Getting Right with God

Transcription

1 We begin with the Offertory message: Getting Right with God Day of Atonement (Sermon Notes) By Warren Zehrung 9/19/2018 Did you ever have a good friend at least you thought he was a good and trusted friend until he betrayed you terribly destroying the relationship that you thought you had with him. You had assumed that an unbroken loyalty existed between the two of you but it turned out to only be one-sided and not mutual at all. He turned on you and used your friendship against you. It was like a slap in the face. It hurt terribly. Restoring trust and confidence with someone like that is next to impossible because you have learned that he will turn on you; you ve learned that he is not to be trusted. You just cannot trust somebody like that. Luke 17:3 Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. If he says, I m sorry, that is another story But, if he does not repent, the relationship has become irreparable he was just using you for his own advantage. He is dangerous and you are not safe around somebody like that because he will betray your confidence. If someone were to ask you what the fundamental meaning of Atonement is what would you say? Fasting, Covering sin, Justification, Making amends, Redemption, Reconciliation, a Bringing together Atonement is fundamentally about Getting Right with God. Why is it necessary to get right with God? How did things come to the point that man was separated from God? When God made Adam and Eve, He gave them a home in the idyllic Garden of Eden. Jesus Christ instructed Adam and Eve in His Plan. Genesis 1:26-28 God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness:.. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that moves upon the earth. So, Adam was king over all. He had everything going for him. There was no impediment to a good and right relationship between Adam and God. The question was whether Adam would look to God in everything or decide for himself. You know the story, how Adam and Eve rejected their Creator God s influence over their lives, and chose to make their own decisions for themselves. That was a slap in the face of God and Adam and Eve went right on choosing for themselves. Adam and Eve s children did as their parents did. They did not trust God to be the sovereign leader in their lives. That sin was a tremendous act of betrayal of our loving God. 1

2 God s intent was that Adam and Eve never die but live right on into the Kingdom of God. But from the moment Adam and Eve betrayed God s confidence and started relying on themselves they began to die. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man [Adam] sin entered into the world, and death entered by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: How can a person get right with God after such a breach of confidence such a betrayal of God s love? Man cannot be trusted. If only we could die and start all over with a clean slate That would work but, it doesn t work that way, does it? We don t have what it takes to erase the past and start all over afresh. Paul tells us that God has made it possible to get a fresh start. He says that we can get right with God. Romans 5:8 But God exhibited His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Brethren, that means that Jesus died in our place so that we could start all over with a clean slate. Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. That word justified means a clean slate with God. The subject of this Offertory message is justification - our guilty past wiped out - cleansed by the death and blood of Jesus. Justification means becoming righteous in the sight of God. Justification means - rendered innocent. Now you and I know perfectly well that we were as guilty as all get-out, but not to God who has declared us to be entirely innocent. And to beat everything, that acquittal costs us absolutely nothing - because it cannot be purchased - that is, except by Jesus who did the buying back - redeeming of our pitiful state. When we were as good as dead because of our own trespass and sins (Ephesians 2:1): Ephesians 2:5 Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, It took a miracle for our being able to get right with God: Jesus had to die but He also had to be made alive. Brethren, it is most important to understand the Life/Death interface as we look at how our reconciliation/atonement with God has come about. Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. Romans 5:11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. We have special Offertory music: Behold, The Day will Come, Page 119 in the purple hymnal. It is taken from Zechariah 14. We will now take up the Offertory. 2

3 Man s relationship with God was broken thus separating himself from God. Atonement speaks of God's act of covering sin in order to reestablish the original relationship between God and man. Sin is a terrible thing and we take it all too casually. Sin does not just go away just because we don t want to think about it. Sin brings hurt, destruction and death and worst of all it breaks a right relationship with our God. There is nothing more important than Getting Right with God. Passover and the Day of Atonement both teach us about the forgiveness of sin and our reconciliation to God through Christ s sacrifice. However, where Passover concerns the redemption of the firstborn [the Church brethren, the saints, the Christians], whom God has called in every age before Jesus Christ s return Atonement reveals the reconciliation of all humanity to God the entire world. The first thing that pops into many minds about Atonement is that it is the Feast of NO FOOD. Actually, The Day of Atonement is filled with Spiritual Food, Spiritual nourishment and surprisingly, the Bible has much more to say about Atonement than most people realize. Atonement then, is a great Day in the fulfillment of the Plan of God. Reconciliation with God became necessary when Man became sinful. We do not often like to think about it because we are mostly in denial but man is in deep, deep trouble unless something is done about this sinful nature of ours. Christians fast, afflicting themselves, in order to understand the lesson that was lost on Adam and Eve. They had everything going for them in the Garden of Eden. As a consequence of needing nothing, he began to believe in his own self-reliance to the point of deciding for himself what was right or wrong, good or evil which is God s prerogative alone (Genesis 2:17). When we fast, we soon learn just how much we rely on external nourishment food and drink. Without those we soon become weak and faint. In the same way, we learn that man does not live by bread alone but by every word of God. We fast to draw near to God (James 4:8). Afflict your souls Fasting on this day reminds us of our need for God s sustenance. Fasting teaches us of our spiritual dependence on the things of God. In addition to fasting on the spiritual Feast of Atonement, there is a great emphasis placed on the fact that no work of any kind is to be done on this Day. That is because no amount of work or good deeds on our part could ever begin to heal the breach that exists between sinful man and Almighty God. Reconciliation has taken place for the Church brethren - at Passover and at our Baptism. It followed our repentance and faith 3

