In the modern world we find all too often that the Gospel is watered down or that we pick and choose the bits of it that will least offend us or those who dont know Jesus. It is now frowned upon to believe in an absolute truth, and the message of tolerance is more popularly spread than that of grace and the forgiveness of sins. However, by ignoring the existence of sin and its role in our lives, we alter the truth of what Jesus came to share. Oswald Chambers says this:
The first thing Jesus Christ confronted in people was the heredity of sin, and it is because we have ignored this in our presentation of the gospel that the message of the gospel has lost its sting and its explosive power.
So, what is the explosive truth of the gospel?
He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Corinthians 5:21)
We were once dead in our sins and are now alive in Christ. That is the core truth that our life as a Christian should be centred on. It is all about Jesus. God made it that the only thing that we have to bring to the table is our sin, and it is exchanged for the righteousness of God. We cant earn our salvation, we cant make ourselves more presentable before approaching God, we cant avoid the bit where we acknowledge our sin and we cant know Jesus until we are prepared to admit that we are sinners and that we cant do it on our own.
There are no conditions placed on our salvation. We dont have to stop doing this, or start doing that, or pretend to be the other; we just have to come as we are and be washed clean in our Saviours blood. Once we see Him and know Him our behaviour and attitude will change. His righteousness will work in us to produce a desire to be more righteous and live a life that will please Him.
Post published in: Opinions