Bulletin March 2023
by Bruce Billington
What About Sin?
As we explore the Biblical concept of Fatherhood/sonship we will eventually come to the question of how this process works regarding our fallenness and our propensity to sin. Do we just totally overlook this point and walk in the fact that we are forgiven, and God doesn’t care about our sin anymore? Or do we still struggle with the guilt of it all and carry that burden around with us all day?
After-all John did state the following – “And He, when He comes, will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;” (John 16:8).
Each of us need to settle on the fact that we will be convicted of sin, and we need to learn how to recognise this, because it is part of the role the Holy Spirit plays in our life. When He does this, He expects a response. Our role is to embrace the same heart David did when he cried out, “Against You, and You only, have I sinned”(Psalm 51:4).
When we are convicted of sin in this way, we accept that we have done wrong and that we have grieved the Father and are undeserving of anything, including forgiveness, as a result.
The good news of course, is that God does forgive – but it came at a terrible cost to Him to do so. It resulted in Him becoming heart broken in grief as He watched the death of His beloved son, Jesus Christ. It is only because of this that God, being a holy and righteous being, is able to forgive us our sin, while still remaining true to who He is.
I don’t enjoy the often-made statement that goes something like “God forgives us because He is Love.” A lot more than this was required in order for God to forgive us without compromising His own character, as shared above. The love of God brought Him to the cross and that is the only basis for our forgiveness. It came at a terrible price, and He paid for it with the sacrifice of His Son who had no sin.
The point is that this forgiveness doesn’t merely mean that we are saved from hell and can now enjoy an eternity in heaven (all which, of course, are part of it).
The real treasure here is that as a result of this, we are now made ready to embrace the great privilege of sonship and freely come into the throne room and have fellowship with the Father. This is a completely, newly created relationship which identifies us with God in Christ.
The miracle of redemption, which extends beyond forgiveness, is that God turns us, who are unholy and undeserving, into the standard of holiness that Christ enjoys, resulting in the birth within us of a whole new nature – the nature of Jesus Christ.
The point is that in regard to sin, we neither should walk around burdened by the guilt of it, nor with the view that we are holy and righteous as a result of any of our own efforts. We have been born again and blessed with a new life that gives us the power of being able to walk in the way of the Lord, achieving all that He has called us to do. His mercies are new every morning and we are continually cleansed by His blood (1 John 1:7-9).
As a result, we should embrace this new life eagerly, join our hearts with the Father in a loving, caring relationship, seek His purposes for our life and constantly thank, praise and worship Him for who He is and what He has done for us.
The essence of sonship that we are granted should make us humble, gracious, thankful, and outwardly approachable to all who come across our paths. No one else can claim such a privilege – we need to wear it with honour and seek to live every day in a way that produces an expression of the Kingdom of God.
It is here that sin is truly defeated and cancelled out in our lives.
God bless you,
Bruce Billington.