How Can We Be Forgiven? The Good News!
Read Isaiah 53:1-6; Acts 10:43; Acts 13:38; Romans 5:1-20; 1 Corinthians 15:1-8; 2 Corinthians 5:17-21; Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:13-14; Colossians 2:13-14; 1 Peter 3:18.
This is "The Gospel”—the glorious good news. You can have forgiveness for your sins through Jesus. He died for our sins. This is what theologians call the “atonement.” He took OUR punishment and paid OUR debt.
To fully appreciate this, Jesus lived a sinless life for us. This is one reason why Jesus is so important. No one else has ever lived a perfect life. His closest companions confirmed his perfect life (1 Peter 1:19; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 John 2:1, 3:5). Even his enemies acknowledged his innocent life (Matthew 27:3-4; Luke 23:14-15). Secular historians and other non-Christians even attest to his good, pure, and moral life. Romans 5:19 says that the obedience of Jesus makes us righteous! God counts us as being righteous, even though we do not deserve it. Jesus understands our predicament as he was tempted by sin, yet never succumbed to it. Read Hebrews 4:14-15. The righteous Jesus suffered for us unrighteous sinners. Read 1 Peter 3:18.
A fancy biblical term is “reconciliation.” The Bible says that through Christ, God has reconciled us to himself. This means that God no longer counts our sins against us, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
It is important that it was a perfect man who received the punishment for us imperfect humans. Another theological term used in the Bible is “justified” (or “justification”), which means we have been declared holy through Christ—his perfect life and finished work on the cross. The words justification and justice have the same root word and are thus related in meaning. Justification means that justice—which is deserved by our sin—has been accomplished by Christ paying the penalty for our sin by suffering and dying on the cross for us! Christ’s death on the cross paid the full price for all sins ever committed by anyone who ever lived—including you and me! Through faith in Jesus you are now forgiven every sin because Jesus died for you. See Romans 4:22-25 and Romans 10:8-10. But there is more...
Let’s pause here and think about the concepts we have outlined up to now. They are important to really understanding the Bible. Here is a summary: God created everything good, which was spoiled by man’s sin, whereby a loving and holy God sent his son to pay the penalty for our sin. On reflection, can you agree that this outline as a theological construct is logically consistent? In other words, does it make sense in light of how an omnipotent and loving God would be expected to deal with his imperfect creatures of free will?
Perhaps the concept can be emphasized through a story: It is said that there were two boys who grew up together as fast friends. But as time went by, one of the boys became a criminal. The other boy went to law school and eventually became a judge. As it happened, the wayward fellow was arrested and appeared in the court of his old friend who was the judge. The judge heard the case, and found his dear friend guilty. He sentenced his friend to a fine of $1,000,000—an amount that the man could never, ever pay.
As the trial came to a close, the judge said to his friend, “While I find you guilty as charged, I want you to know how much I still love you.” He then stepped down off the bench, walked over to the bailiff, and wrote a personal check for $1,000,000 to satisfy in full the penalty of his friend.
So it is with God. As man rebelled against him, an insurmountable chasm separated man from his maker because of his sin. While the debt had to be paid somehow, God sent his only son to suffer and die a horrible death on the cross for our sin. Our debt has been paid.
This is "The Gospel”—the glorious good news. You can have forgiveness for your sins through Jesus. He died for our sins. This is what theologians call the “atonement.” He took OUR punishment and paid OUR debt.
To fully appreciate this, Jesus lived a sinless life for us. This is one reason why Jesus is so important. No one else has ever lived a perfect life. His closest companions confirmed his perfect life (1 Peter 1:19; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 John 2:1, 3:5). Even his enemies acknowledged his innocent life (Matthew 27:3-4; Luke 23:14-15). Secular historians and other non-Christians even attest to his good, pure, and moral life. Romans 5:19 says that the obedience of Jesus makes us righteous! God counts us as being righteous, even though we do not deserve it. Jesus understands our predicament as he was tempted by sin, yet never succumbed to it. Read Hebrews 4:14-15. The righteous Jesus suffered for us unrighteous sinners. Read 1 Peter 3:18.
A fancy biblical term is “reconciliation.” The Bible says that through Christ, God has reconciled us to himself. This means that God no longer counts our sins against us, as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17-21.
It is important that it was a perfect man who received the punishment for us imperfect humans. Another theological term used in the Bible is “justified” (or “justification”), which means we have been declared holy through Christ—his perfect life and finished work on the cross. The words justification and justice have the same root word and are thus related in meaning. Justification means that justice—which is deserved by our sin—has been accomplished by Christ paying the penalty for our sin by suffering and dying on the cross for us! Christ’s death on the cross paid the full price for all sins ever committed by anyone who ever lived—including you and me! Through faith in Jesus you are now forgiven every sin because Jesus died for you. See Romans 4:22-25 and Romans 10:8-10. But there is more...
Let’s pause here and think about the concepts we have outlined up to now. They are important to really understanding the Bible. Here is a summary: God created everything good, which was spoiled by man’s sin, whereby a loving and holy God sent his son to pay the penalty for our sin. On reflection, can you agree that this outline as a theological construct is logically consistent? In other words, does it make sense in light of how an omnipotent and loving God would be expected to deal with his imperfect creatures of free will?
Perhaps the concept can be emphasized through a story: It is said that there were two boys who grew up together as fast friends. But as time went by, one of the boys became a criminal. The other boy went to law school and eventually became a judge. As it happened, the wayward fellow was arrested and appeared in the court of his old friend who was the judge. The judge heard the case, and found his dear friend guilty. He sentenced his friend to a fine of $1,000,000—an amount that the man could never, ever pay.
As the trial came to a close, the judge said to his friend, “While I find you guilty as charged, I want you to know how much I still love you.” He then stepped down off the bench, walked over to the bailiff, and wrote a personal check for $1,000,000 to satisfy in full the penalty of his friend.
So it is with God. As man rebelled against him, an insurmountable chasm separated man from his maker because of his sin. While the debt had to be paid somehow, God sent his only son to suffer and die a horrible death on the cross for our sin. Our debt has been paid.
