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In the journey of life, everything begins with a first step. For a young new born to venture into the world of toddlerhood, it starts with a single solitary step.

Such are the beginnings of every soul that would begin the journey of hope, faith, life and love. The world is a dark place without hope, and eternally dark when there is no forseeable hope. However, there is hope waiting for those who even now are lingeriing in the shadow of the valley of death. Life is hard to figure out when you have no clues as to what it's secrets are. This world will do all it can to keep you in the dark, keep your eyes from discovering its real beauty and the purpose of your existence. There are powers, which be, that would not have you to read this article and discover the real meaning and purpose you were created to discover. Its not found in "religion" is not found in "education", is not found in the "arts" or "entertainment." We live largely in a world that is filled with "blind leading the blind," and illusion.

This is the first of many articles that will be forthcoming and inspiring the world we live in, to rise above what they are and to become what they were meant to be.

Ever feel lost? Ever wonder, "why am I here", or perhaps you might even be asking the question of "who am I", "what is the purpose of life." Do these questions sound familiar? These are the questions that men have spent their life trying to answer, some honest, some dishonest in the disguise of "Intellects" or "Religious Leaders." I am writing this because these same questions have echoed through the corridors of time, and still are the question to be asked by those who are still yet to be forth coming into this seemingly "world of illusion." Truth is to be found, for those who are willing to pay the price to gain it. What is the price? Your time and dilligence with a open heart to “seek, that you may find” (Jeremiah 29:13, Matthew 7:7, Luke 11:9).

Are you in that place right now? Are you caught in these questions like "a fly in a web," who feels doomed, who cannot escape? Then this article is for you, this is the beginning of the rest of your life toward real life. But, before we speak of solutions, answers, hope faith or truth. Be honest with yourself, if everything you have done, had helped you, you would not be asking those questions. The truth being said, if you are asking those questions, its because you don't have the answers, and before you begin to fight anything contrary to what you currently believe, or hold firm to, stop. Look at yourself, what you would be defending never helped you, and never brought you the meaning you long for in life. If you are continuing down the same path, how can you ever expect change? It will never be found.

I want to address these questions and get to the real answers, but before one gets to that point, they must readily admit, they don't have the answers, and need to look outside of themselves for the answers. And that is part of the key to the discovery of the answers. Realizing that the answer is found outside of ourselves. but how so? It is only the insane that think that change will come from continuing in the same cycles. We have to address the state of the heart before we can apply the remedy, or the heart will decieve itself in believing it has been fine all along. But that is the bad news, lefts now look upward into the face of the good news!

Now, let's give attention to Good News, and not the bad news of our inabilities. It is with great joy, I want to share with you the greatest news in the world. Salvation to man is given. That Good News, is the "power of God unto salvation."

Let’s assume you know nothing at all of the Bible or of Jesus Christ. I want to give you a clear picture of what “was”, “is,” and “shall be” from the biblical narrative. So that you can understand why humanity needs salvation, how you can gain it, and what has been provided for you.

When God created the first couple on the earth, Adam and Eve, they only had one commandment of God given to them. When they broke that one command, it was the beginning of all the woah’s of humanity. What happened then is important for you to understand our current state of being for humanity, and why we need salvation.

Adam and Eve made a choice, to believe Satan’s word over God’s word. God said the day that they break that command, “they would surely die” (Genesis 2:17). Satan implicitly proposed that God was not “honest” with them and stated that “they would not surely die” (Genesis 3:4). They chose unbelief, and questioned the integrity of God, and disobeyed. And in keeping with God’s promise of the consequence, they immediately died spiritually at that moment. Prior to this they were living souls, which would never die (Genesis 2:7). Death then was introduced to all creation, it was this disobedience that set the physical laws of entropy in motion, all from that time to this began to die and decay. The perfect state of man’s genetic code was now subject to corruption, hence, cancer and disease, and death were the consequence. The greatest tragedy was consequently, they now were spiritually dead, and their direct communication with God was broken, that friendship ended. The face to face encounters between God and man ceased (Genesis 3:8).

There is one other thing of which transpired that is the utmost importance to mention. I tell this whole narrative for this very point. Humanities nature had changed from once the “nature of God” to the “nature of Satan.” This was the cause of seperation between humanity and God. This is the reason that man cannot go to heaven when he dies, because by nature humanity is now evil in nature (Ephesians 5:6, Colossians 3:6). This is called the “depravity of man.” The human nature changed at that moment of disobedience and could not be undone, man shift ownership from being the children of God to the children of the Devil (John 8:44, Acts 13:10, 1 John 3:10, Ephesians 2:3). Satan, from that day, usurped the dominion of the earth, and humanity submitted as slaves and victims of his cruelty and tyranny (2 Timothy 2:26). Evil then began dominating lost humanity (don’t despair good news is coming, keep reading).

