In this daily Bible reading Jesus continues to preach the ‘Sermon on the mount.’ Jesus’ words indicate that God has a higher standard than religion mandates. For example, Jesus said that a person is guilty of adultery if he or she lusts after a person who is not his or her spouse. With this standard, it is quite evident that ‘all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.’ We are all sinners.
God is Holy and will not coexist with sin. Therefore all humans would be condemned to Hell and be separated from God forever. However, God provided a way so that mankind could reside with God. Jesus is that way.
Jesus existed with God from eternity past. God’s plan was for Jesus to be born a man and live a sin-free life. He would then be sacrificed to atone for the sins of mankind. He was sacrificed for our sins through His death on a Roman cross.
The Bible says that there can be no forgiveness for sin without the shedding of blood. Jesus’ blood was shed to atone for our sins. The Bible says that we must believe in Jesus to be covered by His blood. When we believe in Jesus our sins are forgiven, and God does not see us as sinners. We therefore will be allowed to exist with God in Heaven after we die.
The Bible gives us clear instructions on how to believe in Jesus and be allowed into Heaven. It is the only book that provides this guidance. I therefore believe the Bible is essential to our salvation journey.