4 The Day of Atonement pictures the future Day when the entire world will be reconciled to God. Adam got on the wrong side of God and the issue has been passed down to all of us. It is not only Adam s sin our own sin has caused the offense. Isaiah 59:2-4 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you. The relationship with God that was lost needs to be regained. Adam s children need to get back on the right side of God Getting Right with God. The breach between us and God is so grievous that we cannot repair it on our own. Our relationship is not a revolving door where we can come in and go out as we please. Our relationship with God is a one-time deal and only death s door could repair that Hebrews 6:4 For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Spirit, Hebrews 6:5 And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, Hebrews 6:6 If they shall fall away, to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame. Hebrews 10:26 For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remains no more sacrifice for sins, Hebrews 10:27 But a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. Those are very scary Scriptures but Jesus is not going to die for again! Someone has to die and that was Jesus. But, He is only going to die once for us to be made right with God. Jeremiah 33:8, God said, I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me. Paul speaks often of Christ s two-fold, life/death combination, which is necessary for our reconciliation with God to take place. It is the fulfillment of the two goats of Leviticus 16. We have been sinful but, look at what takes place in order for us to be reconciled. Jesus has to die for us to be right with God. Colossians 1:22 In the body of His flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in His sight: That is where we want to be right with God. Colossians 2:12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened [made alive] together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses; This theme of reconciliation is very much on Paul s mind we ll just skip through a few verses. Romans 3:24 Being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: [Jesus bought us back into the good graces of God] 4

5 That means that we, ourselves, did absolutely nothing to deserve pardon and forgiveness. Jesus did absolutely everything for us. To make Satan s being bound and carrying our sins the focus of Atonement minimizes our personal responsibility for sin, and the absolute need for what only God can provide. Romans 4:24 But [faith is to be reckoned as righteousness] for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him [God the Father] that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again [to secure] our justification. [Getting right with God takes both life and death] Romans 5:8 But God commended his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:9 Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. This next verse is a very important Scripture in that it is so inclusive of Christ s sacrifice death and life. Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. No verse that I can think of says it better reconciled by death, and saved by His life! Brethren do a Bible Study mark your Bibles where it is clearly shown that it was Jesus, and no other who bore our sins and we were reconciled by His death, and saved by His life! When we go back in a moment and look at what Leviticus 16 is telling us I want you to look for these two aspects of the one sacrifice mentioned there death and life. That death penalty that came upon us because of Adam s sin is taken away. Romans 5:17 For if by one man's [Adam] offence death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ.) Romans 5:18 Therefore as by the offence of one [Adam] judgment came upon all men to condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Romans 5:21 That as sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord. That verse says it as clearly as Romans 5:10 Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. walk in newness of life has two meanings. Yes, we live our lives as the sinless Christ lived His life. But, it also means that as Christ lives we will live also because that death penalty has been taken away, and we have salvation through Christ s life and resurrection by the Father. 5

6 Romans 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: [to life is understood] Is Paul belaboring the point - I think not! Romans 6:8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Now Paul is trying to make a point - perhaps if he doubles up it will come across to us. Paul did not have bold and italics for emphasis: Romans 6:10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he lives, he lives [continuously] unto God. Romans 6:11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let s go back and very briefly look at what Leviticus 16 is telling us. You will see clearly where Paul finds inspiration for Christ s two-fold, life/death combination, which is necessary for our reconciliation with God to take place. Leviticus 16:5 Aaron shall take of the congregation of the children of Israel two kids of the goats for a sin offering, [Two for One] Two goats equal one sin offering to God... Leviticus 16:9 And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the LORD'S lot fell, and offer him for a sin offering. That goat was slain and was dead. That is very clear. The other goat lives notice: Leviticus 16:10 But the goat, on which the lot fell to be the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the LORD, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. I want you to notice where this wilderness is so that too much is not read into this sin offering s release this Azazel goat s release. Exodus 19:1 In the third month, when the children of Israel were gone forth out of the land of Egypt, the same day came they into the wilderness of Sinai. Israel was in that wilderness for 40 years. That is where they were. That is where the Azazel goat was released. They did not take the goat to Jerusalem and throw him into the Valley of Hinnom! One goat was sacrificed as Jesus Christ was - - and the other goat bore the iniquities of mankind away just as Jesus Christ did. Today is not the feast of Satan though he has muscled himself into the Day, and will be getting top billing in many church services today. Satan has inserted himself into this Day of Atonement because he seeks the glory that is Christ s. The doctrines of Jesus Christ are always based on the Word of God, and never dependent upon a heretical book like the Book of Enoch, or from a book entitled Islam and Its Founder, which is certainly not inspired by God. 6

