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As I concluded in part two, the Apostle James wrote that if a person keeps the entire Mosaic Law, but breaks even one of the 613 mitzvoth, or commandments, he is guilty of breaking all of them. Just like Jesus and the Apostle Paul, I believe that the main point that James was trying to make with his readers, is that absolutely no one can establish their own righteousness through keeping the Mosaic Law. It is a total human impossibility. No one has ever done it, and no one will ever do it, except Jesus Christ himself. This is why He was able to make the perfect Sacrifice for our sins. He was as a lamb without spot or blemish, as required by the Mosaic Law.

Tragically, this is precisely what the unbelieving Jews of Jesus' and Paul's era tried to do. As we learned in part one of this series, due to their fear of death, they were under complete bondage to the Laws of Moses; every jot and tittle of it. Because they rejected the righteousness which comes through Christ alone, they went about trying to establish their own righteousness, by supposedly observing all of the mitzvoth. Thus, the Apostle Paul wrote as follows. I have added a few words in brackets for the sake of clarification:

"For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness [through Jesus Christ], and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God."


And that is why they were lost and damned. They thought that they were righteous, but they were not; because there is no righteousness without Christ. In fact, as I explain in other articles, after Paul's eyes were opened, and he was converted to the Christian faith, he spent a large portion of his life fighting against those same self-righteous Jews, who still maintained that they could establish their own righteousness through observing the Laws of Moses. In his Epistles, over and over again, Paul argued that no one could be justified by the Mosaic Law any longer. Only faith in the Sacrifice of Jesus Christ could possibly save them. Consider the following verses where this point is made so very clear:

"And by him [Jesus] all that believe are justified from all things, from which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses."


"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith."


"For if by one man's offence [Adam] death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) . . . That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord."


"Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God."


"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness."


"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth."


"Knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified . . . I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain."


"But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith."


"Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace."


"And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:"


Such is the futility of trying to keep the Law. Such is the futility of trying to attain Salvation through our own good deeds. As we have already seen, we cannot be good enough of our own accord. We have transgressed the Law; and that makes us sinners; every single one of us. There is simply no way around it. There are no loopholes. There are no bargaining chips. We are all guilty as charged.

However, as we have also already learned, not everything is lost. There is a way out of this mess. There is a way to be exonerated of guilt. There is a way to avoid the punishment we deserve. There is a silver lining to the sin which clouds and overshadows our lives. Guilt, condemnation, judgment and punishment do not have to be the end of this story, if we don't wish for them to be. We are not without hope. There is a way of escape. We have already been condemned by our own selfish and sinful actions. What we clearly need now is a Savior, and Jesus is that Savior. He offers us freedom from the bondage of sin. He offers us the hope of Redemption. And He offers us the gift of Eternal Life, through His Sacrifice of Love on the Cross. As the Apostle Paul explains it:

"For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly."


"That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: But now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ."


So you see, as I explained in part one, through accepting Christ's sufferings on the Cross as Atonement for our sins, we can be reconciled with, and reunited with the Father. Our fellowship and close relationship with Him can be restored. That is why only a few verses later, the Apostle Paul also adds the following:

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God;"


Why does Paul say this? Because that is precisely what God has wanted all along. He has wanted His wayward children to return to Him, just like in the story of the Prodigal Son which is found in Luke chapter fifteen. In fact, at the very beginning of the Gospel of John, we are plainly told that we can each become a part of God's Household. We can become His adopted children, simply by accepting the Sacrifice of His Son, as we see by this well-known verse:

"But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:"


This idea of being adopted into God's Family through faith in Jesus Christ is mentioned in other verses as well. Not only that, but the Apostle Paul informs us that this great Adoption Plan was put into motion before the foundation of the world. Consider the following verses and rejoice at your Father's great love for His children:

"For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together."


"For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus."


"Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved . . . That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him: In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:"


So by simply believing in what Jesus did for us, and by repenting of our sins, we can find forgiveness, and we can be reunited with God, both in this life, as well as in the life to come. God is very willing to forgive us for our mistakes. He is able to blot out our sins from the Book. He is able to remove the stain of guilt from our lives, if we choose to believe in and accept the Sacrifice of His Son as the perfect Atonement for our sins. In fact, He pleads with us to make the right choice. As the Prophet Isaiah wrote over twenty-five hundred years ago:

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."


