No sin is too 'big' for Christ to save you from
Believers, consider Romans 1. Paul spoke of those who “suppress the truth.” But what truth? See verse 16-18:
“16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”
Notice verse 17: "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight.." This Good News is condensed in Romans 3:
26 "...and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."
This is the truth: Righteousness by faith in Christ. Law-keeping cannot make anyone righteous in God's sight: "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." Romans 3:20. The letter (law) kills. The law is not of faith. And without faith it is impossible to please God.
Back to Romans 1; verse 21 of tells us that these truth suppressors who did not believe the Good News of "righteousness by faith in Christ" knew God: “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks.”
More of Romans 1:“25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”
The chapter mentions a host of other sins, including “every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” Romans 1 ends thus:
31 “They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.”
End of Romans 1. This is where many teachers end their sermon. So everybody leaves church feeling this self-righteous indignation and even superiority towards those that are considered to be “core sinners,” homosexual people to be specific. But the books of the Bible weren't divided into chapters when they were written. There is no break between Romans 1 and Romans 2 which opens thus:
“1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.
2 And we know that God, in His justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”
See the MSG version: Romans 2:1-4:
“Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn’t so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you’ve done.
3-4 You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because He’s such a nice God, He’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but He’s not soft. In kindness He takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.”
In essence, those who condemn and judge others for their sins and shortcomings condemn themselves too; plus they usually have worse sins or the potential to commit worse sins up their sleeves! If a big enough trial came their way, they too would fail woefully.
"Judging" is criticizing or pointing out the sins of the world and telling them to change by human effort (as if many sinners are not trying to stop sinning) without pointing them to Christ who saves from sins. See Matt. 1:21- "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
It takes one to know one. Christ’s words in Matthew 7:1-5 aren't there just to fill up space:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
It takes having a log in one's eye to judge another for having a speck in his eye. We see this play out in life: Ten Commandments-toting leaders who who criticize and call for discrimination against lost sheep without pointing them to Christ as Saviour from sins are getting caught in the act and many more are wallowing in secret sins. None can cast the first stone but they threaten the world that God so loved with judgment at Christ's feet and never point the sinner to Christ as Saviour from sins. Let's take our blessed brains to church. The woman caught in adultery was to die for her sins. Christ saved her. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, saving the sinner who believes from sins and judgment.
Just imagine what would have happened to Zacchaeus the thieving tax collector and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well if Christ had yelled His disgust at them, condemned them for their sins or told them to go and "change" before He associated Himself with them; the woman had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband.
The law takes into account every sinful deed, no matter how noble the intentions behind the deeds are. And all have sinned. Galatians 5:4 says “For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.”
Law and Grace do not mix. One is either under law or under grace. Because the law is not of faith and the crux of the gospel is righteousness by faith in Christ, begging God for forgiveness after committing secret sins while publicly upholding the law of Moses and crucifying others for their inability to keep it is an effort in futility. The letter kills. No one can live by it.
God hates sin. Homosexuality is sin. The people who are involved in it already know this. Some flaunt it about but many hate themselves for their sinful desires and are trying to get out but can't because the temptation is greater than they can bear. This is what the world that God so loved need to know:
Because He so loved the world, He gave His own Son to save us from our sins. Thank God for Jesus Christ of whom it is said in Matthew 1:21-
"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Also Titus 2:14- "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Christ died to free us from "every kind of sin," including every perverse sexual orientation, all of which are an abomination to God. No sin is too big for Him to save the sinner from. Pointing out what is wrong with the world and telling them to save themselves from their sins or comply by obeying the law will not help anybody. It will only make people sin more, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14. Try to get right with God by obeying laws and sin will have dominion.
But Christ saves from sins. Point the sinner to Christ as Saviour from sins and the Holy Spirit will transform the sinner who believes in Jesus Christ to live right (2 Corinthians 3:18). Not by might, not by power. Suppressing sinful urges won't help anybody. Why rely on the arm of flesh that will fail to transform the sinner but distrust the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the sinner who believes to live right?
Pointing sinners to Christ who saves from sins is the Way to be free from sin. The reason why we who are not homosexual are so is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in that area. I dislike 'Titus' fish and any kind of meat fat with a passion. I also cannot manage large portions at meal times. Some people love meat fat and their plates always look like they are eating for three. Praising me for my dietary 'restraint' is pointless. That is just not my area of temptation. Replace meat fat/huge meal portions with any kind of sin. Homosexuality is just not our area of temptation. For others, it is porn addiction, etc. But Satan has singled out this one sin for people to talk about and use to make themselves feel superior to sinners. The truth is James 2:10-
"For whosoever shall keep the law yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all."
Sin has degrees, but without Christ as our righteousness, the one who only exaggerated a story a little (aka told a lie) is in the same boat of unrighteousness as the thieving, homosexual, child-molesting serial killer. Christ saves from sins.
