"Defeating Sin, the reason for Jesus"
With God, You Will Overcome Part Six
1 Corinthians 5:20,21
’Twas the day after Christmas and all through the town
The ones who weren’t Christians were feeling let down
The stockings weren’t hung by the chimney anymore,
And boxes and wrapping covered the floor.
The kitchen was covered from floor to ceiling
With enough dirty dishes to set Mother reeling
The children were whining over what they didn’t get
And rather than sharing, they were throwing a fit!
The malls were bustling with post Christmas shoppers
Searching for bargains on racks and in hoppers.
The salesmen looked haggard, the shoppers looked worse
As credit cards flew out of wallet and purse.
There were no joyful sounds of carolers singing,
And the only bells heard, were registers ringing.
The scene was altogether too grim,
For all the people who didn’t know Him.
If only this unhappy crowd could know
That the Spirit of Christmas isn’t tied with a bow
And stacked in piles underneath the tree,
He lives forever in you and in me.
He didn’t start in presents piled up in a sleigh,
He started with Christ being born in the hay.
The perfect gift from our Father above
Sent to us sinners to show us His love.
He came without wrapping or boxes or strings,
No glitter or glamour or other vain things.
He came with a promise of hope for all men,
That even in death, we’d have life again.
The next face you encounter covered with strife,
Introduce them to Jesus and change their whole life.
Teach them that Christmas is a daily thing,
That comes from intimately knowing the King.
Prayer.....
He was Born To Die
I don’t know about you, BUT I find Christmas very frustrating at times.... AND the main reason is BECAUSE so many either don’t know or have forgotten what Christmas is all about... This week a show was on TV on the family channel called, "Christmas Everyday." And the show was about a teenager who keep reliving Christmas day over & over again... He’d go to bed THEN wake up and it was Christmas all over... And he was supposedly stuck in this cycle under he learned, what the meaning of Christmas was. And when he finally got it (at least according to the shows writers) he talked about how Christmas was about family....and family closeness...
Hey, I have nothing against family -- I love my family... BUT family is not the meaning of Christmas. And neither is Frosty, Rudolph, Santa, snow, parties, presents, OR Christmas decorations
NOW YOU DON’T SEE THEM AS MUCH NOW, BUT YEARS AGO PEOPLE IN AN EFFORT TO REMIND PEOPLE OF WHAT THIS TIME OF YEAR IS REALLY ABOUT - WORE PINS THAT SAY, "JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON" - AND THAT’S A GOOD IDEA AND IT CAN PROVIDE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO SHARE CHRIST.
YES, JESUS IS THE REASON FOR THE SEASON, BUT WHAT IS THE REASON FOR JESUS?
JESUS, DID NOT COME TO THIS EARTH NEARLY 2,000 YEARS AGO JUST, TO GIVE US A HOLIDAY TO CELEBRATE AND A REASON TO GIVE PRESENTS. AND JESUS, DID NOT COME SIMPLY TO HEAL THE SICK AND SHOW US A LIFE WORTH IMITATING.
JESUS CAME TO PROVIDE A WAY THAT MANKIND COULD BE SAVED... JESUS CAME TO BRING SALVATION... LISTEN TO WHAT THE ANGELS SAID ON THAT FIRST CHRISTMAS NIGHT;
"Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you, He is Christ the Lord..." Lk 2:11
There is only one ultimate reason for Christmas.... And that is the fact that we needed a Savior! Therefore the truth is that
JESUS WAS BORN 2 DIE -- SO THAT WE COULD DIE TO BE BORN....
WE READ IN THE SECOND CHAPTER OF LUKE, THAT When Jesus was about 6 weeks old Mary and Joseph made the 6 MILE trip to Jerusalem, to present Jesus at the temple... As commanded by God in His Law, "EVERY FIRSTBORN MALE IS TO BE CONCENTRATED (SET A PART TO THE LORD) TO THE LORD."
Joseph being poor brought a sacrifice of 2 pigeons and 2 doves. LET’S PICK UP THE READING AT LUKE 2:25-35....
"THIS CHILD WILL CAUSE THE FALLING AND RISING OF MANY IN ISRAEL..... AND A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR SOUL TOO."
Whether Mary really knew before, Whether she has up until this time been able to not think about it... When Simeon said those words to her.."A SWORD WILL PIERCE YOUR SOUL.." the terrible unavoidable truth came rushing to the surface.. Jesus was the promised Messiah... Her little Jesus was the promised redeemer and Mary now saw clearly the cross that awaited Him. She was forced to stare at the dark cold reality, that Jesus (her little boy) was Born to Die..
