Why do we need Jesus?
What did He do?
How did He do it?
What does it mean for us?
How would you answer the questions above? Do you agree that you need Jesus or are you unsure? Are you able to say what He did or how, or why it was necessary? How does the understanding of these answers change your life?
Titus 3:3-7 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
In our first study we answered the question ‘Why do we need Jesus’. Last month, we discussed the answer to ‘What did He do’. This morning, we will attempt to address our third question, ‘How did He do it’.
Let’s do a quick recap. We need Jesus because we are sinful, imperfect, hating what is good, and disobedient to the Truth. We so easily want our own way, seek our own gratification, think ourselves better than others, and look down on all those who oppose our way of thinking. This is very clearly stated in verse three of our studied scripture.
When we consider what Jesus did, we need to think of the true meaning of God’s kindness. God’s very character is kind. He is perfect in providing exactly what we need regardless of whether we deserve His blessings. The reality is, we do not deserve His blessings and we never will. God sent His only Son to die for the sin of the world – even though man is undeserving of His perfect sacrifice. Without God’s kindness working in our heart to understand Him and recognize our need for a Savior, we would be eternally lost, without hope. Jesus saved us by taking the penalty we owe for sin upon Himself. Even our death would not have been enough to redeem us because a perfect and holy sacrifice was the only acceptable payment. Jesus willingly followed the Father’s plan; in obedience to God’s will He was born to die, to suffer, to redeem man for His Father’s glory.
As clever as we think man may be, only a perfect and holy God is able to set His plan for our redemption into place. Only a perfect and holy God could supply the sacrifice we need. God has saved us, not according to our merits, but according to His righteousness, according to His mercy.
Let’s look at what this means. It all depends on God, not us. God’s mercy means He acts according to His exceeding compassion on our souls.
Ephesians 2:3-9 Among them we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest. But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.
Our good works are not the cause of our salvation; our good works are not the basis for our salvation. Any number of things you might do, any man-made sacraments you might fulfill, any rule you might follow, cannot save you. Doing things does not provide security for your future. If this were so, there would be no need for a Savior. It is impossible to be saved based on our own justification.
The cause of our pardon is not our works and we can never be righteous in and of ourselves, rather it is the kindness and love of God. This acrostic helps to explain God’s grace – God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. This is all of God’s blessings bestowed on those who love Him, given freely because Jesus paid the ultimate price. Grace is God’s free unmerited goodness. Because of Jesus’ death and resurrection, all who trust in Him are blessed now and for eternity. When we say God is merciful, it means we do not receive what we truly deserve. What we truly deserve is God’s wrath, His judgment and condemnation for our sin. God’s mercy means that even though we are guilty, we no longer owe the penalty or cost of our sin. God does not hold our sin against us when we come before Him in faith, trusting in the work of His Son. Receiving God’s mercy means we do not experience God’s wrath for our sin. Through His Son, He has granted us complete forgiveness.
Think of God’s compassion. It is very different than the compassion we might show towards others. Our care for others is often based on what we think they deserve, or what we think is important or necessary. Sometimes, our compassion and care for others is even based on if we agree with them or not. We often choose to show care based on our own supposition if someone is deserving.
God freely bestows His mercy and goodness to all mankind. He desires to take away our misery because He loves us unconditionally. He doesn’t look at us and say ‘sorry, you blew it’. Every chance is given to us to receive His mercy. Because Jesus suffered and died for our sin, if we place our complete trust in Him alone, we are saved from eternal wrath.
Psalm 109:26 Help me, O LORD my God; save me according to Your lovingkindness.
1Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead,
Psalm 86:5 For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, and abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.
by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
God protects us and He delivers us. Consider, the Almighty God is looking out for your benefit! Circumstances may not always be what we might choose. In fact, difficult things happen, and we are often challenged in our own understanding. Yet, God has all the answers, He is in control of all things, and nothing is allowed in your life that He is unaware of. He will use all things for your good and His glory. This is His promise to those who love Him.
Romans 8:28 And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.
Through Jesus we are spiritually restored from a state of sin to a state of righteousness. Baptism is an outward sign of our rebirth. Our inward renovation is the work of God’s grace and His Holy Spirit. Think of the changes God has wrought in your heart. If you have been saved through faith alone, by grace alone, in Christ alone, then you can look back at your life and see that you are very different than who you were before. The Holy Spirit working in our lives produces a change – a renewed way of thinking. Our feelings, desires, hopes, and purpose become centered on serving and glorifying God out of a heart of gratitude for what He has done.
John 3:5 Jesus answered, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.
The baptism of water is an outward sign of the cleansing of our soul and baptism of the Holy Spirit through saving grace. To be baptized by water alone without being born of the Spirit does not save. Because Jesus died and arose again, sins power and control has been demolished. Because of Jesus, the Holy Spirit enables us to act in obedience towards God’s commands. In His strength, we have the ability to die to sin and live in righteousness.
Read the rest of this section we are looking at –
The Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
Because of God’s work in our heart, He has allowed us to turn towards His grace. He then lavishly pours His blessings upon us. Think of the words abundance and copious, these describe more than an adequate supply.
John 1:16 For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace.
Ephesians 1:6-8 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
“That is, which Holy Spirit was in its gifts and graces plentifully poured forth upon us, and dwelleth in us, not essentially, but energetically, illuminating, guiding, strengthening, and confirming of us: and the end of God herein is, That being justified by his grace, that is, by faith in his Son, we should be made heirs of eternal life, according to the hope which the promises of God have given us thereof.
Learn hence, 1. That all the grace which is so plentiful poured forth upon believers, is by the means and mediation of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Learn, 2. That justification being a sinner's absolution from guilt and punishment by the satisfaction of Christ the Redeemer, is yet an act of special grace and free favour in God, that being justified by his grace.
Learn, 3. That it is the blessed privilege of all justified persons, that they are now heirs to, and shall ere long be possessors of, eternal life; they shall ere long have in hand, what they now possess in hope: Being justified by grace, we are heirs according to the hope of eternal life”, William Burkitt New Testament.
We need Jesus because we are sinners and need to be saved from the wrath of God’s righteous judgment. God is perfect and holy. Man is a sinner and cannot save himself. Jesus chose to lay down His life for ours in obedience to His Father’s will. He did this to fulfill God’s plan of redemption for mankind. Jesus humbled Himself, taking on the form of man, suffering a death He did not deserve. Because Jesus is God’s only Son, holy and perfect, He is the only acceptable substitute for our debt. Faith in Jesus is the only key to Heaven. Jesus made a way for us to be saved from eternal punishment to everlasting life with our Father in Heaven.
Are you able to praise God for saving you? If you were to die today, do you know for certain you would go to Heaven? What is your answer based on?
