Monday, 1st April, 2024
By Pastor Chris Oyakhilome
“For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15 KJV).
Did you know that God isn’t counting the sins of men against them? He isn’t because Jesus already died for everybody. “I thought He died for Christians”; someone might ask. No; it was for the whole world! 2 Corinthians 5:19 NIV says, “that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.”
Observe that it says God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself. Why? It’s because Jesus paid for everybody. When Jesus died, every one of us died in Him; in the mind of justice, we were in Him in His death. When God raised Him up, the whole world was given the opportunity to receive eternal life—the life of righteousness.
That’s the reason our message is His Gospel to the whole world. Our mission is to tell the whole world that Jesus paid for their salvation; therefore they don’t have to die or be judged anymore. Jesus was judged for the whole world.
For everyone in the world today who hasn’t been born again, eternal life is available now. All they have to do is believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead in His substitutionary act of salvation, confess the Lordship of Jesus over their lives, and they’ll be brought into the vital realization, experience and union with the living Christ. Hallelujah!
PRAYER/CONFESSION
"Dear Father, thank you for sending Jesus to die for the whole world, thereby making it possible for everyone who believes in His substitutionary work, and confesses His Lordship, to receive eternal life. Thank you for eternal life in me, in Jesus’ Name. Amen."
FURTHER STUDY
2 Corinthians 5:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; 1 John 5:13
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Luke 9:1-17; Joshua 10-12
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN:
Romans 5:12-21; Psalm 104