No matter how hard a weightlifter trains, he cannot carry a weight that is designed to crush him 10 times over. Satan does not consider your weight, stature or level of preparedness before throwing weights (tests, trials, including the temptation to commit sinful or perverse sexual acts) at anybody. We are not all of the same size emotionally so what is crushing for one might be nothing to another. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody thanks to the sinful nature inherited from Adam. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them, just as Peter thought he would not deny Christ when the going was good.
This is why we who believe and are not committing particular sins are so: 1 Corinthians 10:
13 "We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."
God filters and screens our trials and that is why many of us who believe are not wallowing in homosexuality and other acts of sin. Unveiling Christ as Saviour from sins and His love for the sinner is the Way to get people out of this prison of sin that holds them captive.
Some might say: "I can never be a homosexual," just like Peter who boasted and knew 100% that he would never deny Jesus Christ...but he did, three times.
The arm of flesh (human effort at obeying the law or suppressing sinful urges) will fail and when it does, the result is a volcanic eruption of sinful deeds that lead to death. But in Christ, we get to live in triumph over sin and death: Romans 5:17-
"17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."
The one who does not need salvation from sins does not need Jesus. He saves those who cannot get their sin act together, not those that think that they are “not that bad” or can do some righteous things by the arm of flesh. Remember what Romans 2:1 says of those who are wallowing in sins and those who think they are superior to them:
“Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself..."
When our eyes are opened to see how we are saved, even from our sins, it becomes impossible for us to judge, condemn or point fingers at others who are yet to see His salvation. Instead, we point the sinner to Christ for Salvation.
The gospel is Grace- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. Grace never condemns. Grace saves. Judgmental criticism isn’t of Christ, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17.
“16 For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. 17 This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” 18 But God shows His anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.”
Notice verse 17: "This Good News tells us how God makes us right in His sight.." This Good News is condensed in Romans 3:
26 "...and He makes sinners right in His sight when they believe in Jesus. 27 Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. 28 So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law."
This is the truth: Righteousness by faith in Christ. Law-keeping cannot make anyone righteous in God's sight: "For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are." Romans 3:20. The letter (law) kills. The law is not of faith. And without faith it is impossible to please God.
Back to Romans 1; verse 21 of tells us that these truth suppressors who did not believe the Good News of "righteousness by faith in Christ" knew God: “Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn’t worship Him as God or even give Him thanks.”
More of Romans 1:“25 They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen. 26 That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. 27 And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.”
The chapter mentions a host of other sins, including “every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip.” Romans 1 ends thus:
31 “They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. 32 They know God’s justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.”
End of Romans 1. This is where many teachers end their sermon. So everybody leaves church feeling this self-righteous indignation and even superiority towards those that are considered to be “core sinners,” homosexual people to be specific. But the books of the Bible weren't divided into chapters when they were written. There is no break between Romans 1 and Romans 2 which opens thus:
“1 You may think you can condemn such people, but you are just as bad, and you have no excuse! When you say they are wicked and should be punished, you are condemning yourself, for you who judge others do these very same things.
2 And we know that God, in His justice, will punish anyone who does such things. 3 Since you judge others for doing these things, why do you think you can avoid God’s judgment when you do the same things? 4 Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that His kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?”
See the MSG version: Romans 2:1-4:
“Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself. It takes one to know one. Judgmental criticism of others is a well-known way of escaping detection in your own crimes and misdemeanors. But God isn’t so easily diverted. He sees right through all such smoke screens and holds you to what you’ve done.
3-4 You didn’t think, did you, that just by pointing your finger at others you would distract God from seeing all your misdoings and from coming down on you hard? Or did you think that because He’s such a nice God, He’d let you off the hook? Better think this one through from the beginning. God is kind, but He’s not soft. In kindness He takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.”
In essence, those who condemn and judge others for their sins and shortcomings condemn themselves too; plus they usually have worse sins or the potential to commit worse sins up their sleeves! If a big enough trial came their way, they too would fail woefully.
"Judging" is criticizing or pointing out the sins of the world and telling them to change by human effort (as if many sinners are not trying to stop sinning) without pointing them to Christ who saves from sins. See Matt. 1:21- "She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
It takes one to know one. Christ’s words in Matthew 7:1-5 aren't there just to fill up space:
“Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”
It takes having a log in one's eye to judge another for having a speck in his eye. We see this play out in life: Ten Commandments-toting leaders who who criticize and call for discrimination against lost sheep without pointing them to Christ as Saviour from sins are getting caught in the act and many more are wallowing in secret sins. None can cast the first stone but they threaten the world that God so loved with judgment at Christ's feet and never point the sinner to Christ as Saviour from sins. Let's take our blessed brains to church. The woman caught in adultery was to die for her sins. Christ saved her. He is the same yesterday, today and forever, saving the sinner who believes from sins and judgment.
Just imagine what would have happened to Zacchaeus the thieving tax collector and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well if Christ had yelled His disgust at them, condemned them for their sins or told them to go and "change" before He associated Himself with them; the woman had had five husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband.