As Mary looked down at her baby, as she looked at Jesus -- his hands so tiny, so soft, what do you think she was saying to herself... Perhaps, she was saying and wondering, just how long he would be with her.. how long before His tender body would be broken, How long before His precious blood would be shed...
And with tears in her eyes and an aching in her heart... she probably held Him tightly, and said, "but your in my arms now Jesus... Your safe now... It’s okay, I love you so much..."
Jesus was born to die...
How do you think Jesus’ Father felt about this truth? No, I’m not talking about Joseph.. I’m talking about God....
I want everyone here to imagine that you’re a mom or dad... And you are walking and holding the hand of your little boy. And you are both a little nervous... Your little boy is crying just a little, but he is trying to be brave, and you are trying very hard not to cry at least not on the outside. And standing before you as you walk with your son... is an elementary school...
Your son is going into kindergarten, it’s the first day. And you realize as you walk that from this day on things will be different, they will never be the same again, a whole new world is opening up to him, you won’t always be there for him, you are placing his care and safety in the hands of others for the very first time... But you know it’s for the best, you know it will be good for him... most people will be kind, and will help him.... but nevertheless it is still hard to open that door... to bend down and kiss Him and say "I’ll see ya son" and turn and walk away, sending him out into the world...
When God the father sent His Son into the World... I Think it was hard for Him.... And God Knew He was sending Him into a world that would not be kind to His Son... The world would not treat Jesus very well... "HE CAME TO THAT WHICH WAS HIS OWN, BUT HIS OWN DID NOT RECEIVE HIM."
When God in a way, took His son by the hand and walked him to the door of this world, When God bent down to kiss Jesus and say "I’ll see you later son", When God let go of His hand and turned and walked away, as God The Father sent His Son into the World, as He Watched Jesus walked towards the corridors of this earth... He knew, what was waiting for His Son, He knew what he would have to endure.... A World that would hate Him, Reject Him, Abandon Him, Mock Him, Beat Him, Scourge Him, A World that would Crucify Him....
And I am confident that the Almighty had a tear in His eye as he turned and walked away....
JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, WAS BORN TO DIE..... AND IT WAS GOD THE FATHER’S IDEA...IT WAS HIS PLAN...
One of the great questions of the ages has been, "WHO CRUCIFIED JESUS?" WHO ULTIMATELY IS GUILTY FOR THE DEATH OF JESUS?
WELL, WE MIGHT SAY JUDAS WAS GUILTY OF THE DEATH OF JESUS, HAVING BETRAYED HIM THROUGH THE HIGH PRIEST... AND JUDAS DOES BARE SOME GUILT BUT NOT ULTIMATE GUILT.
WE MIGHT SAY THE HIGH PRIESTS AND THE TEMPLE CROWD, WHO ASK FOR JESUS BLOOD ARE GUILTY.. AND YES THEY ARE GUILTY BUT NOT ULTIMATELY...
WELL THE ROMANS DID IT, THAT WAS A ROMAN CROSS AND ROMAN SPIKES...THE ROMANS CRUCIFIED JESUS... ARE THEY GUILTY.. YES, BUT NOT ULTIMATELY..
WHAT ABOUT US, DID WE CRUCIFIED JESUS, NO WE DIDN’T, SURE, WE BARE SOME GUILT, BUT NOT ULTIMATE GUILT.
UNDERSTAND, THE PLAN OF SALVATION, THE CROSS, WAS NOT OUR PLAN, IT WAS GOD’S PLAN AND EVEN IF WE HAD THOUGHT THE CROSS UP, WE WOULD HAVE HAD NO ONE TO PUT ON IT.
THE BIBLE SAYS THAT THE ULTIMATE GUILT FOR THE CRUCIFICTION OF CHRIST DOES NOT LIE WITH MAN... NOW DO NOT MISUNDERSTAND ME, WE ARE GUILTY, BUT ONLY IN SO FAR AS HE DIED, FOR US...
THE BIBLE MAKES IT CLEAR THAT THE ONE WHO ULTIMATELY CRUCIFIED JESUS WAS GOD HIMSELF...
THE PROPHETS SAID , "WE CONSIDERED HIM STRICKEN BY GOD, SMITTEN BY HIM AND AFFLICTED...."
