Solution to the SIN Problem

REALITY: "For EVERYone has sinned; we ALL fall short of GOD's glorious standard." (Romans 3:23)

DO ALL ROADS REALLY LEAD TO HEAVEN? EVERY major religion claims to be the ONLY way to heaven. Each of these religions has a different kind of God and a vastly different means of reaching Him. Because they're ALL DIFFERENT, they could ALL be WRONG, BUT THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT.

Hal Seed (in "The GOD Questions -- Exploring Life's Great Questions About GOD") presents these religions' basic solutions to the realities of SIN and JUSTICE.

This religion teaches, "Those who love a hundred have a hundred woes. Those who love ten have ten woes. Those who love one have one woe. Those who love none have no woes." Craving is the root cause of suffering. Therefore, eliminate suffering by eliminating craving by following the EIGHT-FOLD PATH.

The ultimate goal is to become a pure spirit by living a life that merits GOOD KARMA. The problem with this solution is that no matter how many chances (REINCARNATIONS) we get, we're still flawed and finite people, so we continue to make mistakes. And because GOD is INFINITE, how does FINITE man gain that INFINITE amount of GOOD KARMA, good enough to gain NIRVANA?

This is by far the most common response to the problem of SIN -- eternal separation from GOD. Almost all world religions have adopted strategies for EARNING their way to GOD -- their plan is to WORK hard enough, long enough to EARN their way to heaven. IF they will faithfully perform these FIVE works, or these TEN -- or these 613...they will gain entrance into heaven. But what IF (or more realistically, WHEN) one day, you FAIL to perfectly perform these works?

GOD is LOVE...but GOD is also HOLY. GOD is JUST...but GOD is also MERCIFUL. A HOLY, JUST, LOVING and MERCIFUL GOD canNOT allow SIN to go unpunished. So GOD enforced JUSTICE by taking a Life (as Substitute blood-PAYMENT for the PENALTY of SIN -- yours and mine), but the Life He took was the life of His Son, CHRIST JESUS. GOD grants FORGIVENESS based ONLY on the PERFECT merits of Another.

This SELF-centered religion believes that this world is all there is. "So I concluded that there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor..." (Ecclesiastes 3:12-13) This "religion" believes there is NO GOD, therefore making him/herSELF god.

WHICH RELIGION IS RIGHT? They're all different. They could ALL be wrong -- BUT THEY CAN'T ALL BE RIGHT. "The way to heaven has many roads" -- does it matter which way we take as long as we are SINCERELY seeking "God"?

IMAGINE a skydiver mistakenly reaching for his BACKPACK instead of his PARACHUTE just before jumping out of a plane. His well-intentioned ERROR won't save him from CERTAIN catastrophe. It is possible to be SINCERE, but SINCERELY WRONG.

Which of the above solutions matches what your CONSCIENCE -- your heart of hearts -- tells you is TRUE? Choosing the FAITH that TRULY saves is this lifetime's MOST important free-will decision.

The True MESSIAH taught that GOD SO LOVED us that HE made The WAY for us to be reconciled back to fellowship with The FATHER (see John 14:6). CHRIST JESUS taught that GOD forgives EVERYone based on His GRACE (GOD's unmerited, unearned favor and goodwill), and that He opens His arms to us NOT because of how good we are or how much we do. It's not about GOD asking us to make the effort -- it's about GOD having already made the effort for us. It's not about reaching up to get to GOD -- it's about GOD reaching down to us to rescue us. It's not about DOing rules and behaviors -- it's about GOD having already DONE ALL that is necessary to end the separation between sinful man and a thrice-Holy GOD. The MESSIAH is the thrice-Holy GOD -- His Name is YESHUA...JESUS (read John 3).

