All men and women who are born have biological life; however, they are not complete, and they feel that incompleteness from the beginning.
Looking to make connection externally to someone or something to make the feeling go away, they perform for acceptance and avoid rejection, or they give up and use something to distract from the nagging feeling that ‘something is missing,’ or ‘something is wrong with me.’ Religion, relationships, numbing agents, etc. do not meet this internal need.
As they look around them, they notice beauty and defilement of creation, and choose to either worship it and fight for it or look beyond realizing, “This isn’t what this earth was supposed to be. There is more.” (Romans 1:20) They are becoming God aware.
Along the way, the consequences of choosing people or things to fill the void intensifies their situation, and they are driven to a place of brokenness. From brokenness, they are at a point of breakthrough or bankruptcy.
God, in His perfect timing, reveals Christ to them. Through the foolishness of preaching, they hear the Good News. (Romans 10:8)
1. You are separated from Life (Zoe’- God’s life). (Ephesians 2:1-3)
2. Christ came. (John 10:10) “…I came that they might have life (Zoe’) and might have it abundantly.”
3. You must be born again (spirit begets spirit), born into a new race of the Last Adam. (John 3:3-18)
4. Jesus was born in the fullness of time:
a. Born of a virgin, the Son of God without sin (Luke 1:30-35)
b. The Last Adam (1 Corinthians 15:22,45) who lived in total dependence upon God unlike the First Adam
c. Fulfilled the law by sacrificially loving God, in obedience, even unto death and loving His fellow humans in completing the prophecy of Isaiah (Luke 4:16-21)
1). Preach the Gospel (good news) to the poor
2). Proclaim release to the captives
3). Proclaim recovery of sight to the blind
4). Set free those who are oppressed
5). Proclaim the favorable year of the Lord
d. Was without sin; was examined and no guilt was found in Him (Luke 23:4); was sacrificed as the Lamb of God (John 1:29)
e. Was crucified (John 19:32-37); was buried in fulfillment of the prophecies (John 19:38-42)
f. Rose on the third day (John 20:1-18)
g. Ascended to Heaven (John 20:17), offering His own blood in the Holy of Holies in heaven in complete payment for original sin and individual sins
h. Was glorified by God the Father (Acts 3:13)
i. Sent His Holy Spirit to bring His life to all that believe (Acts 2:1-5)
Romans 10:8-15 Individual’s Part:
HEAR the truth of what Jesus did in payment for our sin and the gift of Life and the way of being reunited to the Father
BELIEVE in your heart resulting in righteousness (right relationship to the Holy One, God)
CONFESS with your mouth resulting in salvation (from sin, selfishness, emptiness, bondage to sin and the enemy)
God’s Part:
Births you into the Family of God by the Holy Spirit
Joins Holy Spirit to your spirit resulting in Life, one spirit with God (1 Corinthians 6:17)
