I know this question may sound very stupid, but i just discovered that there is just one reason the king-son came, and most us are yet to understand that one important reason He came.
I want you to re-study the bible, both old and new testaments, and see the reason Jesus had to come.
the blood of animals could not remove sins or forgive sins. It covered sins. Christ saved his peopele from their sins through forgiveness of sins. Christ came to fulfill prophecy; the law; and to have a new relationship with man to live in him through the holy spirit. He came to have an intimate relationship with those who believe in Him to live in them. to guide, and lead his people through love.
What will it take before we really BELIEVE THE SCRIPTURES? We hear a great deal these days about "THE GREAT COMMISSION," (as though those talking about it have a clue as to what it is). Teaching the gospel is certainly commanded by our Lord, but the greatest thing about the gospel is never taught by most evangelists. That Jesus Christ died to save a small fraction of sinners is only a small fraction of the gospel. And the gospel is not the Great Commission. Would you like to know what The Great Commission really is? Okay, here it is:
"And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent [Gk: apostello, to send out on a mission—commission] THE SON TO BE THE SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD" (1st John 4:14)!
See Second Witness in John 3:17.
"For God sent [Gk: apostello, to send out on a mission—commission] not His Son [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] might BE SAVED."
Now if anyone knows of a GREATER mission or commission than this, I am sure we would all like to know what it is.
Now it would only be fitting that such a Dignitary ought to have a name that exemplifies so great a commission:
"Wherefore God also has highly EXALTED HIM, and given Him A NAME WHICH IS ABOVE EVERY NAME: That at THE NAME OF JESUS [Jehovah-SAVIOUR]…" (Phil. 2:9).
See Second Witness in Eph. 1:21.
"[Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] FAR ABOVE ALL principality, and power, and might, and dominion, AND EVERY NAME THAT IS NAMED, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come."
Okay then, we have the "commission," and we have "a name" befitting that commission, but do we have a Son Who will do the works of that commission or will He fail?
"…the works which the Father hath given Me [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] to finish, the same works [SAVE THE WORLD] that I DO, bear witness of Me…." (John 5:36).
A second witness: Did Jesus take the works ("to be the SAVIOUR OF THE WORLD") seriously?
"I MUST WORK THE WORKS [SAVE THE WORLD] OF HIM THAT SENT ME…." (John 9:4)!!!
What power might Jesus lack that could disable or frustrate this august commission of His Father?
"ALL POWER IS GIVEN UNTO ME in heaven and in earth" (Matt. 28:18)!
See Second Witness in Dan. 7:14.
"And there was GIVEN HIM [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] DOMINION and glory, and a kingdom, THAT ALL PEOPLE, NATIONS, AND LANGUAGES, SHOULD SERVE HIM [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR]: His dominion is an everlasting [age-abiding] dominion, which shall not pass away [alter, change, depart, remove, unmovable], and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed."
Has Jesus already proven that He has enough power to overcome all the "free wills" of the world?
"Be of good cheer; I [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] have OVERCOME THE WORLD" (John 16:33).
See Second Witness in 1st John 4:4.
"Ye [ALL OF YOU] are of God, little children, and have overcome them [Satan and his kingdom]: because greater is He [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] that is in you, than he [Satan and his kingdom] that is in the world."
Maybe God doesn’t want the whole world to be saved?
"[God] Who WILL have all men to be saved" (1 Tim. 2:4).
Second witness:
"For therefore we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, Who is the Saviour of ALL MEN, especially [but not exclusively] of those who believe" (1 Tim. 4:10).
Doesn’t God will that most of humanity will eternally perish in the lake of fire?
"The Lord…is NOT WILLING that ANY should perish [eternally]…" (2 Peter. 3:9).
Second witness:
"For I [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] have NO PLEASURE in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord [Jesus is the LORD —Jehovah - SAVIOUR] GOD: wherefore turn yourselves, AND LIVE ye [Heb: 'ALL OF YOU']." (Ezekiel 18:32).
Third witness:
"It is OF THE LORD'S [Jesus is the LORD —Jehovah - SAVIOUR's] MERCIES that we are not consumed, because HIS COMPASSION FAIL NOT." (Lamentation 3:22).
