By MYRA COLGATE
CHEROKEE PENTECOSTAL HOLINESS CHURCH
For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:17 (NIV)
This is love: not that we loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NIV)
But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God. John 3:21 (NIV)
For our All-Knowing God so loved the world—and everyone in the world—that He gave to us, His Son Jesus. He chose to give us His only Son, as He was to be the one to carry out His plan to rescue the whole world. He was to take on and fulfill even the Law that had been broken by Adam and Eve, thereby fully paying their debt for them and for all who can agree. He was to pay the sin price for everyone—once for all.
Seeing the end from the beginning, God saw from the beginning what would happen in the world by the choices that would be made by humanity. He knew it would be necessary to make a way to rescue humankind or they would all perish. Adam and Eve had chosen wrongly to disobey the only instruction given them by God. In having listened to the deceitful words of the snake, they actually committed high treason.
His only Son Jesus was to enter into the world through the only legal gateway into this world. His body—His earth suit, was conceived and knitted together in Mary’s, His mother’s, womb, by the Holy Spirit’s overshadowing her, and the Word spoken which she had received. In the fullness of time Jesus was born to Mary in Bethlehem as prophesied.
Just imagine how difficult that transition would have been for anyone of us to have already lived in Heaven before, with Father God in all of Heaven’s beauty, and then to be placed in a helpless state on Earth as a human baby waiting to be born. We can only imagine.
Scripture tells us that Jesus “grew in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and man.” (Luke 2:52). Jesus began following the plan that had been mapped out from before the foundation of the world by the Father. He would live a life that would remain without sinning. He would live a life no other human being has been able to manage on this earth. He would live the human life perfectly as an example for everyone. Adam and Eve had unwittingly handed over their Dominion to the devil—even for the animals, birds, fish, and plant life placed here. Cared for by humanity’s oversight, they have experienced the fallen results.
How much love God, as Father, Jesus, His Son, and the Holy Spirit has for the world in that each were willing to join in making a new Way, a different path to redeem the now fallen humankind. While still alive on earth, each person is free to accept God’s offered Way of rescue. He has now provided the choice for each human being, but each must choose Him as their very own Lord, while they are still breathing.
Jesus’ perfect example of how being led by the Holy Spirit began when He was filled with the Holy Spirit at His baptism, as witnessed to by John the Baptist. Jesus was then led by the Holy Spirit in every decision He had to make while living and ministering on Earth. This is exactly how people are to be led now, too. The Holy Spirit is to be their ever-present teacher, comforter, counselor, etc.
God never desired, nor originally planned for any of us to need a rescue. It was simply and still is humankind’s choice. Jesus has rescued and redeemed those who choose Him as Redeemer, paying the Blood Price for their “sin debt”, so the Father can legally deal with all of sin’s removal “as far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:12 (KJV) He paid that dreadful, costly Blood Price for each person who would choose Him and His Way, so that His death was not in vain. People are free to choose Him as their Rescuer, Redeemer and Lord.
