Why Christ Had to Die…
Illustration: Man on the street interviews…if you ask people why Christ had to die, many/most wouldn’t know the answer!
Illustration: Young lady that said she wasn’t a sinner when I asked her about her relationship to God.
What has happened to the knowledge of sin?
If you don’t understand sin you will never appreciate the cross:
“God is holy, without spot or blemish, or any such thing, without any wrinkle, or anything like it, as they also that are in Christ shall one day be (Ephesians 5.27 ).
Illustration: Man on the street interviews…if you ask people why Christ had to die, many/most wouldn’t know the answer!
Illustration: Young lady that said she wasn’t a sinner when I asked her about her relationship to God.
What has happened to the knowledge of sin?
- Secularization of society
- Self-love psychology
- Sympathizing with relativism
- Silence of churches
If you don’t understand sin you will never appreciate the cross:
- Sin is always against God (Psalm 51:4)
- Sin is selfishness/egoism (Romans 15:3; 1 Corinthians 13:5; 2 Timothy 3:2, 4; 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4)
- Sin is failure to love God (Mark 12:30; Romans 11:30)
- Sin is treachery – deceitfulness with/unfaithfulness to God (Ezekiel 18:24; Isaiah 48:8; 1 Chronicles 5:25; Psalm 78:57)
- Sin is rebellion/Insubordination to His commands (1 John 3:4; 1 Samuel 15:23; 2 Thessalonians 2:3)
- Sin is failure to glorify God (1 Corinthians 10:31; Romans 1:21, 25)
- Sin is missing the mark (1 John 5:17; Romans 3:23)
- Sin is trespassing the boundary/law (Romans 5:14; 1 Timothy 2:14)
“God is holy, without spot or blemish, or any such thing, without any wrinkle, or anything like it, as they also that are in Christ shall one day be (Ephesians 5.27 ).
He is so holy, that he cannot sin himself, nor be the cause or author of sin in another. He does not command sin to be committed, for to do so would be to cross his nature and will. Nor does he approve of any man’s sin, when it is committed, but hates it with a perfect hatred. He is without iniquity, and of purer eyes than to behold (i.e. approve) iniquity (Habakkuk 1:13).
“On the contrary, as God is holy, all holy, only holy, altogether holy, and always holy, so sin is sinful, all sinful, only sinful, altogether sinful, and always sinful (Genesis 6.5). In my flesh, there dwelleth no good thing (Romans 7.18 ).
As in God there is no evil, so in sin there is no good. God is the chiefest of goods and sin is the chiefest of evils. As no good can be compared with God for goodness, so no evil can be compared with sin for evil.” (Ralph Venning, The Sinfulness of Sin, Section II, p. 9 – lived early to middle 1600’s) .
All of us have been touched by sin:
“While it is true that the full meaning of the death of Christ cannot be captured in one or two slogan-like statements, it is also true that its central meaning can and must be focused on several very basic ideas. There are four such basic doctrines:
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… (1 Corinthians 15:3)
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace… (Ephesians 1:7)
Does God really love us? I say look to the crucified Jesus. Look to the old rugged cross.
SURVIVING THE RIVER OF DEATH
Max Lucado, in his book, “Six Hours One Friday,” tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away — across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed the river was inhabited by evil spirits. And to enter its water would mean certain death.
The missionary explained how he had crossed the river & was unharmed. But they were not impressed. He then took them to the bank & placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist & splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river.
Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He raised a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water & escaped. It was then that the Indians broke into a cheer & followed him across.
Isn’t that what Jesus did? He entered the river of death & came out on the other side so that we might no longer fear death, but find eternal life in Him. --Max Lucado, "Six Hours One Friday.”
- Inherent Sin (the inclination toward sin) – Adam’s inner nature was transformed by his sin of rebellion. We’re not sinners because we sin. We sin because we are sinners.
- Imputed Sin (To credit something to another’s account) – From Adam to Moses, all humans deserved punishment for sin, but not because they had broken the law. Since the giving of the Law all humans also have imputed sin.
- Individual sins – sins committed every day…from the seemingly innocent untruths we tell, to the most despicable sins imaginable to humankind.
“While it is true that the full meaning of the death of Christ cannot be captured in one or two slogan-like statements, it is also true that its central meaning can and must be focused on several very basic ideas. There are four such basic doctrines:
- Christ’s death was a substitution for sinners (He died in our place).
- Christ’s death was a redemption in relation to sin (to purchase us from the slave market of sin).
- Christ’s death was a reconciliation in relation to man (to reconcile man to God to remove the barrier of separation).
- Christ’s death was a propitiation in relation to God (to satisfy the holy demands of a holy and just God).” –Dr. Charles Ryrie
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures… (1 Corinthians 15:3)
For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
…who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died to sins, might live for righteousness by whose stripes you were healed. (1 Peter 2:24)
For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:3-4)
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace… (Ephesians 1:7)
Does God really love us? I say look to the crucified Jesus. Look to the old rugged cross.
- By every thorn that punctured His brow.
- By every mark of the lacerating scourge.
- By every hair of his beard plucked from his cheeks by cruel fingers.
- By every bruise which heavy fists made upon His head. God said, "I love you!"
- By all the spit that landed on his face.
- By every drop of sinless blood that fell to the ground.
- By every breath of pain which Jesus drew upon the cross.
- By every beat of His loving heart. God said, I love you!"
Max Lucado, in his book, “Six Hours One Friday,” tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily.
A hospital was not too terribly far away — across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed the river was inhabited by evil spirits. And to enter its water would mean certain death.
The missionary explained how he had crossed the river & was unharmed. But they were not impressed. He then took them to the bank & placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn’t go in. He walked into the water up to his waist & splashed water on his face. It didn’t matter. They were still afraid to enter the river.
Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He raised a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water & escaped. It was then that the Indians broke into a cheer & followed him across.
Isn’t that what Jesus did? He entered the river of death & came out on the other side so that we might no longer fear death, but find eternal life in Him. --Max Lucado, "Six Hours One Friday.”
