“Jesus Purchased your ticket” Author and Writer, Ronald Nelson

BIBLE MEDITATION: 

“In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, Ephesians 1:7 

ENCOURAGING WORD: 

A couple of days ago while I was listening to, who I hold up as one of the best Bible teachers of today shared a true story that really opened my heart to some deeper understanding of the crucifixion and what it meant to us. This pastor said a while back that he had a ticket to a high profile championship game of some sort, I’m not sure what game it was, but none the less, it  was a very big game. Well, the pastor felt he did not want to go to the game, so he gave his ticket to someone else to enjoy, and he didn’t make him pay for it. The recipient of this action did nothing to deserve that ticket, but none the less, he accepted it. If he would have passed on this generous gift, he would not have been able to attend the game.

Now, this is exactly how we should view the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Jesus went to the cross to purchase our ticket to heaven with His blood. He is offering this ticket to anyone who will accept it. If you accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and become born again into the Holy Spirit, and say yes to Jesus Christ and His gift of grace, you will enter into heaven after death, providing your comittment to Jesus Christ was sincere. If you refuse this gift, you will be cast into the "Lake of Burning Fire" for all eternity. This is your choice and it is not a choice that God wants you to make. It should be evident that He would want no one to go to "The Lake of Burning Fire" because of the pain and agony that He had to suffer to free our souls. I care about mankind, but I’m sorry, there is no way that I would suffer like that to save any bodies soul.

2 Peter 3:9; “The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Key Details for 2 Peter 3:3-9

Context: 2 Peter 3:3-9 explains why Christ's return seems delayed, highlighting God's patience. There are those that are wondering why Jesus is taking so long to return. 

2 Peter 3:3-8; “ Knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His (Jesus) coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.” For this they willfully forget that by the Word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same Word, are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

This is exactly what is happening and it is causing people to leave their faith which is known as the apostasy which has also been prophesied to take place in the end days. It’s all coming together just as Jesus said it would.

Also, you need to understand this, when the verse above says, "are reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men." This is referring to the day Jesus brings judgement to an unbleiving world. The first time God judged the world was with a world wide flood. Then He showed in the sky a rainbow that was a sign that He would never judge the world with a flood again. Therefore, the next judgement which is on the near horizon will be with fire.

Key Message: God desires for everyone to repent rather than face destruction. God is allowing time for all those that are eventually going to repent to do so. When the last person receives Jesus and becomes born again, the Father will say to Jesus, Go get “em”. The believers in Christ will be taken up and and the door to grace will be closed forever. For example, if Jesus would have come back in the 70’s when a lot of people thought He might, I would not have been saved. I thank God that He waited for me. But see, God knew that I would eventually receive Him because of His foreknowledge of all things. There are those that He is still waiting for, and He won’t come back until that last one repents and turns to Him. It could be today; it could be tomorrow, nobody knows. Now, if you haven’t received Jesus Christ yet, hurry up, I want to go home. We are all waiting for you.

"Not slack" in verse 2 Peter 3:9; Means, God is not slow or failing to keep His promise, but is patient. This verse is often used to demonstrate God's mercy and desire for universal salvation.

See, God does not want to see anybody go to hell, but because of His Holiness, He cannot allow sinful man to enter into heaven, therefore, sin has to be paid for. You can’t pay for your sins, I can’t pay for my sins, because we ourselves, are sinful beings. Sin can only be paid for by someone who is without sin. There was only one person that walked this earth that qualifies and it is not Mary for those of you that make her out to be deity. Jesus is the only deity that can rightfully pay for our sins. The only way for sinful man to be reconciled back to God is by God Himself coming to earth in the personage of Jesus Christ and suffering an imaginable painful death. The Bible says that He was so beaten that He was hardly recognizable as a human. 

Isaiah 52:14; Just as many were astonished at you, “So His visage (Face) was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men;  

Imagine that, the God who created the whole universe and everything in it, loves us so much that He willfully took on the sins of all those that would accept His free gift of Grace and nailed them to the cross. Grace has to be received for us to have the benefit of this gift. It is a free gift, just like the man who was given free tickets to a ball game of some sort. Without that free gift, he would not have been permitted to enter the game. With out the free gift of Grace, you will not be able to enter heaven.  

From the beginning when God created Adam and Eve, they were sinless and perfect in every way. They would have lived in paradise forever. Then entered Satan. However, there is extremely good news. God is going to once again bring about the same kingdom that Adam and Eve were created for. That kingdom is coming at the end of the seven year tribulation when Jesus physically comes back to earth just as He said He would. Those that died accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and those that will be alive at that time that also received Jesus Christ will populate the millennial kingdom. This truth is not supported by the denominational churches. What a shame it is that these church leaders do not teach the truth of Jesus Christ’s return to rule and reign for one thousand years from the throne of David. The Bible teaches this with 100% certainty to comfort believers with this promise. It is a sin of omission for church leaders not to share thsi good news, especially in these days in which we live.

