God’s Two Options

As YHVH, God Most High created man and woman, He realized at the outset that we would all sin and earn the death penalty for breaking his laws and his Way of life.  Yahweh is God and is love personified.  That’s what and who He is: love. But the living God also is a fair and just God. The penalty for sin is death by execution, called the “second death”, not the natural death we are all subject to (Revelation 2:11; 20:6, 14).  Sin incurs the wrath of God’s sense of righteousness and justice.  So in God’s heart of hearts, there was this balance that had to be achieved: the justice of God and the love and compassion of the Almighty.

God had a choice.

Option 1: He could spare all of us by sending his eternal companion the WORD, who became the Son of God, to live perfectly and then die for us.  As Creator of all things, his one life is worth more than all of humanity combined.  God the Father loved the Word profoundly. The Word became flesh and began to commonly be known as Jesus – or the Hebrew name I use, Yeshua.  
       

John 1:1-3

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through Him [the WORD], and without Him nothing was made that was made.

John 1:10-14

He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. 11 He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him. 12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: 13 who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

 “Yeshua” was not an uncommon name.  But what is important is that his name means “Savior”.   Yeshua – the Word of YHVH and YHVH Most High were and are so united in thought and will -- that they act and live as one (John 10:30; John 17:22).  So because God loves all of us – you, me – so profoundly, God could put all our sins on his perfect Son to have his Son be savagely executed for all of us, for all of our sins. This paid the penalty of our sins and the wrath those sins incurred. His sacrifice satisfied the penalty and the wrath (Romans 5:5-10).  

            Lord and Master, how great thou art. Indeed.

That was option 1. 

Click on Continue reading to the right to read Option 2 and what and how God made his decision.

Option 2:  God could have also decided it wasn’t “fair” to ask the Word to become flesh and suffer and die for all of us, since the Word had never done anything wrong.  So Option 2 could be to spare the Word because of His deep and profound love for him – and let all of us die for our own sins. 

In their discussions millennia ago, God Most High and Yeshua both felt they wanted the Word to take on our sins, fair or not.  John 3:16 says GOD so loved the world …that he gave and sent his only son to die for us so the penalty and the wrath from sin could be accounted for.  Yeshua did not come the first time to condemn the world but that the world through him might be saved.

So Father made the initial decision, and yet Yeshua later said HE was given the choice to lay down his life, or not lay down his life.  He was not forced to be crucified for us. He chose to be crucified for us! So not only did God the Father so love the world that he gave his only begotten son for us – but Yeshua also so profoundly loved the world and you – that he voluntarily laid his life down for you and me and for all who will accept him as Messiah and Savior.

John 10:15, 17-18

As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.

17 "Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again.  18 No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

(You might benefit from the recent sermon “Crucified with Christ”). 

In their discussions, apparently the first option –painful as it was -- seemed so much better. Study Isaiah 53:7-12 slowly and carefully. You’ll see it pleased God to use the first option because in the end Yeshua would be resurrected after he had “tasted death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9).  And… billions and billions of people could eventually be saved as a result. 

So God in the Highest could choose Option 1 to let the Word come as a human and let him be savagely beaten and killed for us, sparing us the death penalty. Or he could choose Option 2, to spare his own deeply loved son and let all of us pay our own penalty.

God the Father chose option 1.  Aren’t you glad he did? 

Never ever again doubt God’s love for you and for every man and woman who’ve ever lived. 

BUT – folks – very important:  Option 2 is still on the table.  If anyone thinks they can skip repentance and accepting Yeshua as their very own personal Savior and Master, they’d better think again.  Anyone who does not ultimately accept Yeshua in deep repentance, reverence and respect is not therefore coming under his blood.  And without the blood of Yeshua, we are still guilty of our own sins and crimes.  And without acknowledging Yeshua, you will die for your sins and in your sins. 

We enter into the new life through the name of Yeshua (Jesus) alone. No other. HE is the blood spattered Door through which we enter into eternal life as the gift of our loving God.

Yeshua himself said so as he taught Nicodemus about the new birth and new life in Yeshua.

John 3:14-19

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. 

16 For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  17 For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

18 "He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
Mark 16:15-16

And He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.  16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 

1 John 5:11-13

11 And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.

So not only does God have the two options, but WE have the two options. 

NOW, this is a blog, not a whole sermon.  God is calling people at at different times and stages and EVERYONE will have their minds opened to see this truth, and will be given the opportunity to accept Him or not.  Those times of understanding are revealed by the very holydays that so many feel were just Jewish days. No, they are the “feasts of the LORD” (Lev 23:1-3) and they reveal the timing of when each one who has ever lived will be able to choose Option 1 or Option 2. 

I look forward to the vast majority of humanity coming to Yeshua, the coming King of Kings, and declare, “MY God, how great thou art! MY Savior, MY Lord, My King, My Redeemer – I accept your blood over my life if you will please forgive me of my sins and accept me as a part of your holy body.” 

If you’re reading this now, your opportunity is right now.  Go ahead and repent, go ahead and come under the blood and have all your sins, every single one of them, buried in his blood.

How about it everyone?  I like option 1 better, so long ago I accepted Yeshua as my Savior, my King, my Master, my older brother – and yes, even as my God.

Will you accept Him also?  Will you be my brother or sister in Christ? I’d like that.  And Christ welcomes you as HIS brother and sister.  He is not ashamed of you, no matter what you’ve done or who you’ve been. Hallelujah. He has invited you to be washed, to receive of His Spirit, to be a part of His body and to live forever after the resurrection to life.

Hebrews 2:9-12

But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, for the suffering of death crowned with glory and honor, that He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11 For both He who sanctifies and those who are being sanctified are all of one, for which reason He is not ashamed to call them [that’s you and me!]  brethren, 12 saying:

"I will declare Your name to My brethren;

In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You."

Praise you Abba. Praise you Yeshua.  And praise you for your plan of salvation.  Help us all repent, overcome and change by the power of your holy spirit working in us in Christ, as we worship, obey and honor you.  Thank you for saving us. Thank you…..thank you.