AND IN THE VERY FIRST GOSPEL SERMON PETER MADE IT PLAIN THAT IT WAS ULTIMATELY GOD WHO CRUCIFIED JESUS..."THIS MAN (JESUS) WAS HANDED OVER TO YOU BY GOD’S SET PURPOSE AND FOREKNOWLEDGE (IT WAS GOD’S IDEA), AND YOU WITH THE HELP OF WICKED MEN PUT HIM TO DEATH BY NAILING HIM TO THE CROSS."
And in Revelation 13:8 it says "THAT THE LAMB WAS SLAIN BEFORE CREATION..."
JESUS WAS BORN TO DIE!!
2. SO WE COULD DIE TO BE BORN
Why would God send His beloved Son into the world to be crucified - to die such a cruel death...?
"BECAUSE GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONE AND ONLY SON THAT WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WOULD NOT PERISH BUT HAVE EVERLASTING LIFE." HE DID IT BECAUSE HE LOVED US...
WHAT WE ARE ABOUT TO TALK ABOUT NOW IS THE REASON FOR CHRISTMAS - AND IT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT TEACHING IN ALL OF SCRIPTURE -- I WANT TO TEACH YOU WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS ABOUT " SALVATION." And THIS needs to be discussed because far too many have perverted and changed the Biblical Plan of Salvation.
This is the final msg in our sermon series, "With God You Will Overcome...." TODAY as we celebrate * reflect on Christmas we are going to talk about defeating sin.... And the way to do that IS NOT through ourselves, or our won effort, BUT through a Savior....
I can think of no better way to celebrate Christmas, then talk about how people can receive the gift of God that was placed NOT UNDER but ON a tree 2,000 years ago....
Turn to I Corinthians 5:20,21
Jesus was born to dies -- because:
Mankind was, and many still are -- lost and in need of being reconciled to God. In need of salvation..
"For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God..." Rm 3:20
"There is no one righteous not even one..." Rm 3:10
"Your sins have separated you from God...." Is 59:2
Therefore, God sent Jesus into the world to be our Savior.
But, Before we can properly talk about and understand the doctrine of salvation, we need to first understand the doctrine of lostness -- and what it means to be lost. Because our doctrine of lostness will invariably effect are understanding of Salvation.
WHAT DOES IT MEANS TO BE LOST?
To be Lost means to have enmity between us and God...to be separated from him...
For reasons we will talk about later, the common understanding of being lost today is all wrong... many believe that to be lost is to be in a mess, to have a bad conscious, bad habits, to feel guilty, to have a bad heart. But that it not what being lost means -- those things are a only the result of being lost...
Listen carefully, When we say a man is lost, we are speaking of a condition that exists in the mind of God, and not, the heart of man.
Man is not lost because his heart is bad, his heart is bad, but that is not what makes Him lost. What makes him lost is that he has offended the righteous God. And therefore God has ought against him.
To be lost, is also to be subject to the pursuing wrath of God.... You see to be lost is not simply to be abandoned by God... It is not that God just simply leaves us to ourselves.. But rather the Biblical Doctrine of lostness is that this righteous God, This offended Lord pursues us... He seeks out and pursues after evil to conquer it... and God will catch up to lost people, either at Mt Calvary, or at judgment. But He will catch up to us.
Again when we say that a man is lost we are speaking of a condition that exists in the mind of God... We are lost because God says we are lost. We have sinned against Him, He is the offended God.
For example if I sin against you, that sin lies in your mind.... I have offended you and I am not forgiven until you say that I am forgiven. I can forgive myself, I can sooth my conscious I can let time pass... But that does not solve the problem...
In like manner we have sinned against God, He is the offended one, and we are lost because God says that we are lost.... It is a condition that exists in the mind of God. God views us as being lost. But because God loves us he doesn’t want us to stay in that condition.. In the passage we read Paul says that,
"HE MADE HIM THAT KNEW NO SIN TO BE SIN FOR US..."
God made or considered Jesus (the little baby who grew to be a man); who was sinless to be our sin.... The question is, when did God consider Jesus to be our sin? God made Him to be our sin on the cross, at Calvary.
God sent Jesus Christ to the cross to be our sin... But again we must understand that when it says that Jesus became our sin we are talking about a condition that exists in the mind of God.
Jesus was our sin on the cross, not because we elected Him to be our savior, Jesus was our sin on the cross, because God in the person of His Son submitted to the cross...And he was our sin because God choose to view Him in this way.
He was our sin in the mind of God, where the problem is, where we are lost.... The cross was from God, and it was for God.
Where did Jesus offer his blood? AT our last small group the question came up about why in the OT did they sacrifice animals. Atonement or payment had to be made by sin.... (The day of atonement - blood taken to H of H) The sacrifices were a reminder of the cost of sin (smoke, smell..etc) -- and pointed to the time when The True lamb of God would come...
