“But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.” (Matt. 9:12)
The Lord Jesus Christ, as those who have been blessed with Spiritual discernment concerning His Word, understand that He used many analogies as well as parables. He was not only speaking of the flesh here, our bodies, our mind and emotional state, but of our soul, the need for salvation, of being saved from our sins and thereby the wrath of God. You can no more think or will your sins away than you can heal a broken bone by just concentrating on that desire to be healed.
The Scriptures, from beginning to end are full of the truths that no work that we perform will be accepted as worthy enough to negate the sin that we were all born with, you can do nothing of yourself to show yourself righteous in the eyes of the Lord. The offering of sacrifices in the Old Testament did not remove sins, the blood covered them, the people were not made righteous because they obeyed the commandments. That consensus is what caused them to be set aside for almost two thousand years now, but that amount of time has taught mankind very little, most still believe they can be good enough, live a life pleasing to the Lord and be accepted into His Kingdom when they die.
“Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
Jesus Christ has always been the way, there has never been another door to the Father. “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3) All who have been saved by the grace of God are Spiritual children of Abraham, of that faith that caused the Almighty to call him His friend. The wide path is the one that the majority of mankind has chosen though, from Cain believing that the offering he brought would be accepted, to the religious organizations who have for centuries placed their own ideologies of works above the Word of God, to the common man on the street, pride has always said, “I will.”
Whosoever will has always been the words of the Lord, but it must be on His terms, there can be no other way.
“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.” (Isaiah 64:6) I know of not one religious organization past or present, that does not teach works towards salvation, it is the only alternative to saved by grace through faith, there is no other opposite to grace than works.
“And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.” (Romans 14:23)
That verse and countless others, Old and New Testament prove that no work we do will be accepted, only the Lord Jesus Christ could offer the perfect sacrifice, all we need to do is believe what the Word of God says about His Son and we will be saved. Simple and straight to the point, and yet few there are that find that straight gate. Why? Because of pride, there are many who believe He died on that cross and rose again on the third day, but few that will say that was all that was necessary, that will accept the truth of Romans 10:9, “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.”
To them there must be something else, we have to do something, we have to do a work of some kind, we must become part of His sacrifice in some way, shape or form, all those that believe in this way will die in their sins. “Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” (Matt. 7:22)
I wish there was some way I could help people to understand these truths, but that is not up to me, it is the Holy Spirit that convicts people, I can do no more than offer the message and contend for the faith when called to. I hope and pray that you understand.