But doesn’t the whole world need first to have their sins atoned for?
"And He [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] is the propitiation [Gk: 'atonement, an expiator (one or makes amends, reparations), atones, propitiation' It means to bring in harmony with and appease. Jesus sacrificed Himself as atonement, as a covering for our sins so that we are no longer spiritually naked before God. And not only has He done this for His chosen Elect, but also "for the sins of the whole world." The change that God is making in us he will extend to the entire human race. "Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him" (Rom. 5:9)] for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for THE SINS OF THE WHOLE WORLD" (1st John 2:2).
Second witness:
"The next day John sees Jesus [Jehovah - SAVIOUR] coming unto him, and says, Behold the Lamb of God, which TAKES AWAY THE SIN OF THE WORLD" (John 1:29).
Hasn’t the Church proven by their interpretation of the "lake of fire" that it is "impossible" to save all mankind?
"Who then CAN be saved? But Jesus [Jehovah - SAVIOUR] beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE" (Matt. 19:25-26).
See Second Witness in Job 42:2.
"I [Job by inspiration of the Holy Spirit] know that Thou [God] CANST DO EVERTHING [LIKE SAVE THE WHOLE WORLD, EVEN AFTER DEATH AND THE LAKE OF FIRE, WHICH IS THE SECOND DEATH], and that no thought can be withholden from Thee."
Isn’t it up to each individual to "CHOOSE CHIRST" in order to be saved?
"You have NOT CHOSEN ME, but I [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] have CHOSEN YOU…" (John 15:16).
But didn’t Billy Graham say at one of his crusades that "we must come to Christ all on our own?" To not even pray for those making that decision, because that decision to "come to Christ" must be theirs and THEIRS ALONE?
"NO MAN CAN COME TO [accept, reject, choose, receive, run away from] ME [by his own free will choice] except the Father which has sent Me [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] DRAW HIM [Greek: DRAG HIM] and I [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] WILL raise him up at the last day." (John 6:44).
See Second Witness in Verse 65.
"And He [Jesus—Jehovah - SAVIOUR] said, Therefore said I unto you, that NO MAN CAN COME UNTO [accept, reject, choose, receive, run away from] ME, except it were given unto him of My Father [God]."
Are you telling me that I never did seek God ON MY OWN?
"There is NONE that seeks after God" (Rom. 3:11b).
See Second Witness in Psalm 14:2-3.
"The LORD [Jesus] looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, and seek God. They are ALL GONE ASIDE, they are all together become filthy: THERE IS NONE that doeth good, NO, NOT ONE."
But what if I believe that I can and I do WILL to serve God on my own.
"For it is GOD which works IN you both TO WILL and TO DO of His good pleasure" (Phil. 2:13).
See Second Witness in 1 Cor. 15:10.
"But by the grace of God I am what I am: and His grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all: YET NOT I, BUT THE GRACE OF GOD WHICH WAS WITH ME."
Third witness:
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, BUT CHRIST LIVES IN ME: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by THE FAITH OF the Son of God, Who loved me, and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 2:20).
Well I know for a fact that it says in Heb. 11:6 that "without faith it is impossible to please God," so surely we must work up our OWN FAITH in order to please God?
"For by grace are ye saved through FAITH; and that [that ‘FAITH’] is NOT OF YOURSELVES [well where does that 'FAITH' come from then, if not from US?]; it [that ‘FAITH’] is the GIFT OF GOD" (Eph. 2:8).
Second Witness:
"…and what have you [like that ‘FAITH’] that you did not RECEIVE….?" (1 Cor. 4:7).
Third Witness:
"I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith OF the Son of God [not faith ‘IN’ the Son of God, but the very faith ‘OF’ the Son of God—it is His faith, not ours until He gives us some of it] Who loved me, and gave Himself for me" (Gal. 2:20).
It is not by the ‘free will’ of our faith that we live, but the by the faith OF Jesus. There is no human free will in all this.
But surely everyone will have to acknowledge the RISEN Jesus Christ as their Lord and their Jesus [Jehovah-SAVIOUR] before they can ever be saved, so when does that happen?
