Video transcript below
Welcome back to the basic Bible concepts. Tonight we’re going to talk about God’s solution to man’s anxiety and man’s need, his deep seated, acknowledged need for a relationship with God. Last time, we talked about man’s solution through the various religions of the world, from secular humanism to Eastern religions to religions that encompass good works. And so tonight, we’re going to talk about what is God’s solution based on God’s word. And you’ll recall we talked about the law of sin and death, and this law we know we’ve violated. We violated His law, and it requires an infinite penalty for sin. And although God loves us and desires fellowship with us, because of His nature, it requires that justice must be satisfied. And we know that God can only be satisfied on an infinite scale, because we learned in the law of sin and death that we have sinned against a God who is infinite, so any penalty must also be infinite. So let’s talk about this.
First of all, I want to go back to the Book of Leviticus Chapters 1- 5, where we learn about the different offerings that the Israelites would offer to God. And we know from that, that God is willing to accept a substitute for this relationship we’re supposed to have with him. But we need to understand that the Old Testament sacrifices demonstrate this truth and that once there has been atonement made for man’s sin, that fellowship with God can be maintained and restored by these offerings. It’s not that the offerings atoned for the sins in an eternal sense, but more on a relationship basis, our current relationship with God. And that we know this is true because we, if you read in Hebrews Chapter 10:1- 4, the Bible talks about the law, meaning like the Old Testament law, and the offerings that were made and how that in Chapter 10 verse 4 it says: For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins. So we know that the offerings in the Old Testament were not to take away sin, but rather to reconcile relationships. But it teaches us something else. There’s this principle of a substitute, that God is willing to accept a substitute for sins.
Now we know things about a substitute. If I’m going to be a substitute teacher, then there’s three qualities I have to have. I have to be willing, able and available, right? If I’m not a teacher then I’m not able to, if I’m not available because I’m doing something else, then I can’t do it. And if I’m not willing then I’m not going to show up, right? So those are the three characteristics that we’re going to use that are basically analogized to how the scripture talks about that. That’s what is required. Those characters are required for our substitute to reconcile us to God and to fill this great anxiety that we have in our need for God.
So let’s talk about that. We’ve talked about the lesson that we have sinned, right? So what qualities must the substitute for us as sinners have in order to be able, available and willing? And so to be able, the substitute must be infinite and you know, we think about Infinity, right? We think about limitless, endless, impossible to measure and to calculate. It’s kind of hard for us to wrap our minds around Infinity because we’ve never been in Infinity. But we know one thing, God has. And if our substitute is to be infinite because, it looks as if we are clearly not able to, we would have to pay for the rest of our life to pay for our infinite sin, right? I mean our sin is against an infinite God. So we’re clearly not able to pay for our own sin. It would take us forever to do it, right? But we know that God is qualified because God is infinite. If you look at Psalms 90:1-2 it says: Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, you are God. And so that’s the first qualification to be infinite. We know God is infinite.
The second qualification is to be available.To be available to pay for the price. To pay the price for sin you can’t have any of your own sin. It’s like trying to get a poor man to take you to lunch. They don’t have any money because they owe a bunch of debt. They’re not going to pay for your lunch. Well, in order for us to have somebody available to pay for our sin, they have to be righteous. Because we are already obligated to pay for our own sin, we are not available because we’re going to be too busy paying for our own sins. Kind of like the poor man you know can’t take your lunch. We are not available, but God is righteous. And when we talk about that, when we look at the Scriptures about God’s righteousness, Matthew 19:17 said, This is Jesus talking: And he said to him, Why call thou me good? There is none good but one, and that is God. And also in Ecclesiastes 7:20 it says, For there is not a just man upon the earth, that does good and sins not. So we know that God is the only righteous creature with the potential to be the substitute, right?
And the third quality is there must be a willingness. And if we talk about what that means in the context of sacrificing for our sins, that means somebody who loves and is compassionate and motivated by compassion. If I am not a murderer, but there is somebody who is a murderer, and I want to be the substitute, and go to the gallows for them, then I am going to have to have compassion and love for them in order to be willing to pay that price. Otherwise it’s not going to happen.
