How Can We Be Again Received Into Favor With God?
Minister: | Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: | 4/5/2020 AM |
Text: | II Corinthians 5; Lord's Day 5 |
- By satisfaction? A must.
- If man is to have God’s favor, it can only be in accordance with God's perfect justice.
- He will “not justify the wicked” (Ex. 23:7); He “will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:7).
- God’s justice requires full satisfaction.
- We must understand that hell is not satisfaction.
- If man is to have God’s favor, it can only be in accordance with God's perfect justice.
- Can we ourselves make this satisfaction?
- Natural man thinks that he can.
- But Scripture declares that no man is able to deliver himself – our situation is utterly hopeless.
- First, God declares that each of my sins earn me the right to spend an eternity in hell.
- Second, I am only increasing my guilt, and do that daily - my debt is greater every second – the longer I live.
- Third, I cannot earn God’s love and favor.
- The road to self-redemption is completely blocked!! “Nothing in my hand I bring, simply to Thy cross I cling.”
- Nor can satisfaction be made for us by another creature: "the soul that sins shall die" (Ez. 18:4).
- The only possible way to have God’s favor requires a deliverer who is a real man who is perfectly righteous and very God.
- The gospel is the good news that God did everything necessary, satisfying His own justice: He gave His own Son.
- He came into our flesh because man must bear the punishment for man’s sins.
- He remains sinless, absolutely perfect, so He would not be punished for His own sins.
- And as the eternal Son of God, Christ could give infinite value to the work He performed.
- Thus, He accomplished all that was necessary: full remission and perfect righteousness.
- Believe God’s Word that reconciliation is through the shedding of Christ’s blood, and trust in nothing else.
- The gospel is the good news that God did everything necessary, satisfying His own justice: He gave His own Son.