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Welcome to World Jesus Institute!
Received a Gospel Tract?
I am excited to welcome you to World Jesus Institute, a small ministry sharing Jesus around the world! I am deeply grateful to God for drawing you to learn more about Jesus Christ! Here you will find short answers to some common questions on Christianity, who Jesus is, and what it means to have faith in Him!
In His Service,
William
The Four Points
In the gospel tract, four main scriptures are displayed.
#1 John 14:6: "Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
#2 Matthew 11:28-30: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest."
#3 Ephesians 2:1-2: "As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient."
#4 Romans 6:23: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
What is Christianity?
Christianity is commonly viewed as a religion. While it is true that the world may classify Christianity this way, the term "Christian" is actually a formal designation indicating that one has a relationship with Jesus. Christianity, to many, may be a religion, but this is not the idea that Jesus set forth in His work. Jesus produced relationships with people. He sought out individuals whom he made apostles in the gospels. He also sought out those who did not know Him, whom He made into disciples and believers. Jesus grew followers during His time spent on Earth in His Earthly ministry work. This later developed into a growing group of Christians who began establishing formal churches as we know them today.
However, Jesus' original design of the church was not a building but a people. In Matthew 16:13-20, Jesus asks His disciples who they thought He was, and Peter responds, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." Jesus then rewards Peter with His faith and commands, "And I tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my church." The rock is a metaphor of Peter and his faith in Jesus. Because of this, Jesus chose Peter to be the one to build and grow the church body.
Christianity is the growth of individual people who proclaim faith and belief in Jesus, just as Peter did. Individual Christians make up the church body of Jesus Christ, and as we see today, congregate into groups with other believers. This helps Christians grow in a relationship with Jesus by studying His Word, "the bible," holding each other accountable to live a more godly life, and sharing the faith with others.
Who is Jesus?
As we have just discovered, Christianity is God's church body made up of individual believers who have faith and believe in Jesus Christ. So who is Jesus, and why should we trust and believe in Him?
Jesus is described repeatedly in the Bible as God. This confuses many, as they think that Christians follow more than one God. However, God is one God who reveals Himself in three distinct personal roles.
The Father remains in Heaven and acts as the administrator. He sends forth the Son, "Jesus," and the Holy Spirit into the world. He is described as residing in Heaven and formulates the work that He attributes to the Holy Spirit and Jesus.
The Holy Spirit is the counselor between God and us. He intercedes on our behalf and helps believers in their prayers to the Father. The Spirit seals repentant beleivers in their faith and communion with God. The Spirit also resides within believers as a helper to guide and give us gifts to perform God's will.
Jesus, also being part of the Trinity, is our savior. He came down in the form of a virgin birth and lived in perfect harmony with the Father as the Holy Spirit empowered Him to live a sinless life. He is described as the lamb who willingly sacrificed Himself on the cross. His sacrifice on the Cross redeemed humanity from its sins.
Before Jesus' death on the cross, humanity tried to follow God's commandments to live a righteous life. While all failed to live a perfect life, God always met believers in Him with the opportunity for repentance and trust in His future plan for Jesus to redeem humanity. All through the Old Testament, God foreshadowed Jesus' coming into the world. This is seen within the prophetic books, psalms, and even as early as Genesis 3:15, as God promised to one day crush Satan and his rebellious work that caused humanity to be separated from God.
Jesus is given many titles. The gospel of John opens up in chapter 1 with a detailed description of Jesus. He is described as the living Word, God Himself, creator, life sustainer, and the light. John 1 describes Jesus as the creator who made everything, the world, space, plants, animals, and people. He is also described as the redeemer of all who believe in Him, and He brings them into His family as children.
Jesus is the Way
In John 14:6, Jesus makes the truth claim that He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one may enter His Father's presence except through Jesus. This is the ultimate truth that separates all religions from Christianity. Religions such a Bhudissm, spirituality, Islam, Hinduism, etc, form the conclusion that a person must earn their way into Heaven. However, Jesus is saying here that He is the only way to enter Heaven. He offers Himself as a free gift for anyone to accept. Jesus makes various claims and gives examples of how He is the way. In our first point, Jesus says that He IS the way.
In John 10:9, Jesus explains that He is the door or gate that one must pass through to enter salvation. What this teaches is that belief and trust in the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross is the only way one may be redeemed from their sins. Our sin is all of the little and big things we do in life that separate us from a Holy God.
When we repent and choose to turn away from sin and pursue God, this grows our trust in Him, and we choose to live a life that is pleasing to God. No human will ever be without sin. Paul explains in Romans chapter 7 the struggle of the Christian life and makes this clear. However, the decision to not transgress and willingly sin is present, and the Holy Spirit will guide us to help us overcome the sin that Jesus defeated. This draws our lives closer to God and is only possible if we walk through the door that Jesus opened for all of humanity.
