Jesus of Nazareth: The Unequaled, Incomparable Christ - Part 8

References:

(1) The Bible teaches that God Himself has provided the ONLY means through which His WRATH against sin can be appeased and sinful man can be RECONCILED to Him. In the New Testament, the act of PROPITIATION always refers to the WORK of GOD and NOT to the GIFTS and SACRIFICES offered by MAN.

(2) There is NO SERVICE, NO WORK OF CHARITY, NO SACRIFICE, NO GIFT, NO VOW that man can OFFER that will appease the holy WRATH of God or satisfy His perfect JUSTICE. The only satisfaction, or PROPITIATION, that could be acceptable to God and that could reconcile man to Him HAD TO BE MADE BY GOD HIMSELF.

(3) The apostle Paul announces in 1:16-17 a succinct version of the Gospel: “I am not ASHAMED of the gospel of Christ for it (the gospel) is the power of God unto salvation for EVERYONE who believes.” The Universalists stop that verse after the word “everyone.” But that is an incomplete interpretation; it is “everyone that believes,” that is, that believes in Christ and what He has already done.

(4) Chapter 3 of Romans is divided into 3 sections. The first section from verses 1-8 defends God’s judgment. The second section from 9-20 informs us there is none righteous and ends with the verses 19-20.

(5) Then Paul proceeds to show in the third section from 3:21-31 that there is ONLY ONE WAY of SALVATION.

(6) At the end of the 3:20 we were in a HOPELESS POSITION. “Every mouth has been stopped and the WHOLE WORLD is GUILTY before God.” That we should see ourselves in this position is an absolute necessity. NO PERSON can become a Christian without realizing his UTTER HOPELESSNESS.

(7) Is there NO HOPE for us? Can NOTHING be done for us? Are we irretrievably DOOMED? Paul goes on to ANSWER those questions in 2 WORDS. The words are “BUT NOW.”

(8) These are the words that Paul uses to describe the GREAT TURNING POINT from the BAD NEWS of the wrath of God and man’s hopeless position to the GOOD NEWS of the Gospel. Paul first paints out the bleak, dark, and hopeless picture and having done that he introduces the good news with the words “but now.” These words are the HINGE that takes from the hopeless position to the prevailing position of the Gospel.

(9) When the devil attacks us and suggests that we are not Christian, and that we have NEVER BEEN a Christian because of what is STILL in our heart, or because of what we are STILL DOING, or because of something we ONCE DID — when he comes and accuses us, what should we say in return? Do we simply agree with him and continue under condemnation? Or do we hold up these 2 words against the enemy of our souls and say: “Yes, what you say is TRUE, but now God has shown us how we can be forgiven; these 2 words give us HOPE AND ASSURANCE.”

(10) These 2 words are so IMPORTANT that we should lay hold of them and realize their REAL SIGNIFICANCE; this is part of the FIGHT of FAITH.

(11) God in His infinite grace and mercy has provided a WAY that His wrath can be appeased and we can be reconciled to Him. That way is through faith in the sacrificial death of God’s Son, Jesus Christ, and His resurrection from the grave as the payment for sins so that a lost sinner deserving of hell can be reconciled to a holy God. Christians experience salvation not because “we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:10).

(12) An important part of Christ’s saving work is DELIVERANCE from God’s condemnation and wrath. Faith in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice is the way to experience that deliverance.

(13) Jesus’ propitiation on the cross is the ONLY THING that can turn away God’s divine RETRIBUTION. There is NO OTHER WAY. This truth is also communicated in 1 John 2:2: “And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the whole world.” He is the “ONE MEDIATOR between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a RANSOM for ALL, to be testified in due time” (1 Tim. 2:5-6).

(14) We are told in Isa. 55:6-7 to “Seek the Lord while He may be found” meaning that the opportunity may not always be available for the lost. But once we know it IS available, you must CHOOSE that only way to salvation.

This is episode 176.