Jesus saves and he saves completely.
I could have said, "Jesus is the only means of our salvation" and I still would have been correct. But the Gospel defines how Jesus saves us. Catholics believe that God could have sent the Holy Spirit into the world and changed sinners so that they could become pleasing to God. No flesh and blood Jesus would be necessary. Calvinist believe that God could have just predestinated everyone to salvation before the foundation of the world, but for some reason he chose "Some Certain Persons" only. Again no flesh and blood Jesus would be necessary.
This is why John wrote, "And every Spirit that confesses that Jesus has NOT come in the flesh is not of God: and is the Spirit of antichrist, wherefore you heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" 1 John 4:3.
Beware of any doctrine or religion that suggest that you can be saved some other way than by a real flesh and blood Christ. Not by the Holy Spirit. Not by a declaration from God (predestination). Only by a real flesh and blood physical Christ.
Jesus comes into the world as God's new Adam and our new humanity, 2 Corinthians 5:17. He embraces our humanity and becomes one with us, but not one of us. He is not only God with us, he is God for us. By his righteous, sinless life, he offers to God the father a life of perfect obedience to his Holy Law. He does this in our name and on our behalf, just like we did it ourselves. It was this life that was lived for our justification, Romans 3:26, Romans 5:18. When God accepted Jesus into heaven we were accepted in him, Ephesians 2:6. Because of the righteousness of Jesus we are now complete in Christ, Colossians 2:10.
That was not enough. Something had to be done about our sins and the sins of the whole world, John wrote, "And he is a propitiation for our sins: and not ours only but for the sins of the whole world" 1 John 2:2. In Jesus Christ the law has been fulfilled and sin has been atoned for. As God's new Adam and our new humanity salvation has been provided for everyone, Hebrews 2:9. The work of Christ is a finished work. We cannot add anything to it, nor can we take anything away from it. All that we can do is accept it and believe it.
I could have said, "Jesus is the only means of our salvation" and I still would have been correct. But the Gospel defines how Jesus saves us. Catholics believe that God could have sent the Holy Spirit into the world and changed sinners so that they could become pleasing to God. No flesh and blood Jesus would be necessary. Calvinist believe that God could have just predestinated everyone to salvation before the foundation of the world, but for some reason he chose "Some Certain Persons" only. Again no flesh and blood Jesus would be necessary.
This is why John wrote, "And every Spirit that confesses that Jesus has NOT come in the flesh is not of God: and is the Spirit of antichrist, wherefore you heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world" 1 John 4:3.
Beware of any doctrine or religion that suggest that you can be saved some other way than by a real flesh and blood Christ. Not by the Holy Spirit. Not by a declaration from God (predestination). Only by a real flesh and blood physical Christ.
Jesus comes into the world as God's new Adam and our new humanity, 2 Corinthians 5:17. He embraces our humanity and becomes one with us, but not one of us. He is not only God with us, he is God for us. By his righteous, sinless life, he offers to God the father a life of perfect obedience to his Holy Law. He does this in our name and on our behalf, just like we did it ourselves. It was this life that was lived for our justification, Romans 3:26, Romans 5:18. When God accepted Jesus into heaven we were accepted in him, Ephesians 2:6. Because of the righteousness of Jesus we are now complete in Christ, Colossians 2:10.
That was not enough. Something had to be done about our sins and the sins of the whole world, John wrote, "And he is a propitiation for our sins: and not ours only but for the sins of the whole world" 1 John 2:2. In Jesus Christ the law has been fulfilled and sin has been atoned for. As God's new Adam and our new humanity salvation has been provided for everyone, Hebrews 2:9. The work of Christ is a finished work. We cannot add anything to it, nor can we take anything away from it. All that we can do is accept it and believe it.
