The Salvation and Stimulating in Christ Jesus!

“For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:9-11 NIV

All of us need to know that Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for our sins (Colossians 2:13-15), in order to give us salvation through Him (Acts 4:12). In other words, by His crucifixion, God switched our destination around from eternal death to eternal life (Hebrews 2:14-15). “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23) The main reason for this is that we were still part of God’s creations (Genesis 1:27), even though we have sinned against Him (Romans 3:23;5:12). This means that He wants to completely restore us by taking us to His eternal kingdom from the end of the age. Therefore, we ought to believe in Him (John 3:16-18;11:25-26) and obey the Spirit of God (John 14:15-27) until the end of the age (Romans 8:1-13). Because of these, we have to deny (Matthew 16:24-27) and crucify (Galatians 5:24-25) our sinful nature (Romans 12:1-2). This is because we are not able to serve both God and the world (Matthew 6:24). In addition, the desires of the flesh and the Spirit seem to contradict to each other (Galatians 5:17).  Thus, for this reason, the word of God declares:

Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you. For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions. These are not from the Father, but are from this world. And this world is fading away, along with everything that people crave. But anyone who does what pleases God will live forever. (1 John 2:15-17)

Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone—especially to those in the family of faith. (Galatians 6:7-10)

Secondly, we have to build and encourage one another up, especially for those of us who are in Jesus Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:11). This is because each one of us are actually members of Christ Jesus (1 Corinthians 12:27), and therefore, if we are in Him, then we are basically members of each other as well (Romans 12:4-5; 1 Corinthians 12:12-13). In addition to this, we are going to the same destination through Christ Jesus. Furthermore, if we stick together in Christ Jesus, then each one of us are able to keep the faith strong and even grow it stronger, so that we would not lose focus about the righteousness and the kingdom of God very easily. Hence, the word of God states:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:19-25)

Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. (Ephesians 2:19-22)