Who Did Jesus Come to Save?

Who are the promises of salvation made to, and who did Jesus come to save?

Matthew 15:24 NKJV

But He answered and said, “I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”

John 4:22 NKJV

You worship what you do not know; we know what we worship, for salvation is of the Jews.

Acts 5:31 NKJV

Him God has exalted to His right hand to  be  Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

Since Jesus obviously came for Israel, it is good that we allow God to define who Israel is.

Romans 9:6-8 NKJV

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are  they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

Romans 2:28-29 NKJV

For he is not a Jew who is  one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he  is a Jew who is  one inwardly; and circumcision is  that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.

II Corinthians 1:20-22 NKJV

For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and has anointed us is God, who also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.

Galatians 3:26-29 NKJV

For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Propitiation for the Whole World.

You know why it says that Jesus is the propitiation for the whole world? Because Jesus is THE ONLY acceptable payment. That is why. Not because all people are to be saved. There is NO OTHER payment that can ever satisfy. God says that the consequence of sin is death. Only a Life can fill that debt. Jesus IS the Life. Either He paid paid your debt or He didn't. Period. Any man who drinks of the wrath of God will not recover from it.

I John 4:10 NKJV

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to  be the propitiation for our sins.

Acts 4:12 NKJV

Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

I John 2:2 NKJV

And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.

I Timothy 2:5-6 NKJV

For there  is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,

II Corinthians 5:17-21 NKJV

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he  is  a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to  be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Here Paul is obviously not talking of every man, because if He does not "impute their trespasses to" every man their would be none who drink of the wrath of God as judgment.

Revelation 14:9-11 NKJV

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his  mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.”

What is Fruit?

What is the "fruit" that Jesus speaks of? Remember... A tree doesn't produce fruit because it wills itself to do so. A tree produces fruit because it is a fruit tree. Likewise, the fruit the tree bears is not contingent upon the will of the tree, but simply the result of the kind of tree it is.

Matthew 7:16-20 NKJV

"You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."

Good fruit:

Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

Bad fruit:

Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV

Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

Salvation

In 2011 I was sitting in ICC, the Idaho private prison, and a year into my genuine search of knowing God. I didn't have anyone to hold my hand and tell me what to believe. I had God and the Bible.

I had just tried to read Isaiah, but found the book was still concealed to me. I was at a place where I was searching out my salvation with fear and trembling. Was my salvation something I could lose, or was it secure? When God was with me in the past, did He then leave me when I had turned my back on Him? I had been baptized with the Holy Spirit before all of the drugs, sex, and guns, so had God withdrew His Spirit from me when I was in rebellion after that?

Since I couldn't understand Isaiah, I went to Jeremiah, still seeking the answers to my questions. What is the truth about my salvation? It was through the book of Jeremiah that God profoundly answered the questions I so desperately needed.

He showed me that I had always been His. He had created me to come to Him, and for this purpose I was born.

Jeremiah 1:5 NKJV

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations.”

John 3:34 NKJV

For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.

John 18:37 NKJV

Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Jeremiah 1:9-10 NKJV

Then the Lord put forth His hand and touched my mouth, and the Lord said to me: “Behold, I have put My words in your mouth. See, I have this day set you over the nations and over the kingdoms, To root out and to pull down, To destroy and to throw down, To build and to plant.”

It was at this time that the faith given to me, that which is commonly called Calvinism, became solidified in my heart. God had created me for Him, and I had always been His. I was nothing more than His chosen vessel brought forth by Him and for Him, and He has pursued me with an everlasting love.

Ephesians 2:10 NKJV

For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

Jeremiah 1:11-12 NKJV

Moreover the word of the Lord came to me, saying, “Jeremiah, what do you see?” And I said, “I see a branch of an almond tree.” Then the Lord said to me, “You have seen well, for I am ready to perform My word.”

Jeremiah 31:3 NKJV

The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

From this point forward no man would ever move me from these truths, and God has only continued to build on them. It was with this understanding that I came to know who I am in Christ. After this God opened up the book of Isaiah to me, and I was able understand everything I read.

Romans 9:6-8 NKJV

But it is not that the word of God has taken no effect. For they are not all Israel who are of Israel, nor are  they all children because they are the seed of Abraham; but, “In Isaac your seed shall be called.” That is, those who are the children of the flesh, these are not the children of God; but the children of the promise are counted as the seed.

Divine Providence

When I was 16 years old I was filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues. There were many times around that same time of my life that I knew what it was to have a heart of worship.

After I graduated high school I started drinking, doing drugs, sleeping around, and all kinds of other things that went with that lifestyle.

Within two short years I was on a retained jurisdiction program with two felony convictions and over 21 misdemeanor convictions. I had gotten 3 formal disciplinary actions taken against me when I ended up getting a forth. A out that same time I received paperwork that four more felonies were being filed against me.

The main thing the courts wanted to see during this six month retained jurisdiction was that I was rehabilitative. All of my crimes were drug related, I was an I.V. drug user of meth, and so they wanted me to complete a 30 day inpatient class offered while I was incarcerated. I had to attend every class to pass.

My forth disciplinary write up landed me in the hole for 3 days. I went in on a Saturday, and wasn't supposed to get out until Tuesday. The substance abuse class started that Monday. I was going to miss two days of class. I was going to prison if I missed class.

The hole was right next to the Chapel, and I remember hearing the church service that night. I was 20 years old with no kids, no job, no plans, and nothing to lose. I had four new felonies I was facing, and I was about to fail my retained jurisdiction program. I was going to go to prison. I remember I started to sing with the service. I lifted my heart in surrender before my God, and I worshiped Him in complete submission. (I remember that surrendered feeling 11 years later when God determined it was time to reveal His Son in me.)

I went to sleep that night with tears of comfort and peace on my face. I knew God had me. I woke up at 7:30 the next morning to the sergeant opening the cell door. He looked at me and said "Better hurry up McDonald or you are going to be late for class". I looked at him in wonder.

I finished that class, came home and plead guilty to two of the four new felonies, and then was granted probation by all four of the district court judges even though I had four serious disciplinary write ups. Act of God.

Get to the Meat.

Some just don't continue to search things out. It is not that they are not saved, but they remain on the milk.

I Peter 2:1-3 NKJV

Therefore, laying aside all malice, all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and all evil speaking, as newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Hebrews 5:12-14 NKJV

For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe. But solid food belongs to those who are of full age, that  is, those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.

I Corinthians 3:2-3 NKJV

I fed you with milk and not with solid food; for until now you were not able to  receive  it, and even now you are still not able; for you are still carnal. For where there  are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?

Why is Doctrine Changing?

If you are involved in new beliefs of doctrine, or a largely accepted religion, beware. Those who adhere to sound doctrine will continue to become a minority. In fact, only those whose names are written in the Book of Life will be safe from the great delusion. All the rest of the world will be taken by false doctrine. Any other proclamation is of the beast as it is blatantly contrary to the Word of God.

Revelation 17:17 NKJV

For God has put it into their hearts to fulfill His purpose, to be of one mind, and to give their kingdom to the beast, until the words of God are fulfilled.

Revelation 17:8 NKJV

The beast that you saw was, and is not, and will ascend out of the bottomless pit and go to perdition. And those who dwell on the earth will marvel, whose names are not written in the Book of Life from the foundation of the world, when they see the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

Matthew 24:24-25 NKJV

For false christs and false prophets will rise and show great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.  See, I have told you beforehand.

Revelation 13:7-8 NKJV

It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.

II Thessalonians 2:11-12 NKJV

And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.