Tag Archives: Sin

Discipleship, Faith

Christ Crucified. What did Jesus’ Death Accomplish?

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Prior to Christ’s crucifixion on the cross two thousand years ago, people sought to cleanse their impurities by sacrificing animals to God. But the Bible makes clear that such an approach is imperfect: “Under the old system, the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer could (only) cleanse people’s bodies from ceremonial impurity” (Hebrews 9:13, NLT). That left the sins of the people unforgiven. Why? Because, as the writer of Hebrews informs us, “it is not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Hebrews 104, NLT). The washing away of sins requires a more perfect sacrifice than the blood of animals.

For the old covenant between God and man required “the priest stand and minister before the alter day after day, offering the same sacrifices again and again, which can never take away sins” (Hebrews 10:11, NLT). And if those “sacrifices could have provided perfect cleansing, the sacrifices would have stopped. For the worshippers would have been purified once for all time, and their feelings of guilt would have disappeared” (Hebrews 10:2, NLT). 

So if the old system was inadequate to cleanse people from their sins and restore them into a right relationship with God, what purpose did it serve? Once again the writer of Hebrews explains: “The old system under the law of Moses was only a shadow, a dim preview of the good things to come, not the good things themselves. The sacrifices under that system were repeated again and again, year after year, but they were never able to provide perfect cleansing for those who came to worship” (Hebrews 10:1, NLT). Perfect cleansing could only come from a perfect sacrifice.

And the perfect sacrifice required the shedding of blood, “for without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22b, NLT). For that purpose God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world, to redeem mankind (see John 3:16-17): “With His own blood – not the blood of goats and calves – Jesus entered the Most Holy Place once for all time and secured our redemption forever” (Hebrews 9:12, NLT). Meditate on that incredible truth for a moment. Jesus’ blood was fully sufficient to cleanse us from our sins, and His sacrificial death eliminates the need for daily sacrifices. He redeems us from our iniquities, once for all eternity.

Now, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a, NLT) and the Lord “is not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), God sought to reconcile us to Himself so that we would not spend eternity in hell. “For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all time” (Hebrews 10:10, NLT). 

And in obedience to the Father’s will, Jesus went to the cross: “For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins” and in doing so He “mediates a new covenant between God and mankind” (Hebrews 9:14b-15a, NLT). Jesus suffered a death He did not deserve that we might have eternal life that we do not deserve.

It is important to understand that in His suffering on the cross Jesus experienced more than an excruciatingly painful and tortured death; He bore God’s punishment for our sins so we would not have to bear them. “For Christ died to set (us) free from the penalty of sins (we) committed” (Hebrews 9:15b). That penalty is everlasting torment and suffering in hell (see Revelation 20:15, 21:8). To avoid eternal damnation, and instead receive forgiveness of sin and eternal life, one need only believe in and receive Christ.

Take some time this week to study the truths above and allow them to nourish your soul. They are a lot to digest in a single setting, in part because of their complexity and in part because they run counter to what our culture teaches.

Fortunately, the apostle Paul summarizes the above message in a clear and compelling way: “God, in HIs grace, freely makes us right in His sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when He freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. You are made right with God when you believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood” (Romans 3:24-25). Paul then adds that “God did this to demonstrate His righteousness, for He Himself is fair and just, and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus” (Romans 3:26b. NLT).

Finally, Paul provides a succinct summation that you would do well to memorize: “For God showed us His great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners. And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, He will certainly save us from God’s condemnation … for there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus” (Romans 5:8-9, 8:1, NLT).

So to answer the question posed in the title, ‘What did Jesus’ death accomplish?’ Quite a lot actually: Forgiveness of sins; Restored relationship with God; and Eternal Life for all who believe in Jesus. May that truth be a source of joy and encouragement for you today.

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Faith

Satan’s Most Effective Trick.

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In comparison to our omnipotent God, Satan appears powerless, like a toddler getting into the ring with the heavyweight champion of the world. He has no chance. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have a few tricks up his sleeve, some of which have proven incredibly effective over the years, even against the people of God. Like some sadistic killer, he has honed the art of inflicting pain and destroying lives, and draws from a breadth of tools he has mastered over the millennia to accomplish his reprehensible exploits.

