To say Jesus died only to give oppertunity for forgiveness, is a powerless gospel. Think about it: The natural man hates God, he thinks the things of God are foolishness, He doesn't understand, he is under the sway of the devil, driven by his sinful passions and desires. Now ask this man if he wants forgiveness...doesn't the Scriptures say he does what is right in his own eyes? He'll say, "Forgiveness for what? Sin? I'm a good person." By his own admission he calls God a liar! But the charge is against him. "There is no fear of God before their eyes. "Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God." The Scriptures reveal the true nature of man. There is no denying it. Why then do we not want to believe it? Man is not good, and man does no Good. Does not the Scripture say this? Does it not say this specificly about the nature of man? Is it wrong to say what God has said about him? Listen to God speak now, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." Man has bitten the hand that feeds him. He has wondered so far, God speaks to the heavens and the earth, why? Man doth not consider. Here animals are spoken more highly of! Is God wrong to speak like this? Let God be true and every man a liar! Asking man if he wants forgiveness, is like asking a dead man to walk! He is powerless.
To say Jesus died only to provide forgiveness of sin, is an unfinished gospel. Think about it: The problem is sin, not just acts of sin, but the power of sin as well. We are not sinners because we sin, we sin because we are sinners. The principle of sin is at work in man, it is that power he must be freed from. "Can a bad tree bear good fruit?" of course not, "Make the tree good and the fruit will be likewise." What does God say He'll do? Won't He take the heart of stone and give a heart of flesh? It is like sweeping the floor because it is dirty, but you don't throw away the dirt. Is not the job unfinished?
Oh what a plight man is in!
To say Jesus died to save us, is good news! Think about it: There is a union some have with him. " Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:" Oh what a glorious union some have with Him! Do you not know? "Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:" This is fact. Some might say, "Brother, but that hasn't been my experience, free from sin? I still sin?" You believe to be forgiven of sin and rightly so, believe also that you have been freed from sin. The answer is still the same, "Let God be true, and every man a liar" Does the experience of sin nullify what the Scriptures say about sin? No! That is why we are reminded to consider or reckon. "Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof" How am I to do this? The answer is in the previous verse, "Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord". We are to believe what the Scripture says over or experience. Well what about this? "What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?" You can't live a life under the power of sin if you've died to the power of sin. Are you dead to sin? "Whoever is in Christ is a new creation, behold the old is gone and the new has come" Reckon these things to be true. Truth, truly transforms. Is not the Gospel the power of God unto salvation?He died, you died. He was raised, you were raised. You were dead, and have been raised! now walk!
Salvation is: Justification-saved from the penalty of sin. Sanctification-saved from the power of sin. Glorification-saved from the presence of sin.
