Over the next several weeks we are going to follow the story line of Scripture from Creation to Jesus’ return in an effort to deepen our understanding of the Gospel and how Christians are to live after they have professed Christ as Lord and Savior. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5)

What do those who profess Jesus as their Savior believe?

When you profess Him as Savior, you are saying you believe several things:

• You believe if it weren’t for Jesus and His death on the cross, you would receive punishment for your sins — When Jesus dies on the cross, He is punished in your place.

• You believe you can’t save yourself — There is nothing you can do. No amount of good works (service, helping others, living right) will ever be able to pay for your sins.

• You believe you are not good enough to have a relationship with God — You are a sinner whose sin hinders your relationship with God. We can only have a relationship with God through our belief in Jesus.

• You believe you are a sinner who must turn from (repent) of your sin — Christians don’t continue to live a life of sin. Instead they turn from their sin and try to live like Jesus.

• You believe nothing else is needed for salvation but belief in Jesus as your Lord and Savior — All that is required of you to be saved is to believe Jesus is your Lord and Savior. There is nothing else we must do in order to be saved.

• You believe your salvation is a gift — You did nothing to earn your salvation. God gave you the faith to believe in Jesus as your Savior, which means your salvation was a gift from God.

Reflect

1. Do we need to do anything more than believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior to be saved?
2. What would happen to us if we did not believe Jesus was our Savior?
3. Do you believe Christians should live differently after they have professed Jesus as their Savior?
4. Do you believe salvation can be earned?

Resources

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Some posts’ structure influenced by Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware

Over the next several weeks we are going to follow the story line of Scripture from Creation to Jesus’ return in an effort to deepen our understanding of the Gospel and how Christians are to live after they have professed Christ as Lord and Savior. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4)

Jesus as our Penal Substitute and Propitiation

(1) Jesus as a Penal Substitute

The word substitute tells us Jesus took our place and died instead of us having to die. The word Penal tells us Jesus took our punishment paying the penalty for our sins. If we put these together, we learn Jesus’ death on the cross paid the penalty for our sin as He died in our place.

Several scriptures speak to Jesus’ penal substitution.

• Galatians 3:13 tells us Jesus became a curse for us as He died on the cross. He accepted the curse of the Law, which is death. A curse we deserve because of our sin.

• 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us Jesus, who was sinless, was made to be sin for us. On the cross, He took our sin on Himself. He died our death, so we could experience salvation.

• Isaiah 53:4-6 tells us Jesus bore our grief and carried our sorrow. He was stricken, afflicted and wounded, not by man, but by God for our sins (transgressions). He suffered in our place so we might be healed.

What an amazing thing Jesus has done for us. All so we might experience eternal life.

(2) Jesus as our Propitiation

The word propitiation, while it is a big word, tells us a big truth. It means Jesus, through His death on the cross, satisfied the wrath of God against us. Not against Him, but against us.

As sinners, we deserve God’s wrath. We deserve His anger to be directed at us in punishment. Jesus, however, satisfied God the Father’s wrath. Since Jesus satisfied the Father’s wrath, when He looks at His Son’s (Jesus’) death, He sees a full and complete payment for sin.

Several scriptures speak to Jesus as our propitiation.

Hebrews 2:17 says,

“Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” (Heb 2:17)

1 John 2:2 says,

“He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 Jn 2:2)

As well as 1 John 4:10 says,

“In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 Jn 4:10)

So we learn Jesus is our propitiation, the One who satisfies the wrath of God.

The amazing fact in all this is that God Himself sent Jesus to be our propitiation. Isn’t it amazing that God makes a way for us to be saved? And that His way is by sending His own Son to die in our place, taking our punishment, and satisfying His wrath against us all so that we can enjoy everlasting life. God really loves us!

Declared Right By God Through Our Belief

In 2 Corinthians 5:21 Paul says,

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Co 5:21)

And in Romans 4:5 Paul also writes,

“And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness,” (Ro 4:5)

These verses teach us we are declared right by our belief in Jesus. In other words, we are declared to be righteous, right in our standing before God.