In his book, The Solomon Seduction, author Mark Atteberry suggests that “of all the nasty little stunts (Satan) pulls, making sin look like a good idea is easily the most dastardly.” Certainly the ability to give sin so thorough a makeover that it appears appealing is one of the devil’s most successful deceptions.

But an even more effective and dangerous trick, I believe, is Satan’s prodigious talent for persuading us that our conduct isn’t sin at all. Once we buy into the idea that God does not prohibit our behavior, the speed with which it becomes an entrenched part of our identity is supersonic. After all, why struggle against or resist an action if God doesn’t find it offensive?

American society has proven a receptive audience to this sham, happily devouring a philosophy that replaces God’s view of sin with a permissive perspective that condones all behavior. In fact, our culture so thoroughly embraces Satan’s enticing creed that it now categorically dismisses the concept of sin as silly and superstitious – a concept conceived in ignorance by a bunch of narrow-minded religious zealots. This represents an almost universal view on campuses, in Hollywood, on Wall Street, and among elected officials in the nation’s capital.

And though Satan has enjoyed unparalleled success targeting secular society with this fraud, he has succeeded in hoodwinking the church with it as well. While Christians may not subscribe to its tenets to the same degree as the culture, an honest assessment of our lives reveals its existence.

Indeed, Satan’s scheme has proven so effective we often fail to recognize our acquiescence to his lie. We have incurred spiritual blind spots that prevent us from perceiving the truth regarding our secret sins. Moreover, because we cherish these sinful behaviors we have little motivation to discover the truth. We revel in the maxim that ignorance is bliss. Consequently, we face the frightening prospect that we will continue in our hidden sins indefinitely. Our unwillingness to consider an alternate view of our behavior desensitizes us to the Holy Spirit’s conviction.

It is likely every one of us has some sin in his or her life that he or she incorrectly views as acceptable to God. (Those who believe themselves excluded from this assertion are likely the most deluded of all). Recognizing the obstacles we face in uncovering the truth, how do we remove our spiritual blind spots and identify the sins that so easily (and stealthily) ensnare us?

First, we must immerse ourselves in the Word of God to develop a thorough understanding of the mind and heart of Christ. In the absence of such knowledge Satan’s job of fooling us is made considerably easier since shallow infrequent study of Scripture generally produces shallow infrequent followers of Christ.

Second, we must petition God to expose the deceits of our hearts and reveal our hidden sins. God delights in those who want to live holy lives and will gladly answer such prayers – if genuine and unconditional. In others words, we cannot offer such prayers with hidden desires that some behaviors be excluded.

Third, we must seek counsel from mature believers. Those who have faithfully navigated the Christian journey for many years can often shed light on sin we have inadvertently embraced as harmless. Sometimes these seasoned believers are friends, family members, or congregants at our local church, and other times they are national leaders who speak to us through their writings, sermons, and ministries.

Finally, we must understand that when our inner voice justifies a behavior, that’s one indication something is amiss. We ought to exercise great caution before we pursue any conduct that falls into a gray area. The heart’s ability to deceive is legendary and we must resist the temptation to allow it to have its way with us.

A multitude of actions fall into the gray area and at first blush many will seem innocuous from inside the church – even if we might agree that secular society often practices them in a sinful manner. In truth, the church often practices them in a sinful manner, too. Here are three such sinful behaviors that thrive in many evangelical and orthodox churches because leadership and laity alike refuse to confront them.

1) We love the world and the things in the world. (See 1 John 2:15-17)

2) We steal God’s glory by inserting ‘I’ and ‘me’ into the narrative of His work in our lives, communities, and churches – and often do so with alarming frequency. (See Isaiah 42:8).

3) We worship God with our lips but our hearts are far from Him. (See Matthew 15:7-9).

Take time to reflect on your lifestyle and habits. Are there areas in your life that house a hidden sin? If so, ask God for forgiveness and the power to overcome them. If you are unable to identify any secret sins, spend time in prayer and seek God’s guidance in exposing them. As you do you will undergo a spiritual transformation as God reignites your faith in amazing ways.

Faith

How to Respond to God When We Sin.

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We all sin. No matter how much we desire to obey God, there are times we fall short. Irrespective of the maturity of our faith, the passion of our worship, and our zeal for Christ, we will stumble and sin against the Lord. When that happens we must acknowledge our sin, repent, and ask God for forgiveness. Unfortunately, too often we take an approach that compounds the consequences of our sin and magnifies the gulf between God and us.

