God's Justice, Mercy, and the Necessity of Atonement
Summary
In reflecting on the profound nature of God's justice and mercy, we are reminded of the story of Adam and Eve and the question of why God was so severe in His judgment. The real question, however, is why God was so merciful. God's justice is perfect, and He never punishes the innocent with the guilty. This is illustrated through the story of Abraham, who questioned God about sparing the righteous in Sodom. Abraham's realization that God would never punish the righteous with the wicked underscores the divine nature of God's justice.
The necessity of atonement is rooted in both God's character and our own sinful nature. Sin is described in the Bible as a debt, enmity, and a crime against God. The concept of debt is illustrated through the metaphor of a pecuniary debt, which can be paid by another, and a moral debt, which cannot. Our sin creates a moral debt that we cannot repay, highlighting our need for a Savior. Sin also creates enmity between us and God, making reconciliation necessary. This reconciliation is made possible through Christ, who acts as our mediator.
Sin is also seen as a crime against God, a transgression of His law. This cosmic treason is a rebellion against the Creator, and it is only through the atonement of Christ that we can be reconciled to God. The cross represents both propitiation, satisfying God's justice, and expiation, removing our sin. Through the cross, God remains just while justifying those who believe in Him.
Key Takeaways:
1. God's justice is perfect and never punishes the innocent with the guilty. Abraham's dialogue with God about Sodom reveals the divine nature of God's justice, emphasizing that God will always do what is just. This understanding should deepen our trust in God's righteous character. [12:55]
2. The necessity of atonement is rooted in God's character and our sinful nature. Sin is described as a debt, enmity, and a crime against God, each illustrating our need for a Savior. This understanding of sin should lead us to a deeper appreciation of Christ's sacrifice. [15:36]
3. Sin creates a moral debt that we cannot repay, highlighting our need for a Savior. Unlike a pecuniary debt, a moral debt cannot be paid by another, underscoring the gravity of our sin and the necessity of Christ's atonement. [22:22]
4. Sin creates enmity between us and God, making reconciliation necessary. Through Christ, who acts as our mediator, we are reconciled to God, ending the war between us and our Creator. This reconciliation is a profound act of grace. [28:34]
5. Sin is a crime against God, a transgression of His law, and an act of cosmic treason. The cross represents both propitiation, satisfying God's justice, and expiation, removing our sin. Through the cross, God remains just while justifying those who believe in Him. [38:19]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[08:57] - Question of God's Judgment
[09:31] - Classroom Anecdote
[11:17] - Abraham's Dialogue with God
[12:55] - God's Justice and Righteousness
[15:36] - Necessity of Atonement
[16:27] - Sin as Debt
[18:22] - Pecuniary vs. Moral Debt
[22:22] - Helplessness in Sin
[24:03] - Sin as Enmity
[25:07] - Encounter with Atheists
[29:40] - Sin as Crime
[31:00] - Cosmic Treason
[35:32] - Propitiation and Expiation
[38:36] - Prayer and Reflection
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Genesis 18:23-25 - Abraham's dialogue with God about sparing the righteous in Sodom.
2. Romans 3:25-26 - God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness.
3. Colossians 1:20 - Through Christ, God reconciled everything to himself, making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.
Observation Questions:
1. In Genesis 18:23-25, what does Abraham's dialogue with God reveal about God's character and justice? How does this relate to the sermon’s emphasis on God not punishing the innocent with the guilty? [12:55]
2. How does Romans 3:25-26 illustrate the concept of God being both just and the justifier? What role does Christ's sacrifice play in this? [15:03]
3. According to Colossians 1:20, what is the significance of Christ's blood in reconciling us to God? How does this relate to the sermon’s discussion on reconciliation and ending enmity with God? [28:34]
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the story of Abraham and Sodom challenge or deepen our understanding of divine justice? What implications does this have for our trust in God's decisions? [12:55]
2. In what ways does the concept of sin as a moral debt, as discussed in the sermon, affect our understanding of our need for a Savior? How does this differ from a pecuniary debt? [22:22]
3. How does the sermon’s portrayal of sin as cosmic treason impact our view of sin's seriousness? What does this mean for our relationship with God? [31:48]
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you questioned God's justice. How can Abraham's dialogue with God in Genesis 18 help you trust in God's righteous character in similar situations? [12:55]
2. The sermon discusses sin as a debt we cannot repay. How does this understanding influence your daily reliance on Christ as your Savior? What practical steps can you take to deepen this reliance? [22:22]
3. Consider the enmity that sin creates between us and God. How can you actively pursue reconciliation with God in your daily life? What role does prayer and scripture play in this process? [28:34]
4. The sermon describes sin as a crime against God. How does this perspective change the way you view your actions and decisions? What specific changes can you make to align more closely with God's law? [31:48]
5. Reflect on the concept of the cross as both propitiation and expiation. How does this dual role of the cross inspire gratitude and worship in your life? What are some ways you can express this gratitude daily? [38:19]
6. Think about a specific area in your life where you feel distant from God. How can the message of reconciliation through Christ encourage you to seek peace with God in that area? [28:34]
7. Identify a person in your life who may not understand the gravity of sin. How can you share the message of God's justice and mercy with them in a loving and impactful way? [31:48]
Devotional
Day 1: Trust in God's Perfect Justice
God's justice is perfect and never punishes the innocent with the guilty. This truth is illustrated in the story of Abraham, who questioned God about sparing the righteous in Sodom. Abraham's dialogue with God reveals the divine nature of God's justice, emphasizing that God will always do what is just. This understanding should deepen our trust in God's righteous character. As we reflect on this, we are reminded that God's ways are higher than our ways, and His judgments are always fair and just. [12:55]
Genesis 18:25 (ESV): "Far be it from you to do such a thing, to put the righteous to death with the wicked, so that the righteous fare as the wicked! Far be that from you! Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?"
