Menkato V Awomi
Dimapur, Nagaland
The Gospel of Jesus Christ never promised an easy life, nor did it demand a perfect life from us. What it proclaimed is good news, that our sins are forgiven, that God has opened the way back to Himself through Jesus Christ, and that through His Word we are promised a transformed life.
At the very heart of the Gospel is one central focus: Jesus and Jesus alone. Whether it concerns salvation or the daily journey of transformation, everything points to Him. The Father Himself testifies of the Son, the Holy Spirit glorifies the Son, and heaven itself opens at the name of Jesus.
Salvation: All Jesus, Not Us
When it comes to salvation, there is not a single event that focuses on mankind. Salvation is never based on our efforts, works, or morality; it is fully and completely based on the finished work of Christ.
Jesus Himself declared in John 15:5, “Apart from Me you can do nothing.” This statement covers both salvation and life after salvation. God did not save us so we could then rely on our own strength. No, salvation begins with Jesus, continues with Jesus, and will end with Jesus.
Sadly, throughout the ages and even now churches and people have attempted to bypass Him, trying to earn eternal life by good works, moral reform, or religious duties. But the Bible is clear: “In Him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind” (John 1:4). Life—eternal life—does not exist apart from Christ. John 10:9 reaffirms this when Jesus says, “I am the Gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.”
Eternal life is not merely quitting alcohol, drugs, immorality, or any other sinful habits. Eternal life is finding Jesus. Transformation comes after salvation, not before and it flows from His Spirit within us, not from self-effort.
Creation: All Through Jesus
Even creation itself was not without Christ. John 1:2–3 says, “He was with God in the beginning. Through Him all things were made; without Him nothing was made that has been made.” Everything that exists came through Him, and everything that God continues to do is through Him. The focus of heaven has always been, and always will be, Jesus.
Genesis 2:7 also ties into this truth. When God breathed life into Adam, it was His very zoe, the God-kind of life. John reminds us that this same zoe life is found in Christ. Apart from Him, there is no life, no light, and no transformation.
Transformation: Still Jesus
Salvation is not the end but the beginning. In John 10:9, Jesus not only promises salvation (“whoever enters through me will be saved”), but also transformation and abundance(“they will come in and go out and find pasture”).
This means salvation gives us eternal life, but life in Christ also leads us into a daily walk of holiness, purity, and righteousness. John 10:10 goes further: “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it more abundantly.”
That abundant life includes peace, prosperity, faith, and everything needed to live godly. Yet again, this is not by our power. The Holy Spirit helps us live the life that pleases God not by our sin nature, but by the life of Christ within us.
Ephesians 2:10 makes this clear: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Notice, our good works are not outside of Christ but in Christ Jesus. Even the works we do for God are only possible because we are in Him.
Jesus: The Beginning and the End
From creation to salvation to transformation, the testimony is one and the same: It is all about Jesus. He Himself declared, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die” (John 11:25–26).
If anyone desires eternal life, or seeks to live a transformed life, it must always begin with Jesus, continue with Jesus, and end with Jesus. There is no substitute, no shortcut, and no alternative.
Salvation is found only by believing that Jesus is the Son of God, who died for our sins, rose again, and now lives forevermore. Transformation follows by focusing on Him daily, trusting His Spirit to guide us, empower us, and lead us from glory to glory.
The Gospel is not about us working for God; it is about God working in us through Christ. And that is why the focus will forever be: Jesus and Jesus alone.
Today if you desire to receive Eternal life and a transformed life, the only way is to put your faith in Jesus, as Bible declares
"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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved" Romans 10:9-10.
Apart from Jesus you can do nothing!!!