JESUS, on the Cross -- having perfectly completed His work which GOD has sent Him to accomplish -- said, "It is finished!" JESUS, in Heaven -- seated on the throne at the right hand of GOD -- said, "It is finished! I AM The Alpha and The Omega - The Beginning and The End. To ALL who are thirsty I will give freely from the springs of the Water of Life." (John 19:30; Revelation 21:6)

The GOOD News is that every REPENTANT sinner in the world is only a heartfelt-prayer away from GOD's Salvation and entrance INto His Eternal Heavenly Kingdom. The sincere prayer of FAITH in the finished ATONING sacrificial DEATH of GOD The SON on the Cross is one's humble heartcry for GOD's Forgiveness of his/her SINs. Having been enlightened of GOD's HOLINESS and given understanding of his own SINfulness, the penitent SIN-natured, SIN-doer cries out from the depths of his brokenhearted soul -- "LORD JESUS, SON of GOD -- thank You for dying for me at Calvary's CROSS to pay the full REDEMPTION price for my SINs with Your own BLOOD. i turn away from my SINful lifestyle and turn to You alone to be The LORD and The Master of my heart and soul, over my life and my all. i BELIEVE that You lived a sinless Life, died to take away the guilt and punishment for my own SINs, that You were resurrected by GOD from the Grave, and that You are now ALIVE in Heaven, sharing again the GLORY that You always had with The FATHER. i receive by FAITH alone, Your forgiveness of ALL my SINs, by GOD's GRACE alone. Amen!"

 

SEVEN LAST WORDS And 29 Tomatoes

Most of us display our sin nature -- the far-from-perfect "old man" -- when we are not at our best (or not getting our own way). When someone on the freeway is driving at 53mph, we impatiently call him "#@%Sunday Driver!" Or when a cyclist splatters road-side mud all over our just-coiffed French poodle, we might point that very expressive finger. Or when we smash the not-so-funny funny-bone of our elbow, we might yelp out some four-letter word. Or when we are reeling with a migraine, and we just can't be bothered with putting on our social manners.

When we are hurting, whether physically, emotionally or mentally, we are challenged to exhibit our better nature... and almost always, we fail. Because we are focused on our own pain -- our mouth will usually express our "old man" nature -- with thoughtless expletives... with unkind, ungentle, unworthy words. (For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45b)

JESUS -- during His excruciating agony on the Cross -- did not sin. Not one word of unkindness or unworthiness came out of His mouth. Because JESUS was sinless, righteous through and through, Who was not tainted with man's "old man" nature, but characterized with His Father's own nature -- perfect holiness -- everything that came out of His mouth during his ultimate suffering was perfect and good.

JESUS -- as He experienced unbelievable pain -- the crown of thorns digging into His head, the gaping lacerations from the cruel scourging screaming intolerable agony as His body dragged on the rugged beam when He raised Himself up to gasp for breath, the bloody pierced hands and feet afire with indescribable pain...

JESUS -- Son of Man -- never uttered blasphemy. He did not curse His killers. He never complained. He did not blame GOD. He never sinned. CHRIST, GOD the Son, died sinless -- leaving us an example in His dying to follow in our living.

CHRIST left us seven sayings before He died on the Cross. With these seven last words of JESUS, we can follow His example of dying so that we may live, pleasing GOD, our Father in Heaven. (Below is a summary of John MacArthur's sermon on JESUS' Death Shows Us How To Live... illustrated with My Backyard tomatoes.)

The first saying of JESUS was, "Father, forgive them for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34) JESUS forgave those who rejected Him, who insulted Him, who did not believe Him (despite the countless miracles He did which testified to His authenticity as GOD the Son), who plotted His death, who cast their vote to kill Him, who spat on Him, who pulled the hair off His beard, who beat Him with their fists, who scourged Him to the point where He was unrecognizable, who hammered the nails in His hands and feet...He forgave His killers. He forgave -- and still forgives all who have fallen off the True Vine.

And as followers of CHRIST, we must also forgive all who have personally hurt us, however great or small the pain inflicted upon us -- 70 x 7 (Matthew 18:21-22)... for if the Master, Kurios, forgave even those who murdered Him, so must His doulos -- His slaves -- also forgive all.
The second saying of JESUS was, "Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43) Even in His unbearable agony, JESUS kept true to His mission -- to save the lost. The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost. (Luke 19:10) The thief on the cross next to JESUS believed in JESUS as the Messiah, the CHRIST.

