What is the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Reflections on the Resurrection, Salvation, and Eternity ✝️
Today, we reflect on the greatest day in history: the Resurrection of Christ. What is the purpose of our lives? Why were we created? As we look around the world and see things spiraling out of control at free-fall speed with no bottom in sight, it seems we can easily lose hope. Things appear to go from bad to worse each day.
The latest news headlines seem to be coming right from the book of Revelation. Daily there is an infusion and invading evil on all that was once good, that in recent years we never thought would happen in our lifetime. Yet here we are. Some hidden dark power we thought to be fiction or from long ago, a faraway history, fable, or fairytale, is now standing proudly in the open, in our faces, seemingly on purpose. Very dark and sinister powers and rulers which control the governments of this world.
Some of the headlines we are watching were absolutely unthinkable when we were children. But here we are, riding this very slippery slope, together, at warp speed, into the abyss.
In our work, we have gone head to head with the demonic powers who have successfully pushed the current unfolding evil agenda forward. Though it seems all is lost, we really are winning, though everything tells us we are losing.
Though the darkness has gained so much ground, we know the end of the story, we have read the book. God wins! And all who are in Christ when He returns will share in His Victory!
We wanted to share the section from our first book, “Cancer - Step Outside the Box” - “Spiritual Cancer.” This section clearly explains the predicament of sin, the cure being Christ Himself, and what He did for us at the cross.
You see, our relationship with God the Father was broken after the Fall. We are now spiritually dead. The sin of Adam had broken our fellowship with God. But God provided a way back. God promised in Genesis 3:15 a seed would come from the woman, the promised Redeemer, the One Who would “bruise him on the head” thus dealing the mortal blow to our adversary, the Serpent of old, Satan. Right there God gave us the prophecy of the cross and salvation, telling Adam and Eve about the coming Messiah, and how He would come with deal the final blow to Satan and His kingdom of death and destruction.
So through faith in Jesus and what He accomplished for us at the cross - He took our sin upon Himself, was punished in our place. He took off His perfect Robes of Righteousness and exchanged them for the sin to all those who would believe. And all we are required to do is repent of our sin and believe in Jesus Christ and what He accomplished for us. We could never earn a spot in heaven by our own works. We broke His Holy Law. And the wages of sin is death. Someone had to die. That’s why He went to the cross. For the joy set before Him He endured the cross. For us. So that through His death, enduring the full wrath of God in our place, we would have a way back to the Father in heaven. That’s the Good News! That’s the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Here is a moving video that has been circulating on social media. This young girl was presented with the Gospel of Jesus Christ clearly and concisely. Her response is quite remarkable. She was not defensive, angry, or offended. She simply listened with eagerness and was quite transparent about her own sin and lack of understanding about the Gospel. Watch for yourself:
As I watched the above video, I was so moved by her pliable and beautiful spirit. It reminds me of the beautiful story of the woman at the well in John 4. It moves me every time I watch “The Gospel of John” movie with our family on Christmas morning - watching the way they depicted that scene- it is such an intensely beautiful, moving, loving representation and reenactment of what it must have been like to encounter the embodiment of the Truth and Life:
25 The woman said to him, “I know that the Messiah will come, and when he comes, he will tell us everything.”
26 Jesus answered, “I am he, I who am talking with you.”
I cannot even imaging what that must have been like for the woman at the well in John 4, to know in that moment she was looking into the face of her Messiah, the One she waited all her life to know.
The good news is that everyone who puts their trust and faith in Christ will one day see His face in glory. What a moment that will be for us all. There, in heaven, we will finally be truly free, free from sin, pain, sorrow, shame, and death. We’ll be free to love God as He so richly deserves. Able to serve, give, and do good at all times. There, hope and faith will be swallowed up by love, by eternal life, and we will live in His love perfectly forever. (1 Corinthians 13:13) “And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
It is important to point out that no matter what you have done, the efficacy of the blood goes deeper than the stain of sin. The cure is applied to the hearts and souls of all those who repent and believe. Consider this short 3-minute video illustration of this precise topic - salvation to all who believe, no matter how far away from God they have moved. What a powerful and loving Savior Jesus is.
Listen to this and be inspired to look to Jesus. No matter the problem, He is the solution.
