What is Jesus like?

THE GOSPEL IS GOOD NEWS

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever! (Hebrews 13:8)

He is the Savior of the world. (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14)
He became sin—your sin, my sin, all sin. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
He became the curse. (Galatians 3:13)
He fulfilled the law. (Matthew 5:17)
He defeated death. (2 Timothy 1:10; Hebrews 2:14–15)
He conquered the grave. (1 Corinthians 15:54–57)
He rose victorious. (Romans 6:9)

He is the healer, the deliverer, and the promise keeper. (Acts 10:38; Hebrews 10:23)
He is the Bridegroom. (John 3:29)
He is the image of the invisible God, the exact imprint of God. (Colossians 1:15; Hebrews 1:3)
He said, “If you’ve seen Me, you’ve seen the Father.” (John 14:9)

He healed all who came to Him. (Matthew 12:15; Luke 6:19) He said WE would do the same works—and greater. (John 14:12) He gave us all things that pertain to life and godliness. (2 Peter 1:3) He is the Last Adam. (1 Corinthians 15:45) He redeems the time, for the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:16)

He prayed for God’s will to be done on earth as it is in Heaven. (Matthew 6:10) He is at the right hand of the throne of God, interceding and praying for you right now. (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25)

He shed His blood on Calvary for your sake. (Colossians 1:20; Hebrews 9:14) He threw your sins into the sea of forgetfulness—as far as the east is from the west. (Micah 7:19; Psalm 103:12) He has presented you to the Father holy, blameless, and above reproach. (Colossians 1:22) He has qualified you and completed you. (Colossians 1:12; 2:10) He has given you His mind, His Spirit, His power, and His authority. (1 Corinthians 2:16; 2 Timothy 1:7; Acts 1:8; Luke 10:19)

He has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light—into the Kingdom of His beloved Son. (1 Peter 2:9; Colossians 1:13)

THE KINGDOM - King’s Dominion

The King’s Domain is where signs and wonders follow those who believe: where you heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, and freely give what you have freely received. (Mark 16:17–18; Matthew 10:7–8)

You can only give out what you’ve received. And you can only receive from our Father freely. It must be by humility. He resists the proud—those who think it’s their doing or their enduring. He resists that. (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5)

It isn’t our praying, fasting, singing, or Scripture reading that gets God to move on our behalf. He moved 2,000 years ago when He sent His Son to die on our behalf. Those things don’t get God toward us; they get our hearts to move toward God.

It’s by grace through faith, not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:8–9) If it’s by works, there’s a wage. And if there’s a wage, it’s no longer a gift. If it’s not a gift, it’s no longer grace—and the promise is made null and void. (Romans 4:4–5, 14)

The promises of God are “Yes,” and our “Amen” is our response to the free gift. (2 Corinthians 1:20) While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) If we started in grace, how are we going to try to complete it by works? As we received Him, so let us continue in Him. (Galatians 3:3; Colossians 2:6)

Jesus Is Our Stand-In

We are crucified with Christ. (Galatians 2:20) It’s over—you’ve been circumcised. (Colossians 2:11–12) Take up your cross daily through the sacrifice of praise, and praise Jesus for being your stand-in. (Luke 9:23; Hebrews 13:15)

Some things He did for you, before you, and as you. He’s done way more than we realize. He is so good!

He said, “If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in Heaven give good gifts to those who ask Him?” (Matthew 7:11)

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He called Peter, James, and John—not because they deserved it more than the others, but because they received it more than the others, so they could take it and use it. (See Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33.)

He didn’t wait for Peter to repent before giving him a big catch of fish. (Luke 5:1–11) He didn’t wait for the woman caught in adultery to repent before bringing her grace. (John 8:1–11) He didn’t make the leper show himself to the priest, offer a sacrifice, and bring offerings before healing him. (Mark 1:40–44)

Grace is completely undeserved and unmerited. It’s offensive.

Don’t Mix the Covenants

We have to be careful not to turn into Judaizers, mixing the Old Covenant and the New Covenant. When we try to pour the new wine of the Spirit and the New Covenant into the old wineskins of works-based sacrifices and offerings, something is going to burst. (Luke 5:36–39)

So what have we done in the Church? We’ve ridiculed those who are drunk in the Holy Ghost. In order to preserve the comfort of an orderly, Old Covenant process and righteous living, we’ve reduced God back to an old wine, Old Covenant way.

Scripture even says, “The old is better.” People like old wine. (Luke 5:39)

People love to pray and fast. Galatians 6 even says that the religious want to show off their disciples by how much they focus on killing the flesh and how much they suffer. (Galatians 6:12–13)

Have you ever heard people say, “You don’t know what I’ve paid to be here, brother”?

Whoa. That is so dangerous. It’s not about what I’ve paid. It’s all about the blood of Jesus and what He paid on the cross. The only thing I pay is the cost of ridicule, accusation, and persecution from Pharisees who are upset that I’m radical enough to believe it’s all free.

It’s our pride that makes us want it to cost something.

Turn Your Eyes to Jesus

I want to invited us in the Church for a call to repentance from pride, ego, self-righteousness, works-based and performance-based faith, Phariseeism, hypocrisy, judgment, and religious faith that only exalts ourselves and ends with ourselves.

This is a call to turn from looking at ourselves and a plea to turn to Jesus—to present yourself as completely helpless against sin and freely receive His gift of right standing. (Romans 5:17; 2 Corinthians 5:21)

Receive His joy. Receive His peace. As you live in the light of His grace, all the wonderful fruit of that grace will begin to grow in your life. (Galatians 5:22–23; Titus 2:11–12)

Live From His Grace

You’ll become more holy accidentally than you ever did on purpose—not because holiness doesn’t matter, but because the grace of God is at work in you. Grace doesn’t leave us trapped in sin; it teaches us to live differently, with our eyes fixed on Jesus. (Titus 2:11–12; Hebrews 12:2)

And in days that can feel heavy, confusing, or uncertain, the invitation is still the same: come to Jesus. You don’t have to earn your way into His presence or prove you’re strong enough to deserve His help. His throne is a throne of grace, and you can come boldly to receive mercy and find help right when you need it. (Hebrews 4:16)

I believe the Lord is reminding His Church: You don’t have to strive to become what I have already made you in Christ. Receive My love. Let My Spirit lead you. Let My life bear fruit in you. You are not running on empty, trying to make God move. In Jesus, you have been brought near—and from that place of belonging, you can love, forgive, serve, pray, and carry His goodness into the world around you.

So let’s live today from what Jesus has already finished. Freely receive. Freely give. Keep your eyes on Him, and let His grace shape the way you live.