GOD SHOWS HIS SALVATION TO US
God’s plan of salvation for mankind, who would sin against God, was known by him before he made the world, and the first man and woman (Genesis 1; Peter 1:20). However, God revealed his plan progressively over many years. The plan salvation culminated in the redeeming death of his Son Jesus Christ on a cross. Now, God works through us as his obedient believers to spread the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ (John 3:16; Mark 16:15-16).
SIN NECESSITATED A PLAN OF SALVATION
God law of justice says, “the wages of sin is death” (Roman 3;23). However, God’s great love for mankind moved him to plan a way to save us from death and eternal separation from God. The plan involved substituting God’s own sinless Son to die for the sins of mankind.
HOW MANKIND SINNED
In Genesis 3, the inspired words of God says, the first man and woman, Adam and Eve,
were deceived into sinning by another creature. A devil-serpent (Revelation 20:2) persuaded them to eat from a tree that God forbade them to eat from, lest they die. The day they ate from the tree they died spiritually being separated from God (Isaiah 59:2; Ephesians 2:1-2; 1 Timothy 5:6). Physical death followed (Hebrews 9:27).
GOD BEGAN TO REVEAL HIS PLAN OF SALVATION
God told the devil-serpent, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel” (Genesis 3:1).
By killing and shedding the blood of and animal to provide covering for Adam and Eve, God showed the necessity of blood sacrifice to cover sin. In saying the offspring of the woman would crush the head of the serpent, God foretold that the offspring of the woman (Jesus Christ) would defeat the serpent—“that ancient serpent who is the Devil or Satan” (Revelation 20:2).
GOD REVEALED MORE THOUGH A MAN NAMED ABRAHAM
Many generations after Adam and Eve, God revealed another aspect of his plan of salvation to one their descendants named Abraham. The Lord told Abraham that if he left his home and went to another place which God promised, God would bless him; and all nations of the world would be blessed through him. Abraham believed the Lord and set out for the land the Lord promised him, being guided by God (Genesis 12:1-15).
God tested the faith of Abraham further, in asking him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac to God on an altar (God later sacrificed his only begotten Son for the sin of mankind). Abraham built an altar, and was about to slay Isaac on the altar, when an angel of the lord stopped him. God then told Abraham that because he was willing to do this, God would surely give him and his children the promised land of Canaan. (Genesis 15:18-28). Furthermore, the Lord affirmed that the world would be blessed through his offspring (Genesis 22:1-18).
STILL MORE REVEALED THOROUGH A PERSON NAMED MOSES
God planned to build a nation through whom he would make his name known; and through whom he would bring the Savior of mankind into the world.
God allowed a famine in the land of Canaan, which caused Abraham’s descendants to go to Egypt, where God had stored up food. In Egypt, where they were called Hebrews they grew to be a nation of people within a nation. An Egyptian pharaoh decided to make them servants of the Egyptians. However, God raised up a leader among the Hebrews name Moses, whom God used to free Abraham’s descendants. God used Moses to miraculously lead his people out of Egyptian slavery, and back to the promised land of Canaan. In freeing the Hebrews from the mighty nation of Egypt, God made his name known among nations.
Through Moses, God established a temporary system of laws to teach his recognized people about sin and the need for blood sacrifice as atonement for sin. God also impressed upon Moses to advise God’s people that he would raise up another prophet like Moses; and to tell them they should listen to that person (Deuteronomy 18:15; Matthew17:1-9).
GOD’S SALVATION COMPLETED IN JESUS CHRIST
God called John the Baptist, to recognize and proclaim Jesus as the promises prophet and Messianic Savior of the world. When John saw Jesus coming toward him, he said, “Behold! the Lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world” (John 1:29; Isaiah 53:5-7; 2 Corinthians 5:21).
Jesus said he filled “Everything…written about me in the law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms” (John 5:46; Luke 24:44). And he performed unequaled miracles, including being resurrected after being crucified (John 15:24).
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus proved he came from God to be the Savior of the World. God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).
At the cross Jesus, the child of the woman spoken of in Genesis, bruised the head of the serpent who deceived Adam and Eve and all mankind–Our Lord triumphed over “that ancient serpent who is the Devil or Satan” (Colossians 2:14-15; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 20:2).
The Spirit of God’s law is now written in the hearts and minds of those who believe in and obey our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 2:1)
