Children are constantly growing mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually as they go through the stages of life in becoming adults.  Children learn best from who they think they know they can trust.  They imitate who influences them the most.  When they are hurt and in need of comfort, they will run to loving parents or another significant adult who loves them and cares for them, knowing they will “fix it.”  Parents who love well do not like to see their offspring hurt.  They will run to their aide with remedies to ease their pain with embraces of compassion.  They will indeed try to “fix it.” 

But what no parent on earth can fix is the sin problem we are born into as we entered the world as new born infants.  However, what believing parents can do is point the Way to Jesus, sent by God to remove our sins once and for all.

Only God can “fix it” and set things right in our imperfect world.  Only through Jesus can we reconnect to God and grow in an intimate, loving relationship with God.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” John 3:16-17

Romans 3, The Message

God Has Set Things Right

^21-24 But in our time something new has been added. What Moses and the prophets witnessed to all those years has happened. The God-setting-things-right that we read about has become Jesus-setting-things-right for us. And not only for us, but for everyone who believes in him. For there is no difference between us and them in this. Since we’ve compiled this long and sorry record as sinners (both us and them) and proved that we are utterly incapable of living the glorious lives God wills for us, God did it for us. Out of sheer generosity he put us in right standing with himself. A pure gift. He got us out of the mess we’re in and restored us to where he always wanted us to be. And he did it by means of Jesus Christ.

^25-26 God sacrificed Jesus on the altar of the world to clear that world of sin. Having faith in him sets us in the clear. God decided on this course of action in full view of the public—to set the world in the clear with himself through the sacrifice of Jesus, finally taking care of the sins he had so patiently endured. This is not only clear, but it’s now—this is current history! God sets things right. He also makes it possible for us to live in his rightness.

^27-28 So where does that leave our proud Jewish insider claims and counterclaims? Canceled? Yes, canceled. What we’ve learned is this: God does not respond to what we do; we respond to what God does. We’ve finally figured it out. Our lives get in step with God and all others by letting him set the pace, not by proudly or anxiously trying to run the parade.

^29-30 And where does that leave our proud Jewish claim of having a corner on God? Also canceled. God is the God of outsider non-Jews as well as insider Jews. How could it be otherwise since there is only one God? God sets right all who welcome his action and enter into it, both those who follow our religious system and those who have never heard of our religion.

³¹ But by shifting our focus from what we do to what God does, don’t we cancel out all our careful keeping of the rules and ways God commanded? Not at all. What happens, in fact, is that by putting that entire way of life in its proper place, we confirm it.

WHAT DO WE LEARN—HOW DO WE RESPOND?

Being a Jew does not save us.  Being a Catholic or Protestant does not save us.

Going to church every Sunday does not save us.

Giving to the poor does not save us.

Being the best server in the church does not save us.

Reading the Bible does not save us—Unless we do what the Word says—repent.

Only Jesus saves us from our sins when we bow down to Him and repent of those sins. We simply ask Jesus to remove our sins, believing that He can and will. Jesus immediately forgives us. God’s Holy Spirit moves in to help us live freely for Jesus as Lord of our new lives without sin’s entanglements. This was God’s Plan from the beginning to set us right with Him and to help us by His power to avoid sin. 

Our sins no longer have ahold on us for they are no longer in us!  Jesus removed our sins as “far as the east is from the west”! 

Psalm 103 proclaims this message of reconciliation with God:

“God makes everything come out right; he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work, opened up his plans to all Israel.

Paul showed us and the rest of the world that no one can claim innocence. Everyone has sinned. But through Christ’s death on the cross God has redeemed us.  Willing and ready, God will forgive us if we come to him in faith through believing in Jesus Christ, His Son.

God is sheer mercy and grace; not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold, nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve, nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.

As high as heaven is over the earth, so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset, he has separated us from our sins.

As parents feel for their children, God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out, keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long; like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly, leaving nothing to show they were here.

God’s love, though, is ever and always, eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children as they follow his Covenant ways and remember to do whatever he said.” Psalm 103:6-18, MSG

Believe and be saved.  This is the only response that gives life!

Lord,

All have sinned but because of your love you had a plan to “fix” our sin problem once and for all by giving us a way out of sin. Thank you for willingly laying done your life for ours. Thank you for saving me and restoring me from sin’s consequences of hurt and despair.  Help me to make the most of every opportunity to point the Way of forgiveness to others who struggle with not knowing you and your love for them. 

In Jesus Name, Amen