Three “Musts”

By Larry Ray Hafley

Must Number One: Jesus “Must” Die On The Cross

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up: That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:14, 15).

In order for man to be saved, Jesus had to die, for “with- out shedding of blood is not remission,” no forgiveness of sins (Heb. 9:22). Hence, he “must” be lifted up on the cross. It was only by being lifted up that he could draw all men unto himself (John 12:32). Indeed, he “was delivered for our offenses, and was raised again for our justification” (Rom. 4:25).

Must Number Two: “Ye ‘Must’ Be Born Again”

Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (John 3:3). Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5). Ye must be born again (John 3:7).

To be born again is to be saved, to be delivered from the power of darkness (Col. 1:13). To be born again is to be obedient to the gospel, baptized into Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; 1 Pet. 1:22-25; 3:21). The Colossians were in the kingdom, hence, they had been born again (John 3:3, 5; Col. 1:13). They had been “baptized into Christ,” having been “buried with him in baptism” and made alive in the forgiveness of their sins (Col. 2:12, 13).

We “must” obey the gospel in order to be saved, for God shall take vengeance on them “that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thess. 1:8; cf. Rom. 2:8, 9). If you are not in the kingdom of Christ, you are in darkness (Col. 1:13). If you die in that condition, you will be cast into “outer darkness,” into everlasting torment (Matt. 25:30, 41,

46). Therefore, “Ye must be born again”!

Must Number Three: Worship “Must” Be In Spirit And In Truth

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).

God, the right object of worship, must be worshiped with the proper attitude in accordance with his word. This has always been true (Josh. 24:15). Man cannot determine his own way (Jer. 10:23). The ways of man are not God’s ways (Isa. 55:8, 9). Though man’s ways of worship may appear holy and devout, they are the ways of death (Prov. 14:12; Matt. 7:22, 23; 15:9, 13, 14).

We are not under the law, the fleshly covenant and kingdom, of Moses; rather, we are under the law of the Spirit, the gospel of Christ (Rom. 1:16; 8:2). We walk not in the shadow but in the substance (Col. 2:14-16). In the true tabernacle, the sure and certain sanctuary of God, we “must” worship  Jesus Christ (Matt. 17:5; 28:18-20; Heb. 1:1, 2).