"That at the name of Jesus [Jehovah-Saviour—THEIR Saviour] EVERY knee should bow, in heaven, and in earth, and under the earth [under the earth is also those in the sea, 'Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath (beneath the heavens), or that is IN THE WATER UNDER THE EARTH.' (Exodus 20:4)]; and that EVERY tongue should confess [‘That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised Him from the dead, THOU SHALT BE SAVED, Rom. 10:9)] that Jesus Christ [The Christ that God ‘raised from the dead.’ Christ was already ‘RISEN’ when this was written in Phil. 2:11] is Lord [‘Lord’ means ‘master’—acknowledging Christ as Master of their lives], to the glory of God the Father" (Phil. 2:10-11).
But doesn’t this sound like ALL that we do to be saved is OF GOD, and not of ourselves?
"God is operating ALL in all" (1 Cor. 12:6)
"Yet ALL is of God" (2 Cor. 5:18)
"For OF Him, and THROUGH Him, and TO Him, ARE ALL THINGS: to Whom be glory for ever. Amen" (Rom. 11:36).
"…being predestinated according to the purpose of Him [God] Who works ALL THINGS after the counsel of His OWN WILL" (Eph. 1:11).
This almost sounds like we can do absolutely NOTHING on our own to bring about our own salvation.
"I AM the vine, you are the branches … for without Me you can do NOTHING" (John 15:5).
All these Scriptures make it sound as if the Church has many worship practices that are nothing but the philosophies, commandments, and traditions of men rather than Scripture.
"Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men…Full well [honestly] you reject the commandments of God, [like: ‘LOVE YOUR ENEMIES’] that you may keep your OWN TRADITION [like: LET'S HATE OUR ENEMIES BY TELLING THEM THEY WILL BURN IN HELL AND THE LAKE OF FIRE FOREVER IF THEY REJECT CHRIST!]" (Mark 7:7 & 9).
Am I failing to find even a single Scriptural excuse for Christ to FAIL in His Great Commission? I hope so! Perhaps your pastor knows of a Scripture that will justify the Christian concept that Jesus Christ will FAIL to fulfill His commission. If anyone finds such a Scripture, be sure to e-mail me immediately.
Maybe your pastor will say that I am being too negative and expecting too much of our Saviour. Shouldn’t I be content that Jesus saves at least a few? The small flock? The narrow gate? The firstfruit? Is not a FIVE PERCENT success rate something to be praised and awarded even if NINETY-FIVE PERCENT of humanity are to be lost and eternally tortured in a lake of fire? Is FIVE PERCENT considered a GOOD RETURN on His investment according to our Heavenly Father? Jesus gave another parable about a Lord [God] who gave five, two, and one talents to each of his servants ("But made Himself [Jesus] of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a SERVANT….," Phil. 2:7), and later reckoned with them about how well they did with their talents. The two servants with five and two talents were praised and rewarded. The one with one talent (TWENTY PERCENT as much as the one with five talents) gave his Lord back his one talent to which the Lord commanded:
"And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth" (Matt. 25:14-30).
The servant gave back to his Lord ALL that He had given him. Did the Lord consider that something to be praised and rewarded? DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT GOD THE FATHER EXPECTS NO MORE THAN THIS FROM HIS OWN SON, JESUS [JEHOVAH-SAVIOUR] THE SAVIOUR OF THE WHOLE WORLD? God the Father commissioned HIS OWN SON to do a job, which His Son agreed to DO.
How many of you parents would be content with your children if they achieved the SAME PERCENTAGE OF SUCCESS, as the Church attributes to Jesus Christ in saving the world? Are five or ten percent test scores from your children in school acceptable to you as parents? What about if they get FIFTY percent? If they always achieve at least a fifty percent grade on their papers, will you consider that ACCEPTABLE? Fifty percent is considerably higher and better than what is attributed to Jesus Christ for the work God has set before Him! Do you think that if Jesus saves FIFTY percent of humanity that it will be "good and acceptable" to His Father?
NO! NO! A thousands times, NO! I’ll show you what percentage is "good and acceptable" to God the Father:
"For THIS is GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have ALL men [What percentage? Five percent? Fifty percent?] … ALL men to be saved..." (1 Tim. 2:3-4).
