B.
GOD’S SOLUTION “…and the LORD has
laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isaiah 53:6b)
To
discover God’s solution for our sin problem, we must not ignore 4
foundational truths about God and man…
1.
GOD IS HOLY The majestic Creator-Owner of the Universe is a loving,
merciful God, but He is also a holy Lawgiver and a righteous Judge. His justice
demands that all His laws be kept perfectly—24 hours a day, seven
days a week. God’s mercy cannot contradict God’s
justice. All sin must be punished. Only perfect, holy people can live with a
perfect, holy God.
“God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. If
we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do
not live by the truth.” (1 John 1:5,6)
“. . . without
holiness no one will see the Lord… Our God is a
consuming fire.” (Hebrews 12:14, 29)
2.
MAN IS A HELPLESS SINNER As descendants of Adam, we are far from
perfect; we are sinful creatures, separated from our holy Creator. By
ourselves, we have no way to bridge the gap between us and God. From the
beginning, God’s uncompromising “law of sin and death”
(Genesis 2:16,17; Romans 8:2) made it clear that even one act of disobedience
would produce death. Death means separation. Man is spiritually dead—separated
from God, the Source of Life.
“Therefore, just as
sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way
death came to all men, because all sinned…” (Romans 5:12)
“Like water spilled on
the ground, which cannot be recovered, so we must die…” (2 Sam. 14:14)
God
is pure and holy. A single sin is as awful to God as a single drop of cyanide
would be to us in a glass of water. Adding some clean water to the poisoned
water will not fix the problem! Likewise, no amount of good deeds, prayer and
fasting can fix our sin & death problem. God cannot tolerate sin. Man must
die and face God’s righteous judgment. We are helpless sinners.
“The soul who sins is
the one who will die.” (Ezekiel 18:4)
“Man is destined to
die once, and after that to face judgment…” (Hebrews 9:27)
“…Your iniquities have
separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that
he will not hear.” (Isaiah 59:2)
Sin
is such an offensive thing to God that the penalty not only requires the
separated sinner to die physically, but also eternally. God’s
Word calls this “the second death” because it is a
state of eternal separation from God.
"The
lake of fire is the second death. If anyone’s name was not found
written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."
(Revelation 20:14-15)
Because
man was created to live forever, and because we are sinners, the uncompromising
“law of sin and death”
demands that we “pay” sin’s
penalty for all eternity. We are helpless to save ourselves from the awful
consequences of sin. This is not good news. We need a way whereby our sin debt
can be removed, without compromising God’s holy laws. We need
a way to bridge the gap.
3.
GOD HAS PROVIDED A SOLUTION God Himself has made a way so we can be
brought into a holy relationship with Him and escape the “second
death.” God’s solution for man’s
sin problem not only displays His great mercy and love, but also demonstrates
His perfect holiness and justice. On the same day that Adam and Eve sinned, God
promised to send into the world a deliverer (the Messiah). He would be born of “the
seed of the woman.” He would not have a human father. He would come from
Heaven. He would not be tainted with the sin nature common to all of Adam’s
descendants. God’s plan was to visit the world in human form. He would
do this by causing His Word to become flesh. Many reject this. Nonetheless,
this is the central message of the Scriptures of the prophets. Once you
understand this, the proverbial pieces of the puzzle fall into place. The
Scriptures of the prophets (the Bible) makes perfect sense. The One true God is
not limited by time and space. He can be in more than one place at a time. The
Scriptures are filled with pictures and prophecies about God’s
plan to send us a perfect, all-powerful Savior.
“The Lord himself will
give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son,
and will call him Immanuel (meaning ‘God with us’)…
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the
land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. …For
to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and he will be
called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”
(Isaiah 7:14; 9:2,6 [Written 700 B.C.])
“In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in
the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made
that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The
light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. …The
Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the
glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. …
No one has ever seen God, but God the One and Only, who is at the Father’s
side, has made him known… He was in the world, and though the world was made
through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his
own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children
born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s
will, but born of God.” (John 1:1-5,14,18,10-13)
In
the time chosen by God, He sent forth the promised Messiah. “The
Word became flesh.” His name was Jesus, meaning “God
saves.” He was unequaled in every way—in
His conception and character, in His authoritative words and miraculous works,
and in His death, resurrection and ascension. As the only man who never sinned,
Jesus the Messiah came to pay the eternal death penalty for Adam’s
race. This was God’s plan—a plan foreshadowed
in thousands of years of animal sacrifices and foretold in hundreds of
prophecies.
“In fact, the law
requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the
shedding of blood [death payment] there is no forgiveness [of man’s
sin debt].” (Hebrews 9:22)
In
order to satisfy “the law of sin and death”,
God brought in another law. It was called “the law of the sin
offering” (Leviticus 6:25). This law taught that God would
accept the blood of an innocent animal as a temporary payment for sin. This was
God’s way of punishing sin without punishing the sinner.
This was also God’s way of teaching man just how serious sin is. Sin can
only be paid with death; not with good deeds. Thus, for thousands of years,
those who believed God, offered up innocent lambs on altars as sacrifices for
sin. But, since the value of a lamb is not equal to that of man, such animal
blood could only atone for (cover) sin; it could not remove sin. A better and
more perfect sacrifice would be required.
1000
years before the Messiah came, the prophet David prophesied that the Lord, the
Messiah would suffer and die; that His “hands and feet”
would be “pierced” (see Psalm 22; see
also Psalm 2, 16 and 110).
