DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
How does the concept of "original sin" affect our understanding of humanity's relationship with God and the need for salvation?
Why is it essential to understand what we are saved from before understanding the gospel? How do sin, death, and God's wrath define that need (John 3:36; Revelation 20:15)?
The message of atonement describes Jesus as the perfect sacrifice who satisfied God's justice and displayed His love. How does this understanding of the cross deepen your gratitude for what Christ accomplished?
What is the significance of the concept of "penal substitutionary atonement"? How does this shape your understanding of God's justice and mercy?
How do the steps of salvation (predestined, called, regenerated, believed, justified, sanctified, glorified) help us understand the scope of God’s work in saving sinners (Romans 8:29-30)?
SERMON MANUSCRIPT
The bad news is really bad - Effects of the Fall
No longer able to rightly reflect His image
Death - physical and spiritual (Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:1-3)
Sin reigns - cannot be near a holy God (Romans 3:9-23)
All men and women are affected,
Original (Inherited) Sin - Romans 5:12-14
We need to be saved - Saved from what?
Sin - Original Sin - Totally Depraved
Death - Physical and Spiritual
Hell - Rev. 20:15
Wrath of a holy and just God - John 3:36
What can we do to be saved?
What can dead people do?
So, God acted on our behalf
Jesus accomplished what we could not
The Atonement - Sinners reconciled to God
Jesus was the perfect sacrifice
Penal Substitutionary Atonement
Particular Atonement vs. Universal Atonement
Satisfied God’s Justice/Gloriously displayed God’s Love
So, how does this happen? - Ordo Salutis
Predestined - Rom 8:29, Eph 1:3-11, Rev 13:8
Called - John 6:44, 2 Peter 1:3, Acts 2:39
Regenerated - Ezekiel 36:26-27, Acts 16:14
Believed - Ephesians 2:4-10, Rom 10:17, Acts 16:30-31
Justified - Rom 10:10
Sanctified - Immediate (Heb 10:10) and Progressive (Heb 10:14)
Glorified - Philippians 3:20-21
The Atonement
A holy God can not be near sin. One can see as early as Genesis the idea of atonement, when God sacrificed the lamb to cloth Adam and Eve. A sacrifice was necessary to cover sin and restore right relationship with a holy God. One sees this continue throughout the Old Testament as God institutes the day of atonement for the people of Israel. The high priest would make sacrifices for the sins of the people and then put his bloody hands on the head of the scapegoat symbolizing the transfer of sin so the people would be made right before the Lord. This took place every year reminding the people of the seriousness of sin and its consequences, as well as the mercy and justice of God. Ultimately this foreshadowed the work of Jesus on the cross where His blood made payment once and for all (Hebrews 9:12).
In one sense, it was not necessary for Christ to die because God was not obligated in any way to save sinners. However, because God in His steadfast love chose to rescue people from their sin, Christ had to die. Sin requires death (Romans 6:23). A holy and just God could not overlook sin because that would make Him unjust. Jesus clearly understood the necessity of His work on the cross (Luke 24:25-27). The cross is not just a picture of the love of God, but rather the moment in history where the love of God and the wrath of God were both fully on display. Christ’s death satisfied the wrath of God completely for all those who will repent and believe in the work of Christ. Christ was the propitiation, meaning He was the sacrifice that moved people to a position of favor with God (Hebrews 2:17). People who deserved death now get favor!
This incredibly glorious reality for those who believe was made possible through Christ’s perfect obedience both as He lived and as He suffered and died. Romans 5:19 reminds believers, “For as by the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous.” The new position of favor is described in the way the Father now sees those who trust in Christ’s work, “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 Corinthians 5:21)” Romans 3:24-26 describes Christ’s work beautifully, “and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.” This work of God is completed by God and for God. He satisfies His own wrath and justice in the sacrifice of Christ. He accepts the sacrifice and declares believers holy and righteous because of Christ’s obedience. He alone deserves all glory and honor!
