The Cross: Justice, Mercy, and God's Character Revealed
Summary
In this message, I explored the profound theological implications of the cross of Calvary, emphasizing its role in reconciling God's justice with His mercy. Under the old covenant, the sacrifices of bulls and goats provided only a temporary, ceremonial cleansing of the flesh, unable to truly address the problem of sin or cleanse the conscience. These sacrifices were mere shadows pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who, through His death, offered a complete and final atonement for sin. This act on the cross was not just a demonstration of God's love but a public declaration of His righteousness and justice.
The cross addresses a significant theological dilemma: how can a holy and just God forgive sinners without compromising His righteousness? The answer lies in the cross, where God poured out His wrath on His Son, Jesus Christ, who bore the punishment for our sins. This act satisfied God's justice, allowing Him to remain just while justifying those who have faith in Christ. The cross, therefore, is not merely about forgiveness; it is about the vindication of God's character, demonstrating His holiness, justice, and love in perfect harmony.
Furthermore, the cross is not just a message to influence us emotionally or morally. It is a divine act that upholds the integrity of God's character. Forgiveness is not a simple matter for God because He is not only love but also light, righteousness, and justice. The cross reveals how God can forgive and still remain true to His nature. It is a rejection of the moral influence theory of atonement, which reduces the cross to a mere demonstration of love. Instead, the cross is the ultimate expression of God's eternal attributes, shining together in their full glory.
Key Takeaways:
- The sacrifices of the old covenant were insufficient to cleanse the conscience or truly deal with sin. They were symbolic, pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ, who alone can purify us from dead works to serve the living God. [26:49]
- The cross of Calvary is God's public declaration of His righteousness and justice. It explains His forbearance in passing over sins in the past and demonstrates His consistent character. [31:27]
- On the cross, God poured out His wrath on Jesus, His only begotten Son, as a substitute for us. This act satisfied God's justice, allowing Him to forgive sinners while remaining just. [33:29]
- The cross is not merely a demonstration of God's love; it is the means by which forgiveness is made possible. It upholds God's justice and righteousness, showing that forgiveness is not an easy matter for God. [39:33]
- The cross reveals the full glory of God's eternal attributes—His love, justice, righteousness, and holiness. It is a rejection of the moral influence theory, emphasizing that the cross is about God's character and not just our emotional response. [40:23]
Youtube Chapters:
- [00:00] - Welcome
- [26:19] - Old Covenant Sacrifices
- [26:49] - Purification Through Christ
- [27:42] - Limitations of the Old Covenant
- [28:32] - Faith of the Old Testament Saints
- [29:50] - God's Forbearance Explained
- [31:11] - Public Declaration of Righteousness
- [32:38] - God's Wrath on the Cross
- [33:49] - Eternal Plan of Salvation
- [34:41] - Vindication of God's Character
- [35:15] - Propitiation for All Sins
- [36:22] - Once and For All Sacrifice
- [37:24] - Justification Through the Cross
- [38:01] - Beyond Forgiveness
- [39:33] - God's Justice and Love
- [40:23] - Full Glory of God's Attributes
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide
Bible Reading:
1. Hebrews 9:13-14
2. Romans 3:25-26
3. 1 John 2:2
---
Observation Questions:
1. According to Hebrews 9:13-14, what is the difference between the cleansing provided by the blood of bulls and goats and the cleansing provided by the blood of Christ?
