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God's Biggest Problem

Sermon I in Series on the Atonement

by Jonathan D. Duttweiler

The Gospel of Luke tells us of a time in Jesus' ministry when He "resolutely set out for Jerusalem." (Luke 9:51). Even though He knew the authorities sought to kill Him, even though He knew it meant the cross - He was determined to go, to carry out God's will!

Why? Why must He go, why must He die? Legitimate questions that have been asked by many down through the ages. Why did Jesus dye on the cross? What purpose does it serve? How can it possibly effect us years after the event? Paul writes in Colossians: "For it pleased [the] [Father]... to reconcile all things to Himself, by Him, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross." Colossians 1:19-20

Perhaps the most surprising revelation of the Bible is that, in spite of our sin and persistent rebellion, God is free from all vindictiveness and desires to freely forgive our sin! "Why doesn't He, then?" someone may ask. Because there are some very big problems in the way!

The Problems of Reconciliation

1. The first problem confronting God was that of forgiving sin without causing a breakdown of His moral government.
   
   Remember, humanity was created with free moral choice. Jesus - "'If any man is willing to do God's will..." God seeks to illuminate our understanding of right and wrong, but will NEVER control our moral decisions.
   
   Also it cannot be forgotten that God is completely impartial - "there in no partiality with God." While God is more than willing to forgive sin, He had to find a way to be partial in forgiving the repentant sinner while still punishing the unrepentant.
   
   God must uphold the Law. Whenever sin is forgiven, its consequences are eliminated, weakening the enforcement of the Law. Just look at our present judicial system. Most crimes are never punished, and when they are it may take years to see justice fully served. A few years ago there was a prisoner on death row who was surprised when he was to be executed so quickly after he had committed a murder. It was four years!
   
   Thus, if pardon of sins is freely extended to penitent sinners, some measure must be taken in order that Law will be upheld just as if they had been punished! God declares in Ezekiel 18:20, "The soul who sins shall die." How can He reverse that and say "the soul who sins may live," without moral government breaking down? This is one of God's big problems.
2. Another problem confronting God is how He may forgive sin while at the same time display His grief and hatred for sin?
   
   A profound truth we see throughout scriptures is God's inexpressible grief over our sin, that He in fact hates sin! But people think that, because of God's long-suffering and patience, He must not be disturbed that much by our actions. However, Jesus reveals, "'that which is highly esteemed among man is detestable in the sight of God.'" Therefore something must be done to show God's great grief over our sin and His hatred of it!
3. Yet another problem in the forgiveness of sins is finding a way to forgive sin but still show us our guilt, break our pride, and make us see our deservance of punishment. Ever have a falling out with someone?
   
   How are you reconciled? When you come to have the same mind over the matter. Only those of like mind can have fellowship with one another. We either agree over an issue, or at least agree to disagree. There are people who like rock music and people who like classical or country and they wouldn't go to a concert together.
   
   Musical preferences are a matter of taste, however God deals in TRUTH! He sees things the way they really are. Our problem is that we don't see ourselves the way God does, we hide our sin, make excuses, don't think we are really as bad as scripture presents. While I was in seminary I did a practicum at a State Prison. I did not meet a single person who admitted they had done the crime for which they were in prison. This is how humanity is before God. Yet scripture declares "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Timothy 2:4) So, something drastic is needed to awaken us from our pride in our own goodness and bring us in humility to God!
4. The final problem is how to overcome all these problems without violating man's free will!
   
   In attempting to overcome these problems God cannot simply overwhelm our moral freedom. People often ask "Why doesn't God just make people do as He wants?" But if God were to control us by sheer force, we would no longer be human beings, people in the image of God. The one thing most people seem to resent more than anything else is to be manipulated, controlled, coerced into some action. Yet this is precisely the tact they believe God should take with humanity if He really intended them to live righteously. They would be the first to condemn such action on God's part before the bar of Universal justice!
   
   No, God will not coerce our wills and so some means must be brought about that will persuade the repentant sinner to yield freely to God's transforming power in his life! We must be won to God even as a lover might pursue his beloved and win her over to his love!

Conclusion:

There can be no simple solution to these problems, no easy answers! The only possible solution must show God's great love for man and His great grief over sin. It must break our pride and have the same effect as eternal punishment would on curtailing sin. It must be universally applicable for God "The Lord is...long-suffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9) It must be understandable by people of every intellectual capacity so anyone might take advantage of it, from the simplest to the most wise. Thus we see that Jesus "resolutely set His face toward Jerusalem," for the solution to all these problems is met in Christ.