So we see in general terms that the substitute would have to have these qualities in order to be qualified to pay for our sins. Then, who is qualified? Well, we know from the Scriptures that only God is qualified to be our substitute. And in Isaiah Chapter 45: 20-22 the Scripture says: Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, you that have escaped the nations: they have no knowledge who carry the wood of their carved image and pray to a God that cannot save. Tell and bring forth your case. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has declared this from ancient time? Who has told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no other God beside me, a just God and a Savior. There is none beside me. Look to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and there is no other.
So God’s making it pretty clear that he is the only qualified substitute to be our Savior. And so, well, what do we know about whether God did pay the penalty for man’s sin? Well, the Bible tells us about that. It says that Christ paid the price. If we look at Matthew 20:28, it says: Even as the Son of Man has come not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Furthermore, in Titus Chapter 2:13-14 it says: Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ; Who gave himself for us, that He might redeem us from all sin. Jesus did it. He paid the price and he had the qualities necessary to be our substitute. He is infinite, and if you look at Hebrews 1: 5-12, you could read verses 5 through 12, but I’m going to pick up about halfway through that. When God is talking to the Son, he says, God the Father’s talking to God the Son, he says: But to the Son he says. Your throne, O God, is forever and ever: a scepter of righteousness is a scepter of your Kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness. Therefore God your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness, more than your companions. And you, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands. They will perish, but you remain, and they will grow old like a garment, like a cloak. You will fold them up, and they will be changed, But you are the same, and in your years will not fail.
That’s a great picture of how Jesus has been here since before the foundations of the world. He laid the foundations and he is infinite, so he is therefore qualified. He’s also righteous. In First John 2:1-2 it says: My little children, these things I write to you so you may not sin. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And He Himself is the propitiation of the payment for our sins, and not for ours only, but for the sins of the whole world. So what we see here He is infinite. He’s righteous and he’s loving. Galatians 2:20 says: I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Jesus had compassion on us. He gave his life. So when we talk about, you know, Jesus Christ is God, and he was qualified.
The concept of the Trinity, the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost, which when reading some of these verses you wonder, wow, God’s talking to himself, right? I’m not going to cover the Trinity in this particular study, but I will say this. I think CS Lewis had a really great description of the way to understand the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost. He described the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost as being in this great dance from eternity past where they are constantly loving each other, serving each other, and glorifying each other. And He compared it to a dance. Maybe you’ve watched two people who have been dancing together for a long time. They move as one and they have this unity and that is one way. This is the way I understand the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. They have three different functions just like the two dancing. Like if you look at two dancers, they do have different functions but they move in one with one purpose, right? And so it’s interesting that if you look at God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, well, the Bible says that Jesus is God. And in First Timothy Chapter 2:5-6 it says For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. So Jesus is God.
You know, I love Jesus so much. His prayers were just so deep and that helps us understand the intense love that he had for us, and that he had the intense love for the Father, and how he was ready to play that role and be that substitute so that we could be reconciled to God the Father. I just want to read John 17: 20-26, Jesus’ Prayer. And he says, and it’s kind of hard to follow, so you might want to look it up. I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in me through their word; That they may all be one, as you, Father, are in me and I in you, that they also may be one. That the world may believe that you sent me and the glory you gave me. I have given them that they may be one, just as we are one. I in them, and you in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that you have sent me, and I have loved them as you have loved me. Father, I desire that they also, whom You gave me, may be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which you have given me. For you loved me before the foundation of the world. Wow, that’s just so beautiful. And that’s Jesus Prayer.
For us, you know Jesus, He came, and he paid the price. The Bible says, Therefore take heed to yourselves that to all and to all the flock. And this is in Acts 20:28: Over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to shepherd the Church of God, which he purchased with His own blood. He paid the price for us.
And then we talk about Jesus. We talked about last session, we talked about how all these men, these religions that we’ve created tried to find the way. But Jesus said, I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. And in Acts 4:10-12. It says: Let it be known to you all and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, and by him this man stands here before you whole. This is the stone which was rejected by the builders, which became the chief cornerstone. Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. So we know that Jesus is the way. And he provided the way of salvation for us. The question is how do we receive it? And that’s what we’re going to talk about in the next study.
We would love to hear your thoughts about this devotional. Did God speak to you or challenge your daily walk with him? Or is there a topic that you would like Kimberly to cover or expound on? Please share with us in the comments below.
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