The primary Bible account of the serpent (interpreted as Satan) in the Garden of Eden is Genesis 3:1-15, where he tempts Eve to eat the forbidden fruit. While Genesis calls him a "serpent," Revelation 12:9 and Revelation 20:2 explicitly identify this figure as "the devil, or Satan". 

Key Verses:

Genesis 3:1: "Now the serpent (Satan) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He (Satan) said to the woman, (Eve) 'Did God really say, "You must not eat from any tree in the garden"?’  Satan challenged God's word and suggested that Adam and Eve would become like God, knowing good and evil if they ate from the tree of knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 3:14-15: God curses the serpent, saying, "On your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat... I (God)will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman…(Israel) he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." 

The punishment that the serpent would crawl on its belly implies a change in its form or status from that point forward,

This passage from Genesis 3:15, known as the "first gospel," is a prophecy of the ultimate battle between Jesus and Satan. It predicts that while Satan (the serpent) would cause temporary suffering to Jesus (the "heel"), Jesus would achieve a fatal, final victory over Satan ("head") destruction.

Revelation 12:9: "The great dragon was hurled down, that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray." 

2 Corinthians 11:3: "But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ....as the serpent deceived Eve by his cunning" 

Genesis 3:15; is considered the first prophecy of the Messiah (the Seed) who would eventually destroy Satan (the serpent), even though Satan would strike him. (“he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.") God's final curse or oracle to the serpent was that the offspring of the woman (Offspring of Adam and Eve) will crush, or bruise, Satan's head, and Satan would strike or bruise his (Jesus’s) heel. Many Bible scholars see this as a reference to Christ, the Son of God, and also the ultimate member of Eve's offspring. Satan would damage Christ, but He would have the ultimate victory on behalf of humanity. Those in Christ will celebrate the victory with Him for eternity.

"Jesus paid it all" is a central biblical theme, declaring that Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross completely paid the debt for human sin, requiring no additional works for salvation. This concept means Jesus' death fully satisfied divine justice, freeing believers from the penalty of sin.

Key Biblical Foundations

"It is Finished" John 19:30; “So when Jesus had received the sour wine, He said, “It is finished!” And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit.” Jesus’ final words on the cross, tetelestai in Greek, translate to "paid in full". Here is something to ponder. If you pay off the mortgage to your home, you could say, “Paid in Full.” What would that mean to you? It would mean there is nothing else that you had to do to own that home. In the same way, when Jesus said, “Paid in Full” He meant all those that would receive His gift of grace would have their sins paid for from the past, now in the present and yet in the future. Nothing more that we can do. Of course, it you truly become born again and truly love Jesus, then you will automatically do good works. Not to earn salvation but to prove that you are saved.

Colossians 2:13-14; States that God forgave all sins by canceling the debt, "nailing it to the cross". “And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He (Jesus) has made alive together with Him, (Jesus) having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He (Jesus) has taken it out of the way, having nailed it (Our Sins) to the cross.”

In terms that we can understand, we can liken it to someone who owes you a lot of money, and one day you say to that person, your debt has been forgiven, you are debt free. Of course, this person would have to accept that gift, if he elected to refuse this gift, he would still owe the money he was indebted to. He was still held accountable for the debt he owed. In the same way, Jesus paid our debt that we owed by nailing it to the cross. If you receive this payment for your sins by receiving Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and becoming born again into the Holy Spirit, you would then be debt free. If you refuse this gift and die in your sins, you will not enter the Kingdom of heaven, you will perish in the "Lake of Burning Fire" for all eternity. What confuses me is, why would anybody refuse this gift?

Isaiah 53:5-6; Prophesied that the Messiah would be wounded for transgressions, bearing the punishment that brings peace. “But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Hebrews 10:14; Declares that by "a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified". "For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified". This verse highlights the finality of Jesus Christ’s sacrifice, which provides complete, eternal justification for believers, while simultaneously acknowledging the ongoing, progressive process of sanctification in their lives.” 

Key Details:

The One Offering: Refers to the single, all-sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ's body. "Christ died once for all" is a foundational Christian doctrine meaning Jesus' sacrifice on the cross was a single, perfect, and unrepeatable act sufficient to atone for the sins of all humanity for all time. As emphasized in Hebrews, this replaces the need for repeated Old Testament sacrifices, but yet, the catholic faith crucifies Jesus every time they serve the eucharist. They say that they turn the bread into the body of Jesus Christ, which is blasphemy. Then they break it, performing the crucifixion of Jesus Christ over and over again.