How can that be? Especially since Romans 3:23 tells us that “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  We are told that as sinners we cannot be righteous. Here, however, we are told we are. So how?

As sinners we have broken God’s commands, rebelled against Him, chosen our own path to walk, so we aren’t made righteous by our own efforts. It’s not according to our own work or good deeds.

Instead of our righteousness being based on our work, it is based on Jesus’ work. He is the One who lived a perfect life. Imagine that. Imagine that Jesus perfectly kept the Law. He didn’t sin once, nor did He ever rebel against God. Since He never sinned, Jesus is considered righteous.

When we believe in Him as our Lord and Savior, His righteousness is put on us. It is, and here is a big fancy word, imputed to us. That’s how we can say we have been given Christ’s righteousness. We have been declared righteous. Again, that doesn’t occur through our work, but through our faith in Jesus’ work.

So when sinners (that’s you and me) place their faith and trust in Jesus, they are declared righteous.

Reflect

1. What does the word propitiation mean?
2. What is the biggest problem we have? What has God done to correct our problem?
3. What does imputation mean?
4. Why is it true that when God looks at Christians — those who have placed their hope and trust in Jesus — He sees His Son, Jesus, instead of unrighteous sinners?

Resources

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Some posts’ structure influenced by Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware

Over the next several weeks we are going to follow the story line of Scripture from Creation to Jesus’ return in an effort to deepen our understanding of the Gospel and how Christians are to live after they have professed Christ as Lord and Savior. (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3)

Redemption and Reconciliation

The Continued Affect of Sin

After Adam and Eve left the garden, sin continued to affect them and their family. One of Adam and Eve’s sons — Cain — killed another son — Abel (Gen. 4). The corruption of sin didn’t stop with them, it only continued to grow until God decided to destroy the world with a flood and start over with Noah’s family (Gen. 6-9).

Even after God destroyed the world and started over with Noah, the corrupting power of sin still affected the people’s of the earth. They turned from God to themselves so much so that they attempted to make a name for themselves instead of making much of God (Gen. 11).

God’s Promise

Clearly, Adam and Eve’s sin had affected the entire world. God, however, had made them a promise. He was going to deal with sin and Satan. He would do that through the Christ, the Messiah. We know Him as Jesus.

Waiting on Jesus

Jesus, however, didn’t show up for several thousand years. As we wait on Jesus, a number of important characters carry the narrative forward.

God establishes the nation of Israel through Abraham (Abram). In Genesis 12, God came to Abraham and asked him to leave his home and go to another country. A country he knew nothing about, but one God would direct him towards. Abraham trusted God. He packed everything up and started walking in the way the Lord directed him.

God then established a covenant with Abraham promising him that from his offspring would come the Savior — Jesus (Gen. 12:7, Gal. 3:16).

After Abraham and his family, comes Moses. Moses led the people of Israel out of captivity in Egypt in an event known as the Exodus (Exodus 12). After which, God established Moses as the leader of Israel. While Moses was leading the nation, God gave Israel the Law (The Ten Commandments and everything else in Leviticus and Deuteronomy). It made a way for them to have a relationship with God, but wasn’t sufficient to keep the people from sin.

Another important character is David. He was the example King of the nation of Israel. The one to whom all other kings were compared. Under his reign and rule the nation thrived and worshipped God.

Israel, however, didn’t continue to thrive and worship God after David died. Through a series of evil kings, the nation fell deeper and deeper into sin until God decided to punish them. Both the Northern Kingdom (Israel) and the Southern Kingdom (Judah) were captured and exiled from the Promised Land.

Finally, after years in exile, they were able to return and rebuild Jerusalem. After rebuilding Jerusalem, they waited for the Messiah (the Savior sent by God). Clearly, He was needed. No matter how many leaders came, Israel couldn’t be curbed from sin. Something else needed to be done in order to cause them to worship God in the way He directed and to repair their relationship with God.

