Sin and Salvation
“Whatever else man is, he is not what he was meant to be,”
observed G. K. Chesterton.
Can you say that you have never desired to do any thing
forbidden? How would you respond to a given situation if you had the
opportunity to commit your favorite sin and no one would ever find out? What
would you do if God did not deliver you from your favorite temptation?
Sin deceives because it begins with an attitude of the heart (Matt. 5:21-28).
It takes God off His throne and enthrones sinful man. When we do this over a
period of time our hearts become hardened against the things of God. "The heart
is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked." It can no longer
recognize God when He does speak through His Spirit.
Not only
does sin harden the heart of the sinner (Heb. 3:13), but it results in death
(Rom. 5:12, 21; 6:16,23).
The LORD God has said clearly, “My spirit shall not strive
with man forever” (Gen. 6: 3).
The New Testament uses the Greek word hamartia to
describe the state of sin from which the acts of sin proceed. The Bible tells
us that sin is universal. “All have sinned and come short of the glory of God”
(Rom. 3:23). Every individual is “sold into bondage to sin” (7: 14). The
Scriptures locks up all men under sin and throws away the key (Gal.3: 22). "If
we say we are not sinners, we are liars” (I John 1:8,10). Every individual is
involved in personal sin. It is the universal state of mankind.
Every individual is in the control of sin (Gal. 3:22; Rom.
3:9). Sin rules over man like a cruel king (Rom. 5:21; 6:14). Man is totally
under the dominion of sin (John 8:34; Rom. 6:17, 20; 6: 6).
What is the evil inclination that is so destructive to
mankind? It is an insult, a blasphemy to God (Heb. 3:13). Sin is an evil
desire (James 1:15). It reaches out for that which is wrong. Sin is
lawlessness, meaning it wants to be done with all restraints and controls (I Jn.
3:4). It is an injustice, unrighteousness and evil to God (I. Jn. 5:17). Sin
makes a person worship himself. It prevents God’s moral standards and
substitutes man’s cultural values. Sin is to accept the world’s standards
instead of God’s.
Because sin is so evil and destructive, there is only one
cure for sin regardless of human opinions. God sent His Son Jesus Christ, the
Lamb of God, to “save His people from their sins" (Matt. 1:21). Sinners need to
be rescued by Jesus Christ who gave His live for the sinner.
Ancient ink had no acid in it; therefore it did not bite
into the vellum or papyrus. It could be sponged off when a new writing surface
was needed. The atoning death of Jesus wiped our record clean (Acts 3:19).
The blood of Jesus alone washes us from all sin (Acts
22:16; Heb. 1:3; 2 Pet. 1:18-19; I Jn. 1:7). Only Jesus Christ has the power to
cleanse us.
God in His mercy draws a veil over our sinful past and
never looks at it again (Rom.4:7).
God does not reckon sins against the person who believes
that Jesus Christ died for his sins (Romans 4:8). We could never pay our sin
debt, but God in grace and mercy removes our debt and writes “paid in full” by
Jesus Christ across the ledger.
Jesus has set us free; He has “released us from our sin”
(Rom. 6:18, 22; 8:2). Jesus has emancipated and liberated the sinner.
Moreover, Jesus has “cancelled our sin” (Heb. 9:26). He
has cleared out debt, and we are forgiven (Matt. 9:2; Mk. 2:10; Lk. 7:47; Acts
2:38, 10:43; Col. 1:14; I Jn. 2:12).
Jesus Christ has released us from the penalty and
punishment of sin, and He has clothed us with His own perfect righteousness (2
Cor. 5:21).
Whatever man may become, he may become only in the finished
work of Jesus Christ on his behalf.
Selah!
Message by Wil Pounds (c) 2006
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