700
years before Jesus was born, God inspired the prophet Isaiah to pen these words
about the Messiah…
“Who has believed our
message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? …he
was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and
the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and
afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the
slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is silent, so he did not open his
mouth… He was assigned a grave with the wicked and with the
rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his
mouth. Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him
and cause him to suffer, and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the LORD will
prosper in his hand. After the suffering of his soul, he will see the light of
life and be satisfied; by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many,
and he will bear their iniquities.” (Isaiah 53)
In
the Gospel record, Jesus is called “the Lamb of God, who
takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) Jesus
did not come merely to cover sin, but to take it away. Jesus Himself said, “Do
not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come
to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matthew 5:17)
Jesus
is the Savior of whom all the prophets wrote. Because He had no sin of His own
for which to die, He could die for another’s sin. And because He
was the infinite eternal Word of God in a human body, He could pay an infinite
price—for the whole world. In His great love, He came to die
in my place and yours—to take sin’s penalty and
consequences on Himself. On a Roman cross, Jesus the Messiah paid the penalty
for all sin for all time.
Just
as God provided a ram to die in the place of Abraham’s
son (Genesis 22), so Jesus died in our place, as our substitute. On the cross,
Jesus said, "It is finished!" (John 19:30) This statement, in its
original language, can also be translated, “Paid in full!”
Jesus Christ satisfied the symbolism of Abraham’s
sacrifice and the millions of other animal sacrifices. He fulfilled the
prophecies about the suffering Messiah. He paid your sin-debt in full. He has
bridged the gap.
“…Christ suffered for
you… He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his
mouth. When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he
suffered, he made no threats… Christ died for sins
once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.”
(1 Peter 2:21,22; 3:18)
But
Jesus did not remain dead. His glorious resurrection on the third day gave
proof that His death payment for sin was sufficient. He conquered sin’s
penalty—death itself! After Jesus rose from the dead, He said…
"Do
not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead,
and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and
Hades." (Revelation 1:17-18)
As
the One who has paid sin’s penalty and conquered death, the Lord Jesus offers
helpless sinners the free gift of eternal life. He has, by Himself, bridged the
gap. Man can enjoy a close relationship with His Creator. In the time before
Messiah, people’s relationship was restored with God by believing what
God would do for them in sending a Savior (looking forward). They showed their
faith in God by offering up the blood of innocent lambs as covering for sin.
Today we can be brought into a relationship with God by believing what He has
done for us (looking backward). To those who believe, God says this of your sin
debt: “PAID IN FULL!”
This
is God’s Good News. Yet many continue to ask, “So
what must we do for God so that God will give us this eternal life? Doesn’t
He require prayers, confession, fasting, baptism, giving alms, and the like, so
that we can live with Him forever? If we promise to change our behavior, will
this make us righteous before God?”
The
Bible’s clear answer is: “NO!”
The Scripture says:
"There
is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death."
(Proverbs 14:12)
“All of us have become
like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we
all shrivel up like a leaf, and like the wind our sins sweep us away.”
(Isaiah 64:6)
While
good works will certainly be produced in the lives of true believers, they are
not the means by which sinners are made acceptable to God. We cannot produce a
perfect kind of righteousness that is equal to God’s
standard of righteousness. He demands perfection. Still we hear people say: “Well,
what if I work real hard at keeping the Ten Commandments? Will God give me
eternal life then? Won’t that bridge the gap?”
Again
the answer is “NO!” God’s
Word says . . .
"Whoever
keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking
all of it." (James 2:10)
“Cursed is the man who
does not uphold the words of this law by carrying them out.”
(Deuteronomy 27:26)
“All who rely on
observing the law are under a curse, for it is written: "Cursed is
everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the
Law." Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because,
"The righteous will live by faith." (Galatians 3:10,11)
We
may think we live “good” lives, but God’s
standard is PERFECTION. As sinners we fall far short of what God requires for a
person to live in His holy presence.
“The LORD looks down
from heaven on the sons of men… All have turned
aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one [of Adam’s
race] who does good, not even one.” (Psalm 14:2,3)
“So then, just what
does God require of me? How can this gap be bridged?”
The
answer is found in the forth basic element of God’s
message…
4.
MAN MUST BELIEVE IN GOD'S SOLUTION God wants me to admit that I
cannot save myself, and He wants me to trust HIM and HIS SOLUTION. Just as
people who lived in the time before Christ were declared righteous when they
believed God and His plan (showing their faith by bringing sacrificial lambs),
so God will declare you righteous, the moment you truly believe that the Lord
Jesus died in your place on the cross, paying the death penalty for your sin.
Jesus, the Word of God in flesh, declared from the cross, “IT
IS FINISHED!” If you believe God’s message, He will
give you the right to live forever with Him in Heaven.
“Abram believed the
LORD, and he credited it to him as righteousness.”
(Genesis 15:6)
“All the prophets
testify about him (Jesus the Messiah) that everyone who believes in him
receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”
(Acts 10:43)
Jesus
said:
“Just as Moses lifted
up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone
who believes in him may have eternal life.
…I tell you the truth,
whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will
not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.
…I tell you the truth;
he who believes has everlasting life.
…Do not let your
hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me... I am the way and the
truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
(John 3:14,15; 5:24; 6:47; 14:1,6)
