Who is the Christ that we should believe to be saved?

Our knowledge of who Jesus is spells our salvation. Jesus Christ is just not a name but a person. Who is Jesus Christ? Who is the Christ that we should believe and put our trust into so we shall be saved. There are many Jesus that is preached today. To the Muslims He is a prophet. To some He is a wise man. A religious leader. To others He is another or one of the Gods of many religions. Some say He is a created by God the Father. Others say He is just a man made Lord and Savior. Who is the Christ that we should believe in?

What do we mean when we say Jesus is the Christ?

Let the us journey through the Scriptures and know the Christ.

1. Christ was born of a Virgin.

MATTHEW 1

18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” 22Now all this took place to fulfill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet: 23“BEHOLD, THE VIRGIN SHALL BE WITH CHILD AND SHALL BEAR A SON, AND THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL,” which translated means, “GOD WITH US.” 24And Joseph awoke from his sleep and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took Mary as his wife, 25but kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus.

2. Jesus is the Christ.

The apostles kept on preaching that Jesus was the Christ.

ACTS 5

42And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they kept right on teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ.

ACT 9

22But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

ACT 18

5But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

28for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, demonstrating by the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.

Why do you think they kept on preaching that Jesus is the Christ? When they preach Jesus is the Christ who was born of a virgin and whose father was not a man He is the Son of the Living God.

3. The Christ is the Son of the Living God.

MATTHEW 16

13Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” 14And they said, “Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.” 15He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” 17And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.

MATTHEW 22

41Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question: 42“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.” 43He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying, 44‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”’? 45“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?” 46No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

MATTHEW 26

62The high priest stood up and said to Him, “Do You not answer? What is it that these men are testifying against You?” 63But Jesus kept silent. And the high priest said to Him, “I adjure You by the living God, that You tell us whether You are the Christ, the Son of God.” 64Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself; nevertheless I tell you, hereafter you will see THE SON OF MAN SITTING AT THE RIGHT HAND OF POWER, and COMING ON THE CLOUDS OF HEAVEN.” 65Then the high priest tore his robes and said, “He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? Behold, you have now heard the blasphemy; 66what do you think?” They answered, “He deserves death!”

IJOHN 4

15Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.

4. The Christ came to our world in human form.

1JOHN 4

1Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; 3and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world. 4You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world. 5They are from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God; he who knows God listens to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.

PHILIPPIANS 2

5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

5. The Christ is the Savior of the World.

JOHN 6

.67So Jesus said to the twelve, “You do not want to go away also, do you?” 68Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life. 69“We have believed and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

JOHN 4

25The woman said to Him, “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

42and they were saying to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves and know that this One is indeed the Savior of the world.”

1JOHN 4

14We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world.

JOHN 3

16“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. 17“For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.

JOHN 12

44And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me. 45“He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me. 46“I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness. 47“If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.48“He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day. 49“For I did not speak on My own initiative, but the Father Himself who sent Me has given Me a commandment as to what to say and what to speak. 50“I know that His commandment is eternal life; therefore the things I speak, I speak just as the Father has told Me.”

The Scriptures have shown us who the real Jesus is and that we should believe so we shall be saved. Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God who was in the form of God and took the human form to die for our sins on the Cross. He is the Savior of the World.

6. By believing this we are:

Born again, born as sons of God

JOHN 1

9There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. 10He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. 12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, 13who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

1JOHN 5

1Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and whoever loves the Father loves the child born of Him.

Have eternal life in His Name

JOHN 20

31but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

We are forgiven from all of our sins

LUKE 24

44Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.” 45Then He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46and He said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ would suffer and rise again from the dead the third day, 47and that repentance for forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in His name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48“You are witnesses of these things.

ACT 10

36“The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all) 37you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.38“You know of Jesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him. 39“We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross. 40“God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible, 41not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God, that is, to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead. 42“And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. 43“Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

7. WHOEVER DENIES JESUS IS THE CHRIST THE SON OF GOD IS THE ANTICHRIST.

1JOHN 2

22Who is the liar but the one who denies that Jesus is the Christ? This is the antichrist, the one who denies the Father and the Son. 23Whoever denies the Son does not have the Father; the one who confesses the Son has the Father also. 24As for you, let that abide in you which you heard from the beginning. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, you also will abide in the Son and in the Father.

