A Little Doctrine for my Kids Continued

How does God offer and give us His grace?

Even though Jesus Christ fulfilled all righteousness for us, suffered and died for the sins of all mankind and rose again in triumph, His atonement would have little effect on us individually if God did not reach out to us and communicate and share with us the good news that our sins are paid for in full and pardoned and that through faith in Jesus we receive that forgiveness, are accepted as children of God and have a place in His everlasting kingdom.

The Bible teaches that God offers, gives and assures to people the forgiveness of sins and eternal salvation which Christ won for all by His innocent sufferings and death on the cross through certain means: namely, through His word of the Gospel, Christian Baptism and the Lord's Supper. It is through these means that God the Holy Spirit graciously makes known to us God's gift of salvation in Jesus Christ and assures us that, for Christ's sake, we are forgiven of all sins and have everlasting life in heaven.

That is why Jesus commanded His disciples to go into all the world and "preach the gospel to every creature" (Mark 16:15); to "teach (disciple) all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you" (Matt. 28:19-20); that "repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations" (Luke 24:47); and to observe His Supper and so proclaim His death and remember Him and the sacrifice He made to redeem us from our sins (1 Cor. 11:23ff.).

The Bible says: "From a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus" (2 Tim. 3:15); "So then faith [cometh] by hearing, and hearing by the word of God" (Rom. 10:17); "But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; that being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life" (Titus 3:4-7); "Arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord" (Acts 22:16); "And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed [it], and brake [it], and gave [it] to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave [it] to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; for this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt. 26:26-28); and "He which hath begun a good work in you will perform [it] until the day of Jesus Christ" (Phil. 1:6).

Editorial on 10/22/2014