The Puzzle of Sin
Psalm 103:12
Purpose : To teach that we must all stand accountable for our sins.
Intro: I teach that each of us must stand accountable to God in the judgment where we will answer for our sins. Not pay for our sins... our sins have been paid for... but stand accountable.
That causes some confusion for some who ask...
The bible says that our sins have been forgiven and removed as far as the east from the west. If that is true then how can we still stand accountable?
I can only congratulate them for knowing the bible. Psalm 103:12 does indeed say,
But OUR PROBLEM is that the scriptures also have many verses that tell us that we will stand before Jesus as judge and will give account of our lives (acts, thoughts, words, etc)
Today we want to look at the puzzle of sin.... how these verses fit together.
Now here is the problem we have today.
Preacher, you say Jesus died to pay for our sins and he has forgiven us. Is that right?
YES!!!!!!
If he has forgiven us then why are we judged? And why are they brought back if they are removed as far as the east from the west?
I don’t know why God judges... I just know the Word of God declares it!
See... we still have all of these pieces. If this piece (east from west) fits in here, then we just have to throw away all of these pieces. Just tear them out of the Word of God and say they do not count... that they are lies.
I am not prepared to do that. This is God’s divine, inspired, infallible Word. If some part of it does not fit with what I believe… then it is I who must change because the Word is eternal and unchangeable.
Our real problem is caused by David’s choice of tenses
David spoke Psalm 103:12 in the PAST TENSE... as though it had already happened.
But we know for certain that it was not a present reality for David.
David lived under the old covenant, the old sacrificial system. David was still offering sacrifices every year for his sins.
Was the blood of sheep and goats sufficient to wash away sins and bring eternal pardon????
NO!!!!!
In fact, that could not possibly be true until Easter morning. Only then was Jesus proven to be our victorious Savior... victorious over sin, death, and the grave.
So we know that David was speaking prophetically. Speaking of a future reality.
When? That is the problem. When does this piece (Ps 103:12) fit in?????
Most people want to put it in here (after SALVATION). But it does not fit.
But we can’t throw away these pieces (hold up pieced unused).
The only answer it to fit all of the pieces together and finish the puzzle.
Let’s start at the beginning and then we will get to Ps 103.
CREATED SINLESS
Adam and Eve were created in the garden of Eden. God created Adam from nothing and Eve from a rib.
When God was done He said, "It is good."
"They were good, pure, sinless.
God expected them to stay that way and gave them rules to stay away from the two trees.
1. THEY SINNED.
But Adam and Eve sinned by eating the forbidden fruit. They willfully and with knowledge chose to obey God. Thus they sinned.
SIN ENTERED WORLD.
Adam and Eve were expelled from the garden and placed in this world. With them they brought their rebellious spirit. That spirit has infiltrated all humans since.
ALL SINNED. Romans 3:23
Since that time, that seed of sin has borne fruit in every human ever born--- except Jesus.
2. SEPARATION
Sin separated us from God
Adam and Eve cast out of garden
3. SALVATION. Romans 10:9-10 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved
One day we recognized our sin, our separation, our hopelessness... and we did the only possible thing...
We confessed our sin and asked God to forgive us of our sins.
He did and washed us clean in the blood of Jesus.
BUT THIS WAS NOT THE END OF SIN
this is not an end piece
4. Sin AGAIN
1 John 1:8-9 If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
5. DEATH/RAPTURE 1 Cor 15:51-55
But let me tell you a wonderful secret God has revealed to us. Not all of us will die, but we will all be transformed. 52 It will happen in a moment, in the blinking of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For when the trumpet sounds, the Christians who have died will be raised with transformed bodies. And then we who are living will be transformed so that we will never die. 53 For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. 34 When this happens - when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die - then at last the Scriptures will come true:
One day Jesus will come from heaven to bring his children home. Those who have died will be with him. Their bodies will rise and be changed and they will be clothed in their new body. Those still alive will rise and be changed also.
Then we will go to be with Jesus in heaven, eternally.
BUT FIRST
6. THERE WILL BE A JUDGMENT....
the BEMA judgment... the Judgment seat of Christ.
This is a judgment on Christians. They are the only ones there. The dead lost are in hell and the living
Lost are still on earth.... going through the Great Tribulation.
This is not a judgment to decide your eternal abode... these are all Christians and will all go to heaven.
In this judgment we will stand accountable for our lives... words, thoughts, deeds, ALL!!!!
"Well where did you get that?"
Romans 14:10-12 You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11It is written: " ’As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ’every knee will bow before me; every tongue will confess to God.’ "[a] 12So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
2 Cor. 5:10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad.
Hebrews 10:30 For we know him who said, "It is mine to avenge; I will repay,"[a] and again, "The Lord will judge his people."[b] 31It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of the living God
1 Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with the family of God; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God?
That is how I know we will all stand before the judge...
THE WORD OF GOD PROCLAIMS IT!!!
We will give account of every word and deed.
Matthew 12:36-37 But I tell you that men will have to give account on the day of judgment for every careless word they have spoken. 37For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."
7. YOU WILL GIVE ACCOUNT AND WE WILL BE TESTED BY FIRE
1 Cor 3:11-15 For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man’s work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
1 Peter 1:7 These have come so that your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
Based on the judgment by fire...
SOME WILL RECEIVE CROWNS.
1 Cor 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. 25Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. 26Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. 27No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
Gal. 6:9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.
Col 3:24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
2 Tim 4:8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.
8. NOW... NOW we are left with just one piece of the puzzle.
Here is the removing of sin as far as the east is from the west.
IT IS BURNED UP IN THE JUDGMENT &ND IS REMOVED !!!!!
IT FITS!!!!!!!!
So now we see how and where it fits.
It could not fit earlier because there is the judgment
It fits just right... right here!!!!!!!!!!!!!
And that is the end of our sin!!!!!!!!!