CONCLUSION

Jesus indeed is the Son of the Living God who came down from Heaven to earth in human form. He spoke to us the will and commandment of God and that is eternal life. He came to the world to bring eternal life to us. He died for our sins and being the Son of God holy and blameless we are sanctified forever. He alone is the Savior of the World and through Him by believing in His Name we shall have eternal life and receive the forgiveness of all of our sins. In Him by faith we become sons of God because He is the Son of God. He came to bring life to us. Whoever believes and confesses Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God has God and God abides in him and whoever denies Jesus is the Christ the Son of Living God is the antichrist. Therefore we are saved if we believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God and the Savior of the World.

Tweeting the Word of God

The Word of God is powerful. It is our guide in our daily journey with Him. Leading and correcting us- our ways, our words and our thoughts.

It is where we find solace and hold on His precious promises.

Follow me on my Tweets. God bless.

Tweets by larrydelacruz

Pope Francis…

REPLY TO JOHN PHILLIP PESEBRE’S MISQUOTATIONS AND MISREPRESENTATIONS

CONTRA SOLA-SCRIPTURA: Larryism is a confusing noise against biblical authority

It muddles with the authority of Scripture by its adherence to their own brand of name-it-claim-it prosperity gospel and of, what the Cambridge Declaration (herafter The Declaration) calls as the “therapeutic technique, MARKETING STRATEGIES, and the beat of the entertainment world often have far more to say about what the church wants, how it functions and what it offers, than does the Word of God.” It is a spirit that needs to hear these words from The Declaration: “Scripture must take us beyond our perceived needs to our real needs and liberate us from seeing ourselves through the seductive images, cliches, promises and priorities of mass culture. It is only in the light of God’s truth that we understand ourselves aright and see God’s provision for our need. The Bible, therefore, must be taught and preached in the church. Sermons must be expositions of the Bible and its teachings, not expressions of the preacher’s opinions or the ideas of the age. We must settle for nothing less than what God has given.”

My REPLY: This is an outright misrepresentation.
It is evident in my website that I have outlined Doctrines of the Lord according to the Scriptures. Systematic Theology should not contradict Biblical Revelation and Theology as a whole.  http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/doctrines-of-the-lord.html  And have been a proponent  of interpreting scriptures in context. http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/100-sermons.html

 What is happening it is Calvinism that took verses of scriptures, coined words for it and made a doctrine of it out  of context neglecting the verses before and after it.  http://calvinismexposed.weebly.com/calvinism-refuted.html

Well being, abundant life and blessings are God’s desire for His people. It is not instant. It is a process learned as one walks in faith and obedience. The believers who walk in righteousness and in the Light God blesses. Jesus said He came to give life and abundant life. Abundant life is not only blessings but victory, righteous living and well being and good relationships. http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/faith-confession–worship.html

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CONTRA SOLUS CHRISTUS: Larryism is a confusing noise against the Christ-Centered Faith

At its heart it is a denial of the doctrine of total depravity and is more in line with the teachings of 5th century British monk Pelagius and the 15th century Catholic priest and humanist Desiderius Erasmus. As such it proposes an “island of righteousness” in man to save himself. It needs to hear the correct biblical affirmation that “salvation is accomplished by the mediatorial work of the historical Christ alone. His sinless life and substitutionary atonement alone are sufficient for our justification and reconciliation to the Father.” Larryism fails to see that its humanism runs head-on against the true doctrine of solus Christus.

MY REPLY: This is outright misrepresentation.

In my teachings it is evident that man cannot save himself. I teach man has inherited sinful nature and what I am saying is that total inability is not biblical. God gave all men the power to believe and disbelieve.  Calvinism’s exclusivity of some is anti-God. God is not partial and not unjust.  It is unbiblical to say God chose some, Christ died for them only, the Holy Spirit regenerates them only and God gives them faith and causes them to believe and leaving the rest of mankind into damnation. I have been teaching a Christ centered faith- all are received through faith in Jesus –regeneration, justification, salvation, righteousness, eternal life etc.

