(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to
each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted.)
When faced with the fact that we have done something wrong, there is often the hope that we can somehow avoid the consequence of our misdeed.
One of the problems the early church faced, including the church at Colosse, was false teachers, those who undermined the truth of the gospel by propagating their own beliefs. Those beliefs were neither well-formed nor well-established but represented an amalgam of ideas propagated by various teachers. In chapter one of Paul's letter to the church, he mentions some of those ideas that have come to his attention, a mixture of doctrinal aberrations (like "the worship of angels" Col 2:18), ascetic practices (extra-biblical rules: "Do not taste [this]! Do not touch [that]!" Col 2:21), and general misinformation ("human commands and teachings" Col 2:22).
As with many aberrant systems, what people find most attractive is not the particulars of what they espouse but the laxity of what they expect. That is, these false teachers make few if any moral demands, so people can adopt the beliefs without it affecting their behavior. They can live as they please. Accordingly, there is no such thing as sin, and there are no consequences to one's actions. That sounds appealing, but that is not the case with God. He espouses the truth to man, He expects obedience from man, and He executes judgment on man for disobedience. Paul, in his letter to the church, warns believers against accepting these false teachings, and he sets in contrast one of the fundamentals of the truth, that sin and its consequences are real, and that those consequences are dire, but there is a remedy in....
* XXII The Foremost Commutation1
...which is receiving...
Paul says the reason for your state of death was twofold: The cause was both external, your corrupt conduct ("your sins"), as well as internal, your corrupt character ("your sinful nature"). It was a 'double whammy,' so to speak.4 Either one, your sins or your sinful nature, would be enough to condemn you, and you had both...lucky you.
He further notes that, unless something changes, there can be only one outcome, and it is not good.5 His message to the Colossians and to you is the same.
Sometimes people think their faults are too great to warrant God's forgiveness, or they wonder if they have committed the same sin too often to warrant God's forgiveness. "O what a wretch I am" (Rom 7:24a). Do you ever doubt God's pardon? ...While there is a line that, should a person cross, God will say "Enough," that is not an issue for those who are concerned about His opinion. Nevertheless, we should be aware that there are capital crimes which have no atonement.
The New Testament identifies two examples of 'unpardonable sin,' and there may be more.7
If your sin does not possess these characteristics, it is not unpardonable, at least not while you are still living. If, however, you have not availed yourself of God's pardon in this life, all bets are off (so to speak), because, as the author of Hebrews states...
This does not mean you have to keep track of every way you may have fallen short of God's perfect standard, fearful that missing one misdeed will condemn you to perdition. More important than keeping a careful record of your sins is keeping a close relationship to your sovereign. Address the misdeeds that come to your attention by confessing them, but do not agonize over what you may be missing. Your keeping salvation does not depend on your keeping score.
If you are still uncertain about God's pardon for sin, the biblical authors do their best to dispel those doubts. Listen to what they say.
Having received God's pardon, are we then free to live as we please? ...That is what Paul asks and answers in...
One advantage to being God is independence.9 He does not owe anything to anyone. As the apostle Paul notes...
Are you grateful?
Having considered The Foremost Commutation, we will look next at The Foremost Combustion, which is the purging of God, in 2 Pet 3:7, 10.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
Rushing to work, Katrina—not our Katrina—was driving too fast and was pulled over by a highway patrolman. The trooper noticed that one of the books on her seat had a GACTC logo. "I teach math there," she explained. The trooper smiled, and said, "Okay, here's a problem. A teacher is speeding down the highway at 16 m.p.h. over the limit. At $12 for every mile, plus $40 court expenses, plus the rise in her insurance, what's her total cost?" She replied, "Taking that total, subtracting the low salary I receive, multiplying by the number of students who hate math, then adding to it the fact that none of us would be anywhere without teachers, I'd say... zero." The trooper handed back her license and said... "Math was never my favorite subject. Please slow down."When faced with the fact that we have done something wrong, there is often the hope that we can somehow avoid the consequence of our misdeed. While it may be possible to talk one's way out of a policeman's ticket, it will require a much more compelling argument to avoid the Lord's judgment. It will, in fact, require The Foremost Commutation.