It was because the nature of man changing to a “sinful nature,” that man cannot share eternity with God. God is pure, holy, and good. He cannot allow evil in heaven. This is the answer to why “good people” (namely “non-religious” or otherwise) cannot go to heaven, even if by outward appearance they appear “good.” Their nature is sin, and in union with evil and Satan. This is the doctrine of the “lostness of humanity.” This is why humanity cannot save themselves by being “good” in actions, which are merely outward appearences. This is why merely sacrifice for sins is not enough either.

That is the bad news, and why humanity is completely lost without God (Ephesians 2:20).

The only way for man to share eternity with God is to have his nature “re-created,” after justice is served for the penalty of his sins and disobedience. Can you see why it is then impossible for man to go to heaven and why he needs salvation? This requires a miracle for man to be “re-created” or “born-again” without the sinful nature, aside for the justice that needs be served for the penalty of sin (death in hell).

This is where the Good News comes in. Jesus Christ was prophesied immediately after the fall of humanity, and is the grand theme of prophecy until Christ came. Christ was to come and save humanity (Genesis 3:15, Isaiah 53, etc).

But just how exactly did this happen and how does it relate to you or me? The answer is in the word “Redemption.”

The Redemption of man needed to do several things, two of which we have already named (1. pay our penalty of death and hell, 2. Re-create man with a new nature). Aside from these it must also restore to man what was lost prior to his fall. We must be re-instated with God ‘as if we never sinned’ (called justification), so that our friendship with God can be restored. There was also the transfer of ownership that happens by the nature change in humanity (Colossians 1:13). The redemptive work of Christ must also give us power over Satan once again (Luke 10:19), that is, to re-instate his place of dominion; so that we are no longer subject to his evil inflictions, lies and power. All this was accomplished by the work of Jesus Christ, and is now offered to “every one who will believe” (Romans 1:16). It is not a capricious act of God in some special “election.” That would make God a “respector of persons,” and would be a biblical contradiction to Acts 10:34, and Romans 2:11, therefore, it should be considered false (see the article Introduction to Salvation). This is good news, because if it is to “whosoever will believe,” that means “everybody” which means YOU!

There is still more in the redemption. The redemption of Christ also redeemed humanity’s spirit, soul, and body. The complete aspects of humanity were redeemed. In fact the term “saved” used in reference to humanity means to be made “completely whole” in spirit, soul, and body. Let’s briefly look at this and its importance to you.

“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”

Romans 10:9

and look now at this related verse:

“But Jesus turned him about, and when he saw her, he said, Daughter, be of good comfort; thy faith hath made thee whole. And the woman was made whole from that hour.”

Matthew 9:22

Here Jesus told a woman her faith had made here completely “whole,” meaning “healed,” “restored to health”, or “saved.” The New Testament in the Bible was originally written in Greek (except for Matthew) from which we get our English translation. Now, I want to tell you hidden secret, the Greek word there in both those verses is the word “sozo,” which in the Strongs Greek dictionary states:

“SOZO: to save, i.e. deliver or protect: heal, preserve, save, do/make well, be (made) whole.”

Now! Why am I saying all this? I want you to know what the real Gospel of Jesus Christ means to us all. Christ came to save/heal the spirit, soul, and body. Still not so sure about that? Let me share with you another passage of Scripture to remove all doubt:

“And she [Mary] shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name Jesus: for he shall save his people from their sins.”

Matthew 1:21

Again, that word saved is translated from the Greek word “sozo,” meaning, “make whole and complete from their sins.” Jesus prior to his crucifixion was beaten with a Roman whip which was prophesied about 700 years prior. Those stripes which were laid upon Christ were the first act of redemption by Christ, that whipping was to pay for the human afflictions of sickness, disease, and all human malices upon humanity. Let’s examine that scripture now:

“But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.”

Isaiah 53:5

I don’t want to get so deep here that you drown in these deep deep truth’s, but I do want to make a very strong point here for your healing in the aspect of redemption. The book of Isaiah was written in Hebrew, and the word for “healed” there is the Hebrew word ‘rapha,’ which is the word, without question, for healing and being made whole (you see that correllation?). It is the same word used more than a thousand years prior when God revealed himself to the nation of Israel in the Law of the Covenant as “Jehovah-Rapha” (Exodus 15:26), “The God who Healeth thee” a covenant name of God.

