Embracing the Duality of Easter: Sin and Justification

Devotional

Day 1: The Universal Struggle with Sin and Justification

Sin and the need for justification are universal problems that affect every person. Sin represents our inability to meet God's standards, while justification is the righteousness we lack. This dual problem highlights our need for a Savior, as we all fall short of God's glory. Our sins separate us from God, and without justification, we cannot enter His presence. This reality calls us to recognize our shortcomings and the necessity of divine intervention to bridge the gap between us and God. [02:09]

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23-24, ESV)

Reflection: Identify an area in your life where you struggle with sin. How can you seek God's help to overcome this and embrace His gift of justification today?

Day 2: God's Provision Through Christ's Sacrifice

God's solution to our problem of sin and need for justification is found in Jesus' death and resurrection. Jesus willingly laid down His life, and God the Father actively participated in delivering Him to death and raising Him to life. This divine collaboration underscores the depth of God's love for us, as both the Father and the Son work in unison to redeem humanity. This provision is a testament to God's unwavering commitment to restore our relationship with Him. [09:29]

"But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8, ESV)

Reflection: Reflect on the depth of God's love for you. How can you respond to His provision in your daily life, acknowledging the sacrifice made on your behalf?

Day 3: Christ's Achievement of Justice and Righteousness

Jesus' death for our sins and His resurrection for our justification are His two-sided achievements. This accomplishment is not merely an act of forgiveness but a fulfillment of divine justice. Through substitution and imputation, Jesus bears our sins, and His righteousness is credited to us. This profound exchange allows us to stand justified before God, highlighting the necessity of divine justice and the incredible gift of grace we receive through Christ. [14:44]

"For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." (2 Corinthians 5:21, ESV)

Reflection: Consider the concept of substitution and imputation. How does understanding this exchange deepen your appreciation for what Christ has done for you?

Day 4: The Cross as the Intersection of Justice and Love

God's role as the righteous judge means He cannot simply overlook sin. The cross is where God's justice and love meet, as Jesus takes our place and bears the wrath of God. This profound exchange allows us to stand justified before God, demonstrating the necessity of divine justice and the depth of God's love for humanity. It is a reminder that God's justice and love are perfectly balanced in the sacrifice of Jesus. [17:52]

"He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed." (1 Peter 2:24, ESV)

Reflection: How does the understanding of the cross as the intersection of justice and love impact your view of God's character? How can this understanding influence your interactions with others?

Day 5: Embracing a Two-Sided Response of Faith

We are invited to trust Jesus as our Savior and submit to Him as our Lord. This response is not two separate actions but two facets of the same faith. By embracing Jesus, we receive the priceless gifts of forgiveness and justification, which He offers with our names on them. This Easter, let us stake our lives, deaths, and eternities on the life and death of Jesus Christ, binding ourselves to Him in faith. [27:21]

"Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7, ESV)

Reflection: What does it mean for you to trust Jesus as your Savior and submit to Him as your Lord? How can you actively live out this two-sided response of faith in your daily life?

Sermon Summary

On this joyous Easter Sunday, we gather to celebrate the profound significance of Jesus Christ's death and resurrection, as encapsulated in Romans 4:25. This verse succinctly captures the essence of Easter: "Christ was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification." This message is a two-sided coin, presenting a dual problem, provision, achievement, and response.

Firstly, we face a two-sided problem: sin and the need for justification. Sin signifies our failure to uphold God's law, while justification is the declaration of righteousness that none of us can claim on our own. This dual problem is universal, affecting every believer, as we all fall short of God's glory. Our sins keep us from heaven, and our lack of righteousness prevents us from entering it.

In response to this problem, God provides a two-sided solution. Jesus Christ's death and resurrection are God's provision for our sin and need for justification. Jesus willingly laid down His life, and God the Father actively participated in delivering Him to death and raising Him to life. This divine collaboration underscores the depth of God's love for us, as both the Father and the Son work in unison to redeem humanity.

Christ's two-sided achievement is His death for our sins and His resurrection for our justification. This accomplishment is not merely an act of forgiveness but a fulfillment of divine justice. God, as the righteous judge, cannot simply overlook sin. Instead, through substitution and imputation, Jesus bears our sins, and His righteousness is credited to us. This profound exchange allows us to stand justified before God.

Finally, we are invited to make a two-sided response: to trust Jesus as our Savior and submit to Him as our Lord. This response is not two separate actions but two facets of the same faith. By embracing Jesus, we receive the priceless gifts of forgiveness and justification, which He offers with our names on them. This Easter, let us stake our lives, deaths, and eternities on the life and death of Jesus Christ, binding ourselves to Him in faith.