One of the problems the early church faced, including the church at Colosse, was false teachers, those who undermined the truth of the gospel by propagating their own beliefs. Those beliefs were neither well-formed nor well-established but represented an amalgam of ideas propagated by various teachers. In chapter one of Paul's letter to the church, he mentions some of those ideas that have come to his attention, a mixture of doctrinal aberrations (like "the worship of angels" Col 2:18), ascetic practices (extra-biblical rules: "Do not taste [this]! Do not touch [that]!" Col 2:21), and general misinformation ("human commands and teachings" Col 2:22).
As with many aberrant systems, what people find most attractive is not the particulars of what they espouse but the laxity of what they expect. That is, these false teachers make few if any moral demands, so people can adopt the beliefs without it affecting their behavior. They can live as they please. Accordingly, there is no such thing as sin, and there are no consequences to one's actions. That sounds appealing, but that is not the case with God. He espouses the truth to man, He expects obedience from man, and He executes judgment on man for disobedience. Paul, in his letter to the church, warns believers against accepting these false teachings, and he sets in contrast one of the fundamentals of the truth, that sin and its consequences are real, and that those consequences are dire, but there is a remedy in....
* XXII The Foremost Commutation1
...which is receiving...
- The pardon of God (Col 2:13)
Col 2:13 When you were dead in your sins [conduct] and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature [character],2 God made you alive with Christ.3 He forgave us all our sins,Paul presents a stark contrast between what his readers were in the past and what they are in the present. They were dead before; they are alive now.... This is not the usual order of things. We normally start out alive and end up dead, but we have reversed the order by our disobedience. (He is not referring here to physical death but to spiritual death, being separated from God.)
Paul says the reason for your state of death was twofold: The cause was both external, your corrupt conduct ("your sins"), as well as internal, your corrupt character ("your sinful nature"). It was a 'double whammy,' so to speak.4 Either one, your sins or your sinful nature, would be enough to condemn you, and you had both...lucky you.
He further notes that, unless something changes, there can be only one outcome, and it is not good.5 His message to the Colossians and to you is the same.
1. Your future without God's intervention has one result: death.That is a sobering realization, one we tend to forget the longer we enjoy the assurance of Paul's second point.
2. Your future with God's intervention (also) has one result (but a different one): life.The contrast between your previous state and your present state could not be greater. While the cause of your previous condition was sin, the cure for that condition is Christ, and the consequence of that cure is forgiveness.6
Sometimes people think their faults are too great to warrant God's forgiveness, or they wonder if they have committed the same sin too often to warrant God's forgiveness. "O what a wretch I am" (Rom 7:24a). Do you ever doubt God's pardon? ...While there is a line that, should a person cross, God will say "Enough," that is not an issue for those who are concerned about His opinion. Nevertheless, we should be aware that there are capital crimes which have no atonement.
The New Testament identifies two examples of 'unpardonable sin,' and there may be more.7
- Blasphemy against the Spirit (Matt 12:31-32)
- Apostasy from the faith (Heb 10:26-29)
- Deliberation: These sins are intentional not accidental. There is a willful and conscious decision to oppose God.
- Diligence: These sins are habitual not occasional. There is a persistent and consistent effort to chart a course contrary to God's will.
- Denial: In the offender's mind, these sins are justifiable not regrettable. He either ignores or rejects what he knows to be true in order to maintain his position.
- Depravity: These acts are immoral not moral, and the offender recognizes no ethical requirements that might restrain his behavior.
- Death: These sins are not redeemable. There is no alternative for this condition but eternal separation from God.
If your sin does not possess these characteristics, it is not unpardonable, at least not while you are still living. If, however, you have not availed yourself of God's pardon in this life, all bets are off (so to speak), because, as the author of Hebrews states...
