Man’s greatest need is to have a cure for sin and its consequence of death. We need deliverance, but how can a holy God have a relationship with a sinful man? The two are irreconcilable--holiness and sinfulness, clean and unclear, pure and impure. There is a huge gap between a good Creator and rebellious humanity. God will not reduce his righteous standard and demand for perfect obedience. Man is not righteous, no not one, and therefore fails on his or her best day to measure up. If God were to choose to save, then it would have to be based on no merit of mankind. It would have to be wholly of grace, because man is sinful, without strength, and unable to meet God’s standards. In order for God to extend grace, someone would have to stand between God and man. Justice would have to be upheld, because sinners must be punished. A payment for sin, a ransom price, has to be paid. There is no getting around the holiness, justice, and righteousness of God. Once payment is made, the substitute for sin would have to be willing to be compassionate to actually saved or justify a sinner. In the cross, we see Jesus dying in man’s place. He is the Mediator between God and man.
Today, let’s turn our attention to Acts 9:26-40 which will lead us to Isaiah 52:13-53:12 (4TH Servant Song) and a portrait of Jesus—the lamb led to the slaughter, the righteous servant of the LORD, the exalted sin-bearer. |
