The Plan of Salvation

1

5. THE PLAN OF SALVATION Adam and Eve were perfect when came out of God’s hands. Satan though wanted to gain control over our race. God knew that man would fall into Satan’s trap and He had already in mind a plan to rescue us from the enemy.

God never intended us to experience shame and guilt but these came into the world through sin.

His plan of salvation is the solution to deliver us from our guilt.

1. WHAT CONSEQUENCE HAD ADAM AND EVE ’ SDISOBEDIENCE ON THEIR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD?

 Genesis 3:1-10; Isaiah 59:2 God had told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil they would die (see Genesis 2:16-17). Satan said that they would not die, but become like God, able to discern good and evil independently of God’s word.

After eating Adam and Eve were ashamed of their nakedness; they were naked before but felt no shame (see Genesis 2:25). God’s voice had been source of joy but had become source of fear, so they hid from Him. Sin caused a separation between them and God. God sought them: sin has not changed His love for man. Sin causes a separation from us and God because we choose to walk away from Him.

Adam and Eve had covered their nakedness with fig leaves but God clothed them with tunics of skin to teach them that the solution to the sin problem would involve the death of an innocent life.

2. What is the Ultimate Consequence of Sin?

 Romans 6:23 This text does not refer to the death we are all heading to, the return to dust. Paul contrasted the only two possible eternal destinies: eternal life and eternal death. The wages is something earned: eternal death is the right retribution for our sins, eternal life cannot be earned, it is a gift to accept.

Sin causes eternal death because there can be no life separated from God, the only source of life.

After Adam and Eve sinned, God did not destroy them but granted our race a time of probation.

The most important thing in our life is to reconnect with God before our time expires.

3. What did God Promise Adam and Eve Immediately After Their Fall?

 Genesis 3:15 2 5. The Plan of Salvation – Menorah Mission School – 2018/2019 God gave them the promise of a Savior: speaking to Satan He said that He would again put enmity between him and mankind. The Son of God would come through Adam’s seed as a man and He would defeat Satan by means of a perfect life as a man and His death in man’s place.

The plan of salvation had been conceived from eternity (see 2 Timothy 1:9). Knowing the end from the beginning God knew that men would fall. So, in taking the decision to create Adam, Jesus also chose to die for him.

4. What did Jesus Have to Pass Through to Bring Salvation to Humanity? Why was He Willing to do So?

 Hebrews 12:2 There was a cross between Jesus and the joy before His eyes. In order to reach this joy He decided to suffer the cross. The joy before Him was to live with the redeemed for eternity (see Isaiah 53:11).

He thought it was worth to suffer the cross to have you in heaven.

Price: set by the person who sells. Worth: set by the person who chooses to buy at the set price.

Jesus was willing to buy us at the high price of shedding His precious blood (see 1 Peter 1:18-19).

His blood represents His life (see Leviticus 17:11). By becoming a man, Jesus exposed Himself to temptation and to the risk of losing His own eternal life: His eternal life is what Jesus invested in your salvation. What is the worth of Jesus’ eternal life? Infinite. Then your worth is infinite to Him.

5. How does the Bible Describe the Experience of Jesus in the Last Hours of His Life?

 Isaiah 53:3-6,10-12

Isaiah prophesied about the sufferings of the Messiah. His words describe what Jesus would suffer from Gethsemane to Calvary. There are no adequate words to describe Jesus’ agony: the Hebrew word dâkâ (v. 5) literally means to crush, break into pieces. The central theme of this prophecy is that Jesus suffered in our place:  “Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows” (v. 4);  “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities” (v. 5);  “The chastisement… was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed” (v. 5);  “And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all” (v. 6);  “For the transgressions of My people He was stricken” (v. 8);  “When You make His soul an offering for sin” (v. 10);  “My righteous Servant shall justify many, for He shall bear their iniquities” (v. 11);  “And He bore the sin of many” (v. 12). 5. The Plan of Salvation – Menorah Mission School – 2018/2019 3

6. When the Time was Near for Jesus ' Death, What Troubled Him the Most? What was Jesus Experience on the Cross?

 Matthew 26:36-39; Matthew 27:46 Jesus said He was sorrowful even to the point of death. What made Him tremble? It was not the physical pain of crucifixion for He had taught His disciples not to fear him who could just take away this life (see Luke 12:4-5). In the Gethsemane Jesus started to feel the burden of the sins of the world. Satan tempted Jesus suggesting that the Father would not receive Him back in heaven after bearing the sins of the world.

Sin separates from God and, in taking the sins of the world, Jesus died separated from the Father.

Jesus felt the burden of the sins of the world and He bore the Father’s condemnation against them.

The awful cup He drank was the Father’s wrath against sin.

7. What Image did Jesus Use to Represent His Sacrifice?

 John 3:14-16 Jesus told about the story of the Israelites bitten by serpents in the wilderness. God told Moses to make a bronze serpent and lift it up on a pole so that the people may look at it and live (see Numbers 21:4-9). This illustrates the plan of salvation: mankind was bitten by the old serpent, Satan and the poison of sin condemns us to death. Jesus was lifted up on the cross that we may look to Him and live.

Why was Jesus here symbolized by a serpent, usually a symbol of Satan and sin? The Israelites were bitten by serpents and had to look to another serpent to be saved. So we must look by faith to Jesus, who became sin Himself on the cross.

8. Which Exchange does God Offer You Through the Cross?

 2 Corinthians 5:21 Jesus knew no sin and took your sins upon Himself; He became sin Himself that you may become righteousness. Man cannot deliver himself from guilt; our righteousness is like a filthy garment but by accepting Jesus as your Savior, you are clothed with His righteousness (see Isaiah 61:10, 64:6).

The robe of Christ’s righteousness represents His perfect life; it was woven during His earthly life, as He overcame temptation after temptation. When you are covered by Christ’s righteousness God no longer sees your imperfect life but His Son.

9. HOW SHOULD WE LIVE AFTER ACCEPTING JESUS ’ SACRIFICE?

 1 Peter 2:24 4 5. The Plan of Salvation – Menorah Mission School – 2018/2019 You do not have to be lost because Jesus was treated as you deserve so that you may be treated by God as He deserves. Jesus was nailed to the tree of death that you may have access to the tree of life; He was naked on the cross that you may be clothed with His righteousness; He had a crown of thorns that you may receive the crown of life; He was separated from the Father that you may never be forsaken by Him; He suffered your death that you may have His eternal life.

Realizing what Jesus has done for your salvation will inspire and empower you to live a new life, for righteousness’ cause.

“Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out” (Acts 3:19): repentance and conversion come both from God. Repentance, in Greek metanoia, literally means to think after: when you repent what it seemed right to your eyes becomes wrong and you experience sorrow for sin. Conversion is like a U turn, turning your shoulders to sin and destruction and walking with Jesus toward God and eternal life.

Appeal

You are saved by grace through faith when you choose to exercise your faith in what Jesus has done for your salvation. Do you accept this gift now?