Our Substitute!

For Friday, March 5, 2021

Ephesians 1:7 TLB: “So overflowing is God's kindness toward us that he took away all our sins through the blood of his Son, by whom we are saved!”

This scripture describes “Substitutionary Atonement.” The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, so we sure don't want to pay any sin penalty ourselves. We need a substitute! The Bible also says that God's desire is that none would perish, so finding a substitute to pay the price for our sin is right in line with God's plan.

That's why God's own Son, Jesus-the-Messiah, stepped up as our substitute. He took the sin of the world to the place of the dead, and clothed believers in garments of white, suitable for spending eternity in heaven, in the presence of the Father, and therein lies our hope!

To “redeem” us is to pay the ransom on our souls. Jesus paid the price for our freedom – there is no other redeemer!

Blessings and safety to all today!

Pastor Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship, 3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Hope!

Monday Message – August 3, 2020.

1 John 5:11-12 NKJV: “This is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

The life John is talking about is eternal life, our forever life in heaven in the presence of God. It’s our hope for the future! No matter how good or bad this life seems, it’s trivial compared to the next reality! Therefore believers are never without hope! Jesus is our substitute, paying the price for our sin. So when it’s time to move to the next reality, Jesus will be there to welcome us with open arms! Jesus has given us something no other religion has: Assurance of Salvation! I believe it was God’s rescue-plan for us all along!

These verses are special to me. I had been raised in a church family, but during a Bible study at college, I was challenged to make my own decision for Jesus – not my family’s choice, but my own choice. I was shown these verses with the words, “I doesn’t get any clearer than this!”

It’s a simple choice – Jesus or not. It’s up to each one of us cement our own relationship with our Savior. Once that’s done, we have a lot to look forward to – we have never-ending hope!

Blessings as we begin this new week!

Pastor Norton

Jesus in the City Fellowship

3249 30th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406

Jesus Changed Everything!

March 25, 2019 Monday Message

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” Matt. 11:28

Before Jesus, believers were told to keep their distance from God. Moses was told by God-in-the-burning bush, “Do not come any closer.  And take your sandals off your feet – this is Holy ground.” Only authorized Priests could do certain things at the Temple, and only the Highest Priest could enter the Holy of Holies, only once a year, attempting to atone for the sins of all the people.

Jesus changed everything! Instead of advising people to keep their distance, Jesus said, “Come to me!” Jesus is the dividing line on this earth, between God separating himself from sinful mankind, and Jesus welcoming us home with open arms.

For all the good things Jesus did when he walked with us on earth, I believe his PRIMARY mission was the rescue of mankind. Jesus took the sins of the world upon himself, and he was the atonement for everything wrong in the world. That’s why Christians don’t have to do stuff to earn their way into eternity. The work was finished on the cross by Jesus. That’s why we say Christianity isn’t a “have to DO religion”; it’s an “already DONE religion!”

There’s nothing Jesus would rather do than to make our lives better – both our life here on earth, and our life in the next reality.

“Then the savior came, and He took the blame – changed everything!” from “Love Came Down,” Lenny LeBlanc & Lindell Cooley

Norton Lawellin

Let’s worship together! Jesus in the City Fellowship meets next Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 10:30AM, 3249 30^th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55406. This week, Jesus meets Zacchaeus – find out the whole story! See you at church!

Jesus Pays the Price

March 10, 2014 Monday Message:

“God put the wrong on him who never did anything wrong, so we could be put right with God.” 2 Cor. 5:21b MSG

Remember when you were in school? If the teacher was sick, they called in a substitute.

When God saw that mankind was sick with sin, he called in a substitute, his son Jesus.

The price for redemption from our sin is eternal separation from God. But instead, God – who loves us – decided to pay the debt himself, so that we could have eternal life - with Him - in heaven.

Christian theologians call this, “The Great Exchange,” and it happened on the cross. Jesus took the sin of the world upon himself, and suddenly the followers of Jesus were clothed in garments of white, pure and innocent. The Bible says that not only is our sin forgiven, but that there will be no record of it.

“The Great Exchange” and “Substitutionary Atonement” are close cousins, and we’ll spend more time with these concepts as we approach Easter/Resurrection Sunday.

Norton Lawellin

Jesus in the City Fellowship (JICF) meets every Sunday, at 10:30am, in the North end (gym) of the Oliver Ministry Building, 2647 Bloomington Ave., Minneapolis. This week Pastor Michael Pilla teaches Jesus’ position on resurrection and heaven. Don’t miss it!