The gulf has been removed!

The gulf between God and man has been closed because Jesus fulfilled all the law and commandments. However, if someone rejects Jesus, he will pay for his own sins

Summary

The writing analyzes the question of salvation through the following core points: 1. The two greatest commandments: Love for God and love for people form the foundation of all the law and the prophets. 2. Content of the law: Every person has an understanding of right and wrong written in their heart, which is evident in the fact that no one wants to be treated wrong themselves. 3. A deep gulf separates: No one is able to fulfill God's law in their own strength, but all are sinners and on their way to damnation without a mediator. 4. The gulf is removed: Jesus came under the law and fulfilled it perfectly, doing what humans are incapable of doing. 5. Receiving grace: The free salvation and pardon offered by Jesus must be received personally, for a person who rejects it will have to answer for their sins themselves.

The two greatest commandments are love for God and love for people

When the two most important relationships and commandments are highlighted, they are love for God and for one’s neighbor, as Jesus demonstrated. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commandments:

Matt 22:36-38 Master, which is the great commandment in the law?

37 Jesus said to him, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

Matt 22:39,40 And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Content of the law; everyone has a correct understanding of what is right and wrong behavior, and how one should treat one's neighbor

As far as the latter commandment is concerned, it is certainly good if we are able to love our neighbors. If everybody did this, the world would be a much better place. The majority of suffering would end right away.

It is also interesting that this important matter is written on the heart of every person. Everyone has a natural understanding of how to rightly treat our neighbors and what wrong behavior towards others is like. Examples of this can be seen in the religions of the world (karma -- a man reaps what he sows) and in human laws that deem punishable the offences of stealing, murder, and physical violence. In all these religions and laws it has been understood that some acts are right and others wrong, and that there will be bad consequences from the latter ones.

The law of right and wrong also manifests itself in our relationship with our neighbors and ourselves. Jesus said, “Therefore all things whatever you would that men should do to you, do you even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets” (Matt 7:12) and “And the second is like to it, You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matt 22:39). In other words, since nobody wants to experience bad things – that he is deceived, something is stolen from him, somebody takes his wife or does violence to him – then he must not do these things to others. By loving oneself, one can learn how to love his neighbors and to recognize what is right and wrong.

- All right, said Bonelli. Nobody defends stealing. What next?

- It is the same with lying, said Weber. People lie but nobody wants to be deceived.

- What about murder?

- It too is a universal practice, although everyone does not follow it.

- (…) It is a generally accepted issue that man is both an intellectual and moral being, he began again. We can present the following summary of this: some deny the moral norms; but although some steal, nobody wants to be robbed; although some lie, nobody wants to be deceived; although some murder people, nobody wants to be killed.

This is the explanation of man’s morals. There is a moral and intellectual being, originator, behind man’s morality and brains, because we cannot find explanation for man’s intellectual and moral qualities from mere matter. (1)

Paul also taught about right and wrong in the hearts of men. He spoke about Gentiles who did not have information about God but who, nevertheless, understood that some acts were right and others wrong. They understood the difference between these two things even though they did not always act accordingly. These indicate that we really have an understanding of right and wrong, although our actions do not always follow our understanding.

- (Rom 2:14,15) For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law to themselves:

15 Which show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another.

The gulf between God and man. No one fulfills God's law and will, but a deep gulf separates us from God

God’s law, or His perfect will, is connected with one huge problem, and it is that ”none of you keeps the law” (John 7:19). Nobody can ever meet the standards of God.

For the fact is that we are all sinners and do not come even close to God's standards. There can be great and small sinners in the world, but there is such a huge gulf between God and men that no one can cross it by himself. We are all in a hopeless state as comes to God’s approval, as the next figure indicates:

A picture of an unbridgeable abyss

The next quote indicates also how a deep gulf separates us from the perfection of God. Some may be a little better than others but this is of little significance. The gulf still exists and it is impossible to cross it:

"Wait, I’ll give you one example: the average man can jump, for example, two meters. A person who has practiced sports and is fit may jump perhaps five meters. And if he is an Olympic winner, he can jump almost nine meters, but jumping any longer will be quite impossible in our generation. Let’s suppose then that we are all standing at the edge of a canyon with 200 meters to the other side. None of us has the ability to jump over that abyss, right? Now let's look at this same thing in the form of a parable. That abyss is the abyss of sin and God is on the other side. He looked upon us just as we are – poor little grasshoppers -- and began to pity us. He knew that it was quite impossible for us to get to Him by our own powers; for this reason, He sent for us His own Son, Jesus, who is a bridge between God and man. Jesus is the mediator between God and man. We can go with Him safely, because according to His own words He is 'the way and the truth and the life’! I know that there are many who will reject this divine solution as too easy. They’ll rather try to do something by their own power to save themselves, but no effort of man can take him to God, our destiny is to fall into that gulfing abyss!” (2)

The gulf between God and man has been removed through Jesus Christ. Jesus came under the law, fulfilled the law, and did the Father's will in everything. He did everything that sinful humans cannot do in themselves

Even though there is a huge gulf between God and us, the Bible teaches that Jesus came down from Heaven and bridged this gulf. He came to live under the law. He fulfilled the Law and always acted in accordance with His Father’s will. He came down from Heaven and did everything that was impossible for us sinners to do.

