SIN OR SINNER?

SIN OR SINNER?

Rom 5:1-10

5 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:

2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience;

4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.

6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die.

8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.

10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.

          The law is so strict that punishment for sin must be executed! A dilemma is created when the judge, who hates sin, is found to love the sinner. What can be done to set aside the punishment? Our minds search for loopholes in the system. Let me suggest a few of those supposed loopholes.

          The Law is unrighteous! Attempting to free ourselves from the pronouncement of condemnation, we sometimes simply cry that the Law is unfair, inequitable or flawed in some way. Indeed, we claim that the Law actually produces sin because where there is no law there is no sin. When this is our method, we sometimes change the wording of the Law to reduce or eliminate its effect.

Rom 7:8

8 But sin, finding opportunity in the commandment [to express itself], got a hold on me and aroused and stimulated all kinds of forbidden desires (lust, covetousness).

AMPLIFIED

Rom 7:7

7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law:

          We exempt ourselves and condone our sin! If we declare that sin is no longer sin then we can, we think, eliminate the consequences of sin. But there is no clean or comfortable way to make sin less sinful without rewriting the Law. We can only ignore the Law or interpret the Law in a way that exempts the sinner. This method never satisfies the demands of the Law.

Luke 10:25-29

25 And, behold, a certain lawyer stood up, and tempted him, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?

26 He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou?

27 And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself.

28 And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live.

29 But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

          The lawyer tried to exempt himself by saying that, while the law was clear, it was impossible to know the identity of your neighbor. He felt he was then free from the obligation of kindness.

          The only acceptable and effective method of cancelling the consequences of the Law is SACRIFRICE. This declares the sinner to be very sinful as the Law demands. It pronounces him guilty and hands down a sentence of death. However, the guilty is set free and an innocent substitute takes the punishment. In this way the righteous demands of the Law are satisfied while releasing the guilty. But who is willing and qualified to be a sinless substitute?

Rom 8:2-3

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

Heb 10:12

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

In the book Pilgrim’s Progress, Christian finally comes to the cross and loses the burden from his weary back. Then Christian gave three leaps for joy, and went on, singing:

Thus far did I come laden with my sin;

Nor could aught ease the grief that I was in,

Till I came hither; what a place it this!

Must here be the beginning of my bliss?

Must here the burden fall from off my back?

Must here the strings that bound it to me crack?

Blest cross! blest sepulchre! blest rather be

The Man that was there put to shame for me!

Dear Lord, although I am still guilty, you have declared me to be righteous because Jesus has taken my guilty place. Thank you. AMEN