29. Redeeming Sinful Nature Series

[IN GOD’S IMAGE 29 – REDEEMING SINFUL NATURE]

This message is part of a series of 90 sermons based on the title, “In God’s Image – God’s Purpose for humanity.” This series of free sermons or the equivalent free book format is designed to take the reader through an amazing process beginning with God in prehistory and finishing with humanity joining God in eternity as His loving sons and daughters. It is at times, a painful yet fascinating story, not only for humanity, but also for God. As the sermons follow a chronological view of the story of salvation, it is highly recommend they be presented in numerical order rather than jumping to the more “interesting” or “controversial” subjects as the material builds on what is presented earlier. We also recommend reading the introduction prior to using the material. The free book version can along with any graphics or figures mentioned in this series can be downloaded at https://ingodsimage.site - Gary Regazzoli

Last time we looked at the Representative Principle Jesus began His official ministry by asking John the Baptist to baptise Him.

• Although He was perfect and had no need for baptism, He insisted John baptise Him as Jesus needed to step into the shoes of sinful humanity so He could act as their representative.

• In the same way, Jesus substituted Himself on the cross for our sakes so the sins of the world could be placed on His shoulders. Jesus also assumes the role of living the perfect righteous life for our sakes so His righteousness can be attributed to us.

• As the created cannot attain holiness through their own efforts, the Creator is going to do it for us.

• In the same way, God has provided the means for our sins to be forgiven through the efforts of Jesus Christ. He also provides the means for us to become “holy” through the efforts of Jesus Christ.

• The key to understanding this process is given by Paul in 2 Corinthians 5.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

• As a consequence of Jesus stepping into the role of representing us, we are accepted by the Father not on the life we live, but rather on the perfect life Jesus Christ lived on our behalf.

• As far as God is concerned, those in Christ are regarded as holy and righteous as Jesus Christ.

But there is another aspect of human depravity that needs to be addressed as part of Jesus’ mission to free us from sin and that is the sinful human nature that causes our sin.

• As a result of Adam and Eve’s fateful decision to reject God, the gift of freewill they were created with defaulted and came under the domination of self-will with the resulting dehumanising consequences.

• It would be a hollow victory to save humanity without taking care of the sinful nature that causes sin and it’s subsequent death.

• To use a medical illustration, the patient was resuscitated, but nothing was done to address the disease that caused his death, which means he would only die again.

• The cause of death had to be addressed.

• This too was part of Jesus’ mission as our representative, He came not only to live and die for us as we saw last time but also to heal the disease that causes death.

• There is a famous quote from the 4th-century Bishop, Gregory of Nazianzen, “the unassumed is the unhealed” (or “unredeemed”).

• Remember, the goal of salvation is to make us in God’s image.

• It would be of no use to save us without addressing the cause of our inhumanity and making it possible for us to receive a nature consistent with God’s nature.

• This phrase “the unassumed is the unhealed” stresses what is at stake when it comes to Christ’s humanity.

• If Jesus did not assume our flesh and nature completely then that part which He did not assume remains unredeemed.

• It was crucial then that the human nature Jesus was born with was the same fallen nature that comes along with every corruptible mortal body.

• Romans 8:3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh,

• It had to be this way in order for him to take that sinful nature and restore it to God’s original intention for humanity.

• Jesus’ whole life was one of wrestling with, overcoming and defeating that sinful nature in order that he might heal, sanctify and redeem it.