![]() Through His death, Jesus became unclean in order to make believers clean forever. In his death, Jesus became unclean-he “suffered outside the gate.” Why? “…in order that he might sanctify the people”-in order to cleanse the people. The writer of Hebrews said of the death and atonement of Christ: “So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order that he might sanctify the people through his own blood” (Heb. But David’s song to God contains good news concerning his sinfulness both as an agent and victim of sin: “You atone for our transgressions” (Ps. On the other hand, we are all responsible agents of sin (“our transgressions”). On the one hand, I am the victim of the sins of others (“iniquities prevail against me”). The Psalmist David reveals this agent-and-victim duality about sin: “When iniquities prevail against me, you atone for our transgressions” (Ps. ![]() Is Christ’s death sufficient to cleanse us from being both agents and victims of sin? When it comes to sin, we are all both agents and victims. I’m describing the complexity of the effects of sin. I’m defiled by living in a world-nation-community-family of fallen humanity. 3:23).Īnd sin is social-for I am also a victim of the sins of others. Sin is personal-for I am an agent of sin having fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. Isaiah observed: “Woe is me! For I am lost for I am a man of unclean lips and dwell among a people of unclean lips …” (Isa. What does it all add up to? A dirty, traumatized, defiled, relationally polluted world! Part of Mann’s thesis is that the best way for secular peoples to come to terms with sin is to be presented with this: Sin is relational defilement, uncleanness, pollution.Ĭonsider the relational defilement that most secular peoples readily acknowledge: poverty of all kinds … racism and bigotry … sexual trafficking … an epidemic of addictions … the persistence of slavery … institutional greed and corruption … violent nationalism … honor-killings … bloody culture clashes. Alan Mann writes in his book, Atonement for a Sinless Society, that “geneticists, sociologists, and psychologists increasingly … allow us to live in the confidence that we do no wrong.” Īnd as for the death of Christ, “To twenty-first-century sensibilities, the crucifixion of Jesus nothing more than a primitive, barbaric, pointless death.” In our postmodern secular world many people no longer believe in the reality of sin. Is relational pollution getting worse and worse? Maybe it’s just always been this way. She was involuntarily stained by the effects of a sinful fallen humanity by a father who involuntarily suffered from schizophrenia. For years, she and her sister had been deeply embarrassed and ashamed. Like me, she had grown up with a mentally-ill father. My sermon was “Jesus Makes Us Clean.” At the end of the service, an individual was crying. In May I had the privilege of speaking at an international Baptist church in Spain. In fact, one in four women and one in six boys will be sexually abused before they turn 18 years old. ![]() Sexual abuse has always been with us, but it seems more rampant and ubiquitous today. It seems she knew she was forgiven of her sins, but because of the sins of another against her, she had felt defiled-literally for decades. “You know, when I was a little girl, something happened to me, and I’ve never been able to get rid of it. ![]() Wonderful!īut I was especially startled when she said. Afterward, a smiling elderly Christian woman came to me and shared how the sermon had blessed her. I had just preached a sermon on how God covers our shame and restores our honor based on the Prodigal Son story. Loved the ancient arches from the Roman Empire-and the symbolism of a modern road that leads you toward the ancient. The banner photo comes from our trip to Spain in May it was taken on a country road between Malaga and Ronda. I wanted a new look, and also wanted it to be easier for readers using tablets and smartphones.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |