WHY JESUS CAME TO EARTH

There are two main reasons why Jesus left Heaven to come to earth. It is important we know these reasons. The first reason was to give men an opportunity to have their sins forgiven. Why do men need a Savior? They need a Savior because of sin. The Bible clearly says, "For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). Every person who can tell right from wrong commits sin (1 John1:6-10).

What is sin? It is "missing the mark" (Romans 3:23). It is "transgression of the law" of God (1 John 3:4). John adds, "all unrighteousness is sin" (1 John 5:17). Paul says that "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). Sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:1-2). Christ came to the earth to bring us back to God (2 Corinthians 5:20-21; Ephesians 2:16).

From where did sin come? The answer is given to us in the first book of the Bible. After God created Adam and Eve, He put them in the garden of Eden and gave them everything they needed. He also gave them commands to obey (Genesis 2:15-17).

God clearly told them what to do. They were not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The third chapter of Genesis tells us what happened (Genesis 3:1-6).

Through Adam and Eve sin entered into the world (Romans 5:12). But God already had planned to send Christ to the earth to save man from his sins. The angel said of Mary,"And she shall bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). Jesus told Zacchaeus, "For the Son of man has come to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Paul adds, "For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly...But God demonstrates His own love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:6-8).

The other reason Jesus came to earth was to purchase His church. The following passages show the church was planned before God created the world:

• "Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood" (Acts 20:28).

• "...knowing that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold, from your aimless conduct received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you" (1 Peter 1:18-20).

• "...to the intent that now the manifest wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places, according to the eternal purpose which He accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord..." (Ephesians 3:10-11).

• "Jesus answered and said to him, `Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it" (Matthew 16:17-18).

It was never in God's plan to have hundreds of different denominations. His plan was always to have just one church, and all believers were to be part of that one church. The Bible teaches unity, not division (1 Corinthians 1:10-13; Ephesians 4:3-6). Christ is the only head of the one church He promised to build. It is in His church that we are able to be saved from our sins (Ephesians 5:23).

Jesus came into the world to die for our sins and to establish His church. Let us obey His gospel so that we can be added to His church and be saved from our sins (Acts 2:36-47).

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