Gospel
There is this idea that God loved us so much because we were so worthy and that is why He died for us because we have significant worth of ourselves. This is totally false. The reason that Jesus Christ had to die for us is because of the greatness of our sin which if He was going to make us part of Himself and His Kingdom and inheritance He had to pay for our sins because He is holy and just. The Lord can in no way aquit the guilty unless atonement is made for the sins of the law breaker.
The idea that we can somehow add to God would stem from the idea that God is good and He seeks out that which would benefit Him. He's a good God therefore it would be almost of necessity that He created man in order to add something to His glory but that would mean that God was obligated to create man. If this is the case then God is no longer free or sovereign but was compelled to create man. Was that the case? No, I don't think so.
If man had worth or significance of himself then it was just a matter of time before God recognized that and therefore He died for us because of that worth and significance. But this is not the gospel either. That is not what the Bible teaches.
Jesus died for His people because He loved them as it says in Ephesians 5:2 "And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." This love by the Father was shown to His people through sending Jesus Christ the Son to make satisfaction or propitiation for our sins. (1 John 2:2)
God sovereignly chose to love His elect and He doesn't love all men the same. This is obvious when we consider that those in hell are not loved by God because that is where His wrath is being poured out.
God loves His elect and His elect in turn come to love Him through Christ because the Father chose the elect before the foundation of the world and gave them to the Son who died for them, (John 17:2) atoned for their sins, and then the Spirit effectually calls and sanctifies them and regenerates them. Thus we see salvation is involved by all members of the Trinity in the life of the individual believer to the praise of His glory. (Eph 1:3-7; 2 Thess. 2:13-14)
"But we are bound to give thanks alway to God for you, brethren beloved of the Lord, because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the Spirit and belief of the truth. Whereunto he called you by our gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ."
This is the victory over sin that redemption is accomplished and applied through the Trinity, the Tri-une God and God must get all the glory and not our free will. Natural man wants to take credit for his believing and receiving Jesus but this would give man some reason to boast of himself. There is no room to boast when one considers that "by grace are ye saved through faith and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)
No, if it were up to us we would never choose God. He makes us willing in the day of His power. (Psalm 110:3) The Bible says, if we receive Him that it is not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man but of God. (John 1:12-13)
Carlton Pruitt ministers the gospel to the Los Angeles area. Formerly a Hollywood actor (SAG member)and junk removal expert he now spends most of his time studying the scriptures, writing articles, hymns and poems and doing street preaching.
See his videos on http://www.youtube.com Type LAStreetPreacher in the search bar. CONTACT at Carlton2061@gmail.
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