(Transcript of the video above, edited for readability)
I always like 1 Corinthians 15:1 and following, where Paul says "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures." So first of all, the gospel was planned. It didn't just start with the New Testament but from Genesis 3 on, when Adam and Eve sinned and humanity was in rebellion against God. The Bible says that at that moment we were objects of wrath, but God had a plan, good news for how he would redeem us from being captive to sin. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15, "Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures." So, it also is about a substitute. The Bible says that the way that we were made in right with our relationship with God again was that someone had to pay the penalty for our sins. The problem was we weren't qualified to do that, because not only have we sinned, all people except for Christ, but we go on sinning.
So Christ came, the word became flesh so that he might live in perfect obedience to God and go to the cross in our place. Not only did Christ die on the cross, but he rose again, shows he's victorious, that he has paid the penalty for sins. So the scripture is planned, it's cross-centered, and it has to be believed. Sometimes I say to people that I meet with, does the fact that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures mean that all people are saved? And the answer is no. It's only those who turn in repentance from their sin to Christ in faith that are saved yet to all received him. John 1:12, "those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God." So we're saved, not on the basis, the gospel is the good news that we're saved not on the basis of what we did, but on the basis of what Christ did.
Great passage to read about. This is also Ephesians 2:8-9. "For by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves, it's the gift of God, not of works west, any man should boast." If was about being a good person, then we'd brag about it. Pastors would brag, "this is how I'm saved," but it's not by works so that no one can boast. So the next part of the question is, well, what difference does that make for everyday life? Is the gospel then kind of this fire insurance policy that shows me after I die, I'll be okay, but for now I'm on my own? And the answer is no. We grow in the Christian life by grace just as much as we're saved by Grace. Titus 2:11 and following say the grace of God teaches us to say no to ungodliness and worldly passions to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age.
Not only that, not only does the grace of God conform us increasingly to be more and more like Christ, but it also informs how we treat one another. Remember what Jesus said in the Lord's prayer. "Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors." That we are to reflect in showing others forgiveness, the kind of grace that God has shown in forgiving us. So because we have received grace, Christians should be gracious people. A Christian should never find him or herself saying, "I cannot or will not forgive" because it is characteristic of people who have received grace, that they give grace. Now, I understand that the questions of forgiveness, Cornelius Plantinga says, "anytime you start talking about forgiveness, you chase up a lot more rabbits than you can run down." So I understand when I bring up forgiveness, interpersonal forgiveness, people say, "Yeah, but what about this, or what about that?" The gospel is about how our relationship with God can be made, right? That we can be justified, regenerated, sanctified, and one day glorified, not because of who we are, but because of what Christ did.
(First published on Christianity.com on March 12, 2013.)
For more information about Chris Brauns, visit: www.chrisbrauns.com
For more information about Christianity, visit: www.christianity.com
