The Good News Of The Gospel-Pt.2-"saved By What?"

Last week’s sermon, Pt.1, “Saved from what?” was hard to listen to. It was a 100% true, but it was a difficult topic to explore. There is nothing easy or attractive about hell and the doctrine of conscious, eternal punishment. But hopefully, the desperateness of the situation, the hopelessness and impossibility to do anything to avoid the wrath of God and the judgment of hell was taken as the warning it was intended to be, for that is how Scripture presents it.

Near the end of that sermon, I spoke of the only way of escape, the only way of salvation, which was to be found in Christ Jesus alone.

Today, I want to explore the salvation that is ours by answering the question, “Saved by what?” As we consider the work of Christ, we need to consider not only His death but also His life. Both are needed for our redemption. There are two requirements necessary for obtaining salvation. The first is removing the guilt and punishment due our sin that alienates us from God and keeps us out of heaven.

The second is to gain the reward of heaven through perfect obedience and reconciliation to God.

The first involves Christ’s death, the second, His life.

Let’s consider the first, the removal of guilt and punishment which involves death.

All sin must be punished. That punishment is death and condemnation. But if God immediately passed sentence on everyone who sinned, “who could stand?” there would be no one left on earth. But God had already determined a way to exact punishment, without executing every single person. That way involved a SUBSTITUTE. Right from the beginning when Adam, as the representative of all humanity, sinned and broke the covenant of works, which required obedience, there was the shedding of blood in that God provided animal skins to Adam and Eve to cover them. Symbolically that covered their sin. Then throughout the Old Testament we have the whole system of animal sacrifices to cover the sins of the person and the nation. Those sacrifices stayed the hand of God. But all those sacrifices were temporary in their effect and duration. That’s why they needed to be repeated again and again. As it clearly states in Heb.10:1-4;

“The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. 2 Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. 3 But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. 4 It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Those animal sacrifices, while they temporarily covered sin, they could not make the people perfect. Last week I pointed out that we are called to be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. That perfection means sinless perfection, as in keeping the commandments without fault and no one is able to, or wants to, so no one can meet that criteria of perfection. Rom.3:23 states;

“ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”

We are all guilty of sinning. And all sin, all failure, all imperfection must be punished. That simply means everyone deserves judgment and condemnation before a holy God. And no one will escape judgment as 2 Cor.5:10 states;

““For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ,”

If we continued to read the Heb.10 passage in v.11-14, we find;

“Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 and since that time he waits for his enemies to be made his footstool. 14 For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

That Old Testament theme of substitutionary sacrifice carries over to the New As Paul notes in Eph.5:2;

“… Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”

So, without Christ, we all sit on death row, guilty and awaiting final judgment. As we sit, every time we hear the outer lock open, we know they have come for someone. The date of execution has come. But this time two people are walking down the corridor. They pass by many cells but stop at yours. The jailer, whose name is Grace, opens your cell and says, “You are free to go.” “What?” you surprisingly ask. She nods to the person behind her. This man has taken your place and will be your substitute and has agreed to accept your punishment. You are free to go.” As you step out and pass close to that man, he smiles at you and He says; “You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you to love and die in your place. Go in peace.” And you walk out as a free person into the light and life that awaits.