allenroy@cs.pdx.edu (callen roy) (06/10/91)
This is part 2 on the Judgement.
God's Multiple Remedies to the sin problem
During the brief years of His mission, Jesus was moved by one overriding desire:
to reveal to a darkend world the light of truth about His 'Father'. With
godly exasperation, He chided His disciples for failing to see that His life
was a revelation of the 'Father' (John 14:7-11). More than 227 times in
John's Gospel alone, Jesus makes specific references to the 'Father'.
Indeed, the key to eternal life itself is in knowing the 'Father' as revealed
in the life of Jesus (John 17:3).
'O righteous Father,' Jesus cries out, 'the world has not known thee!'(John
17:25) Jesus can think of no greater tragedy than that the One who most
deserves to be known and loved has been monstrously maligned by the enemy.
And so would we not expect that Jesus would want to strike right at the heart
of the sin problem?
Paul recognized that the best news our sin blinded mins could comprehend was
'the light of the gospel (good news) of the glory of Christ, who is the
likeness of God.' (2 Corinthians 4:4) He rejoicec that God has 'shone in our
hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the Glory of God in the Face of
Jesus. (2 Corinthians 4:6). It is an unbroken theme, from Genesis to Revelation
repeated hundreds of times: The knowledge of God shatters Satan's deceptive
power and is the foundation for all of God's redemptive work for mankind.
Indeed, the truth about our God is what wins our hearts, reconciling us to
Him. In Jesus 'God was reconciling the world to himself. (2 Corinthians
5:19). God takes the initiative, God sends truth in His 'Son', who alone can
fully reveal God. And the glad, free response of the now-enlightened heart
is known as FAITH.
Faith is a personal friendship with God, characterized by love and trust.
Faith becomes more mature as one comes to know God more fully. Yet one of
first truths God wishes us to know is how He views that death sentence
hanging over our heads. In His own 'Son', He has borne that sentence in
our place, so that we might fearlessly have the right of free acces to His
presence. (John 3:16; Hebrews 10:20-22) Complete pardon, justification,
forgiveness, acquittal--call it whatever we will--expresses one overpower-
ing truth: past sins are no barries to present fellowship with our Lord!
THAT is His SETTLED attitude toward all who have faith in Him. Not because
any of us have deserved it by our performance, but because HE LOVES US!
The only requirement: FAITH. Faith in a Person. Not faith in the cross,
but faith in the Jesus who died on the cross and thus in the 'Father' who
gave Jesus for us. (Romans 4:5, 20-22; 8:32)
Faith not only changes our legal status from 'guilty' to 'innocent,' it also
gives God dramatic new acces to change radically our inner selves. Just as
ali]ienation from God devastated our self-worth, so now the assurance of
present acceptance by God rebuilds it. The ego-centered coping mechanisms
which Satan had used to control us virtually at will are now stripped of
their power. Jesus' perfect love for us has cast out all fear of rejection
by others.(1 John 4:18) Our deep inner need for love being daily met by our
loving Saviour, we are able to turn outward and become truly loving,
unselfish persons. (1 John 4:19) This growth in Christlikeness of
character (which we often call sanctification) is not growth toward God's
acceptance; it is growth WITHIN that acceptance. God loves us not because we
are becoming more like Him; we are becoming more like Him because we ALREADY
know that He loves us! (Romans 8:31-38) God's love is a changing power.
Now let's examine God's remedy for the problem of our sinful flesh. True,
we ill live in this sin-damaged body until death or until the moment of the
second coming of Jesus, when we shall all be changed and given immortal
bodies. (1 Corinthians 15:51-55) But while living in these weakened bodies,
we still need not be mastered by them. As was the case with Jesus, we may
join paul in saying, 'the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith.
(Galations 2:20) The enlightening, strengthening power of the Holy Spirit
has set us free from the power of sinful flesh.(Romans 8:1-13)
In considering the diagram below, it might be worth noting that the word
'sin' applies most appropriately to the second part--the broken faith
relationship. If that problem is being solved and one is walking in
faith, would it not seem strange to point to the existence of the sinful
flesh and say that because it remains until the second coming one will
therefore be a sinner until translation? Is 'sin a function of the mind
and loyalties, or of weakened blood vessels andtired muscles? The problem
RELATIOONSHIP can be fully solved in this life, even though the problem
of sin-damaged flesh remains. And that is part of what Jesus came to
demonstrate to us.
THE SIN PROBLEM Selfish Character
and Values
-->--> -----------------
A New Heart
Sanctification
Satan's Deceptions Broken Faith Guilt: Deserving
About God Relationship the Second Death
------------------ -->--> ------------- -->--->--> -----------------
Truth About God Faith: Reconciled Justification: Pardon;
in Jesus' Life to God in Love Viewed as Righteous,
and Death Trust and Obedience Accepted
Sinful Flesh:
Sin-damaged Body
-->---> -----------------
GOD'S REMEDIES Controlled by the new
Spirit-led Mind