Sin and the sinner.
Wayne Duncan
There are essentially two problems with fallen man. One problem is what separates man from God. The other problem is the effects of that sin on man. The good news of the Gospel is that God himself took the initiative…Jesus has effectively dealt with both these problems through the finished work of the cross.
Lets look firstly at the problem of sin.
The bible says all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God. So the sin problem is common to all man. Everyone has sinned. This sin becomes a problem when it comes to the reconciliation of man to God. No-one who is contaminated by sin can stand before a holy God. This creates quite a problem for every person. So in His great love and mercy, God the father made a way for reconciliation between God and His created, man. He removed the barrier that sin made.
What did God do?
2 Cor 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
God reconciled us to Himself, not counting mans sins against him.
God did everything need to restore the broken relationship, and remove the dividing wall of hostility. Father was in Christ reconciling us to Him. How, by making Christ sin, so we might become the righteousness of Christ.
Our sins have been forgiven at the cross. Past present and future sins cancelled at the cross.
At this point I'd like to enter an explanation of the difference between mercy and grace.
Mercy is us not getting what we deserve!
Do we deserve punishment for our sin? Yes.
Do we deserve rejection from God? Yes.
Do we deserve God wrath? Yes.
Do we get those things…No!
Mercy means we don't get those things, for they fell on Jesus at the cross.
It's the part in the above scripture where Jesus becomes sin for us.2 Cor 5
When he became sin Jesus got what He did not deserve!
Did Jesus deserve punishment for sin. No!
Did Jesus deserve rejection from God? No!
Did Jesus deserve rejection from God..No! Did he get it, Yes!
Because of what Jesus went through, we receive mercy from God. We do not get what we deserve.
But there is more. It does not stop there!
We also receive what we do not deserve…and that is grace.
Do we deserve to receive right standing before God?
Do we deserve every blessing?
Do we deserve healing?
Do we deserve wholeness?
Do we deserve reconciliation with God?
Do we deserve abundant favor with God?
Do we deserve power to live the normal Christian life?
We don't deserve any of these things, yet God gives them to us freely through the finished work of the cross. How awesome is God mercy and grace?
Our sin is dealt with, and the sinner receives the blessing.
Another way to look at it is like this. When we believe in Jesus we become justified, and we become righteous.
Romans 4:1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather, discovered in this matter? 2If, in fact, Abraham was justified by works, he had something to boast about--but not before God. 3What does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness." 4Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. 5However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. 6David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
Here we see God justifies the wicked. This is our Gospel…our God justifies the wicked! He declares guilty people free through Jesus!
We also see we are made righteous through faith.
What does this mean.
Well let's get back to the two problems. Sin and the sinner.
Justification deals effectively with the problem of sin. Were justified. Which means "Just-as-if- id" never sinned!
: 7"Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 8Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him."
These are some of the sweetest words in the bible, "God does not count our sins against us".
That is mercy, that is Justification. That is the problem of sin effectively dealt with!
Does that mean we just go on sinning...no because of who we now are, the new creation. Righteous and eager to do good. We don't carry on living foolishly or be in bondage to the devastation effects of sin, for we've received grace to live how we desire to live. We have the literal power of God running through our veins, and we can live by the law of the spirit written on our hearts.
Justification deals with the sin, but righteousness deals with the sinner. When we are made righteous, we are literally changed. We are changed into new creations whose default setting is to do good and follow God. We are set free from the power of sin so that we may now freely follow God and be lead by the Holy Spirit in all we do. As we are lead we be who we are, we be who we were created to be, slaves to righteousness.
Galatians 5:16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.
So justification deals with sin, effectively removing the sin. Righteousness gives us a new nature, actually a new spirit, that spirit is made perfect forever, and is in perfect fellowship with God.
Do you know that. Your spirit is perfect. It lacks nothing. God will do nothing to your spirit when you go to heaven. It's perfect. As you see who you are you'll become it. Live from who you really are.
Before we go on we need some scripture here, because I can hear someone say…but am I truly perfect?
Hebrews 10:14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 12:22 But you have come to Mount Zion and to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to innumerable angels in festal gathering, 23and to the assembly(Or church) of the firstborn who are enrolled in heaven, and to God, the judge of all, and to the spirits of the righteous made perfect, 24and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant,
Through Jesus we are made perfect forever. By one sacrifice we are made perfect forever.
Hebrews 10, were perfect and we are being sanctified. Yes, although we are perfect, His work continues in us.
Titus 2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
His work continues in us. But the way this whole thing works, is that while he works in us, while by His grace we are changed. He sees us as perfect.
Know this the work is not in the spirit. It's in the mind and the flesh.
The flesh has appetites, the mind has stinking thinking. Sanctification is the work of the Holy Spirit, as He brings correction to that thinking, and gives us power over the desires of the flesh. That work will continue until we die!
But in our spirits we are made perfect forever.
So "For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified. " makes perfect sence.
This is how God sees us.
What we need to see is this picture. Jesus holds us in His hands, and presents us to the father. The Father sees us a blameless and perfect in His sight. For he sees us through Jesus perfect sacrifice.
Jude 24 Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, 25to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.
Ephesians 1:4 even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him
Sin is removed by the mercy of God, were now blameless this is Justification…sin effectively dealt with.
Were made righteous, given a new nature. Full of the power of God, eager to do what is right and good. Power over sin, power over the flesh. The spirit now actively involved at destroying stinking thinking.
Were now presented blameless and perfect by Jesus, before the father. Made perfect forever and perfect in His sight.
The two problems sin and the sinner changed, powerfully, effectively forever! This is our great salvation. This was always the intent of our God that this day would come, where we are now reconciled and one with Him, through Jesus. Amen.
Why did He do all this? He loves you! He desires intimacy and friendship with you now, and fellowship forever, with you, for He loves you.
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