With a Subtitle: Jesus as the Living Word transforms hearts, and lives through both eternal and present salvation.

A brief Excerpt: Jesus is not only the Messenger of salvation but the Message itself. Christ, as the Living Word, reveals God, transforms lives, offers eternal salvation, and provides present freedom from both religious legalism and self-centered living.

The Author is: Bill Gray

This blog continues a series that explains HOW to stop the “Slippery Slope” downward from God’s TRUTHS and RULES.

To do this, you’ll PRACTICE with a Christian partner to learn HOW to:

• Defend Jesus and the Good News: explain how the Medium and the Message have massaging impacts.
• Defend why you are a Christian: explain why you are a follower of Jesus Christ.
• Explain Jesus Christ as the Way to Eternal Salvation and to Present Salvation in this life.

How is Jesus the Medium

AND the Message?

Marshall McLuhan’s 1967 book, The Medium is the Massage, was supposed to be titled, The Medium is the Message, because the Medium proclaims the Message.

McLuhan permitted his mis-titled book to be published because he realized the Medium is the Massage: the Medium massages the recipient’s entire being (brain, mind, spirit, emotions, actions, values, beliefs, perceptions, etc.).

For example, a black-and-white movie or photograph requires our brain to become more active to imagine and visualize colors, whereas a color movie or photograph requires less brain activity because we see the actual colors.

These different kinds of Medium have different massaging impacts.

Here is an example: I spent a day (from opening to closing) visiting every exhibit in The Holocaust Museum in Washington DC. My mind could not stop “visualizing” the black-and-white movies and photos and records that documented Nazi atrocities against the Jews in the extermination camps.

My mind kept trying to colorize those black-and-white images.

To stop this, I returned to the Museum and spent another entire day hoping to trick my mind into thinking seen that before – to lessen the massaging impact. Even now, many years later, my mind is still impacted by that black-and-white Medium.

I share this to emphasize that Jesus Christ is the most massaging Medium with the most massaging Message in human history. Why? Because …

• Jesus (the Medium) is the “Good News” (the Message).
• This Medium-and-Message massage those who are receptive like “good soil” (Mark 4:1-20).
• Following Jesus is the Way to Truth and to more abundant Life (John 14:6).

This one-of-a-kind Medium-and-Message has had a massaging impact on countless billions of individuals everywhere on this planet, throughout the past 2,000 years. Greater impact than all other Mediums and their Messages. Such as: Muhammad, founder of Islam; Siddhartha Gautama, founder of Buddhism; Confucius; etc.

To understand this, let’s consider two kinds of Special Revelation that God provides: The Holy Bible and Jesus.

• The Holy Bible reveals the written Word of God, which Christians can meditate on. The Bible reveals His Story about us, from beginning (Genesis) to end (Revelation). Relevant Scriptures help us understand God’s Will, Purpose and Plan.

• Jesus is the Living Word, God incarnate (born as fully God and man), who walked amongst us as Emmanuel (God with us):

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning… The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:1-2;14 NIV)

Jesus reveals the invisible God as the exact representation of the Father (Hebrews 1:3).

Jesus spoke the Word of God (the Message) with unmatched authority as the Living Word (the Medium) so that this Medium-Message:

>rebuked Satan’s temptations three times (Matthew 4:1-11).

>has no equal in massaging the heart-mind-spirit-soul of recipients.

NOTE: One way to contrast opposing worldviews is to contrast their truth-claims, using the Law of Non-contradiction that states: A and Not-A cannot both be true; one is true and the other is false.

Only Biblical Theism [A] makes the truth-claims below. All other worldviews [Not-A] reject them. So do religions that prescribe performing religious practices:

• Followers of Buddhism practice performing the “eightfold path” to attain “Enlightenment” by their own efforts.
• Followers of Islam perform the “Five Pillars” such as: reciting in Arabic the Shahada (“There is no god but God” and “Muhammad is the messenger of God”); praying five times a day while facing Mecca; fasting during the month of Ramadan. Sharia Law prescribes thousands of political-religious laws for devout Muslims to perform.
• Followers of Orthodox Judaism practice the “way of the Torah” to act in law-abiding ways.

