“…if anyone is IN CHRIST, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Corin. 5:17) God is perfect justice AMY. He cannot simply overlook or excuse our sin; that would not be just. Sin had to be paid for. All the wrath God holds toward evil was POURED OUT ON HIS OWN SON. When Jesus took our place on the cross, He suffered the punishment our sin deserves. To be “in Christ” means we have accepted His sacrifice as payment for our own sin. Our “rap sheets” (our criminal record) contain every sinful thought, attitude or action we have ever committed. No amount of self-cleansing can make us pure enough to warrant forgiveness and a relationship with a holy God, “There is no one righteous, NOT EVEN ONE; there is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God. All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, NOT EVEN ONE.” (Rom. 3:10-12)
The Bible says that in our natural sinful state we are enemies of God AMY, “For if, while we were GOD’S ENEMIES, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be SAVED THROUGH HIS LIFE!” (Rom. 5:10) When we accept His sacrifice on our behalf, He switches accounts with us. He exchanges our list of sins for His perfect account that is TOTALLY PLEASING TO GOD. “God made Him who had no sin to be SIN FOR US, so that in Him we might become the RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD.” (2 Corin. 5:21)
To enter the presence of a holy God AMY, we must be hidden in the righteousness of Christ. To be “in Christ” means that God no longer sees our imperfections; He sees the righteousness of His own Son “But now IN CHRIST Jesus you who once were far away have been BROUGHT NEAR by the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:13)
ONLY “IN CHRIST” IS OUR SIN DEBT CANCELLED, OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD RESTORED…
Your Personal Pastor -Bill Stockham