COULD GOD NOT HAVE MADE AN ALTERNATIVE PLAN?
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from Afrikaans: “Kon God nie maar ‘n ander plan gemaak het nie?”
Translator: Robin Barker
Someone asked me, why did Jesus have to hang on the cross and if God could not have made an alternative (different) plan. I mean – He is Almighty God?
I want to share this with you, as I understand it:
Why did Jesus hang on the cross and have to go through that terrible death in that way?
You see all people have sinned.
ROM 3:23-24 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus
Not only could we, with all our sins, not receive what God has reserved for us, but there is only ONE outcome for us and our sins, because there is only one reward (punishment) for sin:
ROM 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
You see, God has a terrible loathing towards everything that goes with sin.
PSALMS 5:5-7
5 The arrogant cannot stand in your presence. You hate all who do wrong;
6 you destroy those who tell lies. The bloodthirsty and deceitful you, LORD, detest.
7 But I, by your great love, can come into your house; in reverence I bow down toward your holy temple.
Now one can ask:
Why then Jesus? Why did Jesus have to be that terrible sacrifice for our sins?
Could God not rather have made an alternative plan?
My answer as I see it, is as follows:
God is perfect and only a perfect sacrifice can bind your and my sins and for once and all (forever) erase (bind, destroy) it.
There is truly nothing in this world which is perfect, except God.
Through all of this God laid down a law for all people:
HEB 9:20-27
20 He said, “This is the blood of the covenant, which God has commanded you to keep.”
21 In the same way, he sprinkled with the blood both the tabernacle and everything used in its ceremonies.
22 In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
23 It was necessary, then, for the copies of the heavenly things to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these.
24 For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with human hands that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God’s presence.
25 Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own.
26 Otherwise Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But he has appeared once for all at the culmination of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.
27 Just as people are destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,
When sharing (testifying) with the people I always say –
God’s love is immensely (unmeasurably) great and so is His righteous (fair) justice.
Just a perfect sacrifice could once and for all (forever) save a person and because God is perfect, God sent His only born perfect Son, Jesus Christ, once only, once and for all (forever) to be the perfect sacrifice to establish the people’s salvation.
GAL 4:4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
Now it is possible for all people, one day when they depart from this life, to be with God.
It is Jesus who is speaking here:
JOHN 3:13-18
13 No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man. (Jesus)
14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up,
15 that everyone who believes may have eternal life in him.”
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,(Jesus) that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.
18 Whoever believes in him (Jesus) is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.
Listen closely:
ACTS 4:12 There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” (Jesus only)
How wonderful to know:
JOHN 1:12 But to all who believed him and accepted him, (Jesus) he gave the right to become children of God.
If you have not yet accepted Jesus as your Lord and Saviour, you can do it right now where you are.
Just say in full sincerity to Jesus:
“Lord, I realize that without you I am lost and doomed to spend eternity in hell.
I now turn around today from life as I lived it.
I give my heart and life to You, Lord Jesus.
I accept You as my Lord and my Saviour and surrender myself into Your divine Hand.”
Now as a matter of urgency you seek a Christian congregation who proclaim Jesus as the Alpha and Omega of the whole of creation and who accept the whole Bible as the infallible Word of God.
Go to a service and meet with the minister of the congregation for an appointment and further guidance.
The pastor who preached, or one of the pastors of the congregation usually stands at the door of the church to greet people attending worship on their way out, but he also stands there precisely to meet people like you.
If he or one of the other pastors of the congregation is not at the door, perhaps next time you should go to another Christian congregation's service but seek a true Christian congregation and become part of the communion of saints:
Now you live for Jesus. Keep your eyes on Him.
Then, whatever happens to you in this life, remember His promise to you:
1 COR 1:8-9
8 He will keep you strong to the end so that you will be free from all blame on the day when our Lord Jesus Christ returns.
9 God will do this, for he is faithful to do what he says, and he has invited you into partnership with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
Greetings,
Sakkie