The law takes into account every sinful deed, no matter how noble the intentions behind the deeds are. And all have sinned. Galatians 5:4 says “For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace.”
Law and Grace do not mix. One is either under law or under grace. Because the law is not of faith and the crux of the gospel is righteousness by faith in Christ, begging God for forgiveness after committing secret sins while publicly upholding the law of Moses and crucifying others for their inability to keep it is an effort in futility. The letter kills. No one can live by it.
God hates sin. Homosexuality is sin. The people who are involved in it already know this. Some flaunt it about but many hate themselves for their sinful desires and are trying to get out but can't because the temptation is greater than they can bear. This is what the world that God so loved need to know:
Because He so loved the world, He gave His own Son to save us from our sins. Thank God for Jesus Christ of whom it is said in Matthew 1:21-
"She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Also Titus 2:14- "He gave His life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us His very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds."
Christ died to free us from "every kind of sin," including every perverse sexual orientation, all of which are an abomination to God. No sin is too big for Him to save the sinner from. Pointing out what is wrong with the world and telling them to save themselves from their sins or comply by obeying the law will not help anybody. It will only make people sin more, "For sin shall not have dominion over you for you are not under law but under Grace." Romans 6:14. Try to get right with God by obeying laws and sin will have dominion.
But Christ saves from sins. Point the sinner to Christ as Saviour from sins and the Holy Spirit will transform the sinner who believes in Jesus Christ to live right (2 Corinthians 3:18). Not by might, not by power. Suppressing sinful urges won't help anybody. Why rely on the arm of flesh that will fail to transform the sinner but distrust the power of the Holy Spirit to transform the sinner who believes to live right?
Pointing sinners to Christ who saves from sins is the Way to be free from sin. The reason why we who are not homosexual are so is because we have not been tempted beyond what we can bear in that area. I dislike 'Titus' fish and any kind of meat fat with a passion. I also cannot manage large portions at meal times. Some people love meat fat and their plates always look like they are eating for three. Praising me for my dietary 'restraint' is pointless. That is just not my area of temptation. Replace meat fat/huge meal portions with any kind of sin. Homosexuality is just not our area of temptation. For others, it is porn addiction, etc. But Satan has singled out this one sin for people to talk about and use to make themselves feel superior to sinners. The truth is James 2:10-
"For whosoever shall keep the law yet stumble at one point, he is guilty of all."
Sin has degrees, but without Christ as our righteousness, the one who only exaggerated a story a little (aka told a lie) is in the same boat of unrighteousness as the thieving, homosexual, child-molesting serial killer. Christ saves from sins.
No matter how hard a weightlifter trains, he cannot carry a weight that is designed to crush him 10 times over. Satan does not consider your weight, stature or level of preparedness before throwing weights (tests, trials, including the temptation to commit sinful or perverse sexual acts) at anybody. We are not all of the same size emotionally so what is crushing for one might be nothing to another. The potential to commit heinous crimes is in everybody thanks to the sinful nature inherited from Adam. God sees this potential and how favourable circumstances can make some people think that some sins are beneath them, just as Peter thought he would not deny Christ when the going was good.
This is why we who believe and are not committing particular sins are so: 1 Corinthians 10:
13 "We all experience times of testing, which is normal for every human being. But God will be faithful to you. He will screen and filter the severity, nature, and timing of every test or trial you face so that you can bear it. And each test is an opportunity to trust Him more, for along with every trial God has provided for you a way of escape that will bring you out of it victoriously."
God filters and screens our trials and that is why many of us who believe are not wallowing in homosexuality and other acts of sin. Unveiling Christ as Saviour from sins and His love for the sinner is the Way to get people out of this prison of sin that holds them captive.
Some might say: "I can never be a homosexual," just like Peter who boasted and knew 100% that he would never deny Jesus Christ...but he did, three times.
The arm of flesh (human effort at obeying the law or suppressing sinful urges) will fail and when it does, the result is a volcanic eruption of sinful deeds that lead to death. But in Christ, we get to live in triumph over sin and death: Romans 5:17-
"17 For the sin of this one man, Adam, caused death to rule over many. But even greater is God’s wonderful grace and His gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one Man, Jesus Christ."
The one who does not need salvation from sins does not need Jesus. He saves those who cannot get their sin act together, not those that think that they are “not that bad” or can do some righteous things by the arm of flesh. Remember what Romans 2:1 says of those who are wallowing in sins and those who think they are superior to them:
“Those people are on a dark spiral downward. But if you think that leaves you on the high ground where you can point your finger at others, think again. Every time you criticize someone, you condemn yourself..."
When our eyes are opened to see how we are saved, even from our sins, it becomes impossible for us to judge, condemn or point fingers at others who are yet to see His salvation. Instead, we point the sinner to Christ for Salvation.
The gospel is Grace- undeserved, unearned, unmerited favour. Grace never condemns. Grace saves. Judgmental criticism isn’t of Christ, “For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him.” John 3:17.
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