Words of Jesus Christ in "Red"  The Universal Need For Redemption The most difficult job the Pastor, the Lay Minister, or the Lay Person has in this present age is convincing people that they need to be redeemed. Most people, particularly in America, have an innate sense that they are "good at heart". Most people, when they hear the Gospel preached, immediately assume they are Christians because they live "a good life". This assumption in itself locks many people away from a relationship with Jesus Christ or with the Heavenly Father. It is odd that, on a recent missionary trip to Nicaragua, the missionaries reported that people were repenting and coming forward for the redemption of the Cross in droves. One minister stated that he didn't even get an accurate head count of the number saved. To me, this is astounding, as Baptist ministers are often super conscious of the "head count", sometimes to the point of fanaticism! The Baptist Press has reported great revivals of faith in many third world countries, and yet few of our 11,000 assemblies have shown significant growth in the past year. At the root of this slowing - seen across all denominational lines - is the average American's negative view of Redemption. Around 98% of Americans polled have reported that they are indeed Christians, yet few of these "Christians" attend or participate in Church except during the holidays. Jesus said:
In other words, you can say you're a Christian, but if you're not bearing fruit representative of the Christian, then you're "not" a Christian. Jesus went even farther when He spoke of redemption and the changed heart. He said:
You have to "continue" (MENO = to stay (in a given place, state, relation or expectancy), abide, continue, dwell) in the Word or command that Jesus gave if you are going to be His "disciple" (MATHETES = Student). Jesus started out this statement with the "Third Class Condition" of EAN, translated " If ", which shows that this is a hypothetical situation. Maybe the Jews who "believed on Him" would continue or dwell in His Word, but maybe they wouldn't. You see, there are different ways of believing on anything, even on Jesus. You could show me a thin nearly invisible line of monofilament and tell me that this filament has been tested and will withstand up to 1000 pounds of pressure. You can show me all sorts of scientific data to prove to me that this monofilament will actually hold this much weight. You can talk a good fight and tell me how you really believe in the stuff. But do you know what would really make me believe that you believed in this product? If you were to tie one end of this monofilament to an anchor on top of a twenty story building, tie the other end to yourself, then step off the edge of the building. In other words, if you really believe in this monofilament, are you willing to trust your life to it? That's the acid test. Most people believe in Jesus just like this imaginary monofilament - they claim to trust Him, but do not MENO, abide in Him. Right after Jesus made His statement the Pharisees objected by saying:
The Pharisees were obviously lying when they said "we've never been in bondage to any man". Israel as a nation was under Roman rule, and was, in fact, a prisoner of Rome. The Pharisees, as citizens of Israel, were also under the same Roman bondage. People say the same thing to Jesus today: "We're not in bondage, we're Americans, we're a free people". Jesus cut to the chase when He said, "Whoever commits sin is the servant of sin". "Here's a truth that all men and women need to take to heart." You're not a sinner "because" you sin, you sin "because" you're a sinner. This is in your nature, you are born a sinner. When you first slid out of the womb and started crying you immediately entered a slave market called sin. We are all sinners, all lost, all the enemies of God because of the sin that resides in us and controls us. This is why we need to be redeemed. As Max Lucado said (A Gentle Thunder, page 84) "Sin is not an unfortunate slip or a regrettable act; it is a posture of defiance against a holy God."
There are three ways that sin affects all people. First, there is the "imputed" sin. Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden as a representative Federal Head for all mankind. Adam fell to Satan, sinned, and brought sin on the whole human race. Sin is therefore imputed to our account by God because our Federal Head, Adam, first sinned. There are those who object to Adam making the decision for us, yet this is natural in life. You didn't choose to be born - someone else, your parents, made that decision for you. If our country was threatened by another world power, such as Germany and Japan threatened us in World War II, you would go to war whether you personally voted on it or not. You may be drafted or conscripted to fight for your country, contrary to your wishes. You pay taxes, whether you want to or not, and your tax dollars are spent without your consent on things that you may or may not approve of. You also have no vote in whether or not you die - because we will all ultimately face physical death unless the Lord intervenes.
Second, there is the "inherited" sin. We inherit sin from our parents, that is, it is passed to us genetically just as is the color of our hair or the color of our skin. The root of this inheritance is, again, the Adamic Fall from Grace. All people sin because they are physically born as sinners. It is in our blood, this Old Sin Nature (OSN), and drives us to be selfish rather than selfless, prideful rather than humble, evil rather than good, to seek sensual pleasure rather than righteous fellowship with our Creator. Sin is seen in the smallest child who, on being told not to do something does it anyway. Single people think children are precious and without sin, but the parent knows better. The parent sees the same willfulness, the same tendency to satisfy self in every child.
Third, there are the "personal acts" of sin that we commit that show we are sinners. The Pharisees objected to Jesus' assessment of their spiritual condition by saying "We have never been in bondage to any man", an outright lie considering they were captives of the Roman Empire. The sin of pride led them to make this lie. This same sin of pride makes every person confronted with their lost condition start justifying themselves. "I'm a good person, I give to the poor", or "I'm a good person, I pay my taxes", or "I'm a good person, I never break the law". Watch a "good person" long enough and it won't be long before you see the OSN rear its ugly head. Humanity abides in, no "wallows" in sin - and we all need a redeemer. We all need to be redeemed. Who Is The Redeemer?
Someone had to pay the penalty for our sin. You cannot buy yourself out of the slave market of sin with money, nor with good works. Many have tried, but none have succeeded. You cannot live your life expecting you're good enough to get into Heaven, for in your heart of hearts you know that you fail to measure up to God's standards of righteousness.
We cannot redeem ourselves, for the slave to sin has none of the currency needed to buy his redemption. We needed Someone to come and be like us, to come and be like Adam and pay our penalty. We needed the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, to make payment for our sins. Jesus Christ came to earth, eternal God, and took on humanity in order to pay our penalty. He was a Lamb without the blemish of the OSN. Born of a Virgin, brought to human life by the power of God the Holy Spirit, Jesus did not have a human father who would pass on the OSN genetically to Him. After He was born He assumed the mantle of "Federal Head" for the human race, and was tested and tempted just as Adam was in the Garden. But unlike Adam, Jesus stood the test. He refused to sin, refused to allow Satan to draw Him down into the quagmire of the OSN. Jesus then went to the Cross and made Atonement (repayment) for our sins.
What we could not do by our attempts at righteous living, through the animal sacrifices, through our "dedicated efforts", Jesus accomplished by the Atonement of the Cross. Those who have accepted what Jesus Christ did for them on the Cross are saved because of this very acceptance. This acceptance is called "faith", and unless you have believed on Jesus Christ you are yet lost in your sins. "Faith" doesn't demand ecstatics, nor emotional outbursts. There are those who say that unless you have repented and believed via bitter tears you are yet unsaved, yet the Scripture does not teach this. As humans we are all different in our emotional makeup. Some weep, others accept quietly. Some are philosophical in their acceptance, but one common thread follows all believers - we have accepted and fully rely on the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for us for our salvation. He is the Redeemer, we are the redeemed, praise His Holy Name! or are you still trying to be the Redeemer of your life? The answer you give to this question will determine your eternal status once you leave this life. Choose carefully, choose wisely, "choose Jesus Christ!" 
 Send E-mail to Russ: webslave for Christ ( russ@jesuswept.com ) with questions or comments about this web site and it's content. Last modified: 12/04/2002 |