Now, let’s tie all this together, God sent his son to Redeem man spirit, soul, and body. Meaning, in that act of redemption is also included the healing for the human body, not just your broken heart, soul, and spirit. God wanted a complete redemption for you. He wanted your complete restoration. If you in faith receive God’s salvation for your spirit, and soul, you can also receive it for your body, and be made perfectly whole, right now! It is written:

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Romans 10:13

And guess what? That word saved is the word “sozo” meaning made whole, healed, saved! And, that is a promise is to “WHOSOEVER!” Meaning everyone, meaning you! There is no respect of persons with God (Romans 2:11, Acts 10:34). Is your heart broken? Is your spirit crushed? Have you been tormented and inflicted in your past? Is your past hurtful and painful. Do you want love and forgiveness? Does your heart cry for meaning and purpose? All these needs are met in God’s plan of redemption.

Christ did many more things through his plan of redemption of which we will not venture to cover here, you may read more about it here: https://xristozo.org/info/salvation-introduction He died in place of you, he went to hell in place of you, and was inflicted with human suffering by his stripes, all so that you would not have to suffer these things, his plan of redemption was thorough and complete. He does not want you to pay that sin penalty which he has already paid! That is his love for you! Can you see that now? This is the first step in a new beginning. To receive that life which only God can give which restores to humanity all they have lost, but eden (which is forth coming in the future, a new heaven and a new earth).

Are you ready to make that new beginning yours? Are you ready for this Good News to be yours? Are you ready for that transfer from the power of darkness (Satan), into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son? (Colossians 1:13) Then let’s do it! Let’s pray together and make this prayer your very own:

“Dear Father God, I come to you with all my failings, hurts, pains, sorrows, sins and longings. I submit to you and your plan of salvation. I want it. Forgive me of my sins, I want to be “born again,” “re-created” in my nature to be restored once again to you! Write my name in your ‘family album” called the ‘book of life.’ From here forward I will learn of you and give my life to do your will. Thank you for sending Jesus to die for me on the cross, I turn from my own ways to follow you now. Open my eyes now to your wonderful truths in the Bible so that I can understand your plan for my life. In Jesus name, Amen!”

If you have sincerely prayed that prayer, CONGRATULATIONS! You have just taken that first step to a new beginning, the first small step with HUGE implications.

When you prayed that prayer, in the spiritual realm many things have happened:

1) Angels are rejoicing (Luke 15:10)

2) The Father God Rejoices (Luke 15:24)

3) You are a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17)

4) You are now adopted into God’s family, and are his child (John 1:12)

5) You are now translated into God’s kingdom (Colosssians 1:13)

6) You are given Authority over all the Devils (Luke 10:19)

7) You are now the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21)

8) You are now healed by his stripes (1 Peter 2:24)

9) You are now (not later) a child of God [in his family] (1 John 3:2)

10) You have inherited all the promises of God, as undeniable to you (2 Corinthians 1:20)

11) Your life is now hid in Christ, and now he can live through you (Colosssians 3:3)

12) You are now seated in heavenly places with Christ, a seat of authority (Ephesians 2:6)

13) You have authority over all sickness and disease (Matthew 10:8, Mark 16:17-18)

14) You have the full authority to do the works Jesus did (John 14:12-14, 1 John 4:17)

15) Your name is now written in Heaven (Luke 10:20)

16) You are now in Covenant with God, and ready to live in that new life (Romans 11:27, Hebrews 8:6)

17) Your sins are now forever forgotten in God’s mind (Hebrews 8:12, 10:17)

18) You have an oath of God, that He will keep his Covenant with you (Hebrews 6:17)

19) You are kept from falling, and will be presented faultless with Joy before Him (Jude 1:24)

20) He will save you to the uttermost (Hebrews 7:25)

21) You have passed from death to life (John 5:24)

22) You being once dead are now alive eternally (Romans 6:13)

23) You have been translated out of Satan's power and are now in God's Kingdom (Colossian 1:13)

Lastly, one more important note, you now have entered The Family of God. You now get to enter into the covenant with God, and have inherited all the promises of God. They are now yours! That is the inheritance of the saints! (Ephesians 1:11, 1 Peter 1:4) So much more awaits you now. Your journey has only just begun, it is a new beginning, a small step, toward eternal life.

If you have made that choice as you read this article, please contact us and let us know. We would love to help you get started on that journey that never ends!