Jesus Finally Comes Bringing Salvation

So several thousand years after God’s promise to Adam and Eve, Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died on a cross. When He died on the cross, He took our punishment for us, acting as our substitute. God’s wrath was poured out on Him instead of being poured out on us.

Jesus’ death was necessary because our sin is what hinders our relationship with God. God is holy and we are not. He cannot have a relationship with someone who is not holy, who is a sinner. Just like Adam and Eve’s relationship with God was ruined by sin, so is our relationship with God. The only way He can have a relationship with us is if someone takes our sin from us and makes us holy. Jesus is that person. He is the one who takes our sin from us, places it on Himself. While at the same time, He places His righteousness on us. When that occurs, our relationship with God is restored. Instead of seeing a sinner, God sees a holy and righteous person.

All those who believe Jesus is their Savior and Lord, confess that they are sinners and turn to follow Jesus will be saved. Their relationship with God is repaired by Jesus.

Reflect

1. Did you realize Jesus was promised in the Old Testament?
2. How does the Old Testament help you see the reason Jesus had to come?
3. What is a substitute? Why is it important Jesus became our substitute?
4. How can you become a believer?

Resources

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Some posts’ structure influenced by Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware

Over the next several weeks we are going to follow the story line of Scripture from Creation to Jesus’ return in an effort to deepen our understanding of the Gospel and how Christians are to live after they have professed Christ as Lord and Savior. (Part 1, Part 2)

What Does Adam and Eve Have To Do With Me?

Sin not only affected Adam and Eve and the world in which they lived, but it also affects us. Romans 5:12-19 teaches us Adam is the representative of the human race. Since he is our representative, everyone born after him is born as a sinner.

Even though we are not Adam, our sin is no different than Adam’s. It is rebellion against God. A rejection of God’s rule over our lives. Our sin, just like Adam’s deserves punishment. In fact it deserves the same punishment — death. So we not only trace our sinful nature back to Adam, but we trace our judgment back to him as well.

What is the Punishment for Sin?

The punishment for sin involves more than physical death. It involves more than broken relationships with others. It involves more than bad things happening in the world. The punishment for sin involves separation from God. That separation occurs now and in the future after we pass on from this life.

Sin is a big deal because separation from God means separation from all that is good, beautiful, joyful and all other good things God gives. It means we will experience “the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and His might” (2 Thess. 1:9-10). The punishment we experience will result in a miserable and painful existence for all eternity.

The story of the Rich Man and Lazarus helps illustrate what eternal punishment will be like. In Luke 16:22-26 we read,

“The poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side. And he called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that you in your lifetime received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner bad things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in anguish. And besides all this, between us and you a great chasm has been fixed, in order that those who would pass from here to you may not be able, and none may cross from there to us.’” (Lk 16:22–26)

Notice the Rich Man begs for relief, but no relief is given. He is left to experience the anguish of the flames. Anguish that will never cease because there is a great chasm between him and heaven.

You see, hell is an unquenchable fire (Matt. 25:41; Mark 9:43), a place where the worm doesn’t die (Mark 9:48), and its intense pain causes weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matt. 13:42). Hell is not a fun place!

A Promise for the Future

Before Adam and Eve left the garden, God did something for them. He made a promise. In Genesis 3:14-15 we read,

“”The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall go, and dust you shall eat all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”” (Ge 3:14-15)

God promised to send a Savior. A Savior that would crush the head of Satan. But this Savior would do more than defeat Satan. He would serve as our sacrifice. God indicates this with His actions in Genesis 3:21. There we learn,

“And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins and clothed them.” (Ge 3:21)

So God made garments to cover Adam and Eve, to cover their shame and nakedness. One day another will come who will cover us. His name is Jesus. We learn more about Him, His redemption and reconciliation in the next section.

Reflect

1. Why are we born with a sinful nature?
2. What is the punishment for our sin?
3. What will the punishment for sin be like?
4. What is God’s promise?

Resources

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Some posts structure influenced by Big Truths for Young Hearts by Bruce Ware