There is no other way. God knows that we cannot be perfect enough. We cannot be righteous enough. We cannot do enough good deeds in order to merit Salvation and Eternal Life. We cannot keep every single one of His holy Laws. We will fall short of the goal every time. We will never meet His standard of perfection. By ourselves, we are simply a hopeless case. So we must humble ourselves, and be willing to admit that we can't do it alone, and that we need His help. If we cry out to Him and confess our sins, confess our need, and believe in our hearts that Jesus is the Savior we long desire, God the Father promises that He will hear us, and He will save us. Again, the Prophet Isaiah wrote:

"Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:"


As the previous verses from Isaiah state, we can be cleansed of our sins. We can be washed clean and made white as snow by the Blood of the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.

If you have never heard it before, this is the central message of our Christian faith: You are a sinner, but God loves you anyway. He wants to forgive you, and He wants to bring you into His Family, and give you Eternal Life. But first, you must be willing to meet the conditions which He has established. That begins with the realization that you are a sinner, and then repenting of your sins, whatever they happen to be. If you are willing to do this, and if you are willing to admit your personal need for a Savior, and if you recognize Jesus Christ as that Savior, you will gain both forgiveness and Eternal Life. God is waiting on you to make the right choice. As the Apostle Peter wrote so many years ago:

"The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance."


In other words, God keeps His promises. He does not go back on them and He does not lie. As Peter writes, it is not God's Will for any of us to perish; so He patiently waits for us to repent of our sins, so that He can extend His hand of Salvation to us. Consider the following verses:

"God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?"


"God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged."


"In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;"


God the Father, and Jesus His Son, have kept their part of the bargain. Their word is good. It can be trusted. They will deliver the promised blessings of forgiveness, as well as Eternal Life to those who believe. As we learned in part one, Jesus paid with His earthly life as a ransom for our sins. He purchased us with His very own blood. He died for you, for me, for all of us. That is why in the Gospel of John He said the following:

"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me."


"All men" means exactly that: all men; because we are all sinners before God, and in need of a Savior. It does not matter of what national origin you might be. It does not matter of what religious persuasion you might currently be, or even if you profess no faith at all. The bottom line, is that without Christ, you are hopeless, and you are utterly lost. As we read earlier, the Apostle Paul wrote "having no hope, and without God in the world". So again, Jesus Christ fulfilled His Mission on the Cross. He did His part. Now it is up to you to do your part. If you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ, are you prepared to do it now? If you are one of His children, you will know it, and you will hear the Voice of His Spirit speaking to your heart. As Jesus also said:

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:"


The Apostle Paul also informs us that the Lord knows those who are His. Perhaps that is why we are predestinated from the very start. In other words, because God already knows what decision we are going to make. Consider the following verse:

"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."


As we read earlier, in Romans chapter ten, after explaining that none of us can establish our own righteousness through observing the mandates of the Mosaic Law, or by performing good works and doing nice things, the Apostle Paul plainly states that Jesus "is the end of the law for righteousness." He then tells his readers exactly how one can be saved with the following two verses:

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."


So, as you can see, we must not only believe in our hearts, but we must also confess our faith in Christ with our mouths. In other words, we must demonstrate our faith through an act of verbal confession. So again I ask, are you prepared to do this? Is your heart ready? Have you reached a point in your life where you are ready to let go of your pride and your vanity, and your "I can do it alone" attitude? Are you now willing to humble yourself before God and admit your need for a Savior?

If you feel God's Spirit tugging at your heart right now, and if you have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I would like to invite you to do so right now. It is not advisable for you to put it off for another day. After all, you may not have that long. As the old saying goes, "We are all old. We could die tomorrow". God forbid that this should happen to you, but if it did, can you say with absolute certainty that you have the assurance of Salvation and Eternal Life? Quoting from the Prophet Isaiah, the Apostle Paul wrote:

". . . I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."


In speaking of the brevity of the human life span, the Apostle James also wrote the following:

"Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."


Considering then the uncertainty of your future, would it not be wise on your part to make the decision to accept Jesus Christ today; in fact, right now? If you feel that you are ready, but are not quite certain regarding how to go about doing it, allow me to suggest the following small prayer as a guide. Please remember that prayer is not just a dead ritual that you repeat over and over again as is taught by certain religions. Prayer is talking heart to heart with our Heavenly Father. Through the following prayer, or a similar one, you are expressing your acceptance of your sinful condition, your need for a Savior, and recognizing that Jesus Christ is that Savior.

