Reconciled By Satisfaction Only

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: II Corinthians 5; Lord's Day 5
Psalters: 227, 41, 109, 310
  1. By satisfaction? Absolutely
    1. To escape punishment and again be received into favor is to be reconciliation.
      1. God created a great and intimate friendship which was horribly destroyed by sin.
      2. Reconciliation means that the relationship is restored.
    2. Given the nature of God, the only possibility is via the satisfaction of God?s justice.
      1. If man is to have God?s favor, it can only be in accordance with God's perfect justice (Exodus 23:7; 34:7; Isaiah 1:27).
      2. Note well that hell is not satisfaction.
  2. Can we ourselves make this satisfaction? By no means!
    1. False religions and Roman Catholicism says we can.
      1. Our Arminian natures always want to earn God?s favor by ourselves.
      2. But Scripture and the Reformed faith declares that man cannot deliver himself.
    2. Further, we only increase our guilt, and do that daily - our list of debts grows longer every day.
      1. The so-called "good works" of sinful man are really not good (perfect love for that moment).
      2. It is not possible for us ever to make it right between God and us.
    3. Further, no mere man can qualify as a proper substitute for us (Q & A 14).
    4. Can satisfaction be made for us by another creature?? No!
  3. God Himself provides the only possibility for deliverance (Psalm 49:15; Rom. 9:16).
    1. God gave His own Son into our flesh in order to redeem us.
      1. He came into our flesh because man must bear the punishment for man?s sins.
      2. And as the eternal Son of God, Christ could give infinite value to the work He performed.
    2. God was in Christ reconciling us to Himself.
      1. God took our transgressions from us and placed them on His own Son, and laid His own Son on the altar of His wrath.
      2. Jesus canceled our debt and earned for us the right to dwell with God in His House forever.
    3. The gospel is the good news that there is full remission and perfect righteousness.