Condemnation, Sin, and Gospel

We are wrapping up a six week Bible study on Explicit Gospel by Matt Chandler.  It has been a rich study and I would highly recommend it.  Here are a few thoughts to think about today:

Sealed in my heart that day was the truth that unless the gospel is made explicit, unless we clearly articulate that our righteousness is imputed to us by Jesus Christ, that on the cross he absorbed the wrath of God aimed at us and washed us clean--even if we preach biblical words on obeying God--people will believe that Jesus' message is that he has come to condemn the world, not to save it.

We must abandon the idea that there is condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus! We must abandon the idea that our sins pile up on some scale that will earn God's punishment when tipped, as if Christ didn't take this wrath from us already on the cross.  We must also abandon the idea that our good behavior somehow rubs the spiritual lamp that inclines God, like a genie, to emerge and give us the things we wish for.

The Devil brings up gospel truths to accuse and condemn, whereas the Spirit brings up these truths to convict and to comfort.

People who understand the gospel of Jesus Christ seek to put sin to death because they understand that sin is a lion and will eventually destroy and devour them. By grace and in grace we scour every corner of our hearts, every square inch of our lives, and probe our minds to find anything that is not in submission to Jesus Christ, and we eradicate it altogether for the glory of God, for the safety of our soul, and for the love of those around us.