I received an interesting e mail from my friend
Cajetan two days ago. It was about an article written by Thomas Chahhalackal in India. This article is a witness that the Gospel of Grace is taking root in India. It carries the same aroma of grace which points it readers to Christ... So, sit back, relax and enjoy the aroma of grace from India.
Our Role In The New Covenant
Romans 5:17-19
For if by one man's offence 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.) 18Therefore as by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. 19For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.
Growing up in a Christian home and in a religious country like India, I heard this slogan repeatedly “If we do our part, God will do His part”. There is some truth to it, but if you don't understand the error in it you will never be able to get the revelation of the new covenant. The good news of the gospel is that "God through Jesus did His part on the cross and resurrection, our role is to just believe Him". I mean believing is the only part that is left for us do after the cross. According to the new covenant, we are called as "believers", not called as "doers".
Many are perplexed by the question, to gain eternal life what must we do? And what must we believe? Let us deal with the believing part first.
Would believing in the existence of God make you a believer? No.
Would believing anything from the Bible will make you a believer? No.
Can I be a believer because?
1. I am born in a Christian family, No.
2. Read bible every day, No.
3. Took water baptism, No.
4. Attend church regularly, No.
5. Pay tithes and give offerings, No.
6. Following all the church rules and regulations, No.
7. Living by the principles of Jesus, No.
Would believing in the death and burial of Jesus will make you a believer? No. Even the historians also believe the death and burial of Jesus; but the Christianity started with the resurrection of Jesus. None of these things will make you a believer.
So what must we believe to become a believer? A believer is somebody who is born in the kingdom of God, by believing that he also died and buried along with Jesus 2000 years ago, and is resurrected with new life when he accepted Jesus as his personal savior. The Christianity started with the resurrection of Jesus.
• He believes that he was born in the earth as a sinner. If we don't believe this truth, we don't
understand the need of a savior.
• He believes that he needs a savior to escape from his sins. Our own good works can never save us from this sinful nature.
• He believes that he is born again as a righteous person created to do good works.
• He believes that Jesus already died and resurrected on his behalf two thousand years ago.
• He believes that everything what Jesus did on the cross was for him, and he claims it personally.
• He believes that all his sins (past, present, and future) are forgiven forever, believes that there is no more condemnation from God. Many believes that their sins are forgiven only until the day they are born again, and every sin they commit after that point of life is forgiven based on their sin confession and repentance, it is a lie.
• He believes that no longer him living; but Christ living through him.
• He believes that Jesus met all the requirements of God for him to have an abundant life in this earth.
• He believes that Jesus is his prosperity, treasure, offering, tithes, holiness, health, wealth, wisdom, righteousness etc. Jesus' work on the cross for him, and the resurrected life of Jesus in him is the center piece of his life.
• He believes that God is expecting him to produce the fruits of the spirit.
By a careful examination of this belief system, we can see that this belief system is centered on two incidents, Adamic sin in the Garden of Eden and Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection. If we don’t believe in the Adamic fall in the Garden, we don’t believe in the need of crucifixion and resurrection Jesus.
My friend the important piece of Bible is our participation in the Adamic disobedience in the garden of Eden and our participation in the obedience of Jesus through His death on the cross and resurrection. Both these incidents happened long before we were born, and our belief or unbelief on these two incidents have an eternal consequence, I know this truth does not make any sense to your natural mind. A true believer is somebody who builds his belief system around these two incidents.
Now let us focus on the first part of the question, what must I do to have eternal life?
This is the age old question of the religions of the world. This was the question of the rich young ruler to Jesus (Luke 18:18). Actually this rich young ruler is a representation of the religions of the world. The rich young ruler presented himself as a perfect man who observes all the laws, and he thought that he could attain the eternal life by his own perfection. Jesus' answer to that question is always being the same for all generations “one thing that you lack". What Jesus meant here is, if you are trying to get to the eternal life by your own good works, you always lack one thing and never be qualified.
The one thing that we all need is our trust in Him for our eternal life. I know many are interpreting Jesus' answer incorrectly by saying that Jesus told the rich young ruler a list of things he must do to have eternal life. Actually Jesus was telling him to get rid (sell) of all the list of qualifications he earned by observing the law and follow Him for eternal life.
Later on Apostle Paul mentioned that he consider everything as garbage to gain Christ (Phil 3:8). What are the things that he considered as garbage? The preceding verses were talking about the list of qualifications that he earned as an observer of the Mosaic Law.
The disciples also asked a similar question in John 6:28 what shall we do, that we may work the works of God?” 29 Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God that you believe in Him whom He sent.”
Again the answer to the disciples is also the same “Believe Him”.
The true Gospel teaches us "Only believe"? Because Jesus did a perfect work for us on the cross and we are living after that perfect work; believing is the only option that is left for us. Any work that we do to please the father is an unbelief revealed on the perfect work of Jesus on the cross. If we are fasting, praying, tithing, giving, going to church, conducting prayer meeting with an intention to please God the father, you are revealing your unbelief on the perfect work of Jesus on the cross.
God is no longer expecting us to do any more work to please Him; but He is waiting for us to believe in His Son's perfect work for us and manifest fruits of His life in us.
What must I do to have eternal life is an obsolete question after the cross of Jesus; The correct question should be “What must I believe” to have eternal life.
