Salvation Explained through the Passover

[Amazing Grace Ministry]

Dear Friends,

I hope you are doing well and in the best of health. Let us continue our discussion on Salvation with yet another example from the Old Testament.

Many years have passed since the great flood, and through Noah and his family, the earth was repopulated.  The head of each generations starting with Noah are Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, (Jacob was later renamed by God as Israel). Our story beings with the generation of Israel. We all are familiar with the story of Joseph the son of Israel, being sold to Egypt as a slave, and how God wonderfully uses Joseph, to save the nation from a great famine. Later Israel and his family move to Egypt to stay with Joseph. Years roll by, and then a new king takes over Egypt, he starts mistreating the Israelites (generation of Israel). The Bible says in Exodus ch2v23 "the children of Israel sighed by reason of bondage, and they cried, and their cry came up unto God by reason of the bondage".

God remembers the covenant made with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob(Israel) and therefore sends Moses, to the new king requesting to release the Israelites. The King doesn't listen to Moses, and we read about how God inflicted the Egyptians with 9 different plagues. Yet, the king's heart was hardened and God finally decides to inflict the Egyptians with the death plague (Death of the first born).  We can read about the plague in Exodus Ch12v12-13 "For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night, and will smite all the first born in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment I am the Lord"

God commands the Israelites to kill a lamb without blemish and apply the blood on the door posts (Exo:ch12:6), And when God sees the blood on the door posts of the house of the Israelites, the plague will not affect them. (Exo:ch12v13 – And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the houses where ye are and when I see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt).

Now, let us consider the situation from God's point of view. Is this the only way, God could spare the Israelites from the plague? The answer is NO. God could come up with so many other ways. God could have easily identified or separated the Israelites from the Egyptians, like HE has done before. We read about it in Exo:ch9v3-4. In the plague of the cattle, Moses says to Pharaoh(King), the Lord shall differentiate between the cattle of Israel and the cattle of Egypt and that nothing shall die of all that is the children's of Israel. If God could differentiate the cattle's,  how much more could he do HIS people, whom HE loves so much. Here once again, we see God, requiring the involvement of the people, thereby exercising their FAITH through ACTION.

 This incident is another fitting example to describe Salvation, for the following reasons:

1)       Only way to escape this particular plague was by blood
a.        Heb ch9v22 "without shedding of blood is no remission"

2)     Blood of a lamb without blemish (i.e. Jesus)

                a.        I Peter ch1v19 "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot".

If the Israelites have only believed in the Grace of God, and not done what God has commanded them to do, I bet the consequences would have been different.

So what is the formula for salvation. It is the GRACE of our Lord God, who wishes to redeem us save us from sin- eternal death, + OUR FAITH (Believing in the Grace, and doing what God has commanded us to do) that results in  SALVATION

  GRACE + (FATH  x ACTION) = SALVATION

I hope I have been able to describe to you the plan of Salvation through this example. Tomorrow, we will look at another similar example from the Old Testament to gain a much better understanding about Salvation.

Before we end today's session, I wish to share a few words with you. The only reason why I started this ministry is because, I see there are lots and lots of information easily made available to us regarding our religion, especially regarding salvation. Yet, unfortunately I find, most of them are misleading. I remember reading a sermon, which stated like this "Do I have to forsake my sins to go to heaven?". And the preacher responds saying "No, you only have to forsake your belief that it is your works that takes you to heaven". It is truth presented in a distorted manner. In a way the preacher is saying "Son, you can do whatever you wish to do (sin), and have faith in God, and it will take you to Heaven". God or Jesus never promised salvation to a person living a carefree, easy going,  sinful life.

Jesus said "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it".  A Christian life is not one, which is easy going, but on the contrary a life which will be filled with trials, temptations and so on.

That is why Peter says in I Peter ch1v13-15 "Wherefore gird up your loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance. But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy.."

It is my sincere wish and prayer that more and more people come to know about this truth. So I urge you to take the time to read the messages I am sending. I also want you to share this message with as many people as the Spirit urges you to do.

I continuously ask for your prayers, and I am sorry that this message has crossed the length limit.

God Bless You

Tony
Amazing Grace Ministry