His atonement is rightly described throughout church history as penal substitutionary atonement. Christ bore the complete penalty for sin when He died. He died as a substitute for all those who trust in Him. This beautiful truth has led to many debates about the extent of Christ’s atonement. One must walk carefully here as to not advocate the wisdom of men affirming something that Scripture does not clearly say. Christ’s work was clearly sufficient to save all those who believe. His atoning work is not limited in power in any way. It is effectively applied to all who believe that is why Jesus could declare from the cross “It is finished.” He completed the work the Father sent Him to accomplish (John 3:16-18). It seems in Scripture that the only limit to the atonement is in its application. Jesus did not pay the sin of every person ever created because one can see that hell and punishment are real for those who do not believe (Matthew 7:13-14). However, His work was sufficient to have made payment for all, but God would be unjust to condemn them if Christ had taken the punishment for their sin on Himself. Romans 8:1 reminds us that only those in Christ have been freed from condemnation.
Scripture often uses terms like adopted, chosen, elect, and predestined to describe those who believe and have the atoning work of Christ credited to their account. These terms are used throughout Ephesians and Romans but we also see Jesus pray to this end in John 17. This view is often called particular atonement, meaning that Christ’s atonement purchased a defined group of people from every tribe and tongue. While agreeing with this, because not every person will be saved, one must also affirm the free offer of the gospel to all. John 6:37 says “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.” No man knows who that all includes and therefore we should faithfully labor to take the gospel to the ends of the earth for God’s glory. We can rest in the fact that God in His sovereign power will make our witness effective so that many will place their faith and trust in the finished work of Christ.
The Gospel
The Gospel begins with God. God is the sovereign Creator and Ruler of all things (Psalm 19:1, 22:28, 24:1). God created people for His glory. From the garden, we see God pursuing relationship with people. However, when man sinned that relationship was broken. God is holy and righteous (Deuteronomy 32:4) and therefore cannot be near sin. The Scriptures teach that all men are sinners both by nature and by action. Romans 3:23 states this clearly when it says “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 3 also quotes Psalm 14 reminding us that no one is good and no one seeks God. Ephesians reminds us that this is because all men are born spiritually dead and deserving of God’s wrath. This condition is due to our inherited sin (Romans 5) and the sin we choose, both by commission and omission. Our disobedience makes us enemies of God, separated from Him by our rebellion.
Because God is holy, He cannot be near sin. Because He is just, He must punish sin. Romans 6:23 tells us that “the wages of sin is death.” All men deserve death and hell. Being spiritually dead, we have no ability to help ourselves. But God being rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4) stepped into our hopeless situation and acted on our behalf. He sent His Son Jesus to become one of us, live the life we could not live and die the death that we deserve. John’s gospel tells us in chapter 1 that the Word (Jesus) became flesh and dwelt among us. 1 Timothy 1:15 states the purpose of His coming, “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” At Calvary, Jesus suffered and died to take the punishment of sinners. Romans 5:8 says “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Not only did He take on Himself the punishment we deserve but He also gifted His perfect righteousness to all who believe. “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (1 Corinthians 5:21).” His blood satisfies completely the wrath of God and His imputed righteousness makes all who believe in the finished work of Jesus acceptable to a holy God. His resurrection is proof that His sacrifice accomplished all that God the Father intended.
What makes the gospel such good news is that the free gift of this salvation is available to all those who repent and believe in Jesus. Acts 4:12 says “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Repenting means to turn around, specifically to turn away from sin and to Christ. We must agree with God that we are sinners and rightly deserve the consequences of death and hell. The other essential element in salvation is believing. Believing requires faith, Ephesians 2:8-9 says “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Even the faith required for salvation is a gift of grace from God. So one may rightly ask what must I believe? Romans 10:9-13 gives the following answer: “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, ‘Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.’ For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ”
Those who embrace this gospel have their heart of stone replaced with a heart of flesh as prophesied in Ezekiel. All those who believe will be transformed by the gospel and empowered by the Holy Spirit to live in a manner that pleases God. This new life will be marked by hope and obedience to Christ. 1 John 2:3 says, “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments.” Our hope is now rooted in Christ knowing that we like Him will be resurrected. “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, (John 11:25).” We receive the right to be called His children and to enjoy Him forever. The beauty of the gospel is that it is God’s work from beginning to end and undeserving sinners get to reap the benefits of His goodness. Praise God that He completes what He begins! And we know that God works all things together for the good of those who love Him, who are called according to His purpose. “For those God foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brothers. And those He predestined, He also called; those He called, He also justified; those He justified, He also glorified. What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?(Romans 8:28-31)”