Seeking Real Truth Minisitries - Seeking Higher Faith In Our Lord Jesus Christ

Why We Need Jesus As Our Savior

In Genesis chapter 6 we begin to read about how man had increased on the earth, and how wicked they had become. They had forgotten about God, and God was distressed that he had created man. But Noah was a man who found favor with God, so God had Noah build an ark. God told Noah that he would send him pairs of every kind of animal and that he should store up enough food in the ark for Noah, his wife, and his sons and their wives, and for all the animals, because God was going to cause a great flood to destroy mankind.

So Noah obeyed God, despite the persecution he faced from everyone else. Then the animals and Noah and his family entered the ark, and God opened the floodgates and all who were not in the ark, man and animals, perished. When the ark was finally set on dry ground, Noah and his family and the animals came out. God told them to 'be fruitful and increase in number' to repopulate the earth.

As time went on, through Genesis and into Exodus we learn about how the world had become wicked again. It that natural sin. So God made a convent with his chosen people, the Israelites. That covenent was the ten commandments and all the associated laws that went along with them (Leviticus through Numbers). But even as God was leading the Israelites out of their bondage to Egypt, they grumbled against God. God became very angry many times, and almost killed everyone of them.

Yet Moses was bold enough to say, "I wish you would take my life in order to pay for thier sin." All of this was a foreshadowing of what Jesus would finally do for us. There are many prophecies and even references to Jesus appearing to certain people during this period of time (from the time of Abraham through Numbers). He is referred to as "The Angel Of God" and the "Presence" who would go with the Israelites.

The laws associated with the Ten Commandments were very strict laws. It covered everything, though, even sin that was unintended and sin that was unknown to have been committed. It involved the sacrifice of certain animals; the shedding of blood, for there can be no forgiveness (redemption from sin) without the shedding of blood.

The animals that were sacrificed were to be animals without blemish, no defects whatsoever. Not even a scratch on their skin. They had to be 'pefect' animals. Yet the sacrifices were not what God was pleased with as far as mankind was concerned, but rather it was man's obedience to God.

Yet man could not even keep the commands of God even though they had it all in writing. It shows us that we simply cannot keep God's law. Another way had to be provided. And through it all, God kept promising that he would some day enter into a new covenent with mankind, a new covenent in blood. He kept telling us in his word that he would send the Messiah.

He kept promising that because he wants all mankind to be saved. He does not desire a single one of us to be lost to him. He loves his supreme creation, you and me.

But because we are unable to keep his commands, he had to do something once and for all to save us from our sins. Because of our sin, we are not worthy of entering heaven. We are not worthing to be in God's presence.

Even in his ministry on earth, Jesus further clarfied the meaning of the laws. "You have heard it said do not kill. But I tell you the truth, if you hate your brother, you are guilty of murder [in God's eyes]." "If you look at a woman with lust in your heart [that is thinking how good it would feel to go to bed with her when you are not even married], you are guilty of adultery." "If you look with envy at what your neighbor [anyone not yourself], you are guilty of coveting [wanting what someone else has]." Sin is so easy to commit and impossible to avoid. So we needed a pure, perfect sacrificial lamb to bring before God. That lamb is Jesus Christ. Let's go look at what he did for us.