- (Gal 4:4,5) But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

- (John 6:38) For I came down from heaven, not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me.

What was the result of Jesus’ actions? The Bible teaches that every man now has the possibility of having a relationship with God and receiving forgiveness for his sins through Jesus, if he only puts his trust and faith in Him (Acts 16:31 And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved, and your house.). None of us needs to earn perfection any more, but it is given to us by grace and through Jesus Christ. Through Him it is possible to cross the gulf between God and man:

Image of Crossing the Abyss with Jesus and Grace

Receiving grace. Although Jesus has removed the gulf between God and people, this does not benefit a person who rejects Jesus and the grace that comes through Him

It has already been noted that Jesus bridges the gulf between God and men and is our Mediator (Hebrews 9:15: And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.…). Therefore, we can receive salvation only through Jesus. Only by turning to Him, and through Him, can we receive forgiveness for our sins because He has already prepared everything for us. Turn therefore to Him, so you, too, will receive the grace of God and forgiveness of your sins:

- (John 5:40) And you will not come to me, that you might have life.

- (John 14:6) Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father, but by me.

- (Acts 4:11-12) This is the stone which was set at nothing of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.

12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

- (Acts 10:43) To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whoever believes in him shall receive remission of sins.

On the other hand, when Jesus has filled the law, i.e. the gulf between God and man, and grace has come through Him, it is clear that man must receive this grace in order to be saved. If a person turns his back on Jesus and grace, it will not benefit him at all, but will be in vain, as the following example shows. Therefore, do not turn your back on God’s call:

In 1892, Wilson and Porter were sentenced to be hanged for a mail robbery. Porter was executed, but Wilson was pardoned. He rejected his pardoning, and judge John Marshall of the Higher Court left the future generations this statement: “Pardoning is an act that is not legal without releasing the person, and release is not perfect without receiving. The person to whom it is offered can reject it, and if it is rejected, we do not deem the Court fit to put it into effect by force.”

The responsibility, as you see, is yours. If you do not accept God’s pardoning, He will not force you to do it. “How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation?” (Heb. 2:3) (1)

THE PRAYER OF SALVATION. Lord, Jesus, I turn to You. I confess that I have sinned against You and have not lived according to Your will. However, I want to turn from my sins and follow You with all my heart. I also believe that my sins have been forgiven by Your atonement and I have received eternal life through You. I thank You for the salvation that You have given me. Amen.

REFERENCES:

1. J. Edwin Orr: 100 kysymystä Jumalasta (100 Questions about God), p.50 - 52

2. Jakov Damkani: Siionin poika (Why me?), p. 107,108

3. Oswald J.,Smith: Jumalan pelastus, p. 35

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Why are love for God and love for neighbor the greatest commandments of the law?

Jesus showed that all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments. They define a person's two most important relationships: the relationship with the Creator and the relationship with other people. If people followed love for their neighbor perfectly, most of the suffering and injustice in the world would cease right then and there.

How does self-love help a person understand the content of the law and morality?

In reverse, no person naturally wants bad things to happen to them, such as being deceived, stolen from, or subjected to violence. Because we do not want such treatment for ourselves, we directly understand that we must not do so to others. This Golden Rule taught by Jesus shows that moral understanding is directly mirrored through self-preservation.

Does a gentile also naturally have an understanding of right and wrong?

Yes, because God's law and the sense of right and wrong are written in the heart of every human being, regardless of culture. As the Apostle Paul states, gentiles naturally do what the law requires, and their conscience serves as an internal witness. This universal moral law and sense of guilt demonstrate that human moral nature has an intelligent and moral Originator.

Why is there an insurmountable gulf between man and God?

The Bible clearly shows that no human being is able to fulfill God's perfect law and holy will in their own strength. All people are fallen and sinful, which creates a deep and gulfing gulf between man and God's perfection. Even if some people were morally 'better' by earthly standards or figuratively jumped further than others, no one can cross this gulf by their own deeds; instead, the inevitable fate is to fall into damnation.

How has the gulf between God and man been removed?

God felt compassion for people and sent His own Son, Jesus Christ, as a bridge over this insurmountable gulf. Jesus was born under the law, did His Father's will in everything, and fulfilled the requirements of the law perfectly on our behalf. He completed the perfect work that sinful humans could never accomplish in themselves, thereby opening the way to the Father.

What is meant by salvation by grace through Jesus Christ?

It means that no human being needs to—or even can—try to earn their own salvation or perfection through their own works. Salvation and the forgiveness of sins are received purely as a gift and by grace by putting trust, confidence, and faith in the Lord Jesus. Jesus is the only mediator and way through which it is possible for a person to return safely into fellowship with God.

What happens to a person who rejects the grace offered by Jesus?

Although Jesus has already removed the gulf and accomplished the work of atonement, it does not benefit a person who turns their back on this call. A pardon is an official act that comes into full effect only when the condemned person accepts it personally. If a person rejects and turns down the freedom offered by God, they will ultimately have to bear their own moral responsibility and pay for their own sins in hell.