Jesus Christ and UK Contract Law

To have a contract under English law there must be 3 components in existence.

1. Offer and acceptance
2. Consideration
3. Intention to create legal relations

Without one of these components, the court will find that there is no contract in existence. The salvation of God satisfies the three components of a contract at UK law. A contract exists between God and His children.

Offer and Acceptance

Offer: 

This one is easy. God loves us and wants us to have a personal relationship with Him, that we may worship Him and go to heaven when we die. This is the offer, God's forgiveness through Christ Jesus our Lord. God's gift of grace is the offer.

Acceptance:

Like with any offer, we must accept it before it has any effect. To accept His offer, 1 John 1:9 states: If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Romans 10:13 states: For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Once there has been both an offer and an acceptance, there is a recognisable agreement in law. Now, lets pretend to be lawyers. At this stage, one party will make an offer to another party. If the other party accepts the offer then an agreement exists. However if the other party accepts the offer, but on different terms, then this is classed as a counter-offer. It is then for the original offering party to accept that new offer. Where there is found to be a counter offer in law that has not been accepted by the original party, the court will rule that no agreement has been made and therefore no contract will exist. 

We must accept God's offer according to His terms. The terms of God's offer are simple: "You are sinful and therefore cannot enter into My presence; Jesus is perfect and took the punishment that you deserve for the wrongs you have committed; The only way for you to be able to enter into My presence is by accepting that Christ is the perfect Son of God, sent to be crucified for you, and to repent from your sin and follow Him." 

Consideration

The legal definition of consideration is: Something of value given by both parties to a contract that induces them to enter into the agreement to exchange mutual performances.

In short, consideration means that each party will give something to their detriment for the other parties benefit. (I.e. the agreement is not an empty promise, something has been exchanged for something else.)

The consideration provided by God should be obvious. John 3:16 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.

Our consideration is incomparable to the sacrifice God had to make. We must trust Christ (in doing so we receive the benefit from God's loss) and repent. Repent means to 'change your mind'. We must change our minds to the ways in which we are so accustomed to live in, the ways of the world which are sinful and apart from God. This is no easy task. Matthew 7:13 tells us that narrow is the path to heaven and wide is the path to hell. This is because as sinners we feel more comfortable living in sin than we do living a life for God. Romans 6:12 instructs Christians: Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. But do not worry, God is a faithful and merciful God. If we accept His offer, He will help us to overcome our old habits and shortcomings. Romans 6:14 reminds us, For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace. 

Intention to create legal relations:

There is definately an intention to create legal relations. To understand why we must understand why God must offer us salvation in the first place. The agreement between yourself and God (if you have made one) is entirely legal. 

God had to make such an offer because we have all breached God's law. The old law was given to us by God as a mirror to show us that by our own works we could never be good, we must trust in somebody who is already good and perfect, that being Christ. The law we have is weak, in that we can never make ourselves good by it. No matter how hard we try to obey it we will always fall short. (Romans 8:8 So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.) God therefore sent Jesus to take the punishment that we deserve under the law. By accepting such an offer, the effects of the old law over us are literally destroyed and we come under a new law of faith, which we can keep through Jesus Christ. (Romans 8:2-3 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh).

Romans 8:1-11 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. ² For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, ⁴ that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. ⁶ For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. ⁷ Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. ⁸ So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God.⁹ But you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His. ¹⁰ And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. ¹¹ But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.

When Christ was hanging on the cross, a legal transaction was taking place. Christ, who was perfect in every way took upon all the sins of the world. Galatians 3:13 states: Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree'). In doing so, He took the punishment that you deserve for your sin. 1 Peter 3:18 tells us: For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit. Through His death we can live. 

The result?

Companies enter into contracts to make a gain of some sort. What is our gain? 

If you accept God's offer and repent of your sins the result is that you can have a personal relationship with God. You may enter into His glorious presence. You will be able to go to heaven. You will escape the punishment of hell.


What is God's gain?


God just loves us. 1 John 4:19 We love Him because He first loved us.

Romans 10: 9-10 If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.

Sign the contract!

BACChristian