⭐️ Spiritual Cancer - Excerpted from “Cancer - Step Outside the Box”
This book has been focused on physical cancer and the ways to cure it. I trust that the information contained herein will help you in your quest to get healthy, stay healthy, fend off cancer, and even cure your cancer. But even if you are able to cure your cancer and live a long, full life, the fact of the matter is that one day you will die. I know that is an uncomfortable subject with many people, but that is reality. We will all die. We are all “terminal.” There are no exceptions. The probability of death is 100%.
You see, physical cancer is not our biggest foe. The fact is that we were all born with “spiritual cancer.” Similar to physical cancer, if it is left untreated, spiritual cancer will certainly result in death. Not physical death but spiritual death…eternal death. But, “What is spiritual cancer?” you may ask. Spiritual cancer is sin. The Bible tells us that humanity became separated from God when Adam and Eve sinned by disobeying Him and eating of the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (the tree from which God had forbidden them to eat). Humanity became separated from God because all people are descended from Adam. As a result, the sinful nature Adam acquired through his disobedience was passed down to all people, including you and me.
Because of this inherited “sin nature,” everyone sins. It comes naturally. It is part of the fabric of being human. I never had to teach any of my children to sin or to be selfish – it came naturally. The book of Romans tells us that because of our sin, we are under God’s condemnation. The effect of sin on humans is that it extends to every part of our personality, our thinking, our emotions, and our will. This does not mean that we are as evil as we possibly can be, but it does mean that sin has extended to our entire being. The Bible tells us that we are born “dead in our sins.” I know that sin is not a popular concept today. It is considered old-fashioned and passé to say that someone is a sinner. But the Bible is clear – we are ALL sinners.
Sin is a cancer that infects all of us. And you either get the cancer, or the cancer will get you! The good news is that there is a cure for the spiritual cancer of sin! There is an antidote to sin and its deadly effects. You have probably seen it when you watch NFL football games on TV. You know, the “wacko Christian” dude in the end zone with the “John 3:16” sign. Have you ever read John 3:16? It states, “For God so loved the world that He gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Jesus provided the cure for our spiritual cancer by His atoning death on the cross for our sins. You see, Jesus was unique because He was born of a virgin by the Holy Spirit. He was not born of Adam’s seed as all other human beings are, thus He did not inherit a sinful nature. In other words, He did not have the tendency to sin as we all do. The Bible teaches that the payment for sin is death, and it also teaches that without the shedding of blood there can be no forgiveness of sin.
Jesus Christ died an excruciatingly terrible death on the cross. He was the perfect, unblemished Lamb of God, who paid the price for sin in order to end the separation between humanity and God. He provided the cure for our spiritual cancer. The ONLY cure. Unlike physical cancer, for which there are many cures, spiritual cancer has only one cure. Jesus says it Himself in John 14:6: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but through me.”
Truth is by nature exclusive.
Consider the truth that 1 plus 1 equals only 2 and not any other number. The same exclusivity applies to Jesus. All religions do not lead to God. If someone tells you that all roads lead to heaven, they are sadly mistaken. Trusting in Jesus Christ, the God-Man, as He is proclaimed in the Bible, is the ONLY way to inherit eternal life and to cure our spiritual sickness. It’s not just me saying it…Jesus said it Himself!
Modern religions teach that Jesus’ death on the cross was not enough to pay for all of our sins. They say that you must perform certain good works, certain rituals like water baptism, belong to a particular church, observe certain religious days, or make pilgrimages to “holy cities” in order to be saved. However, this is contrary to what the Bible teaches. Jesus, before He died said, “It is finished.” The Greek text uses the word “tetelestai,” which means “paid in full.” Jesus did all the works necessary to secure salvation for sinners without their help. He didn’t pay for some sins and then require sinners to pay the remaining balance with certain rituals or with good works. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “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.”
When you confess your sins to God and trust in Jesus as your Savior and Lord, He forgives you eagerly, instantly, and completely. Romans 10:9-10 says: “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” Right now, Jesus is holding out His hands to you in invitation. All are invited to come to Him. All are invited to repent and believe. Jesus is the ONLY cure to your spiritual disease. You do not need to go to eternal punishment in hell for your sins. No matter where you have been or what you have done, come to Him and He will welcome you with open arms.
But make no mistake, time is of the essence. Do not say, “Tomorrow I will come to Him.” Tomorrow may never come. Isaiah 55:6-7 says, “Seek the LORD while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the unrighteous man his thoughts; and let him return to the LORD, and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” Do not postpone coming to Christ for what you think is a more convenient time, but honestly confess your sins, repent of your sins, and believe in Christ NOW.