Please understand that Salvation is a matter of belief and acceptance. The words of this prayer are only the vehicle, or the means, of demonstrating that acceptance before God. The words themselves do not save you. What saves you is the faith and belief in your heart in God's promises, as I have explained them to you in this message. You might want to pray something like the following:

"Heavenly Father, I know that I am not perfect. I admit that I have made my share of mistakes. I know that I am a sinner. I believe that Jesus is your Son, and that He gave His life on the Cross for my sins. Heavenly Father, I ask You to please forgive me for my sins through the Sacrifice of Your Son, and to grant me Eternal Life. Please fill my life with Your Spirit, and help me to understand Your Word, the Bible. As I do, help me to submit myself to Your Will for my life; help me to live a life which is pleasing in your sight; and as much as is within me, help me to also begin telling others about Your Son, Jesus, so that they may have Eternal Life as well. Thank-you Father for hearing my prayer. In Your Son, Jesus's name, I humbly ask. Amen."

If you have just prayed this prayer, or a similar prayer with sincerity, then the Spirit of Jesus Christ has come into your life, and you have been forgiven for your sins. Your slate has been washed clean by the Blood of the Lamb, and you have been given a fresh start. For as the Apostle Paul also wrote:

"Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new."


Jesus Himself spoke of this new spiritual birth, or rebirth. One certain night, a noble Pharisee came to Jesus to inquire of Him regarding His doctrine. During the conversation, the Lord said the following to Nicodemus:

". . . Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God . . . Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Marvel not that I said unto thee, Ye must be born again."


By accepting Christ as you have just done, your spirit has been renewed, and you have received Eternal Life. Someday it will become a reality for all of us when we each receive our Glorified Body. We know this is so, because the Bible says so, and that is all we have to know. You may not have heard a loud clap of thunder, or even felt some grand onslaught of emotion. Nevertheless, everything you have just asked for has been granted to you by faith, simply because God says so in His Word. As we have already seen, God is not a man that He should lie. He keeps His word. He keeps His promises, more than any human being you will ever know.

So you have great reason to rejoice, because you have just been admitted into the eternal Family of God! You belong to Him by right of adoption through Jesus Christ. In fact, at this very moment, the Angels in Heaven are rejoicing with you. We know that this is so, because Jesus said so Himself. In the Gospel of Luke He said the following:

"I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance . . . Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth."


May God truly bless you in your New Life with Him! To assist you in your new-found faith, I suggest that you immediately begin to read your Bible. As a new Believer in Christ, it would be good for you to begin by reading the four Gospels which describe in great detail the Birth, Life, Message, Death and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Furthermore, I also advise you to seek out some sort of fellowship with other like-minded Christians who can help you with your walk of faith.

Lastly, I also encourage you to continue reading the many Scripture-filled articles -- such as this one -- which can be found on the Bill's Bible Basics website. These articles will answer many questions you have regarding the Bible and our Christian faith. If you are interested in reaching some of your friends with this very same Gospel message, you will be happy to know that it is available in PDF format, in seven different languages at the following URL. Each language is a separate PDF file:

https://wwww.billkochman.com/Message-To-The-World/Message-To-The-World.html

With these thoughts, I will bring this article to a close. It is my hope that you have found it informative, enlightening, and I pray that it has been a blessing in your life as well. If you have an account with Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr or with any other social network, I would really appreciate if you'd take the time to click or tap on the corresponding link that is found on this page. Thanks so much, and may God bless you abundantly!

For additional information and further study, you may want to refer to the list of reading resources below which were either mentioned in this article, or which contain topics which are related to this article. All of these articles are likewise located on the Bill's Bible Basics web server. To read these articles, simply click or tap on any link you see below.

All Are Given a Chance, But . . .
Beholding the Evil and the Good
Free From the Fear of Death: Law and Works vs Grace
Holy Qur'an and Islam: A Doctrine of Devils?
Is the Message of Salvation Meant for All Men?
Not Everyone is a Child of God
OSAS: Are We Once Saved, Always Saved?.
Salvation is Free Through Jesus Christ
Selfishness: A Prophesied Sign of Our Times?
So You Really Think You Are So Humble?
The Lamb of God Was a Goat!
The Marriage of the Lamb
The Royal Law: Thou Shalt Love

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Please avail yourself of other areas of the Bill's Bible Basics website. There are many treasures for you to discover.