January 20, 2019 -- Proverbs 20:9 -- Who is this Jesus?

Who can say, "I have made my heart pure;
I am made clean from my sin"?
Proverbs 20: 9 ESV

Are you a sinner? According to the Bible Adam and Eve were made in God's image. They were created good, that is to say, they were without sin. In the Garden of Eden they rebelled against God. Because every human is descended from Adam, and he was our representative in the Garden of Eden, all of us bear the sin of Adam. Until someone could take away the sin of the world, the blood of goats and sheep and bulls pointed to the need for a blood punishment. Sin is gory and messy and bloody and such sacrifices showed this again and again.

The Final Adam is Jesus Christ. He lived in perfect obedience to God our Father. When Pilate declared Him to be without sin, He was approved as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. That is, all who believe in Him, have their sins taken away and receive from Him the credit of His perfect obedience.

We cannot add to Jesus' work. We cannot make our hearts pure. We are sinful men and women. We lie to ourselves. We cheat others. Every sin imaginable lives in our hearts, lurks in the secret places of our minds. We cannot make ourselves presentable to God. That is the reason Jesus came.

He was sinless. At the cross God placed on Him our every sin. Jesus became sin for us and that sin was punished at the cross. No one gets away with sin. Either it was punished upon the Person of Jesus Christ at the cross, or we think we live well and can present ourselves to God as acceptable, in which case He will punish us for our sins.

This teaching is so contrary to the world. The world tells you: Love yourself more. Accept your failures. The Scripture tells your: listen to your conscience. Confess your sin. Turn to Jesus and live. The more you love and obey Jesus, the more you will understand your need for the Savior Who cleanses your heart from all sin.

Prayer ~

Jesus, Who is like You? While we hated You and despised You, You went to the cross, the perfect lamb of God, and stood in our place, bearing the just punishment of God against our sin. Spirit of God, keep me humble. Spirit of God, by the truth of the Bible show me again and again the extent of my sin and that I can do nothing to add to my salvation. It is Christ alone Who bore the punishment. Christ alone Who is perfect. Christ alone Who credits believers with His obedience all to the glory of the Father. Amen.