Key Takeaways

1. The Universal Problem of Sin and Justification: Every person faces the dual problem of sin and the need for justification. Sin is our failure to meet God's standards, and justification is the righteousness we lack. This problem is universal, affecting all believers, and highlights our need for a Savior. [02:09]
2. God's Two-Sided Provision: Jesus' death and resurrection are God's provision for our sin and need for justification. Jesus willingly laid down His life, and God the Father actively participated in delivering Him to death and raising Him to life. This divine collaboration underscores the depth of God's love for us. [09:29]
3. Christ's Two-Sided Achievement: Jesus' death for our sins and His resurrection for our justification are His two-sided achievements. This accomplishment is not merely an act of forgiveness but a fulfillment of divine justice. Through substitution and imputation, Jesus bears our sins, and His righteousness is credited to us. [14:44]
4. The Necessity of Divine Justice: God's role as the righteous judge means He cannot simply overlook sin. The cross is where God's justice and love meet, as Jesus takes our place and bears the wrath of God. This profound exchange allows us to stand justified before God. [17:52]
5. A Two-Sided Response of Faith: We are invited to trust Jesus as our Savior and submit to Him as our Lord. This response is not two separate actions but two facets of the same faith. By embracing Jesus, we receive the priceless gifts of forgiveness and justification, which He offers with our names on them. [27:21]
** [27:21]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:25] - Introduction to Easter Message
[00:58] - Romans 4:25: The Two-Sided Coin
[02:09] - Our Two-Sided Problem
[04:04] - Illustration of Our Problem
[07:37] - God's Two-Sided Provision
[09:29] - The Father's Role in Jesus' Death and Resurrection
[12:35] - The Father's Love and the Son's Sacrifice
[14:24] - Christ's Two-Sided Achievement
[17:52] - The Necessity of Divine Justice
[19:19] - Substitution and Imputation
[21:27] - Raised for Our Justification
[23:14] - Illustration: Unclaimed Wealth
[26:19] - Invitation to a Two-Sided Response
[28:45] - Poem: Staking Eternity on Christ
[30:54] - Closing Prayer

Sermon Clips

Firstly, we face a two-sided problem: sin and the need for justification. Sin signifies our failure to uphold God's law, while justification is the declaration of righteousness that none of us can claim on our own. This dual problem is universal, affecting every believer, as we all fall short of God's glory. Our sins keep us from heaven, and our lack of righteousness prevents us from entering it. [00:02:09]

Christ's two-sided achievement is His death for our sins and His resurrection for our justification. This accomplishment is not merely an act of forgiveness but a fulfillment of divine justice. God, as the righteous judge, cannot simply overlook sin. Instead, through substitution and imputation, Jesus bears our sins, and His righteousness is credited to us. This profound exchange allows us to stand justified before God. [00:14:24]

God's two-sided provision: Jesus' death and resurrection are God's provision for our sin and need for justification. Jesus willingly laid down His life, and God the Father actively participated in delivering Him to death and raising Him to life. This divine collaboration underscores the depth of God's love for us, as both the Father and the Son work in unison to redeem humanity. [00:09:29]

The necessity of divine justice: God's role as the righteous judge means He cannot simply overlook sin. The cross is where God's justice and love meet, as Jesus takes our place and bears the wrath of God. This profound exchange allows us to stand justified before God. [00:17:52]

A two-sided response of faith: We are invited to trust Jesus as our Savior and submit to Him as our Lord. This response is not two separate actions but two facets of the same faith. By embracing Jesus, we receive the priceless gifts of forgiveness and justification, which He offers with our names on them. [00:27:21]

The Bible says that Jesus Christ gave himself for you. There was no compulsion in this; no one made him do it. He did it freely, and he gave his life. He laid it down. He chose to do this out of love for you. [00:08:31]

The Father released the Son from the bonds of his own love so that the Son could become the sin bearer for you and for me, which is why Jesus cried out, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" The Father had given him up; the Father had delivered him over. [00:12:00]

The Father loves you as much as the Son, and your salvation is as much the work of the Father as it is the work of the Son. The Father delivered him over to death; the Son chose to lay down his life; the Father raised him from the dead; the Son rose in triumphant power. [00:13:23]

Substitution means this: that God the Son takes our flesh and he stands in our place. He substitutes himself; he comes on the field of play, as it were, on our behalf, and he bears our sin and he absorbs in himself the wrath that justice pours out in relation to it. [00:19:19]

Imputation means that the Father, in collaboration with the Son, lays your sin on him, counting it as if it has been his, and then takes the perfection of his holy life and drapes it over you as if it had been yours. [00:20:26]

The dying Christ secures our justification; the risen Christ will make sure that we get it. There was a piece in the news recently that caught my attention. I wonder if it caught yours. Dan Rutherford, the Illinois State Treasurer, has instigated a program called Cash Dash. [00:21:27]

Faith is very simply the bond of a living union with Christ, in which you embrace him as he is. That means you trust him as your Savior and you submit to him as your Lord. [00:28:45]

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