, changing water into wine, restoring broken, maimed bodies, calming the sea and raising the dead.

Before Adam fell in the Garden, during his fellowship with God, his spirit ruled him. His soul and body were subject to his spirit. But, when he sinned, his spirit was enveloped by his flesh (Genesis 6:4), that is, the combination of his soul and body. He became spiritually dead, took on the satanic nature and his spirit became subordinate to his flesh, that is, his five senses. Adam was then driven from the presence of God and became a partaker of a Satan corrupted world. In this new world system he had to see clearly and hear keenly, or an animal could take advantage of him and he could lose his life. His taste must tell him what was good to eat. His touch must tell him whether or not an object was hot or cold, sharp, rough or smooth. His wisdom and knowledge would no longer be tied to God, but his education would be gained through his five senses. Man's spirit lost contact with God. His body became mortal, that is, subject to death.

This is the condition in which Jesus found the human race when He left eternity and broke into time and space to introduce the Father to fallen man for the purpose of restoring man back to God (2 Corinthians 5:18-19). So, as we can clearly see, psychology has no ability to truly fix the human mind or behavior, because the mind can only be transform when the "hidden man of the heart" receives new birth. Jeremiah said it this way, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Without the renewing of the heart, new birth, the mind remains corrupted and under the sway of a satanically influenced world (1 John 5:19). So, do not be surprised when people who have not experienced new birth say and act the way they do. Where they are quick to seek out psychologists and or psychiatrists hoping to find relief. It is simply fallen man trying to be fixed by fallen man. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30). Grace and Peace be with you through Christ our LORD... 

A Child of God - Part 4

Due to the miraculous work of redemption through Jesus Christ, man has been restored to all that he was in God before the fall.  The only way that a person can take advantage of such a wonderful gift, he must confess Jesus as Lord and receive Him as Savior. This act of faith transforms the sinner instantly by-means-of new birth and gives him the right to become a child of God. New birth is the heart of Christianity. From the fall of man to Pentecost every plan and purpose of God to redeem man had centered in this. This is the reason for the sacrifice of Jesus as man's substitute. Man's interpretation of the new birth determines his whole Christian experience. What this means is, if the new birth is not supernatural, then Christianity is nothing more than one of the other religions of the world. If the new birth is simply a conversion to new concepts or a theory, then Christianity is purely a product of human endeavor. However, the fact is, the new birth is supernatural and Christianity has become the family of God, not a mere religion, or religious experience, but a completely restored relationship of man with Father God. 

Jesus is the first one who speaks of the new birth, and in His conversation with Nicodemus He tells us what the new birth is and the need of it. (For the sake of space, please read John 3:1-8) The first thing that we see it that no one can see or understand the Kingdom of God except he is born again, that is, except the life of God come into his very being and recreate his spirit. Second, no one can enter the Kingdom of God except he is born of water and the spirit. However, Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, cannot understand these things and asks, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus responds, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again." In this scripture, Jesus reveals the difference between the natural and the spiritual man. The importance of us grasping this is that Jesus shows us that man is spiritually dead, a child of the devil. (John 8:44) The Apostle Paul tells us, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2) 

However, the new birth is to be a complete change of the sinful, satanic nature of man to a new or restored relationship with Father God. The Apostle Paul continues, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6) We were not sick with sin, we were dead in sin, but God made us alive together with Christ, new birth, born again. By one accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,  he enters into a covenant, a legal contract so-to-speak, with the Father through Jesus Christ. Some of the numerous blessings that are legally and instantly bestowed upon believers from the Father, are...

His sins are remitted, wiped out as though they had never been. (Isaiah 43:25); He is legally justified, made righteous or set right with God. (Romans 5:1-2); His name is written in the Book of Life. (Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3); He is legally adopted into the family of God. (Romans 8:15-16); Jesus publicly confesses him before the Father and the His angels. (Revelations 3:5); He is legally reconciled to the Father. (Romans 5:9-11); He is declared and made righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21); Satan no longer has authority over the believer, but the believer has authority over Satan. (Mark 16:17; Luke 10:19); He is blessed and given every spiritual blessing by the father in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3); He has the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25). 

Keep in mind that these are but a very small potion of what takes place in the new birth, but these are enough to show us the wonderful privilege of being a child of God. The fact is, new birth is an impartation of God's own nature into the believer. (2 Peter 1:4) The Apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is not a figure of speech but, literally, if any person receives Christ as his Lord and Savior, that person is a new creation. He is not renovated, patched up, fixed over, or a hybrid, nor is he one who has received eternal life without losing the old nature. No, Paul distinctly says, that he is a new creation and that the old things, that is, the old nature, has passed away. In other words, it would be like an old building completely torn down and replaced by a new one. The new creation is a work that God Himself has accomplished in the believer. It is all of God and the new believer is now a legitimately born again child of God. Not only are we legally born again by God, but we are also legally adopted into His Family which makes our relationship with the Father doubly secure in Christ.

