All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:6)
We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away. (Isaiah 64:6)
This flies in the face of those who consider sin as murder, robbery, and other externals seen in human behavior, and who consider those who do not do those things as ‘good’ people. However, those two verses alone define sin as doing our own thing rather than following the leading of God in faith. Furthermore, our so-called ‘good’ deeds done apart from faith in the Lord are unclean in the sight of God. That explains why the NT says things like:
As it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” (Romans 3:10–12)
For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— (Romans 5:12)
Sin defined makes the gospel a non-argument. That is, no one can rightly say, “I don’t need that.” However, anyone that is convinced of their own goodness must answer to the Word of God because it says that will not save us. Imagine trying to swim from the west coast of California to Hawaii. Some would get farther than others, but no one would make it. We all fall short of God’s standard of righteousness.
The Bible is clear also that “The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 6:23)
The Bible makes it perfectly clear that “the wages of sin is death” but also that there is a lifeboat, a way out of the death that sin incurs. Jesus Christ went to the cross, died the death we deserved, and consequently frees us from the penalty of sin when we put our faith in Him.
The NT says: “He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high.” (Hebrews 1:3)
Hebrews goes on to say that Jesus did not need to offer daily sacrifices like the OT high priests who offered up sacrifices first for their own sins, then for the sins of the people. Jesus made only one — as both the High Priest and as the sacrifice.
He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. (Hebrews 7:27)
Then, when the sacrifice was complete, He declared, “It is finished” and died, only to rise from the dead and “sit down at the right hand of the Majesty on high” doing what the OT sacrifices could not do — covering all sin for all time. God exalted Him to His right hand where He continues to care for His own:
Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34)
My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. (1 John 2:1)
PRAY: Jesus, at dinner last night with two of Your children, one of them was firm in saying that we may not always figure out the will of God but one thing is certain: our eternal life is secure and certain. How could we ever think that we could accomplish such a thing by our own efforts? You made the sacrifice for my sin and opened my access to God. In You, I have life forever more, made secure by Your great grace and power. Thank You.
PONDER Hebrews 9:1–10:18 to be reminded again of what Jesus did for me and for all who fall short.
No comments:
Post a Comment