Salvation is a Gift

By Joyce Webb 2022

The person who wrote the book of Hebrews (many think it was Paul) —is writing to tell them that what Jesus said and taught—-is greater and more important than what Moses said, or what Abraham said, or Isaiah, or any of the other prophets.

The Hebrew Jewish people had much respect for —-and put much importance on —what the Old Testament prophets said.

When Jesus came—what He said—was more important and more powerful than anything the other prophets said.

The Hebrew Jewish people did not want to believe this.

Paul writes— that the angels in heaven worship Jesus.

Jesus is greater than the angels.

Jesus is part of God. Jesus’ human body came from Mary—but God the Holy Spirit was the father and created the baby in Mary.

All that God was/is became part of this baby.

The Bible says he was “begotten” of God. All God was/is was put into this baby.

God said– to this Son—Your throne, O God, endures forever.
Psalms 45:6,7

God said —to his Son, Sit in honor at my right hand” Psalms 110:1
In Luke 20:42 Jesus quoted this Psalm—giving it his approval that it was so.

Since Jesus is greater than all the other prophets—-Jesus’ words and teachings are greater and more important than all the other prophets.

The Hebrew Jewish people did not want to believe this in Paul’s day—and they do not want to believe it today.

In Paul’s day, there were Jewish people who did believe that Jesus was God —–and that his death on the cross paid the death penalty for our sin.

Yet, those Jewish people wanted to hang on to the laws of the Old Testament that were given by Moses.

Paul told them that was not right.

Jesus’ death and resurrection (coming alive again) —started a new
Testament–covenant–promise—set of rules.

Keeping the old laws of Moses did not bring salvation.
Jesus’ death and resurrection brought salvation.

The new Jewish Christians tried to say everyone who wanted to be saved and have their sins forgiven—- also had to be circumcised.

Circumcision was to cut away part of the skin from a man’s penis.
This was done to a baby boy when he was 8 days old.

This was what God told Abraham to do to his son and his servants.

It marked them— “different” —from the other men in other nations. It marked them as “Hebrew” men—Abraham’s family.

Paul said, circumcision was not necessary to be saved.

Forgiveness of sin was received by believing in Jesus and confessing your sin. That’s all. Nothing more is needed.

This teaching that a person had to obey the old laws—plus believing in Jesus—is still going on today.

There are religious groups who teach that you have to obey certain laws of the Old Testament—to be saved—and to please God.

Paul wrote in many of his books that only believing and confessing was needed. We did not have to do any other kinds of things to be forgiven.

There are religions that make people repeat prayers and sayings over and over. They make people punish themselves, or crawl on their knees for a long way, or go on long trips to a special place.

These things are not needed. Jesus paid it all.

Jesus said, Whosoever believeth in me shall not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

If doing more was needed, Jesus would have said so.

There is something in man, that makes him want to do something to “earn” forgiveness.

Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8, 9 that “it is not of works, lest any man should boast, it is not of ourselves, it is the gift of God. It is by grace.

Around the world are people —doing things that are “hard on them” thinking that they are earning more holiness.

They have been deceived.

Gifts are not earned. They are received with thanksgiving.

Be careful of teachings that try to tell you that have to do certain things to receive forgiveness.

Once you have confessed your sin to Jesus and asked for forgiveness—-then—we should obey the things he said we should do— to keep fellowship with Him. This is a separate thing from receiving forgiveness.

After “forgiveness”—we should obey Jesus’ teachings because it keeps us from sinning again.

Jesus’ teachings are to keep us from sin and to help us keep fellowship with God.

As weak humans, we will sin again. If we are honest in wanting to have fellowship with God—we will confess our wrong doing quickly—and ask for forgiveness—so that our fellowship with God is not broken.

This daily “keeping clean” is something that as a Christian we do because we do not want to break our fellowship with God.

Coming to Jesus—for the first time—to confess our sins—and to tell Jesus we believe he died for our sins—and to ask for forgiveness—is our first “connection” to join in fellowship with God.

We realize that it is our sin—that keeps us from God. And we come to Jesus—to have him forgive it and wash it away.

Then our “fellowship” with God is begun. We need to keep the connection to God going. So we stay away from sin, by obeying what Jesus taught.