In the book of Hebrews, we understand very clearly... That Jesus who is both sacrifice and high priest... on that one grand, final, significant and all inclusive day of atonement... Took His blood into the Holy of Holies... Into the presence of God... And there in this symbolism He offered His death/His blood as a substitute for our death...
And God accepted that sacrifice He accepted that substitute because He chose to.
Hear this, this is important , Jesus did not become our sin in some metaphysical, mystical way... There was no black stuff rubbed on Jesus while He hung on the cross...Nor was there a dark cloud of human evil, that descended upon him.. and that he breathed into his lungs....
Jesus became our sin, because God choose to view His death/His blood, as a substitute for us, as a payment for our sin.... As Paul says in Romans 3, "GOD PUT JESUS ON THE CROSS SO THAT HE MIGHT BE BOTH JUST (By Just Paul means that someone had to pay the price for our sins.. Someone had to satisfy God’s pursuing wrath... And that someone was Jesus) AND JUSTIFIER (and by justifier Paul means for God to declare us not guilty of our sin) OF THE ONE WHO HAS FAITH IN CHRIST JESUS."
"GOD MADE HIM WHO KNEW NO SIN TO BE SIN FOR US, SO THAT IN HIM, WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD..."
God sent Jesus to the cross so that we could have the opportunity to become the righteousness of God -- so that we could be justified in the mind of God... So that we, could be declared not guilty in the mind of God... So that in God’s mind it would be just as if we never sinned...
Think about that for a moment.............. Because of Jesus, God looks at the Christian just as though he has never sinned.
Listen to those Words of God again, they literally glow on the page...
SO THAT IN HIM WE MIGHT BECOME THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD (THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF WHO? OF GOD -- LET THAT SINK IN A MOMENT) THERE ISN’T GOING TO BE ANYONE IN HEAVEN, WHO IS NOT AS RIGHTEOUS OF GOD... SAY WHAT? (REPEAT IT).
HOW I CAN I SAY THAT, BECAUSE IT IS TRUE ... YOU SEE, OUR GOD IS NOT RELATIVELY RIGHTEOUS HE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHTEOUS AND BECAUSE HE IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHTEOUS THERE CANNOT BE ANY ONE IN HIS PRESENCE WHO ISN’T AS RIGHTEOUS AS HE IS.
NOW, we need to understand that this righteous of God is Not in ourselves, but in the mind of God -- where did Jesus become our sin? In the same place we are lost -- IN THE MIND OF GOD..
Where do we become the righteousness of God? In us, No! But in the mind of God... God chooses if we are Christians, to view us as righteous, justified, perfect, sinless, forgiven... THAT’S GOOD NEWS... THAT’S WHAT THE GOSPEL IS, GOOD NEWS -- IT IS JUST THE NEWS WE NEEDED.
But let’s keep this straight/let’s make sure we understand that our righteousness is in the mind of God and not in ourselves.. I reject the Holiness theology which says salvation is in personal holiness... it is not, Salvation is in imputed holiness - imputed righteousness...
The word impute means to credit to a person something that he does not have on his own. We see this concept all the way back in Genesis chapter 15 where it says, "THAT ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD AND IT WAS CREDITED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS..." God chose to view Abraham, because of his faith as righteous... Now does this mean that Abraham was personally righteousness (that he never sinned?) No! For we see as we study the rest of the book of Genesis that Abraham fell short many times (he lied, and disobeyed God)... But because of Abraham’s faith God chose to view him as righteous. When God looked at Abraham he saw righteousness.
God imputed or credited to Abraham’s account something he could not have done on his own -- be righteousness in the mind of God.
Hear this, we are righteous, not because we live righteous lives (perfect lives , sinless lives) .. we could never do that,
We are righteous, because God reckons us as righteous, He credits righteousness to our account... If we are in Christ -- God chooses to view us as righteous... To view us as sinless/justified. Just as God chose to view Christ’s death on the cross as a substitute for our death.....
BECAUSE GOD LOVES US HE SENT JESUS INTO THE WORLD TO DIE, AND JESUS BECAME on the cross, IN THE MIND OF GOD OUR SIN, SO THAT WE COULD BECOME IN THE MIND OF GOD, HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS...
In verse 21 there are 2 key/essential words...
IN HIM
EVERYTHING WE HAVE IS IN HIM (IN CHRIST), IT IS NOT IN US...
