January 9, 2022 - Your Life May Save a City - Pastor Paul Vallee

We can rail against institutions, but what about in our own lives? As I explained last week, the real start of transformation is within our grasp as we address what is in our hearts. Think about the question that God raised to Jeremiah. Could one righteous person be found to spare the city? Unfortunately, at this moment in Israel’s history, Jerusalem was wholly given over to injustice and selfishness. This is not just the condition of Jerusalem. This is the condition of all humanity for all time. The Scriptures declare that no one is righteous, not one. Is there one life that could turn away the judgment of God? Thankfully, there is one, His name is Jesus. Jesus was without sin. He always dealt with integrity and honesty in every situation. He gave an honest presentation of his deity, performing a miracle to prove his divine power over creation. Jesus Christ dealt honestly with his disciples, not hiding the necessity of his sufferings and death from them. Jesus Christ also dealt honestly with sinners, like the woman at the well (John 4), exposing their secrets and inviting them to trust in him. And Jesus Christ dealt honestly with his enemies, like the Pharisees, confronting the enmity in their hearts. There was nothing false or deceptive in anything Jesus said or did. Jeremiah was told to look for one man “who … seeks the truth.” Jesus Christ not only sought the truth—he is the Truth! At the beginning of his Gospel, John says Jesus Christ came into the world “full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). That is truth with a capital T, the Truth of God himself. Thus, when the disciples wanted to know the way to eternal life, Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life” (14:6).[xxii] God can justify the unjust because Jesus became a sacrificial substitute for us. Will we confess our need, our sin, and our desire to be forgiven and allow God’s life to dwell within us, transforming our lives? Will we say yes to God’s provision for our sin by accepting Christ, or will we harden our hearts and live in denial that there are any consequences for our sin?