This is evident from Scriptures. Total depravity unscriptural . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lx7LYyb5GM0&list=UUktt5KcBGJ7YAiC_-nbuN4g

What is against Christ is denying God sent the Son so that the world might be saved though Him and that He died for the whole world. Calvinism is anti-gospel. http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/salvation.html

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CONTRA SOLA GRATIA: Larryism is a confusing noise against the Gospel.

Larryism is merely confidence in the human flesh so that it fails to see that glory of the grace of God.

From the Cambridge Declaration: “Unwarranted confidence in human ability is a product of fallen human nature. This false confidence now fills the evangelical world; from the self-esteem gospel, to the health and wealth gospel, from those who have transformed the gospel into a product to be sold and sinners into consumers who want to buy, to others who treat Christian faith as being true simply because it works. This silences the doctrine of justification regardless of the official commitments of our churches. God’s grace in Christ is not merely necessary but is the sole efficient cause of salvation. We confess that human beings are born spiritually dead and are incapable even of cooperating with regenerating grace.”

MY REPLY: This is a misrepresentation.

The real grace of God is that the Son of God appeared who brings salvation to all men. It is received through faith in Him. Calvinists brand those who are proponents of faith in Christ as humanist and are proud. Faith in Christ is not human pride it is God’s righteousness in Christ. It is God’s decree how man can be justified and be saved through His Son. The grace of God appeared bringing salvation to all men. Grace and truth came by Jesus Christ and is received through faith in Him. God called all men to repent and believe. Calvinism’s teaching of selection of some for salvation and others not and therefore condemned is anti-grace and anti-mercy of the Almighty. The god of Calvinism is not the God the Father Jesus has showed us.   http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/salvation.html

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CONTRA SOLA FIDE: Larryism is a confusing noise against the Chief Article of the Reformation

Larryism promotes the idea that man’s contribution is crucial to his redemption in the sense that he must seek God before any divine granting of sorts must be carried out. There seems to be a certain discontent over the idea that “justification is by grace alone through faith alone because of Christ alone. This is the article by which the church stands or falls.” There is no room for boasting, unlike the teachings of Larryism.

 

MY REPLY: This is a misrepresentation.

Nowhere do  we teach that we contribute anything to our salvation. No one can save himself. What the Calvinist do not understand is that God commanded all to repent and believe in the gospel to be saved. If by faith then its accordance with grace. Jesus even commanded the crowd to believe in the Light so they may become sons of the Light. They have taken again out of context Romans 3:10-11 whereas the sinner therein can be righteous and be justified through faith in Jesus. Faith in Christ for our salvation, righteousness and justification is one of the themes of the Book of Romans. And faith is available to all men and not to some only. Paul who wrote Romans in Acts 17:26-27 said God placed the time and habitation for every man that  they may grope for God and find Him.  Good works can never save us that is why it is by faith in Christ eternal life is received. http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/gods-way-to-heaven.html

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CONTRA SOLI DEO GLORIA: Larryism is confusing noise against God-centered Worship

Larryism pushes to the peripheral biblical authority, Christ, the gospel and faith. It has displaced God’s interests. In doing so it has promoted the erosion of the centrality of God in theology, piety and practice.

The Declaration states: “Wherever in the church biblical authority has been lost, Christ has been displaced, the gospel has been distorted, or faith has been perverted, it has always been for one reason: our interests have displaced God’s and we are doing his work in our way. The loss of God’s centrality in the life of today’s church is common and lamentable. It is this loss that allows us to transform worship into entertainment, gospel preaching into marketing, believing into technique, being good into feeling good about ourselves, and faithfulness into being successful. As a result, God, Christ and the Bible have come to mean too little to us and rest too inconsequentially upon us. God does not exist to satisfy human ambitions, cravings, the appetite for consumption, or our own private spiritual interests. We must focus on God in our worship, rather than the satisfaction of our personal needs. God is sovereign in worship; we are not. Our concern must be for God’s kingdom, not our own empires, popularity or success.”