Reflection: Think of a situation where you felt wronged or misunderstood. How can you trust in God's perfect justice to bring about the right outcome in His timing?
Day 2: The Necessity of Atonement
The necessity of atonement is rooted in God's character and our sinful nature. Sin is described as a debt, enmity, and a crime against God, each illustrating our need for a Savior. Our sin creates a moral debt that we cannot repay, highlighting our need for Christ's sacrifice. This understanding of sin should lead us to a deeper appreciation of Christ's atonement, which reconciles us to God and restores our relationship with Him. [15:36]
Colossians 2:13-14 (ESV): "And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross."
Reflection: Consider the weight of your own sin and the debt it creates. How does recognizing this debt deepen your gratitude for Christ's atonement?
Day 3: Helplessness in Sin
Sin creates a moral debt that we cannot repay, underscoring the gravity of our sin and the necessity of Christ's atonement. Unlike a pecuniary debt, a moral debt cannot be paid by another, highlighting our helplessness in sin. This realization should lead us to a place of humility and dependence on Christ, who alone can reconcile us to God. [22:22]
Romans 5:6-8 (ESV): "For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Reflection: Reflect on a time when you felt helpless in your sin. How can you rely on Christ's strength and grace to overcome it today?
Day 4: Reconciliation Through Christ
Sin creates enmity between us and God, making reconciliation necessary. Through Christ, who acts as our mediator, we are reconciled to God, ending the war between us and our Creator. This reconciliation is a profound act of grace, reminding us of the depth of God's love and mercy towards us. [28:34]
2 Corinthians 5:18-19 (ESV): "All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation."
Reflection: Who in your life do you need to reconcile with? How can you take a step towards reconciliation today, following Christ's example?
Day 5: The Cross as Propitiation and Expiation
Sin is a crime against God, a transgression of His law, and an act of cosmic treason. The cross represents both propitiation, satisfying God's justice, and expiation, removing our sin. Through the cross, God remains just while justifying those who believe in Him. This dual aspect of the cross should lead us to a deeper understanding of God's holiness and love. [38:19]
Hebrews 9:26 (ESV): "For then he would have had to suffer repeatedly since the foundation of the world. But as it is, he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself."
Reflection: How does understanding the dual role of the cross as both propitiation and expiation change your perspective on God's justice and mercy? How can you live in response to this truth today?
Quotes
The real question I can't figure out is why in the world a transcendently holy and righteous Creator be so incredibly merciful to Adam and to Eve when Abraham asked this question it sounded like he didn't know God at all because God does not punish the innocent with the guilt. [00:08:59]
Shall not the judge of all of the earth do what is just now, again a question this time it's not a stupid question this time it's a rhetorical question which can only have one answer shall not the judge of all of the earth do what what is just and the answer is of course. [00:12:55]
If God is Holy and God is righteous and there's no if to it since God is righteous not only will he punish sin he must punish sin it is necessary for his Justice to may be made manifest of course in the gospel we understand that he judges sin in a substitute. [00:14:37]
The first metaphor as it were that is used to describe the sinfulness of sin is the word debt you know sometimes when we pray the Lord's Prayer we say forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors usually when we think of the word debt we're thinking in economic terms. [00:16:27]
In biblical categories we must distinguish between what we call in theology a pecuniary debt and a moral debt a pecuniary debt is a monetary or financial debt may I give you two brief illustrations of that my favorite one is this little boy goes into the ice cream store. [00:17:55]
This is the language of Jesus who says to us in our condition of sin we are debtors who cannot pay their debt I am completely helpless to pay that debt there is nothing I can do to atone for my own sins and people say you Christians worry too much about Sin. [00:22:22]
The Bible tells us that we are by Nature at enmity with God in our fallen Humanity our most formidable Foe and enemy is God himself there's no being in the universe with whom we have greater hostility to Lord than our creator I was once invited to speak to a college club. [00:24:03]
The Bible speaks of Salvation in terms of reconciliation in terms of ending a war the first fruit of our justification is what that we have peace with God and access into his presence when we come to Christ the war's over because our mediator has reconciled us to The God. [00:28:34]
The slightest sin that we commit against God we are setting our authority over his we are rebelling against the Transcendent Majesty of the universe we are violating the rule given by the king of the cosmos but we don't we're so used to sinning so accustomed to sin. [00:31:00]
In the cross the Lord Jesus propitiates the father and expiates our sin removing it from us as far as the East is from the West so that in the cross God guards protects his own holy character showing forth his justice to all generations while doing so with a substitute. [00:38:19]
In the cross God is both just and the justifier of his people let's pray father and our God who can take it in what can we say to these things except that if th be for us who can be against us who shall lay any charge to your elect for it's Christ who died. [00:38:36]
Our lips are filled with praise and thanksgiving for this act of justice and act of Mercy amen. [00:39:28]
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from Aug 18, 2015. Do you have any questions about it?