Heb 9:27 ...man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment,That is, after death, all unpardoned sin becomes unpardonable sin. Contrary to what Universalists believe, that God will save everyone or, at least, give everyone an opportunity to change his mind postmortem, there is no second chance beyond the pale.
This does not mean you have to keep track of every way you may have fallen short of God's perfect standard, fearful that missing one misdeed will condemn you to perdition. More important than keeping a careful record of your sins is keeping a close relationship to your sovereign. Address the misdeeds that come to your attention by confessing them, but do not agonize over what you may be missing. Your keeping salvation does not depend on your keeping score.
If you are still uncertain about God's pardon for sin, the biblical authors do their best to dispel those doubts. Listen to what they say.
The LORD is a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness...forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. ( Exod 34:6b-7a)
Blessed is the one whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one whose sin the LORD does not count against him.... (Ps 32:1-2a = Rom 4:7-8)
When you acknowledge your sin to God and do not cover up your iniquity....He will forgive the guilt of your sin. (= Ps 32:5)
When we were overwhelmed by sins, God forgave our transgressions. (Ps 65:3)
The LORD forgives the iniquity of His people and covers all their sins. ( Ps 85:2)
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for you who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed your transgressions from you. ( Ps 103:11-12)
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isa 1:18b-c)
The LORD blots out your transgressions, for His own sake, and remembers your sins no more. (= Isa 43:25)
He sweeps away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. ( Isa 44:22a)
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call on him while he is near....turn to the LORD, and he will have mercy...and...he will freely pardon. (Isa 55:6, 7b)
God will forgive your wickedness and will remember your sins no more. [=Jer 31:34c = Heb 8:12; 10:17]
The LORD will cleanse you from all the sin you have committed...He will forgive all your sins. (= Jer 33:8)
If a wicked person turns away from all the sins he has committed and keeps all God's decrees and does what is just and right.... None of the offenses he has committed will be remembered against him. (= Ezek 18:21a, 22a)
Everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name. (= Acts 10:43)
If you walk in the light, as God is in the light, you have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies you from all sin. (= 1 John 1:7)
If you confess your sins, God is faithful and just and will forgive your sins and purify you from all unrighteousness. (= 1 John 1:9)
You have one who speaks to the Father in your defense—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One, and he is the atoning sacrifice for your sins.... (1 John 2:1 b-2a)
Jesus...has freed you from [suffering the eternal penalty of] your sins by his blood. (Rev 1:5)How much more assurance do you need? ...However great or numerous your sins may be, God's pardon is greater, and when you turn to Him, His grace is sufficient to cover it all.
Having received God's pardon, are we then free to live as we please? ...That is what Paul asks and answers in...
Rom 6:1b Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?Jesus did not sacrifice his life so you could squander your life. You have a debt that you can never repay, but there is no one better to owe your life.8
One advantage to being God is independence.9 He does not owe anything to anyone. As the apostle Paul notes...
Rom 11:35 "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?"This means, among other things, that all His decisions are His own, made without coercion or any outside influence, which makes what He has done for us that much more amazing, because...
Rom 5:8b While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.No one compelled Jesus to face the cross. Although it was the Father's will, it was the son's decision. As Jesus said...
John 10:18a No one takes [my life] from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.That is what makes The Foremost Commutation most compelling. As the pardon of God, it is the consummate expression of His grace. He gives us what we do not deserve and what we cannot repay, and all He expects in return is our gratitude....
Are you grateful?
Having considered The Foremost Commutation, we will look next at The Foremost Combustion, which is the purging of God, in 2 Pet 3:7, 10.
For the Bibliography and Endnotes, see the pdf here.
(This sermon is part of Dr. Manuel's sermon series: "What is Foremost?" Links to each of the sermons in the series will be found here as they are posted)
No comments:
Post a Comment
Relevant and civil comments are welcome. Whether there will be any response depends on whether Dr. Manuel notices them and has the time and inclination to respond or, if not, whether I feel competent to do so.
Jim Skaggs