Third Way Christians
Put simply, God’s righteous standard just crushes us.
Image via Pixabay
God’s Law shows us what He wants, and through it, we become aware of our sin (Rom 3.20).
In other words, God’s Law makes clear God’s righteous standard, and when we read it, it becomes very clear very fast that we have fallen short of it.
Scripture says we are cursed if we fail to uphold it (Dt 28).
If we break one part of it, we are guilty of breaking all of it (Jam 2.10).
All of us have turned away from God, and all of us are guilty of breaking His Law (Isa 53.6; Rom 3.23).
Because of this, we are separated from God, removed from His family, and under the burden of death, because we have rejected the Source of all life (Isa 59.2; Rom 6.23).
There is no way around it: God’s standard, and our inability to live up to it, just crushes us.
But when Jesus arrived, He came talking about the “Gospel” – which literally means, “the Good News.”
The bad news is that I am a sinner who has turned away from God and has broken His Law, leading to alienation from God, removal from His presence, and my own death as a result.
But the Good News?
Let’s remember how good the Good News actually is!
We will let God’s Word speak for itself here.
Read slowly – let the Word sink in:
16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. (Jn 3.16-17)
12 Yet to all who did receive (Jesus), to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. (Jn 1.12-13)
10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (Jn 10.10)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. (Ac 2.38)
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. 17 For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Rom 1.16-17)
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. (Rom 5.1-12)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 6.23)
1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. (Rom 8.1-2)
23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Rom 8.32)
17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here! 18 All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19 that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them…21 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2Co 5.17-19; v.21)
4 But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. (Gal 4.4-7)
15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. (1Tim 1.15)
11 For the grace of God has appeared that offers salvation to all people. 12 It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, 13 while we wait for the blessed hope—the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.” (Titus 2.11-14)
4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8 This is a trustworthy saying. (Titus 3.4-8)
14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. (Heb 4.14-16)
10 This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. (1Jn 4.10)
There are more verses, of course.
Many more.
But it is good to be refreshed in how good the Good News really is.
Even for those of us who know this Good News, there can nonetheless be a tendency to forget how amazingly good it is.
Some of that comes from preachers and teachers out there who, even though we are saved, nonetheless feel the need to remind us constantly of what “terrible sinners” we are.
But when God has said that we are no longer condemned, how dare anyone place any condemnation back upon the children of God?
When He has said that our sins are no longer counted against us, how dare anyone spend most of their time taking about our sin?
Surely the enemy of our souls would be quite happy to work at keeping us convinced that these truths are not real, to keep us focused on our sin and not on God’s mercy and grace.
If I’m saved by this Gospel, but am still feeling crushed, condemned, cut off, under God’s wrath, or shamed, then I have simply misunderstood how good this Good News really is!
And I need these biblical truths to refresh and renew my mind, because it really is Good News!
Given the truth of this Good News, how can we respond with anything but worship?
Not just the worship of words and songs, but the worship of lives offered up in grateful thanksgiving to Him?
Be renewed today in the goodness of God, and bless Him for this Good News!
********
If you’ve enjoyed what you read here, you can follow Third Way Christians on Facebook or Instagram, or sign up here to get new columns emailed directly to you! As well, you can track along with Chris’ Sunday morning teaching at Meadow Brook Church’s YouTube page!
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In