As purposely created by God, man as
flesh is weak and prone to commit sin.
Thus, man on his own capability cannot save
himself from the second death or attain salvation without God's mercy.
It
is only through God's mercy that man can overcome
his inherent or natural weakness.
16F.1
How then, can man become
holy and blameless according to God's mercy, so he can serve
God?
In Ephesians
1:4-5, God's purpose and plan for man's
creation, is clearly written:
just as he chose us in Christ {Gk [in
him]} before the foundation of the world
to be holy and blameless before him in
love. He destined us for adoption as his
children through Jesus Christ, according
to the good pleasure of his will, (NRSV)
The merciful God
destined man for adoption as his children
through Jesus Christ , according to the good
pleasure of His will.
16F.2
But, How can man become holy or sanctified—freed from sin—as children of God through Jesus
Christ?
In I John
4:9-10, this is written:
This is how God showed His love to us:
God sent His only Son into the world
that we may live through him. Real
love (God's love for us, not our love
for God) is this: God sent His Son to
be the way that God takes away our sins.
(IEB)
God sent
His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, to be the way that God takes away
man's sins.
This is God's way of making man
holy and blameless in His sight, so he can
serve God on the basis of love.
The inspired teaching of Apostles gives us a very clear insight into the very gracious purpose of
God regarding humanity.
"THE ALMIGHTY WANTS ALL MEN TO REALIZE THAT HE IS
A MERCIFUL GOD."
That is why when God's design was
unfolded to him. Paul said:
Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!
(Romans 11:33 NASV)
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God purposely made all people prisoners of disobedience
so that He can show His mercy to them all (Romans 11:32). Hence, even if man is prone to and are
bound to commit sin on account of his natural weakness, he is not at all
hopelessly consigned to destruction because of God's mercy. God
chose and destined man to be adopted as His sons
through Jesus Christ
according to the
good pleasure of His will
(Ephesians
1:4-5). Then, God sent
His Son Jesus Christ to be the way that God takes away
man's sins, so
that man may live through him.
(I John 4:9-10).
This is God's way of making the sinful man holy
and blameless in His sight, so man may serve God
on the basis of love and consequently attain
salvation and eternal life on the day of Judgment.