Peter JeямАery
he Australians are famous for the unique
T
way they say, ‘Good day’. Another expression with a meaning almost
unique to the Australian is, ‘See you later’. This is a warm, friendly way of saying goodbye. It may or may not have any relevance to actual reality, suggesting that a future meeting is planned. I remember a few years ago, after preaching in a church in Sydney, standing at the door afterwards to shake hands with the people. So many said to me, ‘See you later’, that I began seriously to wonder if another meeting had been arranged for later that evening which no-one had told me about. But there was no extra meeting; it was just their friendly way of saying goodnight.
God says to us all, ‘I will see you later’. He says this not only to Christians but to atheists, humanists and all sorts of unbelievers. The message of the gospel clearly reminds us that we are to see God later. And this is no friendly, harmless nicety but the serious warning that we must all one day meet God.
The gospel says, ‘man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment’ (Heb. 9:27) and, ‘we will all stand before God’s judgment seat’ (Rom. 14:10). The Bible says that on that day we will all have to face the accusation of breaking the law of God, of being sinners. How
will you answer that charge? We will be in serious trouble because the charge is true, and says God, the wages of sin is death ( Romans 6:23). There is only one hope for us. We need a saviour. We need an advocate or someone to speak for us at that meeting. The gospel tells us that such a person is available. His name is Jesus. Jesus will make no defence for us because there is no defence. He will say that we are guilty and deserve punishment, but he himself has taken on the responsibility for our sin and guilt and he has already paid the punishment that sin deserved when he died on the cross. On the cross he died, the just for the unjust, the innocent for the guilty. His death was payment for the sin of his people. From our point of view, the great thing about this is that God accepts it. Our debt is fully paid and the gospel message is that there is no condemnation for those who have Jesus as their saviour.
Is he your saviour? Has your debt been paid or do you still have to pay it yourself?
The death of Jesus in our place is our only hope. It is the only answer because it is God’s answer. The Word of God says two things: ‘The wages of sin is death’ (Romans 6:23) and ‘Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness’ (Hebrews 9:22). These pronouncements are the just declarations of the holy God, and they can never be abolished or bypassed. On the cross, dying at the wish of his Father (because God in his mercy planned to save sinners), Jesus satisfies these demands. He does this by dying in the sinner’s place-by .
At Calvary, in other words, our Lord made it possible for a holy God to be propitious - or favourably inclined toward us even though we were sinners and had broken his holy law. God dealt with the problem of sin in the only way that could satisfy his holy justice and enable him to move in and break the power of Satan in sinners' lives. To think that our efforts could do this totally devalues the holiness of God and seriously underestimates the terribleness of sin in God's sight. We are redeemed, set free from sin's bondage, 'not with perishable things such as silver or gold ...but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect' (1 Peter 1:18, 19). The resurrection of Jesus confirms for us that his atoning death was God’s plan. It also assures us that the holy God has accepted the atonement made by our Lord on behalf of sinners. Jesus was ‘declared with
power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead’ (Romans 1:4). ‘He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification’ (Romans 4:25). ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory. Where, O death, is your victory? Where, 0 death, is your sting? The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ’ (1 Corinthians 15:54-57). It was the holiness of God that made the atonement necessary, but it was the love of God that made it possible. If God had not loved us, then he would never have sent his Son to die for us.
See you later. Yes you will see God later but will you be ready for that unavoidable meeting? The only way is to have Jesus as your saviour so seek him now.
peter@peterjeery.org.uk
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