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Not that You Will, But You Could

By Pastor Chad


People tend to get upset when they are called sinners. We don’t like to hear that. That implies we do bad things and are not fundamentally good people. In fact, probably one of the most scandalous claims of Christianity is that we are all sinners. As Paul states quoting from Psalm 14, “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands, no one seeks God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless [unworthy of salvation]; no one does good, not even one” (Romans 3:10-12). 


One of the primary purposes of the redemptive work of Christ is to free all believers of the tyranny of sin. Sometimes, it is hard for us to understand the hold sin has on us. For example, many of us find it difficult to imagine the horrible atrocities done by others. It is hard to imagine the evil done at Auschwitz. It is hard to imagine terrorists hijacking four airplanes and using them as suicide missiles. It is hard for us to imagine savage armies destroying, pillaging, and plundering the people they conquer. In part, it is hard for us to imagine these scenarios because we’ve never experienced them–thank God! There is an essential truth, however, every Christian must accept: the same sin that exists in those that do horrible evil, is the same sin that exists in all of us. 


No, I’m not saying you will do these malicious acts, but you could. The sinful nature within the noted malevolent actors is the same sinful nature within us all. And here is the worst part: mankind is incapable of doing anything about it. On our own, we are trapped. Apart from God, we are doomed. 


To be sure, because of God’s common grace, none of us are as bad as we could be; conversely however, none of us are as good as we should be. Thank God that the story doesn’t end there. There is good news! There is the redemptive work of Christ!


We can be freed from the sin that has enslaved us since our conception. We can be free from its tranny, its power, its eternal consequences, its destruction. Scripture says in Matthew 1:21, that Jesus came to “save his people from their sins.” Paul writes in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.” He continues a couple of chapters later, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). 


As Charles Spurgeon said, “You are a great sinner, but he is a greater Savior.” What mankind is incapable of doing, Jesus did. As we sing, “Our sin is great, but His mercy is more.” Though sin is too powerful for us, it is nothing to God. He stamped it out at the cross. One drop of Jesus’ blood is enough to wash away the sins of the whole world. And all who come to Christ, receive the efficacious power of His blood.   


To hear the full sermon, click here.

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