The Apostle John tells us, "Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13) The Apostle James tells us, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:18) The Apostle Peter tells us, "Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." (1 Peter 1:23) Man, once spiritually dead, hopeless, helpless and without God in the world, a child of Satan, now has the opportunity to become a part of the family of God, simply by confessing with the mouth and believing with the heart, the Lord Jesus Christ and taking Him as Savior. Think about these things and then consider, who would not want to be a true, legal, bought and paid for child of God? Really, no one. So take some time and let some people know that they can be a part of God's family and become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

The Heart of Things

For centuries man has put much effort trying to understand the human mind and behavior. Birthed out of the combination of philosophy and biology this has come to be known as psychology. Although it is somewhat difficult to capture everything that psychology encompasses, the simplest definition of psychology is that it is the study of the human mind and human behavior. Research in psychology seeks to understand and explain thought, emotion, and behavior. However, it is limited due to one simple fact. The human soul, that is, the mind, will and emotions, became corrupted by sin at the fall of Adam in the Garden, effecting the human mind and behavior in a negative, destructive, depraved manner. However, the destructive nature of sin did not stop with the soul, it completely corrupted the entire human himself, spirit, soul and body, "Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually." (Genesis 6:5)

Even after the fall of Adam we see the gross destruction that one human brought upon another. "Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord . Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell." (Genesis 4:1-5)

Notice, Cain became very angry. Anger is considered a secondary emotion because people tend to resort to anger in order to protect themselves from or cover up other vulnerable feelings. A primary feeling is what is felt immediately before one feels anger. Anger is defines as a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility. Next, we see the results of what the mind can produce if anger is not immediately dealt with, "So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it." Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him." (Genesis 4:6-8) 

We see in the above scripture that not even the Almighty, All Wise God of Heaven in His intervention was able to convince Cain to change his thinking, his mind, his behavior. It is apparent that Cain's mind was already fixed by anger that eventually produced a horrific action. The murder of his own flesh and blood brother. As we can see in this example, the mind has been so corrupted with sin, how can one even think that a science that deals with the corrupted mind is able to produce any true positive and lasting results, especially when we see that Cain would not change his mind even when God Himself intervened. Cain's mind was so corrupt, I believe if a psychologist showed up on the scene to try and reason with Cain, there most likely would have been two murders. So, what is the solution to truly fix the human mind and behavior?

It is not giving to the poor, it is not mind over matter, it is not doing good works, it is not even delving into religion although these things in and of themselves may be considered good things. However, it is not any of these things. It is "New Birth" through faith in Jesus Christ, period! Why? Because new birth is not mental, but spiritual. Psychology has to do with the mind, and the new birth has to do with the "hidden person of the heart," (1 Peter 3:4) or the spirit of man. Understand, man is in God's class of being, "Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness." (Genesis 1:26) "What is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that You visit him? For You have made him a little lower than yourself, and You have crowned him with glory and honor. You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet." (Psalm 8:4-6)

When man was created in the Garden he was made in the image and likeness of God, that is he was created as a spirit being with a soul in a body, because God is a Spirit. (John 4:24) Man was created so that, by partaking of God's nature, he might become a child of God. If man was simple a physical being, then he would not have receive God's nature, thereby, making him nothing more than a mental being. He had to be a spirit being, an eternal being, who would live as long as God lives. So man was created so that he could be the companion and associate of God Himself. As we saw in Psalm 8, God gave man authority over creation, that is, the laws of nature as well as over every living thing. If we were to study the gospels, the ministry of Jesus, we would find that the same authority that Adam had was also given to Jesus. We would see in the gospels such things as Jesus walking on water, changing water into wine, restoring broken, maimed bodies, calming the sea and raising the dead.

Before Adam fell in the Garden, during his fellowship with God, his spirit ruled him. His soul and body were subject to his spirit. But, when he sinned, his spirit was enveloped by his flesh (Genesis 6:4), that is, the combination of his soul and body. He became spiritually dead and took on the satanic nature and his spirit became subordinate to his flesh, that is, his five senses. Adam was then driven from the presence of God and became a partaker of a Satan corrupted world. In this new world system he had to see clearly and hear keenly, or an animal could take advantage of him and he could lose his life. His taste must tell him what was good to eat. His touch must tell him whether or not an object was hot or cold, sharp, rough or smooth. His wisdom and knowledge would no longer be tied to God, but his education would be gained through his five senses. Man's spirit lost contact with God. His body became mortal, that is, subject to death.

