| (Copyright 10-11-2024) by Warren Zehrung (Little Rock, Arkansas) |
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| Greetings Brethren, Wishing you an inspiring Feast Day, and a pleasant Day of Atonement. A Matter of Life and Death That is a well-known phrase involving decisions that will determine whether someone lives or dies—a good title for today’s sermon. The Day of Atonement is a wonderful day in the Plan of God picturing the reconciliation of God and man. It also brings thoughts of a world at peace because this day also pictures the reconciliation and brotherhood of mankind (John 13:34–35 … love one another). In the Garden of Eden, Adam and Eve initially shared an intimate, unbroken fellowship with God, free from sin and able to openly interact, until disobedience ruined their relationship with God. Sin entered the world. There was a breakdown in that Godly relationship when man sinned causing a state of enmity and separation to exist between God and us—because sin cannot come into God’s Holy presence. Isaiah 59:2 Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you… Because of His Holy Dignity, God the Father must remain at a distance from all the sin and corruption of mankind. The entire world; all of mankind was cut off from God. Sin and iniquity brought the Plan of God to a standstill. Everyone was destined to die in sin. There could be no Children of God to expand God’s eternal family (Ephesians 3:15). How could the Plan of God be put back on course? How could this travesty be remedied? It was a matter of life and death. There was only one way to put the Plan of God back on course. And, there was only one way to save mankind from eternal death, because our sins and iniquities are too much for us to bear – they are a burden too heavy for us to carry – they bring death (Romans 6:23). Atonement means bringing about the restoration of all things to a right relationship with God the Father. Only Jesus—the creator of the universe— was worthy and able to pay the price of man’s sin because His life is valued more than all the world. He who created all things is worth more than that which He brought into existence. Here is a good question, “How did Christ’s redemptive act of paying for our sins with His death on the cross make reconciliation with God the Father possible?” The answer is, Jesus Christ paid our death penalty and covered our defilement – rendering us acceptable to the Father. Galatians 1:4 [Jesus] gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: After all, this Day of Atonement is about bringing about reconciliation with God the Father. Here is the definition of Atonement: Reconciliation/Atonement is the restoration of all things to a right relationship with God. Here is how it works: Jesus was delivered unto death to pay for our offences, sins and transgressions, and He was raised to life again for our justification, exoneration, and acquittal. Only then are we declared to be righteous before the Father, and innocent of sin through Jesus Christ. Jesus’ atoning sacrifice and resurrection made it as though we had never been sinners—so that our relationship with the Father might be restored. Here is a technicality that we must not forget: Our being sinless does not earn us eternal life. Eternal life is a gift of God via Jesus Christ our Lord. Here is how it works: Jesus would have to die for the sins of the world—and His Father would have to restore Him to life and glory! Reconciliation between man and God requires a monumental work on God’s part: 2 Corinthians 5:18 All things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself by Jesus Christ, and has given to us the ministry of reconciliation [not only toward God, but with all the brethren as well]. The resurrection to eternal spiritual life of Jesus was the greatest miracle ever worked by God the Father. Jesus had been dead and lifeless in His grave for three days and three nights when, as Paul wrote: Ephesians 1:17-20 [I always pray] that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, enlighten your eyes to the understanding of what is the hope of His calling [which is our resurrection to life], and what the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and what His mighty greatness of power toward us, the same power which He worked in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His own right hand in the heavenly places. {excerpted paraphrase} Jesus must be the enthroned Savior for reconciliation to be entire and complete (Ephesians 1:20, Revelation 3:21). Had Jesus remained dead after dying to cover our sins—He would be no Savior at all. Paul wrote it this way: Paul wrote about this matter of life and death this way: Romans 5:10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. Brethren, note that verse in your Bible, because Paul clearly says that Atonement takes both—death and life—because it is salvational! Paul explains why Jesus Christ death and resurrection encompasses the two aspects of death and life as we see so clearly in Leviticus 16: Romans 4:24-25 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him [God the Father] that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; … Who was delivered [unto death] for our offences, and was raised [to life] again for our justification [and exoneration]. Paul covers the process of atonement and Jesus’ resurrection beautifully: Romans 6:4 Therefore we are buried with [Jesus] by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. Paul mentions Christ’s resurrection, and ours, to life in a single verse: Romans 8:11 If the Spirit of Him [God the Father] who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through His Spirit that dwells in you. There is a preponderance of Scripture showing that God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. In today’s sermon we will look at some of those along with the atonement aspects of death and life that are also prominent. *** The Children of God.net Working together around the world Bringing the message of hope to a world in turmoil SabbathCoG.org Listen to Live Services at 2:00 PM Central Time on the Holy Days by calling the Free Conference Call dial-in number, (667) 770-1685 and entering the Participant access code: 696903# The playback number is (667) 770-1688. The playback Reference Number for the Atonement sermon is 415#. We wish everyone a spiritually profitable Day of Atonement. Your brother in Christ, Warren M. Zehrung ———————————————————————————————————- See Warren Zehrung’s other articles at: Zehrung, Warren – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Sabbath Church of God http://childrenofgod.net/ ———————————————————————————————————- |
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