7 A friend in the church wrote last week and said that Reference should also be made to the Jewish tradition that the Azazel goat was thrown over a cliff. (a precipice and smashed to death on to the jagged rocks below). We, in God s Church, do not take our doctrine from Jewish tradition but from the word of God. Jewish tradition has it, not Scripture, that the Scapegoat was to be taken down the Valley of Hinnom to a place about three miles east and south of Jerusalem called Beth Chaduda where the goat was allowed to go over a very deep cliff (like an abyss) Brethren, that makes good reading but it clouds the issue terribly. Leviticus 16 took place nowhere near Jerusalem they were in the wilderness of Sinai as we just saw in Exodus 19. The second goat was let go ALIVE in the wilderness where they were. One goat was killed, and the other released ALIVE. Do not read any more into that verse other than the LIVE goat was released into the wilderness where they were. Let s go back to Romans where Paul continues with this Dead/alive theme: He is saying that when you do get right with God do not revert back to unrighteousness. Romans 6:13 Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. We come to the verse we see so often - a little more in context this time: Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. In Leviticus 16 the two goats begin by being indistinguishable, but at the end of the ceremony - one is dead and the other is alive picturing both: The sacrifice and the redemption of Christ. The sacrificial goat offered to God belongs to the LORD." On Atonement God wished to have a sin offering that would be sacrificed and yet live to represent both the sacrificed, and the resurrected Jesus Christ the two characteristics of Atonement. God satisfied the single-sin-offering by requiring two identical goats be used to represent each characteristic of Atonement. One goat was sacrificed as Jesus Christ was and the other goat bore the iniquities of mankind away as Jesus Christ also does. Each person is ultimately culpable of his own sins - no one made him do it - not even Satan. Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 7

8 Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of Him [Jesus] that was to come. Paul is telling us that all of this pointed to our Savior, Jesus Christ. Justification has to do with our guilty past sins and their penalty which is death being wiped out cleansed. Hebrews 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, purge your conscience Atonement does two distinct things it pays the price of sin, and it removes the guilt of sin. God the Father declares us legally innocent of all charges. We are completely innocent and exonerated before the High Court of heaven. That is how clean Passover leaves us, and that is how clean Atonement will render mankind. I want to make it very clear that it is Jesus who shows up in court as our Advocate and not Satan, our Adversary. Satan does not show up in this court unless he is the prosecutor the one doing the accusing. The church has been confused on that. In the Holy Scriptures, Satan is never said to bear our sins. John 1:29 Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away [Gr. bears away] the sin of the world. That bearing away of sin by Jesus is what the Day of Atonement is all about. Isaiah 53:6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him [Jesus Christ] the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:11 He shall justify many; for [Jesus the Messiah] shall bear [ nasa ] their iniquities. Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul [his life] unto death [the payment characteristic of goat #1]: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and He [Jesus] bore [ nasa ] the sin of many [the covering characteristic goat #2], and made intercession for the transgressors. Over and over in words and letters Paul compares and contrasts death and life in its spiritual intent - but Jesus is the only one who has actually done it - died and was raised. Peter tells us the same thing about death and life. Brethren, we must follow in Christ s steps. Speaking of Jesus this verse applies to Christians: 1Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. God in His perfect love does not hold us guilty one iota not attributing the blame to us. This is what Atonement is about: 2Corinthians 5:19 To wit, that God [the Father] was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and has committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Reconciling the world unto Himself, is what the Day of Atonement is all about. 8

9 The most extraordinary thing is that God is not charging our trespasses unto us! It is God the Father who exchanges our sinful nature for the righteousness of Christ. God the Father did it so that we could get right with Him. 2Corinthians 5:21 For [God the Father] has made Him [Jesus] to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. 1Corinthians 15:22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. Let s go back to Paul in Romans Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Romans 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Romans 8:4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Romans 8:5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit. Romans 8:6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Romans 8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Romans 8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God. Romans 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Romans 8:10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. Romans 8:11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken [make alive] your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you. Atonement required the death of mankind s Creator Jesus Christ, and His willingness to remove the guilt, and to remember our sins no more. And it took the love of God the Father and His greatest use of power when He raised His Son, Jesus Christ to life eternal. God the Father and Jesus Christ have paid greatest price that can be paid and now, when Atonement is fulfilled it will be applied to all mankind (not just the called-out Church brethren as it is today). Atonement required the death of man s Creator Jesus Christ, and His willingness to remove the guilt, and to remember our sins no more, and to be raised to Life by the poser of God the Father (Ephesians 1:19-20). End: Getting Right with God 9