It was no accident that there were two sinners crucified with JESUS -- one to enter into paradise, the other into hell. The repentant thief recognized JESUS as sinless and undeserving the verdict of death. The unrepentant sinner continued to blaspheme JESUS. The repentant sinner acknowledged that JESUS was King and that He will rule in His Kingdom, for he said, "Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom." (Luke 23:42) The penitent believed that JESUS will be resurrected, for a dead king cannot come into his kingdom -- but a resurrected King can.
And CHRIST, ever set on His mission to save the lost, even in His dying, was mindful to include this lost man... the repentant thief. Those who are CHRIST's own must also be zealous about reaching the lost -- no matter if rejected, mocked, or even persecuted. If JESUS is our LORD, we must do as He exemplified -- showing others the Door to eternal paradise.

The third saying of JESUS were the words, "Woman, behold your son!" "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26, 27) During this point in His physical agony, JESUS showed compassion for someone else. Even in His most intense pain, He was able to see beyond His own suffering. JESUS knew His mother Mary needed someone to comfort her when He left the physical world to ascend to Heaven, back to His Father. He didn't want to leave Mary with the yet unbelieving half-brothers and -sisters. So He gave the responsibility of taking care of His widowed mother to John, the apostle whom JESUS loved.

That's our example when we are going through our own trials and life's challenges. To not be so inwardly focused on our own problems, on our own personal needs, that we forget to help those who may be in worse shape. And even if they are not in a place of suffering as much as we believe we are -- helping others, focusing on others' needs is the Way that has been set for us to follow. If we are truly GOD's children, then we will love our brothers and sisters In CHRIST as much as we love ourselves.

The fourth saying of JESUS was, "My GOD, My GOD, why have You forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) This was the climax of JESUS' agonizing ordeal: separation from the Father. This was the worst of the worst. This was the moment He didn't want to drink from that bitter cup at the garden in Gethsemane. As Son of Man in the flesh, He dreaded the unleashing of GOD's wrath resulting in the separation from His Father -- more than the physical torture of the Cross. JESUS knew the implication of sin -- separation from GOD.

John MacArthur aptly puts it, "Sin could do what nothing else in the universe could do. Men could not separate the Father from the Son...demons could not separate the Father from the Son...satan could not separate the Father from the Son...but sin separated the Father from the Son. It is the most devastating reality in the universe for it separates from GOD. And He experienced it... He who was in the Father and the Father in Him, He who was one with the Father and the Father one with Him, He who had enjoyed eternally uninterrupted perfect communion within the trinity is now forsaken by GOD. Why? Because He's bearing sin and sin separates. GOD is too holy to look on sin, to pure to behold iniquity, says the prophet Habakkuk. Sin alienates from GOD."

GOD's abandonment of JESUS teaches us that our sin separates us from intimate fellowship with GOD.

The fifth saying of JESUS was, "I am thirsty." (John 19:28) JESUS expressed His humanity... His need for someone to give Him a drink. This saying of CHRIST teaches us that we too must live dependently... humbly showing our human weaknesses -- to live, accepting help from others.

The sixth saying of JESUS was, "It is finished." (John 19:30) This was a triumphant declaration that the mission the Father had sent Him to do, He had accomplished. And so, we live, following this example of CHRIST. We aren't here just to run the race of life willy-nilly -- to start and fall on the wayside, or take a short-cut, or take a wrong turn -- or to just "up and die." It's not enough to say, "i ran part of the way" --or -- "i almost finished." We are here to finish the work GOD has purposed for us to do through the empowerment of the indwelling Holy SPIRIT.