Romans 6:10; “For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God.” Can it be made any clearer? 

Perfected Forever: Believers are completely justified and made acceptable to God eternally, making repeated sacrifices unnecessary. This verse highlights that unlike the Old Testament sacrifices, which were repeated over and over again, Christ's work is finished, covering all sins completely. No need for any more sacrifices. Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb of God that paid for the sins of the world.

Being Sanctified: While legally perfected, believers are continuously being set apart and transformed into His likeness, which is the sanctification process. First we are justified, which means we are completely free from the sins that we committed in the past, and the sins  that we will commit going forward. Sanctification means we continue to live in the grace of God from that point going forward. The final phase of this process is called glorification. This is when we are raised up to meet the Lord in the air where we will receive our glorified bodies. Personally, I can’t wait, this earthly body of mine is wearing our fast. Oh, and by the way, you will not hear this truth in any of the denominational churches.

Meaning and Impact

Total Payment: Jesus did not pay just part of the penalty; He paid for all sins (past, present, and future), redeeming people from the curse of the law. Know this, if you have one sin accounted to you the day that you die, you will not enter into heaven. There are some beliefs that once you are forgiven for your sins of the past, you are still held accountable to the sins of your future. How ridiculous is that, Every one of us sins every day, some a lot more than others, but none the less, we all sin. Once we are born again, we are cleansed from of all our sins. We can only become born again once. If we believe that our future sins are not forgiven, then we would have to be born again every day to be forgiven. 

Reconciliation: His sacrifice bridges the gap between a holy God and humanity.

Grace vs. Works: Salvation is a gift of grace received through faith, not earned by human effort. Grace is defined as God's unmerited, unearned, and undeserved favor, freely given through Jesus Christ rather than through human effort, as highlighted in;  Ephesians 2:8; states: "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God". This verse emphasizes that salvation is a free gift from God received through faith, not earned by human effort, ensuring no one can boast. It is God's empowering presence, enabling individuals to receive salvation, righteousness, and divine blessings, regardless of their own merits.

I’ll put it in a way that should make sense to those that don’t understand. We hear the saying, putting the carriage before the horse, which obviously doesn't work. Well, if you put works before grace, grace is then nullified. You can’t be saved by grace and works; one cancels out the other. If you choose works as your way of salvation, then you will never be saved. Can you believe the earth is round and then turn around and say it is flat. One cancels out the other. You either believe one way or the other. So is grace verses works, you have to believe one or the other. You can’t have it both ways.

Freedom from Guilt: Believers are freed from the fear of judgment and condemnation. There are many Bible verses about fear and faith being opposites also. If you truly believe in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, death should not be something to fear. Of course, circumstances of life can create fear, because it is a natural response to feel fear at times of uncertainty. But if you truly trust Jesus Christ, you should never fear death. On the other hand, how we die is something we might fear, but death in and of itself should not be feared. Here are a couple of verses to validate what I just said.

Matthew 10:28; “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.” Matthew 10:28 instructs followers to not fear those who can only kill the body (persecutors), but to fear God, who has authority over both body and soul in eternity. It encourages courage during persecution, highlighting that earthly threats are temporary while God holds ultimate authority, urging trust in His protection. 

Matthew 10:29-31; “Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” 

Matthew 10:29-31 comforts believers during persecution or fear by highlighting God’s intimate, sovereign care. Jesus explains that if God cares for inexpensive sparrows—noting every one that falls—He deeply cares for people, even numbering the hairs on their heads, affirming their immense value and encouraging them to not fear.

John 14:27; “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” Luke 14:27 states, "And whoever does not carry their cross and follow me cannot be my disciple" 

John 14:27 is a Bible verse where Jesus promises his disciples a unique, divine peace as a parting gift, distinguishing it from superficial worldly peace. He encourages them not to be afraid or troubled by his upcoming departure. This "perfect peace" provides inner calm and strength for challenges, focusing on spiritual security rather than external circumstances. 

John 14:1; “Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me.” John 14:1 is a Bible verse where Jesus comforts his disciples, saying, "Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me". It marks the beginning of the Upper Room Discourse, urging followers to trust in him during anxiety, setting the foundation for faith in Jesus as divine

Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, Hebrews 13:5-6; “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 

Now that I think I made it very clear Gods plan of salvation, there really is no excuse of ignorance, If you do not believe, it is your choice and you will experience the consequences, and they won’t be very favorable.

So, it boils down to this, do you believe in religious doctrine that you are accustomed too, or do you believe the Bible, the true and inherent Word of God. They are very contrary in many ways.

Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.