Sunday 10:31:10

The Power of the Gospel Part 3: He Condemned Sin All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing, just as it has been doing among you. (Colossians 1:6) Romans 8:1-4 v. 1 Those of us who are in Christ are no longer under any condemnation. v. 2 The power of the Spirit overcame the power of sin and death over me, through Christ Jesus. v. 3 God condemned sin in sinful man. How could God condemn sin in the flesh of Jesus Christ? There was no sin in Jesus Christ to condemn. So the question is: Whose sin was condemned when Jesus' flesh was tortured and killed? God condemned sin in the flesh of his completely innocent Son. What sin? Whose sin? 2 Corinthians 5:21, "[God] made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." It was my sin and your sin that was condemned in Jesus Christ. He was innocent. He committed no sin. He deserved no punishment. But he took on the punishment of your sin and my sin once and for all that that we should never bear it. My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought! My sin, not in part but the whole, Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more, Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul! Sin Has Been Condemned, not Merely Shown to Be Condemnable What does it mean that God condemned sin? Did he criticize sin? Like when a political figure condemns and act of terrorism? No, God did something more than the law could do. The law criticized and called sin condemnable. He means that in Jesus' flesh – in his suffering and dying body on the cross – God executed a final sentence of condemnation on the sin of everyone who is in Christ. "God condemned sin" means God found sin guilty and sentenced sin to be finally punished and carried out the penalty of suffering in the death of his Son. The death of Jesus Christ takes away all my condemnation. Because when he died God was condemning sin, sentencing it, and punishing it completely and fully and finally for all who are in Christ by faith. It was my sin that was being condemned and sentenced and punished when Christ died. And if my sin was punished there finally and fully, I will not be punished for it again. The punishment for our sins was carried out on Jesus Christ. This is why, for us who believe in Him, that we find sin so appalling. 1 John 3:9 9No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God. Romans 6:1-2 1What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? Sin is what was killing us. It is what killed Jesus. How can we live in it anymore? As a believer, I want to live my life that honors Jesus’ sacrifice. I don’t want to treat His sacrifice as if it doesn’t matter. He died to set me free from sin. Romans 6:15-18 15What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means! 16Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness? 17But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. 18You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. We were slaves to sin. Jesus death broke sin’s claim over my life. I have been set free from sin’s grip on me. I am no longer its slave. I am now a slave to righteousness, to do what is right and honorable.