“The Great Cover Up – Victory Once for All”
Romans 4:13-25
Last week we began a series on Breaking the Stronghold of Sin in our lives. I challenged you last week to uncover the lie that you’ve been living. We discovered that we often believe that we’re ok on our own, that we’re not that bad and that some how we’ll make it into heaven by the skin of our teeth. We discovered that we often lie to ourselves when we look at others and think “I’m better than they are.” We found out that everything is level at the foot of the cross, that every sin is equal in God’s eyes. And we discovered that many Christians lie to themselves and say that a little dirt won’t hurt and continue living their lives bound by the power of sin, not claiming the victory that they can have over it.
This morning I want us to spend some time together discovering how it is that we can receive freedom from the sin and the evil which are common to each of us. This morning I want each of us to leave this place having been afforded the opportunity to access the victory which has been won for us once and for all.
Will you pray with me…
The decision had been made. The troops had been deployed and the battleships were on their way. Nearly three million soldiers were preparing to slam against Hitler’s Atlantic wall in France. D-Day was set in motion. Responsibility for the invasion fell squarely on the four-starred shoulders of General Dwight D. Eisenhower.
The general spent the night before the attack with the men of the 101st Airborne. They called themselves “The Screaming Eagles.” As his men prepared their planes and checked their equipment, Ike went from soldier to soldier offering words of encouragement. Many of the flyers were young enough to be his sons. He treated them like they were. A correspondent wrote that as he watched the c-47s take off and disappear, his hands were deep in his pockets and his eyes were full of tears.
The general then went to his quarters and sat at his desk. He took a pen and paper and wrote a message – a message which would be delivered to the White House in the event of a defeat.
It was as brief as it was courageous. “Our landings…have failed…the troops, the Air, and the Navy did all that bravery and devotion to duty could do. If any blame or fault attaches itself to the attempt it was mine alone.”
It could be argued that the greatest act of courage that day was not in a cockpit or a foxhole, but rather at that desk when the one at the top took responsibility for the ones below. When the one in charge took the blame – even before the blame needed to be taken.
He was a rare leader. This was an unusual display of courage. He modeled a quality seldom seen in our society. Most of us are willing to take credit for what we do good. Some are willing to take the rap for the bad we do. But few will assume responsibilities for the mistakes of others. Still fewer will shoulder the blame for mistakes yet uncommitted.
Eisenhower did. As a result, he became a hero.
Jesus did. As a result, he became our Savior.
Folks as we enter this sanctuary this morning we do so realizing the evil that exists in the human race. You need not look to Iraq to find it. You need not even search outside of your own home, rather simply look in the mirror. For within each of us evil resides. And when we are ready to uncover the lie that we perpetuate about our own goodness and our own ability to be righteous then and only then can we take the next step in the process of breaking the stronghold of sin in our lives. That next step is to claim the victory that was obtained on your behalf before your life began. To accept the work that only the blood of Christ can accomplish, the covering of your sins.
Today’s scripture lesson is a rather complex one. It is one which is not easily read and understood but which takes time and effort. Let me sum it up for you: Paul says that the law and grace are opposite pathways and that only one leads to salvation. He sets out to prove his point by sharing the story of Abraham and says that Abraham wasn’t justified by his obedience to the law because the law wasn’t in existence yet, therefore, Paul argues that the righteousness that the Bible attributes to Abraham could only have been based on faith. He goes on in the passage to further prove his argument and while I don’t want to get into a detailed explanation of these verses there is one recurring theme. Here’s what he’s trying to get across: obedience to the law alone is not enough. It’s the interior faith of any individual, not the exterior appearance that makes us right in God’s eyes.
If there’s one thing that Paul would like you to understand I believe that he would say something like this: you’re not going to make on your own! You can’t do it! That’s what he says throughout the entire book of Romans. He explicitly defines our sinful nature and goes to great lengths to make sure that we understand that we have come up short before God, that we are in debt and that our own righteousness is like filthy rags in God’s eyes.
I want you to think about that for a moment. Let me revisit what we talked about last week for a moment again. Most of us would say that we’re pretty good people. But what we discovered last week is that we’re not good enough. That on our own we are doomed. There is no way that you and I can span the gap that exists between our own sinfulness and God’s holiness. It simply cannot happen. And it’s time that we stop lying to ourselves and come to the realization that we need intervention from an outside source.
That’s where Paul leads us in today’s scripture reading. After he has proved his point that we cannot attain righteousness on our own, he concludes the passage by telling us that Jesus Christ did the work that we could not accomplish. He was righteous. And he died for our sins so that we could be forgiven. His righteousness was given to us. Our sins were covered by his blood.
Here’s what so many people miss, however. Most people believe in Jesus. Almost everyone who attends church would probably agree that Jesus died for sins. But, until you as an individual come to the point where you believe in him, where you put your trust in his love, where you give your life to him, the work that Christ did for you will not do any good. Because, you have to accept it! I know you’ve heard the analogy, but let me say it again: it’s like a gift: it’s not yours unless you accept it.
Today, most of you who are here have accepted that gift, I realize that and rejoice in that. But there may be those among us who have not accepted. You may be sitting here today saying, “I’ve been in church for years. I’ve lived a good life and have always believed that as long as my good deeds outweigh my bad ones, then I’ll be ok.” That might be the reason you’re here today, to tip your hat to God. To do your duty. Hear me, it’s not enough! If you rely on what you can do you’ll end up short. You’ll never make it! Today, right now, accept the simplicity of the gift and ask Christ to cover the sin in your life with his blood.
There are many in this room today including myself who understand what I have spoken about. You understand that your own efforts are not enough. You know that you are a sinner. You don’t need to be told that. But you haven’t really allowed the victory that Christ won at the cross to become a reality in your life. You’re still struggling with sin every day and are constantly at war with your desires. To you I say: continue to fight. Don’t give up, don’t give in. The final victory was won for you by Jesus Christ. Your sins have been covered. Claim that victory today and take the next step toward breaking the stronghold of sin in your life.
There’s a Russian fable about a master and a servant who went on a journey to a city. Before the two men could reach the destination they were caught in a terrible blizzard. They lost their direction and were unable to reach the city before nightfall.
The next morning concerned friends went searching for the two men. They finally found the master, frozen to death, face down in the snow. When they lifted him they found the servant – cold but alive. He survived and told how the master had voluntarily placed himself on top of the servant so the servant could live.
The master died for his servants.
Jesus died for us.
Jesus is the general who made provision for the soldiers’ mistakes. Jesus is the one who came so that your sins could be forgiven. He accomplished what no other could accomplish: the covering of all the sins of humanity. And he won what no one else could win: victory once for all. A victory which will never again have to be won. He came to give his life for you. Will you surrender your life to him?