Partner Training Activity Explain the “Massaging Impact of Jesus and the Good News”

Directions: Get a Christian partner and take turns. Describe the massaging impact on YOU of Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior. Describe the massaging impact on YOU of the Good News: Jesus died for you “just as I am. Explain in plain language your understanding of God’s Will, Purpose and Plan – for you. Get feedback. Switch roles and repeat. Practice what you would explain to a non-Christian: the impact on them that Jesus and the Good News can have and God’s Will, Purpose and Plan – for that person.

More impacts of Jesus (Medium) and the Good News (Message) are indicated below.

Why do Christians follow Christ?

[Because Christ is Christianity]

Followers of Jesus Christ are called Christians because Christ is Christianity and Christianity is Christ. This is not a circular tautology.

Christianity is not a religion of prescribed religious rules to follow, but is a personal relationship with Jesus Christ because of the “Good News” about Christ, described below:

Who Christ is: 

• The Son of God the Father, whom Jesus called Abba. (John 10:34-38)
• The Son of David: the Messiah (Savior) prophesied by over 300 Old Testament Scriptures. (Acts 7)
• The Son of Man: born naturally through the Virgin Mary as fully man and supernaturally through the Holy Spirit without any human sin. (Daniel 7:13, 8:17; Luke 1:26-38; Matthew 1:18-23)
• The Way, the Truth and the Life: the only access to the Father (John 14:6-7) and the Holy Spirit. (Acts 1:8)
• Fully God, with the same nature and attributes as the Father and Holy Spirit. (Hebrews 1:1-3)
• The Messiah, Savior, Redeemer who would have died just for me—even if I had been the only lost wretch who needed to be found and freed from blindness so I could see.

Why Christ came:

• To proclaim the Kingdom of God has come, manifested in Him. (Matthew 3:1-3)
• To fulfill the Law and the Prophets [300+ prophecies in the OT]. (Matthew 5:17; Luke 24:44)
• To redeem God’s Chosen People [Hebrews/Jews; Jesus’ followers]. (Luke 1:68-69; Romans 1125-26)
• To save His followers for Eternal Salvation (John 3:16) and for Present Salvation. (Luke 4:18-19; Acts 13:39; Romans 8:2)
• To restore our “fallen” fellowship with God after Adam & Eve ate forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. (1 John 1:1-3)
• To reveal the invisible Father as His exact representation. (Hebrews 1:3)

What Christ did: 

• Always did His Father’s Will to please His Father [never self-willed]. (Matthew 26:36-46)
• Taught the written Word of God with unmatched authority. (Matthew 7:28-29)
• Rebuked Satan’s temptations by quoting the written Word of God. (Matthew 4)
• Demonstrated He is God by performing miracles, such as cured leprosy (Matthew 8:2-3), cast out demons (Matthew 8:28-32), raised the dead (John 11:17-27; Matthew 8:5-13), fed 5,000 (Mark 6:33-44), calmed the storm. (Matthew 8:23-27)
• Was crucified on the Cross as a one-time, final atonement for the past/present/future sins of all mankind. (1 Corinthians 15:3-4)
• Resurrected from the dead to conquer death and Satan. (1 Corinthians 15:13-14)
• Ascended back to heaven to send the Holy Spirit of Truth to guide Believers. (John 16:7-15; Acts 1:8)

How Christ lived: 

• Role modeled the Way to live a more abundant Life. (John 10:10)
• Served others, not to be served. (Mark 10:45; Matthew 20:28)
• Lived a life to be imitated. (1 Corinthians 4:16-17)
• Made friends with His disciples. (John 15:15)
• Prayed to Our Father in heaven to model how to pray. (Matthew 6:7-13)
• Made new disciples and gave the Great Commission to do likewise. (Matthew 28:18-20)
• Glorified the Father. (John 12:27-29)
• Praised the Father. (Luke 10:21-22)

Where Christ is: 

• Omnipresent through the Holy Spirit that He sent to indwell believers. (John 14:26-27)
• Always with each Believer. (Luke 17:20-21)
• In the midst of gathered Believers. (Matthew 18:19-20;
• In a grateful Believer’s heart when we draw near to Him. (Hebrews 10:21-23)
• Our Good Shepherd guides and protects us when we are walking through the “valley of the shadow of death.” (Psalm 23)

When to come to Christ: 