For example, when Adam and Eve disobeyed God’s command not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they hid themselves. They knew they had done wrong and didn’t want to face the consequences. When He confronts them with their disobedience, Adam deflects blame away from himself. “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:12, NKJV). Adam seems to suggest he has no culpability in the matter. God is partially to blame for giving him the woman and Eve is partially to blame for providing him fruit from the tree.

Not to be outdone, Eve adopts a similar approach when God questions her. “The serpent deceived me, and I ate” (vs. 13). Her defense points to the slimy snake as the source of her sin. But for its treachery she would have remained holy. Adam and Eve’s unwillingness to accept fault for their choices, to confess their disobedience, and to ask forgiveness drove a wedge in their relationship with God.

Another way many of us deal with sin in our life is to complain about God’s standards and insist His expectations are unreasonable. The nation of Israel demonstrated this time and again. God reveals their attitude when He tells the prophet Ezekiel, “The children of your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not fair’” (Ezekiel 33:17, NKJV). Rather than admit their iniquity, they instead insist that God is wrong to hold them to His standards. They refused to be held accountable for their actions and attitudes.

Another common response is to ignore God altogether and not even acknowledge His words. We tend to do this whenever our rebellious heart refuses to concede some aspect of life to God. We simply ignore His call on that area of life. This is exemplified by the nation of Israel numerous times in the Old Testament. Zechariah tells us that they, in response to God’s commands, “refused to heed, shrugged their shoulders, and stopped their ears so that they could not hear. Yes, they made their hearts like flint, refusing to hear the … words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit” (Zechariah 7:11-12, NKJV).

Their unwillingness to heed God’s commands not only resulted in disobedience but also severed their relationship with Him. Their hearts became hardened. They were desensitized to God’s ways and grew more distant from Him with each act of rebellion. There are dire consequences when that happens. Paul tells us that at some point a sinner’s heart becomes so hardened that God gives them up to their lusts, vile passions, and debased mind (see Romans 1:22-28). At that moment they reach the point of no return, allowed to chase darkness without any further conviction from the Holy Spirit.

So how should we respond when God uses His Holy Spirit to convict us of sin in our lives? David provides a sound blueprint. When the prophet Nathan confronts him with his adultery and murder David cries out, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13, NKJV). He does not offer excuses, deny his behavior, or shift the blame onto someone else. He confesses his sin and pleads for mercy. Psalm 51 captures his response in great detail and I encourage you to read it slowly. Allow David’s response to saturate your soul and provide a model for repentance and reconciliation with God.

Have mercy on me, O God,

    because of your unfailing love.

Because of your great compassion,

    blot out the stain of my sins.

Wash me clean from my guilt.

    Purify me from my sin.

For I recognize my rebellion;

    it haunts me day and night.

Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;

    I have done what is evil in your sight.

You will be proved right in what you say,

    and your judgment against me is just.

For I was born a sinner—

    yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

But you desire honesty from the womb,

    teaching me wisdom even there.

Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean;

    wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Oh, give me back my joy again;

    you have broken me—

    now let me rejoice.

Don’t keep looking at my sins.

    Remove the stain of my guilt.

Create in me a clean heart, O God.

    Renew a loyal spirit within me.

Do not banish me from your presence,

    and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation,

    and make me willing to obey you.

Then I will teach your ways to rebels,

    and they will return to you.

Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves;

    then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.

Unseal my lips, O Lord,

    that my mouth may praise you.

You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one.

    You do not want a burnt offering.

The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit.

    You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.

(Psalm 51:1-17, NLT).

David does a number of things in his prayer to God. He confesses the specifics of his sin, proclaims God’s standards are just, and admits his tendency to sin. He then pleads for God’s mercy, compassion, and forgiveness. He asks God to restore his joy and give him an obedient heart. He concludes by asking God for two things: an opportunity to share His ways with other rebellious people, and for a voice that sings praises to God.

The next time God lays conviction on your heart, don’t ignore it. Resist the temptation to justify your behavior. Avoid shifting the blame to someone else. Instead, follow the pattern offered by David. Confess, seek mercy, ask for God’s cleansing and restoration, and share His truth and love with others. Finally, sing with a grateful heart that He hears and answers your prayer!