Have you ever asked yourself why the Lord Jesus Christ came into the world? Have you ever "searched the Scriptures" to find out why?

 The majority of religious leaders and their followers erroneously seem to think that Christ lived on earth to teach us by His words and His example how we should live. But let's think this through.

Our Lord did indeed demonstrate how men should live with each other and before God. But what were the results? Did the people say: "How wonderful! Now we know how to live together and enjoy life! Let's follow His teachings and the world will be a happier place to live in!" Is this what they said? Far from it! As the record indicates, they hated Him, they ridiculed Him, they heckled Him and finally nailed Him to a cross.

As to His example, have you ever seen how a jeweler will put a diamond on a piece of black felt to show it to a prospective customer? The diamond is seen most clearly in all its brilliance against a dark, black background — and vice versa. The fact is that no man has ever really followed Christ's example — because men can't, since all men are born and live in the darkness of their corrupted minds that are "blinded by the false god of this world."

Just as the jeweler uses black felt to reveal the diamond, the pure white 'light' of Christ's holiness shows up the dark, black character of the human heart, and by contrast, every man stands rebuked and condemned. Jesus' example was NOT for us to try to imitate Him... but to expose our need of a Savior, and our need of His righteous life to live in us and through us.

"For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world (world's humanity)  through him might be saved." (John 3:17)

The whole volume of Scripture bears witness to the Apostle Paul's answer in I Tim. 1:15: "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners."

Consider the many Old Testament 'types' and 'prophecies.' Consider its Psalms. Consider also the words of Jesus Himself and you will see that He came, NOT to live, primarily, but To Die — to die "for our sins" (1 Cor. 15:3). He died to pay our penalty, to reconcile us to God, that we might be justified — 'cleared of all the charges' that the Law held against us.

These same Scriptures also declare that He, the Prince of Peace, rose from the dead and will come again as King of kings and Lord of lords.

But meantime, we today may trust in the rejected Savior and enjoy "peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ" (Rom. 5:1). 

In that moment that we 'trust in Christ alone' as our Savior, we also receive 'His eternal life' that that Paul refers to as "the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus." Then Christ is alive within us to be... our new and eternal life.

"And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. 12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life." (1 John 5:11-12)