"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Rm 6:23
"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus..." Rm 8:1
"I always thank God for you because of his grace given you In Christ Jesus." 1 Cor 1:4
"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive..." 1 Cor 15:22
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"
- 2 Cor 5:17
"In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins..." Eph 1:6
"But now in Christ Jesus, you who were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." - Eph 2:13
Everything we have is in Christ.....
SALVATION IS NOT IN US IT IS IN CHRIST
GRACE IS IN CHRIST...
SANCTIFICATION IS IN CHRIST..
OUR POSITION IS IN CHRIST
WE ARE NOTHING AND HE IS EVERYTHING.. GOD HAS RECKONED, IMPUTED, CREDITED TO OUR ACCOUNT HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, BECAUSE HE HAD TO OTHERWISE WE WOULD HAVE NO RIGHTEOUSNESS AT ALL.
IN HIM IN HIM IN HIM IN HIM
IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS...
SALVATION BY GRACE...
WHAT IT MEANS TO BE SAVED, IS TO BE IN JESUS -- IN CHRIST....
AND THE IMPORTANT QUESTION IS THEN, IF SALVATION IS IN CHRIST, THEN HOW DO WE GET IN ON GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION... HOW TO WE GET IN ON THAT ARRANGEMENT THAT GOD MADE WITH HIMSELF ON THE CROSS?
HOW DO WE GET IN CHRIST?...
WELL, WE HAVE TO TAKE GOD’S WORD FOR IT, AND DO IT GOD’S WAY...SALVATION, IS IN THE MIND OF GOD, AND NOT THE HEART OF MAN.
LET ME REPEAT THIS, SALVATION TAKES PLACE, IN THE MIND OF GOD, AND NOT THE HEART OF MAN. THE CHANGE THAT TAKES PLACE, IN THE HEART OF MAN, IS A BY-PRODUCT.. IT IS THE EFFECT, IT IS NOT THE CAUSE.
WE ARE NOT SAVED BECAUSE WE ARE CHANGED--
WE ARE SAVED BECAUSE WE ARE FORGIVEN...
WE ARE SAVED BECAUSE "IN CHRIST, " GOD CHOOSES TO VIEW US, AS RIGHTEOUS.
THE NT TEACHES THAT SALVATION TAKES PLACE IN THE MIND OF GOD... SALVATION, IS NOT, IN PERSONAL RIGHTEOUSNESS -- WE WILL NEVER, IN THIS LIFE BE WITHOUT SIN... SALVATION, IS IN IMPUTED RIGHTEOUSNESS -- GOD DECLARES US RIGHTEOUS IN HIS MIND.
QUESTION, HOW DO WE GET IN HIM/CHRIST?.... BY MOVING INTO CHRIST IN THE MIND OF GOD.... WE ARE IN HIM/CHRIST, WHEN GOD SAYS THAT WE ARE IN HIM.. THE DEATH OF JESUS, IS A SUBSTITUTE FOR OUR SIN, OUR ETERNAL JUDGMENT, WHEN GOD SAY IT IS... BECAUSE HE IS THE OFFENDED GOD ..
IT IS HIS PLAN OF SALVATION, AND WE’LL DO IT HIS WAY, OR, WE WILL NOT DO IT AT ALL. YOU SEE, WE HAVE TO OBEY GOD IN THIS BECAUSE DISOBEYING GOD IS A SIN, AND WE CAN NOT BE SAVED FROM OUR SINS, BY AN ACT OF DISOBEDIENCE...
WHAT WE HAVE IN THE NT. IN REGARDS TO OUR SALVATION, IS ABSOLUTE clarity
When the audience of the first Gospel sermon ever preached heard the message they said, "What must we do to be saved/", TO WHICH PETER GOD’S AMBASSADOR SAID, "REPENT AND BE BAPTIZED EVERYONE OF YOU IN THE NAME OF JESUS. FOR THE REMISSION OF YOUR SINS." Is that clear? (BAPTISM = IMMERSION)
God, who could have built altars, and constructed many plans of salvation, only provided one, and he created through the apostles AND THE INSPIRED WORD, the marvelous act of baptism which is a picture of what save us... what saves us? The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.
That’s what God chose, and He said, that, "HE That BELIEVES AND IS BAPTIZED WILL BE SAVED."
What God says, is that when we come in faith and repentance and are baptized, we receive the forgiveness of sins. God says, THAT when you do this, I will view you as being in Christ.
Ananais said To Paul, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR ARISE AND BE BAPTIZED WASHING AWAY YOUR SINS CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD."