• Right now—just as I am. (2 Corinthians 6:2)
• To praise Jesus for saving a wretch like you. (Romans 7:24-25)
• To be found by the Good Shepherd and saved as a lost sheep. (John 10:7-18)
• To thank God for Divine Providence, or to request this. (Job 10:12)
• When Jesus knocks at the door, let Him enter to fellowship with you. (Revelation 3:20)
• When we lose our way and need a Good Shepherd. (Psalm 23; John 10:11-18)
• For daily bread we eat, and on the “bread of life” we meditate [Word of God]. (Joshua 1:8; Matthew 4:4)
• When we are heavy laden and need rest. (Matthew 11:28)
• When we feel alone and need hope. (Romans 15:13; 1 Peter 1:20-21)
• When we need the Peace of God from the Prince of Peace. (John 14:27; John 16:33)
• When we need to repent and ask for God’s forgiveness. (Luke 5:32; Matthew 4:17)
• When we are captive to sin and need to be set free indeed. (John 8:32, 36)
• When we come to Holy Communion in remembrance of His atoning death for us. (Luke 22:19)
• When we want access to the Father, for Jesus is the Way to Abba. (John 14:6)

Partner Training Activity Explain “Following Christ is Christianity”

Directions: Get a Christian partner and practice as though explaining to a non-Christian. For the first category (Who Christ is):One person reads each Statement above.The other person looks up the associated Scripture and reads it. Explain to each other which Statements and Scriptures most impact you so that you choose to follow Jesus.Repeat 1,2,3 for each of the next categories (Why; What; How; Where; When).Practice until verbally competent and confident.

How does Faith in Jesus save Christians for Eternal Salvation?

Christians follow Jesus as the only Way to gain Eternal Salvation after death, in Heaven with God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit). This is summarized in these Scriptures:

Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life. No one can go to the Father except by Me” (John 14:6 NLV).

Jesus also said, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16 NASB).

The apostle Paul said: “If you declare with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Roman 8:9 NIV).

Paul affirms what many knew: “That Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3-4 NASB).

When Martin Luther read The Holy Bible, he identified Five Solas that are significantly different from doctrines and practices of the Roman Catholic Church he had learned:

Luther used these Bible-based Solas to “protest” against the Roman Catholic Church, hoping the Church would embrace them. But the Church refused.

So, the Protestant Reformation began with the Five Solas being foundational in the Protestant churches that arose.

How does Jesus and the Holy Spirit

Provide present salvation here?

Many Christians don’t know how Jesus provides Present Salvation during this earthly life, by setting believers free from worldly enslavement, with guidance from the Holy Spirit of Truth.

Two main types of freedom are depicted in the schematic: Freedom from practicing Religious Legalism (keeping man-made church rules) AND freedom from self-centered Hedonist License (doing-your-own-thing).

Many non-Christians mistakenly think they are “not good enough” to come to Jesus “just as I am” because of enslavement to worldly “things” like those listed below.

No one can ever be or behave “good enough”!

This is why Jesus and the Holy Spirit free you from entrapment in either ditch, so that you can experience Present Salvation during this life while following Jesus.

Jesus provides Freedom from Self-centered License [Do-your-own-thing]

Jesus sets Followers free from:

• Trying to “do-your-own-thing” so happiness happens …
• Seeking unattainable self-fulfillment.
• Worshiping false “gods” that don’t deliver what they promise.
• Believing Humanism or the New Age Movement or Post-modernism can fulfill self-centered promises.
• Trying to improve self-image to please others.
• Selfishly looking out for Me, Myself and I.
• Pursuing worldly/ungodly causes to gain personal meaning.
• Doing evil without an Absolute Standard of Right & Wrong

Jesus provides Freedom from Religious Legalism [Obey religious rules to please God]

Jesus sets Followers free from:

• Unforgiveness—not forgiving others as Jesus forgave us: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
• Trying to obey religious rules, teachings, rituals, and doctrines.
• Feeling guilty when you disobey church rules.
• Feeling self-righteous when you obey church rules.
• Performing religious practices (praying, tithing, etc.) as a duty.
• Trusting self-sufficiency instead of God’s providence and faithfulness [I call these God Nods, based on Romans 8:28].
• Doing good deeds, works, and acts to merit salvation.
• Being self-willed and ignoring God’s will.

Partner Training Activity: Explain “How Jesus Provides Present Salvation”

Directions: With a Christian partner, practice explaining like you would to a non-Christian. Explain how Jesus set you free indeed (forever). From what? How was the Holy Spirit involved? Switch roles, and repeat. Keep practicing until you become confident and competent.

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