This next section is entitled “He Died For His Patients.” It was written by William Plumer in 1867.
“The whole head is hurt, and the whole heart is sick. You are sick from head to foot – covered with bruises, welts, and infected wounds!” (Isaiah 1:5-6) Often in Scripture, sin is spoken of as a disease, a sickness, a hurt. Christ, as the great Physician, has the only sovereign balm.
Sin is a dreadful disease! Yes, it is the very worst disease! It was the first, and so is the oldest malady. It infected man very soon after his creation. For six thousand years sin has committed its ravages and been gaining inveteracy. No other disease is so old. Sin is also a universal disease! Other maladies have slain their thousands; but sin has slain its millions! The whole world is a graveyard, full of death and corruption. No person ever lived without sin. As soon as we begin to live, we begin to transgress.
Sin makes men spiritually blind, and deaf, and dumb, and lame, and lethargic. Sin is a terrible compilation of diseases. It is rottenness in the bones. It is a maddening fever, a wasting consumption, a paralysis of all the powers. Human nature is wholly corrupt! Sin is a perpetual disease. It rages day and night; on the sea and on the land; in the house of mirth and in the house of God. Sin is a hereditary disease. We are conceived in sin and brought forth in iniquity. Sin is also contagious. Sinners are enticers, seducers, corrupters.
Sin is also the most deceitful and flattering disease. One of its strong delusions is, “You shall not die!” See the throng of ungodly people marching to perdition – the slaves of Satan, the servants of corruption, the enemies of God! Their mirth would make one think them to be the happiest of people – and not, as they really are – condemned criminals, on their way to the eternal prison-house of inflexible justice! Sin has its delusive dreams. The worse a man is, the better he thinks himself to be.
Sin is the worst disease, because it is the parent of all other diseases. But for sin, we would never have seen a human being in pain, or sick, or die. Suffering and agony have one parent – sin! Other diseases are calamities – but sin is a wickedness! Sin is not a misfortune – sin is a crime! It is a wicked thing to be a sinner. Transgression brings guilt. God is angry with the wicked every day. The more sinful anyone is – the more is God displeased with him.
Sin is the most loathsome of all diseases. Pride is the worst kind of malady. No heart is so vile as a hard heart. No vileness compares with an evil heart of unbelief. No sight is so appalling as a sight of vile affections. Sin is horrible and abominable to God! Sin is also the most dolorous disease. They multiply their sorrows – who hasten after transgression. The most bitter cries that ever were heard – were extorted by sin.
Other diseases do but kill the body – but sin kills soul and body in hell forever! Sin will rage more violently beyond the tomb than on earth. It will be followed by eternal regrets and reproaches, eternal weeping and wailing, eternal wrath and anguish!
Sin cannot be cured by any means of human devising. All reformations can never cure the heart. “I fast twice in the week; I give tithes of all that I possess,” said the Pharisee – while spiritual wickedness reigned within. We may weep and lament over our sins – but that will neither dethrone sin nor atone for it! Our tears are nothing; our works are nothing; all our righteous deeds are as filthy rags; they are of no avail.
The only remedy for sin is found only in Jesus! He is the Physician of souls. None but He can cure a sin-sick soul. He makes no charge for all His cures! He died for His patients! His blood cleanses from all sin. With His stripes we are healed. Christ’s death atones. By His sufferings we have remission of sin. In all cases where it is applied, the gospel remedy is sovereign and effectual. It availed for the dying thief, for the bloody Saul of Tarsus, for the cruel jailor, and for millions and millions who once esteemed themselves as vile, and as worthy of everlasting death!
And now, poor, sin-sick, dying soul – flee to this Physician, submit your case to Him, and seek for the healing remedy! If you stay away, you must die! “The wages of sin is death.”
“The blood of Jesus cleanses us from every sin!” 1 John 1:7
Because He lives, in Him we live too! Happy Resurrection Day!
With Love, Charlene and Ty 🌸🌺🌸🌺
We have this beautiful artwork pictured above which is "The Resurrection” by Ron Dicianni framed and hanging in our home. It pictures Jesus coming out of the grave with the “Keys to Life” on his belt. Click here to read more about this beautiful painting and scroll down to listen to the story behind it, too. If you are like me and love it, you can purchase it there as well.
I appreciate the message of this email. May we all rededicate our lives to Him who paid the price for our Salvation.
May all those in darkness turn to the light!
Thank you for letting Christ use you for His purpose and His works!