truthgiver

Most of us ignore God all of our lives.  He sustains our breathing, gives us good food, air conditioning, cars to drive, but we have ignored Him.  We use His name in vain, but we sometimes have cursed Him.  We have not treated our neighbors as we would like to be treated.  But God is patient and kind to us.  Here is some good news... 

While We Were Yet Sinners, Jesus Christ Died for Us

What is a sinner?  Well, it is someone who has broken God’s laws.  There is none who is free from this curse of sin.  We all do it.  All have sinned.  In fact, we are born sinners.  From our very early lives, we sinned.  Have you ever had to teach a small child to be selfish, greedy, or covetous?  No.  They already know how to do these sins.

God gives most of us a good place to live, plentiful harvest of good food, good water to drink, good air to breath, a job, and we pay God back by cursing His name, complaining, fighting, and ignoring Him.  All of our days, we think about how we can get ahead, how we can rule our lives, and reign in our carnal world.  We think of how we can gain pleasure at the expense of others by lying, stealing, and coveting, how we can enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season.  But there is only bad wages waiting for sin.  The soul that sins, it shall die, says the Scriptures.  Sin is transgression of God’s holy law.  Sin is always exceedingly sinful.

I’m Not That Bad… 

Sin is the transgression of the moral law which is given to us by the Moral Law Giver, God.  Lying, stealing, blasphemy, hatred, murder, lusting, cursing, drunkenness, disobedience to parents, and sexual immorality, are all examples of sins.  The list goes on:  not loving God with our whole hearts, thinking objects of affection will make us happy, ungratefulness, hypocrisy, backbiting, enmity, jealousy, bickering, gossiping, and coveting.  

You say you're not that bad?  Well, by human standards, you very well might be a "moral" person.  But here's the truth:  you have sinned.  “But I’ve never committed adultery!  I’ve never murdered!  I’m not that bad!”  Well, it is unfortunate you still don’t see your predicament.  The Bible says that if you have hatred in your heart, to God, it is the same as murder.  If you look with lust, to God, it is considered adultery of the heart.  God’s standard of what you call “morality” is perfect, pure, righteousness.  

God's standard is total perfection.  He cannot have any fellowship with one who is defiled by sin because He is perfect.  God is so perfect and holy; He cannot even be looked upon.  Have you ever tried to look at the sun?  It is so blinding and powerfully bright; you cannot stand to look on it.  This is like the brightness of God’s perfect holiness.  

OK, Maybe I’m Not So Good, Now What?

The only right place for sinners who have defiled themselves and broken God’s perfect law is a place called hell.  Hell is the place set aside for sinners to receive the full justice of God.  Hell is perfect, white-hot justice carried out on sinners for eternity.  God’s punishment is for eternity because sinning against a perfect, holy God cannot ever be paid, because He is eternal.  Therefore, punishment in hell is also eternal.

If you are a sinner, God can't forgive you and still be considered just. Let me write that again. God can’t forgive you, a sinner, and still be considered just.

Unless – unless – there is a perfect payment for your sin that God will accept, satisfying God’s justice and his Holy Wrath towards sinners - it is called “propitiation.”  God's answer for being pardoned from His justice is this:  

- that the punishment you deserved was put on Jesus Christ. -

Jesus did no wrong, yet gave His life willingly so that His children would be saved from the wrath to come.  God accepted Jesus as a worthy sacrifice for your sinning against Him.  Sinners broke God’s law, and Jesus paid the fine for his people by dying a brutal death on a wooden cross.

Alas, there are many arguments against God’s perfect justice. Many argue that God is different than Scriptures say He is. 

But God Is a Forgiving God!  

Well, yes, He is forgiving, but there still must be a payment for your sin.  He will never just overlook them.  If He did so, He would not be just.  You've sinned against a Holy God who is just and good.  His justice demands a payment.  Yes, He is forgiving, but He will not let your sin go unpunished.  Either you will pay for it in a place called "hell," a place of perfect holy justice, or He will have poured out his wrath on His only Son Jesus, allowing us to become children of God, who will live in heaven with Him forever.  Good news indeed!

But I’m Really Not That Bad of a Person!  Really!

Really?  Let’s do this.  Let’s say we could put a tiny recording device attached to your thought life.  That device would record every thought you had for just a week.  Now, let’s show that recording to a movie theater full of your friends and family.  Are you really good?  Would you be embarrassed like most of us would?  Be honest!  

But I Am Not Like Really Bad People Like Adolf Hitler or a Murderer!  

Yes, but only by the Grace of God!  Still, God’s standard is perfection.  Remember, He will not ignore sin!  One act of defilement against God’s Holy Law deserves eternity of punishment in hell.  God is everlasting and eternal, so His justice must also be everlasting and eternal.  Your punishment for sinning against the eternal Creator is eternal – you can never pay it back, so you must be in hell forever and ever, receiving the just due for your hatred towards God.  Unless there is a Savior of course, who can and did pay the fine for sinners.

Why Would God Allow Death For His Only Son?  