Jesus DIED FOR THE SINS OF THE WORLD. That part of the commission is finished ("IT IS FINISHED" John 19:30). The sins of the whole world are already forgiven,
"And He [Jesus-SAVIOUR] is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the WHOLE WORLD" (1st John 2:2)
And,
"To wit [that is, i.e.] that God was in Christ, reconciling THE WORLD unto Himself, NOT imputing [reckoning] THEIR TRESPASSES [SINS] AGAINST THEM" (2 Cor. 5:19).
"And we MUST tell them that God IS MAKING EVERYBODY IN THE WHOLE WORLD HIS FRIENDS BY WHAT CHRIST DID, AND THAT HE ISN'T COUNTING THEIR SINS AGAINST THEM ANY LONGER. And He has given US the message which tells people that GOD HAS MADE THEM HIS FRIENDS." (2nd Corinthians 5:19 New Testament Everyday English - Julian G. Anderson 1984).
Why then is not the whole world saved, NOW? Because "dying for the sins of the world" is not the total commission. Well what pray tell could still be remaining? Answer: JUDGMENT and KNOWLEDGE!
"And as it is appointed unto [all] men once to die, but after this the JUDGMENT" (Heb. 9:27)
"Who will have all men to be saved, and to come into the KNOWLEDGE of the truth" (1 Tim. 2:4).
"For the EARTH [Heb: 'THE NATIONS'] shall be FILLED with the KNOWLEDGE of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (Habakkuk 2:14).
"For when Thy [God’s] JUDGMENTS are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will LEARN [that’s KNOWLEDGE] righteousness" (Isaiah 26:9).
"They [the inhabitants of the EARTH ver. 4] shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain [NEW (heavenly, spiritual) Jerusalem, Mount Zion]: for the EARTH [Heb: 'the NATIONS'] shall be FULL of the KNOWLEDGE of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9).
"For if we would JUDGE [Gk: diakrino=THROUGH JUDGE, separate thoroughly, to withdraw, discern, judge] ourselves [members of the called-out House of God], we should not be JUDGED [Gk: krino=judge, set right, decide, to try, condemn, punish]. But when we are JUDGED [the same Greek word krino as used above with reference to judging the wicked world], we are chastened [Gk: paideuo, 'to trained up as a child, i.e. educated, or (by impl.) disciplined (by punishment): -- chasten (-ise, -ed), INSTRUCTED, LEARNED (that’s KNOWLEDGE), TAUGHT'] of the Lord, that we should not be condemned [Gk: katakrino, 'an adverse sentence, a harsher JUDGEMENT'] with the world." (1st Corinthians 11:31-32).
"For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our SAVIOUR; Who WILL have ALL MEN [Gk: 'mankind, humanity'] TO BE SAVED, and to come unto the KNOWLEDGE of the truth ['Jesus saith unto him, I am ... the truth.' (John 14:6)]." (1st Timothy 2:3-4).
"For the grace of God that bringeth SALVATION hath appeared to ALL MEN [Gk: 'mankind, humanity'], TEACHING [Gk: paideuo, 'to training up as a child, i.e. educating, or (by impl.) disciplining (by punishment): -- chasten (-ise, -ing), INSTRUCTING, LEARNING (that’s KNOWLEDGE), TEACHING'] us [that’s KNOWLEDGE] that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously ['the inhabitants of the world will LEARN righteousness'], and godly, in this present world ['(Jesus) Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:' (Gal. 1:4)]." (Titus 2:11-12).
Rest assured that Jesus [Jehovah-SAVIOUR] will not fail to fulfill His commission and become an unprofitable Servant to His Father. And don’t let anyone tell you that Jesus is only the "potential" Saviour of the world and that actually getting saved is up to man! One cannot even be the "potential Saviour of the world," and yet NOT save the world, because that would be proof that the "potential" was not really there in the first place?
Brother Popoola, I would like to first encourage you by saying, there is no question that can be stupid or unnecessary to ask in the things pertaining to God and our edification. This is not only a good question but a much need one to be asked as well.
There is only one primary reason why Jesus had to come. However, there are many other reasons hinging on that one primary reason as to why Jesus had to come. Nonetheless, without accomplishing that single most important task, our salvation and all that goes with it would not be secured and delivered unto us.