And Paul says in Galatians 3:27, THAT WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST WE PUT ON CHRIST." IS THAT CLEAR?
And Paul says in Romans 6, "OR DON’T YOU KNOW THAT ALL OF US WHO WERE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST JESUS , WERE BAPTIZED INTO HIS WHAT (HIS DEATH) WHAT SAVES US? THE DEATH OF JESUS -- IS THAT CLEAR....?
Look at those 2 verses again, they tell us how to get in Christ....baptized into Christ...
PAUL ALSO SAYS IN ROMANS, THAT WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED INTO CHRIST WE DIE TO SIN... AND ARE RAISED TO LIVE A NEW LIFE .. WE ARE BORN AGAIN.
Throughout the book of Acts, which traces the early history of the church, we see men always being saved the same way...
In chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost, we are told that 3,000 received the message and were baptized.
In Acts chapter 8, after Philip preached Jesus, to the Ethiopian Eunuch, The Eunuch said, "LOOK HERE IS WATER WHY SHOULDN’T I BE BAPTIZED." AND THEY STOPPED THE CHARIOT AND THEY BOTH WENT INTO THE WATER AND PHILIP BAPTIZED HIM.
The households of Lydia and Cornelius were baptized... The Philippian jailer was baptized at that very hour... after hearing the message.... Acts 16
Crispus, the synagogue ruler in Corinth was baptized along with many other Corinthians... Acts 18
PETER SAYS IN HIS LETTER "THAT BAPTISMS SAVES US!!!"
THROUGHOUT THE NT, WE SEE THE SAME PLAN, WE SEE PEOPLE BEING SAVED THE SAME WAY...
IT IS THE SAME PLAN
IT IS GOD’S PLAN...
GOD IMPUTES HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS TO US, WHEN WE ARE IN CHRIST... WHEN WE ARE IN CHRIST WE ARE VIEWED AS SINLESS, AS FORGIVEN IN THE MIND OF GOD....
AND WE COME INTO CHRIST ACCORDING TO GOD (THE ONE WHO WE HAVE OFFENDED THE ONE WHO SETS THE TERMS), THROUGH THE ACT OF BAPTISM...
THE BAPTISM OF A REPENTED BELIEVER.
THIS IS GOD’S WAY -- AND IT IS THE ONLY WAY THAT GOD HAS REVELED TO US -- THE TEACHING OF NT IS CLEAR....
D. L. Moody regretted losing sight of the urgency.
He said that his "greatest mistake" occurred October 8, 1871. On that night his message was based on Pilate’s question, "What shall I do then with Jesus?" Matthew 27:22. As he concluded, he said, "I wish you would seriously consider this subject, for next Sunday we will speak about the cross, and at that time I’ll inquire, ’What will you do with Jesus?’"
Little did anyone know that these words would be the last ever heard in that huge hall. Even as they were being sung, the soloist’s voice was nearly drowned out by the sound of clanging bells in the street. That was the night of the great Chicago fire which almost destroyed the entire city. Among the hundreds who died were some who earlier had been in moody’s audience.
The evangelist was greatly distressed by this and lamented his tragic error in not asking men and women to receive the Lord that evening. "Now, whenever I preach," he said later, "I press for a definite decision. I would rather lose my right hand than give people even a day to decide for Christ, for I don’t know if I’ll ever see them again." The gospel invitation is a "today only" offer!
Today is the last sermon I will preach this year, this decade, this century, this millennium... AND it is the sermon you probably will hear... The last Sunday you’ll get to walk down that isle... What a way to celebrate Christmas - by accepting the gift of salvation that cost God the death of his son...
What will you do with Jesus...?
In the year 1829, a Philadelphia man named George Wilson robbed the U.S. mails, killing someone in the process. Wilson was arrested, brought to trial, found guilty and sentenced to be hanged. Some friends intervened in his behalf and were finally able to obtain a pardon for him from President Andrew Jackson. But, when he was informed of this, George Wilson refused to accept the pardon!
The sheriff was unwilling to enact the sentence - for how could he hang a pardoned man. An appeal was went to President Jackson. The perplexed President turned to the United States Supreme Court to decide the case.
Chief Justice Marshall ruled, "a pardon is a piece of paper, the value of which depends on its acceptance by the person implicated. It is hardly to be supposed that a person under a sentence of death would refuse to accept a pardon, but if it is refused, it is then not A PARDON. George Wilson must be hanged."
So George Wilson was executed, although his pardon lay on the sheriff’s desk....
