Benefits

Without the Bible, we probably wouldn’t have guessed that the benefits from the cross are ours immediately without further conditions or restrictions:

            “Everyone who believes in Him is set free from all the sins …” Acts 13:39

            “The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” Rom 6:23

“In union with Christ Jesus, you who used to be far away are brought near by the blood of Christ.”  Eph 2:13 
                       These benefits are the “fruit,” that is, the results, of the gospel.   Other benefits

                                                                                           Click here for list of benefits

Notice that the “results” correspond with the “problems:”

            Problem:                                             Results (benefits):

  Separation      --------------------- >        brought near (solves a root problem)

  Symptoms, like “guilt”  --------- >         forgiveness (solves a “felt need.”)

  Disobedience    -------------------- >    new life (power to live for God)

 

Example:

One symptom of sin is “aimlessness, lack of purpose, feeling that life has no meaning.”  The benefit of receiving “new life” solves this felt need by providing a sense of purpose:
      “We are God’s workmanship; created in Christ Jesus for good works, which He has already prepared for us to do.” 
                           Eph 2:10

The "So-That" passages. 
They show a connection between Jesus' death, Lordship, and purpose for life.

1 Peter 3:18
Christ died for sins once for all, the good man on behalf of sinners, so that he might lead you to God.
  shows relationship

1 Thessalonians 5:10
Jesus Christ died for us so that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead.
  shows Eternal relationship

Titus 2:14
Jesus gave his life for us so that he could rescue us from all wickedness and purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do good.
Shows effect on society

2 Corinthians 5:15
Jesus died for all, so that those who live should no longer live for themselves, but only for Him who died and was raised to life for their sake.
Provides us with a larger purpose: God's kingdom. You are a tool to carry out God's promises, such as:

1) Lord's prayer says: "give us this day our daily bread."  By your "vocation" you are a tool to fulfill God's promise to meet people's needs.

2) Jesus said, "I have come to seek and to save the lost."  You are a "delivery system" of God's message about forgiveness through the cross.

  [About the word VOCATION. Voca means "call", as in "Vocal cords, invoke, revoke."  God gives each of us a "calling," a place in society, in which we can carry out His plan to "care" and to "reach."]

1 Peter 2:9
You are God's own people, so that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
People see that God is real through you.

 

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