This is the condition in which Jesus found the human race when He left eternity and broke into time and space to introduce the Father to fallen man for the purpose of restoring man back to God. So as we can clearly see, psychology has no ability to truly fix the human mind or behavior, because the mind can only be transform when the "hidden person of the heart" receives new birth. Jeremiah said it this way, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; Who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) Without the renewing of the heart, new birth, the mind remains corrupted and under the sway of a satanically influenced world. So do not be surprised when people who have not experienced new birth say and act the way they do. Where they are quick to seek out psychologists and or psychiatrists hoping to find relief. It is simply fallen man trying to be fixed by fallen man. Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30) 

Child of God - Part 4

Due to the miraculous work of redemption through Jesus Christ, man has been restored to all that he was in God before the fall.  The only way that a person can take advantage of such an incredible gift, he must confess Jesus as Lord and receive Him as Savior. This act of faith transforms the sinner instantly by-means-of new birth an gives him the right to become a child of God. New birth is the heart of Christianity. From the fall of man to Pentecost every plan and purpose of God to redeem man had centered in this. This is the reason for the sacrifice of Jesus as man's substitute. Man's interpretation of the new birth determines his whole Christian experience. What this means is, if the new birth is not supernatural, then Christianity is nothing more than one of the other religions of the world. If the new birth is simply a conversion to new concepts or a theory, then Christianity is purely a product of human endeavor. However, the fact is, the new birth is supernatural and Christianity has become the family of God, not a mere religion, or religious experience, but a completely restored relationship of man with the Father.

Jesus is the first one who speaks of the new birth, and in His conversation with Nicodemus He tells us what the new birth is and the need of it. (For the sake of space, please read John 3:1-8) The first thing that we see it that no one can see or understand the Kingdom of God except he is born again, that is, except the life of God come into his very being and recreate his spirit. Second, no one can enter the Kingdom of God except he is born of water and the spirit. However, Nicodemus, a teacher of Israel, cannot understand these things and asks, "How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" Jesus responds, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, you must be born again." In this scripture, Jesus reveals the difference between the natural and the spiritual man. The importance of us grasping this is that Jesus shows us that man is spiritually dead, a child of the devil. (John 8:44) The Apostle Paul tells us, "And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience." (Ephesians 2:1-2) 

However, the new birth is to be a complete change of the sinful, satanic nature of man to a new or restored relationship with the Father. The Apostle Paul continues, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-6) We were not sick with sin, we were dead in sin, but God made us alive together with Christ, new birth, born again. By one accepting Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,  he enters into a covenant, a legal contract so-to-speak, with the Father through Jesus Christ. Some of the numerous blessings that are legally and instantly bestowed upon believers from the Father, are... 

• His sins are remitted, wiped out as though they had never been. (Isaiah 43:25) 
• He is legally justified, made righteous or set right with God. (Romans 5:1-2) 
• His name is written in the Book of Life. (Luke 10:20; Philippians 4:3) 
• He is legally adopted into the family of God. (Romans 8:15-16) 
• Jesus publicly confesses him before the Father and the His angels. (Revelations 3:5) 
• He is legally reconciled to the Father. (Romans 5:9-11) 
• He is declared and made righteous. (2 Corinthians 5:21) 
• Satan no longer has authority over the believer, but the believer has authority over Satan. (Mark 16:17; Luke 10:19)
• He is blessed and given every spiritual blessing by the father in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3)  
• He has the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25)

Keep in mind that these are but a very small potion of what takes place in the new birth, but these are enough to show us the incredible privileged of being a child of God. The fact is, new birth is an impartation of God's own nature into the believer. (2 Peter 1:4) The Apostle Paul tells us, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) This is not a figure of speech but, literally, if any man receives Christ as his Lord and Savior, that man is a new creation. He is not renovated, patched up, fixed over, or a hybrid, nor is he one who has received eternal life without losing the old nature. No, Paul distinctly says, that he is a new creation and that the old things, that is, the old nature, has passed away. In other words, it would be like an old building completely torn down and replaced by a new one. The new creation is a work that God Himself has accomplished in the believer. It is all of God and the new believer is now a legitimately born again child of God. Not only are we legally born again by God, but we are also legally adopted into His Family which makes our relationship with the Father doubly secure in Christ.  