MY REPLY: This is a misrepresentation.

Everything that we believe should be grounded in the word of God. The word of God salvation comes from the Lord and God’s commandment for all is to believe in the Son. Faith in Jesus is God’s commandment to all for salvation. Denying this does not glorify God either. Well being and victory in biblical context is through the promises of God and the word of God. They failed to understand that the prayer of the righteous avails much, that the man of God who walks in faith and righteousness is blessed. God wants His children to walk in faith and in His power. Faith and obedience precede blessings. Our doctrinal statement show our balanced faith.  http://pastorlarrydelacruz.weebly.com/doctrinal-statement.html

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Characteristics of the Proponents of Larryism

1. Self-proclaimed Church Reformer. Oftentimes the proponents of Larryism situate themselves on a watershed in history. That they are here to correct the doctrinal heresies existing in mainstream Christianity. One can often hear them anathematize historic Christian traditions such as the Reformed faith and orthodox and Protestant creeds.

MY REPLY: Calvinism is not the mainstream Christianity and it evolved in the 16^th century only. Extreme teachings and Hyper-Calvinism have infiltrated some churches.  Calvinism never confirmed the teachings of the apostles nor of the church fathers. http://calvinismexposed.weebly.com/teachings-of-the-church-fathers.html

2. Disdain for and ignorance of church history. As has been said above, each is oftentimes a self-proclaimed reformer who has no regard to affirm the historic doctrines but claims to have found it through independent reading of Scripture. They are apathetic to anything that involves the history of the church in terms of systematic theology, sound exegesis and Biblical Theology.MY REPLY: Again answered- the apostles and the church fathers in the above link say otherwise. Systematic Theology can be confirmed if it is real Biblical Theology if they profess the only Gospel of God as proclaimed through the prophets and confirmed by the Apostles that Jesus was sent by God to save the world. God showed His love for the world by Jesus dying for all men. To break away from this truth systematically through man’s formulated doctrine like Calvinism is anti-gospel, anti-bible and against the very words of Jesus who is the Savior of the world. They illogically misunderstood that ransom does not equate immediate salvation. God ordained and decreed repentance and faith in Christ His way for man to receive the gift of eternal life and salvation. 

 

3. Biblicist par excellence. It would be common to hear from them that they are biblicists which simply means they read no other book but the Bible.

MY REPLY: Biblicists get their teachings from scriptures in context while Calvinism take a few verses and coin words and make doctrines out of it. This is evident in the 5 point of Calvinism. This is REFUTED point by point proving them out of context.   http://calvinismexposed.weebly.com/videos.html

4. No Creed but Christ. The proponents of Larryism have a favorite mantra: “No creed but Christ.” Then they move on to develop their own personal creeds and then advocate it to people. Actually what really happens is No creed but THEIR CREED. These spiritual lone rangers have a strange disdain for the history of affirmation of the church. It is to these people that JI Packer assures “a surefire recipe for weirdness without end.”

MY REPLY: This is a false accusation. We believe we are saved by Christ alone. We declare Christ came to save the world. We declare all are through faith in Christ. We declare victory and dominion in this life through Christ and by faith in Him.

 CONCLUSION

These showed that John Phillip Pesebre’s despicable and frustrated misquotations and accusations are unfounded and baseless. These just showed his malicious intent to malign a person whom he cannot disprove from scriptures and who have proven that Calvinism is unbiblical. His caricatures and personal attacks show his timidity and cowardice. https://www.facebook.com/BaldFacedLarryism

 His acts are unbecoming. Paul said, “They profess they know God but their deeds they deny Him”. He is not sick physically but most spiritually. I hope and pray that God forgive, heal and deliver him of this malady.

 

Pastor Larry Dela Cruz

 

Gospel of God

One Event After Faith in Christ

Words of Christ (The Gospel)

Renewal By the Holy Spirit

God’s Way To Heaven

ABC of Salvation