THE SINLESSNESS OF CHRIST 4

SHAPE YOUR FUTURE IN GOD

Ministering God’s free grace through Christ

Vol. II, No. 5                                                      March 1, 2015

The Importance of Christ's Sinlessness

The original sin of humanity through Adam brought the entire human race under a corruption that indisposed us to pleasing God. It also brought the entire race under condemnation and judgment of the holy God. But God is also a God of love who does not desire that we perish. The dilemma of redemption was how the holy God could bring sinful humanity back to Himself without the sin that is part of our nature. The answer was to be found in a sinless substitute, one who had no sin but would bear and take away the sin of the human race. None of us qualified, for we were all born of natural biological process. Animal sacrifices could not either. In offering them, the people’s consciences were only awakened as to their guilt before God, which guilt the blood of animals could not take away (Heb. 10: 1 – 4). Animal sacrifices fulfilled a religious obligation without answering to the need of the conscience. 

But Christ, the sinless substitute, accomplished that. His offering up of Himself on the Cross and the shedding of His sinless blood completely wiped our sin and its effect from the conscience. It gave us a permanent righteous standing before God. The Bible says, “The blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God” (Heb. 9: 13 – 14).

Christ took our sins away and still remained sinless. He was God’s choice of a perfect Saviour for sinful humanity. Without the atoning sacrifice of Christ on the Cross, the entire human race would perish. But Christ has come, lived, suffered and died for our sins on the Cross. He rose triumphantly from the dead on the third day, a feat that completely and permanently defeated Satan and his hordes of evil, and turned the victory over to us, the church. This puts the devil under our feet. We triumph over forces of wickedness because Christ has already won the victory and handed same over to us. Not only that, but Christ’s feat also gives us victory over temptations and trials. This is full salvation.

Christ offers this salvation to you full and free. It is to you as a person. You have to accept it as a person for it to be real in your life. Accepting Christ’s offer is a conscious, deliberate step you must take. It involves the following:

     i)  Admitting your sins and guilt before God. Even if you feel okay because, morally, you do not meddle with what may be regarded as sinful, you are still sinful and guilty before God by the fact that you carry about Adam’s sinful nature.

     ii)   Confessing your sins to God and claiming His forgiveness as in 1 John 1: 9 – “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

     iii)  Believe what Christ has done for you as stated above. Accept it, that is, take it as done for you only. Say it with your mouth that Christ is sinless. Confess it that He died for you on the Cross, that He defeated the devil and his hosts for you, that He rose again for you.

The Bible says, “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you shall be saved” (Rom. 10: 9). As a person who is capable of rational thinking, what you say with your mouth is very important as far as salvation is concerned.

This step of accepting Christ can be done by anyone who believes they need God’s salvation. It is free and full, that is, complete. Nothing can be added to it to make it more complete. It is the guarantee of eternal life in the present and after death.

But it is only the first step to living the full Christian life. The mistake of many is doing nothing after accepting Christ. You must nurture your faith in Christ by doing the following:

Regular prayer. Find time daily to meet with God in prayer.

Read your Bible. Do this regularly, at least once a day. Make your own notes.

Obedience. Obey God. Obey what you read in the Bible. Obey the church.

Go to church regularly. Share in what goes on there. Let the pastor know you.

Speak up for Christ everywhere. Don’t be ashamed to identify with Him in public. When He is derided as a sinner in a gathering do not keep quiet. Speak up.

Do something for Christ always. Serve in the church and community, if need be. Take up a responsibility.

May the life of the sinless Christ be a reality in you. May His victory be your portion now and always. SYF

Published by The Rev. Dr Esesien Ita @ CRUTECH, Okuku Campus, Yala LGA, CRS., Nigeria. 08063138664;  07086950995;  07057479040;  08095590696;  esesien2000@yahoo.com ;  esesienita@gmail.com ; www.italiteratures.blogspot.com ;  www.facebook.com/italiterature ;  www.twitter.com/esesien_ita .