2. In Romans 3:25-26, how does the Apostle Paul describe God's demonstration of His righteousness through the cross?
3. What does 1 John 2:2 say about the scope of Christ's propitiation for sins?
4. How does the sermon describe the role of Old Testament sacrifices in relation to the ultimate sacrifice of Christ? [27:42]
---
Interpretation Questions:
1. How does the sermon explain the theological dilemma of God forgiving sinners while maintaining His righteousness? [34:29]
2. What does the sermon suggest about the significance of the cross beyond being a demonstration of God's love? [39:33]
3. How does the sermon address the concept of God's justice being satisfied through the cross? [33:29]
4. In what way does the sermon reject the moral influence theory of atonement, and what alternative understanding does it propose? [40:23]
---
Application Questions:
1. Reflect on a time when you felt burdened by guilt or sin. How does understanding the complete atonement of Christ on the cross change your perspective on forgiveness? [26:49]
2. The sermon emphasizes that forgiveness is not an easy matter for God. How does this understanding affect your view of God's character and your relationship with Him? [39:33]
3. Consider the idea that the cross is a public declaration of God's righteousness. How can this understanding influence the way you share your faith with others? [31:27]
4. The sermon highlights the harmony of God's attributes—love, justice, righteousness, and holiness—revealed on the cross. How can you reflect these attributes in your daily life?
5. How does the concept of Christ as a substitute for our sins impact your understanding of justice and mercy in your personal relationships? [33:29]
6. The sermon challenges the moral influence theory of atonement. How does this challenge your previous understanding of the cross, and what steps can you take to deepen your understanding of its significance? [40:23]
7. Identify one area in your life where you struggle to reconcile justice and mercy. How can the message of the cross guide you in addressing this struggle?
Devotional
Day 1: Christ's Sacrifice Transcends Old Covenant Rituals
The sacrifices of the old covenant, involving bulls and goats, were insufficient to cleanse the conscience or truly address the problem of sin. These rituals were symbolic, serving as a foreshadowing of the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. Unlike the temporary and ceremonial cleansing provided by the old covenant, Christ's sacrifice offers a complete and final atonement for sin. Through His death, Jesus purifies us from dead works, enabling us to serve the living God with a clear conscience. This profound truth invites us to reflect on the sufficiency of Christ's sacrifice and its transformative power in our lives. [26:49]
Hebrews 9:13-14 (ESV): "For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, sanctify for the purification of the flesh, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our conscience from dead works to serve the living God."
Reflection: In what ways can you rely on Christ's sacrifice to cleanse your conscience and empower you to serve God more fully today?
Day 2: The Cross as God's Declaration of Righteousness
The cross of Calvary stands as God's public declaration of His righteousness and justice. It addresses the theological dilemma of how a holy and just God can forgive sinners without compromising His righteousness. By pouring out His wrath on His Son, Jesus Christ, God satisfied His justice, allowing Him to forgive those who have faith in Christ while remaining just. This act on the cross explains God's forbearance in passing over sins in the past and demonstrates His consistent character. The cross is not merely about forgiveness; it is about the vindication of God's character, showcasing His holiness, justice, and love in perfect harmony. [31:27]
Romans 3:25-26 (ESV): "Whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus."
Reflection: How does understanding the cross as a declaration of God's righteousness change your perspective on forgiveness and justice in your own life?
Day 3: Jesus as Our Substitute on the Cross
On the cross, God poured out His wrath on Jesus, His only begotten Son, as a substitute for us. This act satisfied God's justice, allowing Him to forgive sinners while remaining just. The cross is not merely a demonstration of God's love; it is the means by which forgiveness is made possible. It upholds God's justice and righteousness, showing that forgiveness is not an easy matter for God. This profound truth invites us to reflect on the depth of God's love and the cost of our redemption. [33:29]
Isaiah 53:5-6 (ESV): "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all."
Reflection: Consider the weight of Jesus being your substitute on the cross. How does this understanding impact your view of sin and grace today?
Day 4: The Cross as the Ultimate Expression of God's Attributes
The cross reveals the full glory of God's eternal attributes—His love, justice, righteousness, and holiness. It is a rejection of the moral influence theory, which reduces the cross to a mere demonstration of love. Instead, the cross is about God's character and not just our emotional response. Forgiveness is not a simple matter for God because He is not only love but also light, righteousness, and justice. The cross reveals how God can forgive and still remain true to His nature, shining together in their full glory. [39:33]
1 John 1:5-7 (ESV): "This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin."
Reflection: How can you reflect the attributes of God—His love, justice, righteousness, and holiness—in your interactions with others today?