Jesus is the Life
Jesus is described as the life-giver for all of humanity who trusts in Him. While we may live our normal lives each day here on earth, after death, there are two places that a person will go. If they choose to live their life away from God, people make the decision to then enter into eternity away from God. This eternity is called Hell and eternal death. Since all good comes from God, eternal separation is unimaginably terrible. While the other option, should a person choose, is eternal life that is received from faith and trust in what Jesus did on the cross.
Jesus is the way to eternal life in the presence of the Father. Many call this heaven. However, Heaven can be commonly misconstructed in a person's mind. The book of Revelation reveals that while those who die before Christ's return will reside with God in Heaven, God is going to remake the Earth for all who trust in Him to live with Him for eternity. This new life will be without the curse of sin, and all believers will live forever in God's presence on a newly remade Earth.
Jesus is the Truth
As we have just read through, Jesus has many titles. He is God, the creator, the life, the light, and He is the Truth. This is referring to all truth leading from Jesus. As He holds all authority over creation, Jesus is the one who came down to not only redeem us from our sins, but to reveal the truth of God to humanity. Jesus Himself says,
“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do. All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him." (Matthew 11:27.)
Jesus is teaching that He is the one who is revealing the Father to humanity. He is opening up the opportunity for salvation to all who choose it. Yet it is not humanity who seek for salvation, but it is God who reveals and gives the knowledge of this truth as a gift to humanity. The Bible contains inspired words and works of God's redemptive narrative from the beginning of human history in Genesis to the end of it in Revelation. Jesus' truth is found within the Bible.
Satan our Adversary
While Jesus is the source of all truth, humanity faces the influence of Satan, who distorts God's truth and seeks to keep humanity separated from God. This is what Satan did in the Garden of Eden. He lied and distorted God's truth by manipulating Adam and Eve to sin against God. The fruit they ate was not a trick God laid out infront of them. It was the free will choice that Adam and Eve were presented with. Satan said that eating the fruit would glorify themselves, while God said not to eat of it and remain in Him.
Satan influenced Adam and Eve into choosing to separate themselves from God and live how they want to live. This is how the sin curse entered into all of creation. Sin's effects are vast. The world we know today is fully corrupted by the sin curse. That is why so much evil happens around us. Yet God is not idly standing by. He is working within the world to draw us into a life with Him. He accomplished the ultimate reversal of the sin curse as Jesus defeated it on the cross.
God is waiting for all people who will come to Him to come. Until then, he respects our free will and allows people to commit sin. This is not easy to digest. However, it is necessary for humanity to make its own choice to choose God or not. God also does intervene. He judges sin on this Earth, and He does protect and help people. He continues to perform miracles and guides people on the right paths. He is not an idle God!
Satan continues to influence the cultures around us. The worlds culture is ver secular, it is set up in ways to keep people focused on themselves and what they can do rather then giving their lives to God. Satan also wrecks havoc within the church body. He takes different denominations and put them against each other. He causes division wherever he can to deconstruct the lives of people trying to live with God.
What we must carefully understand is that Jesus is the only way to the Father. This is the most essential truth claim within the entire Bible. Sure beleivers and non beleivers alike may hold different views from one another. Yet, we must not divide or digress away from Jesus. Satan causes many battles within the church for things that are not fully explained. This may include varying views on Baptism, the Rapture, Communion, and so forth. It is okay to study God's word and come up with conclusions on these subjects. It is not okay to fight amongst other believers as Satan does this to tear the church apart.
Jesus is Our Future
The story can not be finished without an end. The end of human history culminates at the Great White Throne Judgement. Here, God judges all once and for all. For those who did not trust in Him and choose to live with Him, they will be eternally separated into Hell. While those who did choose to live repentant, trust in, and live with Jesus will be given new everlasting bodies free from the sin curse.
God proclaims in Revelation 21:4, "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away." Jesus will remake all new again and we will live in perfect harmony with Him for eternity.
Make the decision today to trust in Jesus and ask Him into your life. Repent of your sins, turn away from a sinful life, study God's word, find a church of believers, and live for Jesus. Pray this prayer and choose to begin your new life.
Prayer For Repentance
Dear Heavenly Father, I see the sins I have committed against you. I accept Jesus into my heart as my Lord and Savior, and I believe in my heart that he died on the cross and rose three days later. I ask you, God, through Jesus' sacrifice, to forgive me of my sins and wash them away with His blood. By the power of the Holy Spirit, give me the strength to turn from my sinful ways and be born into a new creation. Guide me in my new life to do your will and to show others your grace. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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