That doesn’t sound loving to some.  If I were to tell you I was going to sacrifice my son, you would call the police.  But God says in His Word that there is no love greater than a man give up his life for his friends.  This is what God did – He gave His only Son (who is actually God), so that we may live.  This was his perfect plan from the beginning. But Jesus’ death is not the end of the story!  He was in the grave three days, and actually rose again from the dead!  This is life eternal that you might know God, and His joy can be yours.  Think of it this way – God, by dying – God by sacrificing – God by giving – God by living – can be both just (by punishing the innocent and perfect, Jesus on behalf of sinners), and the justifier (by giving us His Son, and forgiving sinners).  This means that after you are dead, if you receive this gift of life from God, you can rise again and live with Him in heaven forever! Oh, such great news!  Sinners set free!  Oh, what love! 

In the inspired Word of God, in the book of John chapter 3, the bible says:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only Son of God. And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.”
 
Do You Know This Great Love?  

The Bible says that God is love.  It also says that while we were sinners, not deserving of anything good, Christ died for us.  What is love?  Love is a passionate demonstration of dying to oneself for the sake of others.  Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.  This is what Christ did for sinners.

Do You Know This God of Wonderful Love and Grace?  

What is grace?  Grace is when someone shows love to another even when they didn’t deserve it.  God would be just in killing us the first time we sin because He is so holy, but He doesn't.  He is patient and kind.  He is a God who forgives.  Amazing love, how can it be, that you, my God, would die for me?

Why Did God Die for Sinners?  

God made the earth.  He makes the rules and He expects us to live by them.  Our proper response to a loving, merciful God is to repent (turn from sin), and put our trust in Jesus Christ for our salvation based solely on His finished work (that He will be our advocate on judgment day), so that God would be glorified!  The Bible says we are enemies of God, rebels, wanting to rule our own lives.  The truth is that He has claim on everything that is and ever was.  

We Have No Life in Us if We Live for Ourselves

You have a nice house, perhaps a couple of children, a wife, just got a promotion, food to eat, nice cars, etc.  But the Bible says that it will profit you nothing to have all of these things without considering your soul.  What happens when someone dies?  The Bible says it is appointed man once to die, and then the judgment.  It also says that when you are absent from the body, you are instantly present with the Lord.  

Perfect Peace Comes From Knowing Him

For the unbeliever, the one who mocks and scorns Christ, it is said, “Destruction and misery are in their ways:  And the way of peace have they not known:  There is no fear of God before their eyes.”  But God says to His people:  “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Perfect Joy Comes From Knowing Him

What is the Kingdom of God?  The Scriptures say:  “For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.”  Apart from the Holy Spirit (God), we can never know this kind of peace and joy.  It must be given to you by Him:  “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes.  So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

He is Our Reward

If we claim to know Him, we will bear fruits of righteousness and repentance.  Our lives will become a living sacrifice.  Everything we will ever do from now on will be for Him.  To know Him is to know love because He is love.  

Even if you don't believe, Christ will receive the full reward of His suffering.  He is worthy to be praised, worthy of love and life-dedication.  He is worthy because He is God.  He is worthy and rose from the dead on the third day, meeting with His people, reunited once again out of His beautiful sacrificial love.  How can you go on without recognizing this great love from the one who loved you first?  God is love.  He is saving a sinful people.  Jesus is the very essence of love, the picture of perfect love and holiness, undefiled, smitten, yet stricken by God.  God will get glory, even when He sends sinners to everlasting torment.

And you say that it doesn't make sense for a sinless man to pay the penalty of sin ("He who knew no sin became sin for us").  Do not mock God, for this was His perfect plan!  He is a saving God, and a God of our Salvation.  There is a chance that you may be “seated in the heavenlies” today if you put your full trust in this Rock, this Lamb of God, this Son of the Living God, Jesus Christ.  He suffered at the hands of evil men by crucifixion on the cross, died, and was raised from the dead, defeating death.  Perfect in every way, sinless, yet gave His life for us so that we might be with Him forever, praising Him and worshipping Him.  You say this is not so great news?  Perhaps you have never known His great love.

John 15:25  But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, ‘They hated Me without a cause.’

No Thanks, I’ll Just Keep Doing Good In Order To Get To Heaven

Really?  What do you have that you have not been given by God Himself?  Good looks, charm, works, nor sacrifice will earn you a place in His Kingdom.  It is by grace that one can be saved, through faith in Jesus, not of works.  It is a gift!  Free, loving, wonderful gift!  

The Creator of the universe even knows the number of hairs on our head.  Choose today whom you will serve.  If you worship useless idols, serve them.  If you know there is a God who made the heavens and the earth, serve Him because He is worthy.  May God deliver and redeem you from death.  God says to come to Him, and He will not cast you out.  God says to come and purchase eternal life without money.  

No Thanks, I’ve Got My Religion.  

Religion won’t save you on that day of judgment.  Only faith towards the One Living God, Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, God the Father, Three-in-one.  Religion, by its very definition, is dead works towards appeasing a god of your own making.  Jesus hated it.  He places a curse on those who try to work their way to heaven.  

God simply says to the sinner:  “Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth.”  Look to Christ.  Look unto Christ, hanging on the cross!  Poor sinner, look unto Him!  There is no doing – only looking – to Him who can pardon you from sin!  Look!

I Need to Clean Myself Up First

No!  Just look!  No doing.  No idol-self-worship.  Just look at the blood-stained cross of Christ.  

Woe is Me, a Sinner!

Perhaps you have tried crying out to God and He won’t answer?  Keep looking!  Don’t stop looking unto Him.  Look unto Him until He saves you!  

My friends, there is wonderful hope in a Savior who dies for His friends.  My hope is that you will believe today, and that you would have life eternal and abundant.  Amen.