The seventh and last saying of JESUS was, "Father, into Thy hands I commit My spirit." (Luke 23:46) JESUS, even at the point of death, continued to trust the Father, depending on His promise of resurrection. And that's how we must also live -- trusting our Father for everything, casting all our cares on Him. We must entrust and commit all parts of our lives -- even our death... and resurrection to Him. "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear Him." (Luke 12:5)

The life JESUS lived was exemplary -- He was the Master at living, and we are His students. But even in His death, JESUS gave us an example on how to live. At His most excruciating agony, He exemplified the Way to live -- to live forgiving others; to live sharing the Truth that leads to Heaven; to live doing more for others' well-being than one's own; to live knowing the destructive consequence of sin; to live humbly accepting our human frailties; to live with the single-minded focus of finishing the work GOD has purposed for us to do; and to live fully trusting and committing our lives in the hands of our almighty and ever-faithful Father -- GOD in Heaven.

Live as JESUS died...

JOHN 3:16 -- The LIGHT of the World

For GOD so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

For GOD did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.

He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of GOD.

And this is the condemnation, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.

For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.

But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in GOD. (John 3:16-21, NKJV)

From the time the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky and all that GOD made. They can clearly see His invisible qualities--His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse whatsoever for not knowing GOD.

Yes, they knew GOD, but they wouldn't worship Him as GOD or even give Him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what GOD was like. The result was that their minds became dark and confused.

Claiming to be wise, they became utter fools instead. (Romans 1:20-22, NLT)

JESUS said, Believe in the Light while there is still time; then you will become children of the Light. (John 12:36, NLT)

CHRIST JESUS is The Light.

GOD The Son, through Whom all things were made, Who sustains the universe, Who holds our very lives in His hands -- was ridiculed, mocked, arrested and tied up; spat upon, struck on the face for telling the truth; stripped, flogged with a lead-tipped whip; forced to wear a crown of long, sharp thorns; hit by His captors with their fists; beat on the head with a stick -- with the crown of thorns on His head; unjustly accused, tried and found guilty without proof of any guilt; made to carry His cross, already much weakened after the loss of blood from the scourging...

crucified -- nails hammered into His flesh, through tendons and muscles and bones of His hands and feet...

JESUS was made to be sin for all the sins of humankind (past, present and future)... CHRIST, the Lamb of GOD... unblemished, sinless, perfect -- He was the necessary substitutionary Sacrifice who took upon Himself what was due us sinners. And as He hung on the cross, in indescribable agony -- GOD, The Father, unleashed upon JESUS His intense hatred for sin. Wave upon wave upon wave of The Father's ultimate wrath was poured out upon His own Son.

The Father and The Son, who have never been separated from time eternal, were divided -- separated by humanity's sin laid upon JESUS' perfect holiness.

Is it any wonder that JESUS asked His Father in Gethsemane, "My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want Your will, not Mine." (Matthew 26:36) JESUS was indeed willing to suffer the excruciating torture on the cross, but to do so without the unfathomable spiritual agony of separation from The Father. (Commentary from Pastor Charles Stanley)

"Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani? My GOD, My GOD, why have you forsaken Me?" (Matthew 27:46) GOD, JESUS' Father -- Righteous and Holy -- turned His back on His Only Begotten Son.

JESUS' last words, "It is finished!" (John 19:30)

The sin-debt for your sins and mine have been paid -- in full -- by CHRIST's atoning death on the cross. His blood was literally shed for you and me. By His shed blood, you and i are redeemed... set free from the death penalty of sin.

Death -- physical and spiritual -- is the penalty of sin. Eternal separation from GOD... that place where there is not even a hint of any presence of the Light, but of utter darkness -- an eternal place of total depravity and utmost suffering -- that is the hellish sentence from which we have been set free.

What it cost The Father and The Son is unfathomable to us -- mere finite humans. Yet we don't have to fully understand the indescribable Infinite to be saved from sin's penalty of death. We just have to humbly admit that we are wretched sinners -- repent -- and receive the only Way of redemption -- the substitutionary death of CHRIST JESUS on the cross at Calvary.

Peace or continued enmity with GOD depends on our acceptance or rejection of His Son whom He sent to die for our sins. Believe in The Light -- JESUS, The CHRIST -- while there is still time (for tomorrow may not arrive); then you will become children of The Light (children of the One True GOD -- Creator of Heaven and Earth, Maker of all things seen and not seen).