Day 5: The Cross as the Means of True Forgiveness
The cross is not merely a demonstration of God's love; it is the means by which forgiveness is made possible. It upholds God's justice and righteousness, showing that forgiveness is not an easy matter for God. The cross reveals the full glory of God's eternal attributes—His love, justice, righteousness, and holiness. It is a rejection of the moral influence theory, emphasizing that the cross is about God's character and not just our emotional response. This understanding invites us to appreciate the depth of God's love and the cost of our redemption. [40:23]
Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV): "For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross."
Reflection: In what ways can you embrace the true meaning of forgiveness through the cross and extend it to others in your life today?
Quotes
He says all that that was but a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service perfect as pertaining to the conscience which stood only in meats and drinks and diverse Washings and Cardinal carnal ordinances imposed on them until the time of reformation. [00:26:57]
Under that old Covenant under the old dispensation there was no provision for dealing with sin in a radical sense it was simply a means as it were of passing them by covering them over for the time being they gave a kind of purification of the flesh they gave a ceremonial cleanness they enabled the people to go on praying unto God. [00:27:55]
God had always revealed himself as a God who hated sin he had announced that he would punish sin and that the punishment of sin was death he had anced that he would pour out his wrath upon sin and upon Sinners and yet you see here is God for centuries apparently and externally to all appearances going back on his own statements and on his own word. [00:29:42]
On the cross on calvary's Hill God has been giving a public explanation of what he had been doing throughout the centuries and at the same time he vindicates his own Eternal character of righteousness and of Holiness well how dides he do that how has he done it on the cross on calvary's hill now let me answer that question. [00:31:29]
God has stated that he hates sin that he will punish sin that he will pour out his Roth upon sin and upon those guilty of sin and unless God can prove that he has done that he is no longer just but what the Apostle is saying is this that on Calvary he has done that he has shown that he still hates sin. [00:32:28]
What God did on calvary's Hill was to pour out upon his only begotten and beloved Son his wroth upon sin the w of God that should have come upon you and upon me because of our sins fell upon him God always knew that he was going to do this we read in the scriptures of the Lamb of God slain before the foundation of the world. [00:33:29]
God at one and the same time remains just and can justify the ungodly that believes in Christ you see this was a tremendous problem how can God remain holy and just and deal with siners he says he's going to and and yet forgive a sinner that's the problem and the answer is to be found alone on the cross on calvary's hill. [00:34:41]
The cross on Calvary the death of the Lord Jesus Christ as the Apostle John puts it in the first epistle 2 chapter 2 verse is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world that particular world that is meant there the sins of that were dealt with once and for all on the cross on calvary's Hill. [00:35:15]
The cross is not only and not merely meant to influence us you know the popular teaching today don't you that's exactly what it tells you and it that's all it tells you it says oh you see the trouble with mankind is that it doesn't know that God is love it doesn't know that God's already forgiven everybody what's the meaning of the Cross. [00:38:31]
The cross does not merely tell us that God forgives it tells us that that is God's way of making forgiveness possible it's the way in which we understand how God forgives and I'll go further how even God can forgive and still remain God that's the question the cross is the Vindication of God the cross is the Vindication of the character of God. [00:40:23]
The cross not only shows the love of God God more gloriously than anything else it shows his righteousness his Justice his Holiness and all the glory of his eternal attributes they're all shining together there and if you don't see them all I say you haven't seen the cross and this is why once and forever we should reject the so-called moral influence theory. [00:40:41]
God if I may so put it is e eternally consistent with himself there's never a contradiction he is the father of Lights in whom is no variableness neither shadow of turning and all these glorious attributes are shining like diamonds in his eternal character and all of them must be manifest and in the cross they are all manifest. [00:41:57]
Chatbot
-
I'm an AI bot trained specifically on the sermon from May 24, 2017. Do you have any questions about it?