The answer to your question begins in Genesis 1:26.
“And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.” (Gen 1:26)
When God created Adam he gave man something that he had never given to any of the holy angels he created. God gave man (1) dominion, and (2) a kingdom. Everything that God’s hands made, including the created angelic order should they enter the earth’s realm, was subject to man’s authority in the day that God created him.
“But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the son of man, that thou visitest him?
7 Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:
8 Thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet. For in that he put all in subjection under him, he left nothing that is not put under him. But now we see not yet all things put under him.” (Heb 2:6-8)
Some believe and teach that the angels were created higher than man. That is not true. Hebrew 2:7 doesn’t say that man was created lower than the angels, but rather, he was “made” lower than the angels. The Greek word for “madest” is elattoo – “to lessen, decrease, to make (not create) lower.” Man was made lower than the angels by reason of his rebellion against Divine Authority (Gen 3:1-24). Adam’s sin against God was the avenue through which Satan became the god of this world (2 Cor 4:4). According to God’s original intent, the Lord created mankind to be the gods over the earth (Psalm 82; John 10:34).
God ordained man’s authority to extend from the ocean’s floor to the highest point a bird could fly. Man was expected to exercise authority in the earth in the same way that God exercises Authority throughout the universe. The only one greater than Adam in the earth prior to his unfortunate rebellion against the Lord’s Authority, was God himself. Adam was the Son of God in the day the Lord created him (Luke 3:38).
But by his sin, Adam delivered man’s authority and his God-given kingdom over to Satan. The Devil legally obtained dominion and the kingdom based on his now kingdom principles of deception, rebellion, divide, and conquer tactics. However, it was illegal for Satan to have dominion in the earth do to the fact that God did not give it to him; therefore, something or someone had to come and confront Satan in an attempt to retrieve that lost dominion.
When God gave man dominion in the earth he established it to be a divine law. The Lord made a covenant with himself that if man was to ever lose dominion only a man would be able to legally confront the one who has it and take it back. That law was so binding that God personally submitted himself to it. Yes, God even prevented himself from just suddenly appearing in the earth and taking dominion from Satan, because he would be violating his own covenant. God said “MAN” shall have dominion in the earth (Gen 1:26).
The only way for man to regain dominion is by God literally becoming a man by way of the birth process. In order for one to legally exercise authority in the earth as God purposed it, they would have to be able to pass through “The Matrix [Heb. rechem – “womb.”]” (Exod. 13:12, 15; 34:19; Num 3:12; 18:15). If it can’t come through the womb it doesn’t have legal right to exercise authority in the earth. Therefore, Christ, the Last Adam (1 Cor 15:45), had to come as a man to take dominion from Satan and return it to man. PRAISE GOD HE DID IT TOO!
Everything else that Christ made possible and available to us today hinges on the Dominion He now has. Jesus legally took back man's dominion from Satan by living a dedicated life to pleasing God (John 8:29).
“For this (primary) purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.” (1 John 3:8)
Glory to His Name!
This information and more is found in my book “Unveiling God’s Presence In The Bible.”
I received your responses and i am really glad that the truth about the kingdom is really spreading all around.But may i please chip in this one point because only oner person talked about it. Do you not think that the principal reason Jesus came was to restore the Spirit to us? I want you to carry out a detailed research on this and i'll be expecting your response.
Yes brother Popoola, I do believe the principle reason, or the goal, for Jesus coming was to restore the Spirit of God to mankind. For without the help of the Holy Ghost, we the saints, would not have any endurance in our salvation. However, there was a task that stood in Jesus' way, and that task had to be accomplished prior to the principle reason (restoration of the Spirit to man) was made possible. Jesus had to regain dominion and be glorified before the Holy Spirit could be returned to mankind.
"In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. 38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. 39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)" John 7:37-39.
The Holy Spirit could not return to mankind until Jesus (The Last Adam) fulfilled all the righteous requirements of the Laws of God. In other words, the glory that Jesus received as a result of his victory over Satan and the world, was the badge to his Dominion. Jesus having possession of all power in heaven and in earth was the only way that the Holy Spirit could be released into the hearts of mankind for a continual resting place in the earth (Matt 28:18).