The Apostle John tells us, "Who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13) The Apostle James tells us, "Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures." (James 1:18) The Apostle Peter tells us, "Having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." (1 Peter 1:23) Man, once spiritually dead, hopeless, helpless and without God in the world, a child of Satan, now has the opportunity to become a part of the family of God, simply by confessing with the mouth and believing with the heart, the Lord Jesus Christ and taking Him as Savior. Think about these things and then consider, who would not want to be a true, legal, bought and paid for child of God? Really, no one. So take some time and let some people know that they can be a part of God's family and become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Child of God - Part 3

We have talked about the catastrophic nature of the fall of man. How man is hopeless, godless and in a world that was controlled by the father of sin, Satan. The only way that man could be restored to the relationship that he had with God before the fall, could only be accomplished through a mediator. Someone who has a legal standing with God and at the same time can sympathize, understand and represent man before God. The all-knowing, all-wise God, knew before creation what Adam would do and also had the plan to completely restore man to the same relationship that he had before Adam disobeyed his Father and Maker. (Ephesians 1:3-6) How would God do this? He would have to take the liability of man's treason upon Himself. The Apostle John tells us that God the Word became flesh. (John 1:1, 14) Deity put on humanity (flesh). 

The question of the humanity and deity of Jesus has been the battle ground of controversy from the time of the early church mostly among philosophers, and theologians. Why? Because, Jesus is a puzzle to them. To the natural mind He is a mystery. (1 Corinthians 2:14) In the history of man, no man has ever had such an incredible impact as He. He changed liars to truth-tellers, lazy men to workers, thieves to honest men, and so much more. Basically, He changes one's nature the moment they take Him as his Savior and crowns Him Lord.  So, to understand the deity and humanity of Jesus, to comprehend the incarnation we must ask ourselves, "Could the Son of God have been incarnate if His body had been conceived by natural means, (the union of a man and a woman)? Would it have been possible for God to have come into a child born of natural means and dwell in the child and be incarnate?"

This could not be so because scripture reveals to us through the Apostle Paul, "for al1 have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23) and "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12) If Jesus had been born through the natural means of man and God had come into Him, He would have been nothing more than a sinful man with God dwelling in Him. He would not have qualified as the sinless Son of God. The only way that man could be redeemed would have to be by the incarnation. It would have to be one who would not be subject to death, nor subject to Satan. The fact is, during Jesus' earthly walk, He was not a subject of death, neither was He a subject of Satan. Death had no dominion over Him until the sins of the world had been laid upon Him on the Cross. (1 Peter 2:24)

Jesus was not mortal nor immortal, but was a perfect human as Adam was before the Fall. If God could have changed the nature of a child after birth so that He could be incarnate in the child, He could as well have changed the nature of the whole human race in the same way. Although man would have benefited greatly by this, to do this would have been an injustice to God Himself and to Satan. The reason behind this is, the sin problem would not have been legally settled and the penalty of man's transgression would not have been legally paid. This would have opened the door for Satan to cry foul. Although Satan himself is corrupt, it would have given him the right to accuse God bending justice in favor of man. So, man's redemption would need to be accomplished on complete legal grounds. The Redeemer would have to be a man. He must be one over whom Satan had no legal claims, no authority over and be sinless as Adam had and was before the fall. The only way that this could come about was in the way the angel Gabriel revealed it to the virgin Mary, "And the angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35) The incarnation was the only solution to the human problem.

The incarnation is the basic miracle of Christianity. It proves the preexistence of Christ and is the foundation and reason for all subsequent miraculous manifestations of divine power. The incarnation of deity with humanity would provide the very thing that man was in dire need of, the perfect Mediator. Although Jesus' time on earth served many purposes and fulfilled all the law and all that the prophets foretold of Him, it all culminated with His main mission, to die as a substitute for the sin of all humanity. His death was to pay the price for all the evil and wickedness of man. The just for the unjust. The righteous for the unrighteous. This was all Gods doing. (Isaiah 53) The sinless Son of God would freely lay His life down (John 10:17-18) to satisfy justice and pay in full the sin debt that no person on earth could ever pay. Jesus said, "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10)

Although it was man who betrayed God, the Father's desire to have a family of son's and daughter's was so great, that His love moved Him to to make things right between Himself and man through the death of His only begotten Son. (John 3:16) To think of such love staggers the imagination. The Apostle John tells us, "Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God." (1 John 3:1) Take a moment and meditate on such an incredible truth. The brilliant Creator of everything seen and unseen; the most holy, righteous, perfect, Almighty God took it upon Himself to restore man to His intended, legal and rightful position as His children. All one has to do is to confess Jesus as Lord and receive Him as Savior. This act of faith transforms the sinner instantly by-means-of new birth an gives them the right to become a child of God. (John 1:12) PTL