To Bring Us To God

For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, …

1 Peter 3.18

The Lord Jesus Christ, as well as being the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and the Son of God, was also a suffering servant. He endured shame, rejection, ill treatment and, ultimately, martyrdom in fulfilling His purpose on earth. May we never forget why He came to earth and suffered. It was not for His own sins that He suffered and was rejected. Jesus had no sins of His own. He was, and is, the sinless Son of God. Jesus’ suffering and death was not because He made foolish decisions. He did the will of His heavenly Father and acted as Father God would act. Jesus did not suffer and die for acting dishonourably. To the contrary, Jesus lived the most selfless, caring and honourable life that has ever been lived. The reason that Jesus suffered and died was to bring us to God. Jesus patiently endured everything that the world threw at Him. Why? Jesus is the just and we are the unjust. This is the same as saying that we are sinners, unjust sinners. Sin is breaking the laws of God. It is doing what we want to do even when that violates God’s commands. Many refuse to admit that they are sinners. They minimize sin, excuse sin or blame their sin on others. However, the marks of sin are everywhere. Sin scars and marks a person inwardly. It leaves marks of anguish, sorrow, regret and guilt. Those inward marks express themselves on the outside. Others see our stress, frustration and anxiety. Sin comes back and bites. Heart-scars don’t heal in the same way as physical scars. Heart-healing requires forgiveness of sin.

The one who is living in sin is like someone who is lost in the forest without a map. Yet, it seems almost natural to deny sin, to cover it up, to make light of it or to say, “Don’t focus on the negative.” By denying sin, and continuing in a life of sin, our sins just escalate. They never stay small. They grow like a plant. They steal happiness and mental health. Worst of all, sin creates separation from God. The Bible teaches that all have sinned. We read; “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” (Romans 3.23). If we cannot admit that we have sinned, we cannot be made right with the Lord. Friend, if we confess our sins to God, with remorse, and repent and put our faith in Jesus Christ, God forgives us. God longs to forgive all of our sins. This means bringing our whole life to Him and surrendering all of it. Some want to have certain select sins, which they deem especially bad, forgiven, while continuing in other sins that they love. This is not the picture which God wants. God alone makes the commands concerning what is sin and He wants a total surrender of our lives. Living in sin is simply running from God. Many run with vigor and determination, only to find that this is an exhausting run. The weight of sin gets heavier and heavier. Running from God becomes jogging from God, to walking from God, to crawling from God, as sin’s path gets more and more painful and wearisome. Yet some, in stubbornness, still crawl away from God.

In some ways sin is like a disease. People will go to a doctor to receive a diagnosis. Sometimes, that diagnosis is not what we want to hear. Sometimes, a doctor will say, “You need to change your whole life-style or this disease will kill you.” So it is with God. God will put a finger on our sin and say that our life-style must change. More than that though, He prescribes a remedy – the blood of Jesus. The blood of Jesus cleanses sin away. There is hope for those who will come to God. Jesus has died, the just for the unjust, that we could be brought to God. This is the act of atonement. The Bible says; “and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.” ( 1 John 2.2). Jesus “died for sins” This means that Jesus’ sacrifice of His life, at Calvary, is fully capable of removing your sins and mine. Jesus’ atoning sacrifice never needs to be offered again.

Jesus’ sacrifice was to bring us to God. Friend, this is man’s greatest need, to be brought to God. Sadly, there are people today who don’t want to be brought to God. It is like the old saying, “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink.” Jesus is the living water and we have to be led to God by Him. We are the horse. The choice is for us to make; if we will confess, repent, put our faith in Jesus Christ and drink, we will be saved.

Friend, are you one of the ones who are just hoping that everything will turn out all right for you in the end? If you have not already made things right, you have a disease and the doctor has a sobering and serious prognosis. You need to have your sins forgiven and Jesus calls for a complete change of heart. He calls us to turn our lives over to Him. There is hope and healing for you. God hasn’t stopped loving you. You may have marks of sin on you but Jesus’ blood can wash away those marks. Jesus has no marks from committing sin. He does have wounds of love and substitution. He suffered on account of us.

Friend, we cannot conceal our sins from God. We must confess them to Him. If you have not done so already, it is time to surrender and fall into Jesus’ arms. Do not give the devil another minute of your life. God responds to faith and repentance. Call out to Him today. Do not run from God. Run to God and fall into His loving arms. Confess that you have sinned and that you need Jesus. Pray to Him in humility and surrender. God bless you.

Shawn Stevens

References :

Cantelon, Brent. By Faith. Christian Life Assembly. n.d. Audiocassette.

Cantelon, Brent. Judge Not. Christian Life Assembly. n.d. Audiocassette.

Cantelon, Brent. Running From God. Christian Life Assembly. n.d. Audiocassette.

Cantelon, Brent. Sin Is Sin. Christian Life Assembly, September 13, 1998. Audiocassette.

Cantelon, Brent. The Doctor Is In. Christian Life Assembly, July 23, 1999. Audiocassette.

Cantelon, Brent. The Marked. Christian Life Assembly. n.d. Audiocassette.

Cantelon, Brent. There Is A Difference Between Those Who Serve God And Those Who Don’t. Christian Life Assembly. n.d. Audiocassette.

Grudem, Wayne. Tyndale New Testament Commentaries. Volume 17. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1998.

“Scripture quotations taken from the New American Standard Bible®,
Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973,
1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation
Used by permission.” (www.Lockman.org)