Volume 18, Number 1 January Winter 2023
Sin Connects Us
Heb. 9:27-28
“And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.”
Preface
My immediate family and perhaps some of you who have heard me preach down through these past 55 years, might remember a message that I preached from this same text of Scripture that I entitled, “Four Great Certainties.” It’s been estimated that R.G. Lee preached his famous sermon, “Payday Someday” over 1,200 times during his life. Most preachers have a particular sermon that may be considered their favorite and preach it in various places and on different occasions more than any other. That’s the case with this one, except for this edition I’ve entitled it, “Sin Connects Us.”
The reason for this change of title with the same message is because of what I’m about to tell you. After years of suffering back pain and doing everything that could be done to alleviate it without surgery, I began my search for a neurosurgeon in my local city where I lived. I was first introduced to Dr. Joseph Stern and was scheduled with him for surgery until just days away from my operation, I was informed by his office that he had sustained and arm injury and could not do the surgery. This resulted in having to be re-scheduled with Dr. Nundkumar a few days later than originally planned. I’ve been very pleased with the change, but prior it, I was introduced to a book recently written by Dr. Stern dealing with the death of his sister. It’s entitled, “Grief Connects Us.” When I showed the book to our son, Wilson, the first thing he said when he looked at the title was, “Sin Connects Us” at which time I immediately thought of my sermon, “Four Great Certainties.” That which you’re about to read is my payday someday sermon that I have a record of preaching at least 46 times thus far in my life. Now, for the first time, I’m putting it in print. May God bless and honor the proclamation of His Holy Word as we examine four great certainties found in this short text. Of course, these are not the only certainties found in the inspired, inerrant, and infallible Word of God, but these are four that are crammed-packed into these two verses. You’ll discover that the title of Dr. Stern’s book, Grief Connects Us, is very much correct, because Holy Scripture teaches how Sin Connects Us each and every one and because of that we need a personal Savior in Christ alone.
Introduction
With all the wars, disasters, catastrophes, hunger, financial crises, sufferings, and fatalities that are recorded in our history books, I need not have to tell you that our world is filled with uncertainties. The storms of life come upon us in all sorts of ways. Some are economic, emotional, mental, physical, and even spiritual. We never know what type of storm is coming our way next. In fact, as far as this world scene is concerned, never before has mankind lived in a more uncertain age than today despite all the modern advancements that have been made in warfare, technology, medicine, and science. Worldwide turmoil causes the international situation to be very uncertain. The threat of cancer and heart disease makes our future health uncertain; therefore, making the longevity of our lies on this earth uncertain.
Although, scientist and statesman seek to solve the future problems of the world, we must admit that the things of this earthly existence remain uncertain to mortal man. This time next year, we don’t know if we’ll be blessed with an abundance of rain or plagued with drought. This time next year, we don’t know how the value of the American dollar will stand nor what the world economic conditions will be. This time next year, we don’t know how many of our friends, relatives, and loved ones will become ill or for that matter, even lose in death.
DEATH is a word that most people don’t use very frequently in their everyday vocabulary. People don’t sit around talking about DEATH like they talk about politics, sports, or weather. When was the last time that you heard of someone being invited over to a friend’s house to have a discussion about DEATH? The truth of the matter is that DEATH is very much a reality as it divides for each and every one of us, TIME from ETERNITIY. There’s coming a day when our heart will beat for the last time and there’s coming a day when I, like you, will take our last breath.
Since God has blessed us with physical life and still have the privilege of living on this side of DEATH in this age of TIME, I want to raise a question in the midst of all these uncertainties that lie at our doorstep. The question being, “IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WE CAN BE CERTAIN ABOUT IN THIS SEEMINGLY UNCERTAIN AGE OF TIME? With the “word of God” (I Pet. 1:23) being my basis, I can answer that question with an emphatic, “YES.” Whatever is recorded in Holy Scripture, we can be certain about its teachings and from our text, we’re reminded of four great certainties.
The First Great Certainty is Death v.27a
The appointment of DEATH is one appointment that we cannot have canceled nor postponed, simply because we’re not the ones who make it (Job 14:5, Ecc. 3:2). Perhaps you’ve had a dreaded upcoming medical test or maybe a dental visit that you delayed; however, regarding the appointment with DEATH, no mortal man has such control. Whenever God says that it’s time to cross the chilling waters of DEATH, then the most skilled physicians, the most renown surgeons, the most knowledgeable scientist cannot prevent nor postpone it. Some of you ole timers my age might remember Pistol Pete Maravich and James Dobson. They were playing basketball and just seconds before Pistol Pete died from a massive heart attack on the court, he said to Dr. Dobson, “I feel really great.” The most common characteristic in all the genealogies of the Old Testament is the recorded fact, “and he died” (Gen. 5).
We must never forget that God is SOVEREIGN over all things which means that nothing happens, not even DEATH, without God bringing it to pass for His own divine purpose. When King Hezekiah was sick unto DEATH, God saw fit to “heal” him and he lived “fifteen years” longer (II Kings 20:1-8). When Job heard of his children’s deaths, he responded by saying, “the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21).
DEATH is “appointed unto men,” not merely as a punishment for our personal sins, but as the result of Adam’s transgression in the Garden of Eden (Rom. 5:12,15, I Cor. 15:22). He acted as the federal head of the human race and with his SIN, all his posterity has been born sinners. SIN CONNECTS US ALL! We might not all talk alike, have the same color skin, eyes, or hair, but every human being has SIN in common and it is SIN that connects us together. Physical DEATH is the seal of SIN that has been placed on the entire human race. The deadliest killer of humanity is not cancer nor heart disease, but it’s DEPRAVITY. George Bernard Shaw wrote, “the statistics on DEATH are quite impressive, one out of one people die.”
Physical life is a journey, a pilgrimage, through this present age of time. The life cycle begins with birth and ends with death; therefore, none of us are on earth to stay nor be permanently housed in these earthly bodies. Scripture refers to the physical body as a “tabernacle” (II Cor. 5:1-4) which is a tent-like structure or a mere temporary dwelling. Someday the Christian must shed his physical house just as the caterpillar must shed his cocoon in order to experience the beauty of being a butterfly. Martin Luther said, “Life is a constant and daily journey toward death. One after another dies and the living must merely engage in the miserable business of carrying one another to the grave. All of us are traveling the same road together.” Although all human beings are traveling the same road of life in this age of time, we are not all headed to the same eternity. There is one eternity, but two destinies. Heaven is for those who have placed their faith for the forgiveness of their sin in the crucified and risen Christ. Hell is for those who have not. It’s not a matter of good works and being charitable, but faith in Christ Who said that there is no way to the Father, but by Him and His finished work on Calvary’s cross (Jh. 14:6-31, Eph. 2:8-10).
The Second Great Certainty is Judgment v.27b
In this world, it often seems like the wicked prosper, the righteous are persecuted, and the honest get the worst end of the deal (Ecc. 7:15). Scripture promises that there is coming a day when God will JUDGE fairly and punish the ungodly. God’s divine “judgment” will be totally impartial, meaning that nothing that man naturally is or does will influence Him (Rom. 2:11). Human courts are not always fair because they don’t consider all the evidence involved. But Almighty God is the omnipresent and omniscient One, Who will JUDGE even the motives and secrets of the human heart. For example, notice these Scripture verses. “Whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her” (Matt. 5:28) is guilty of adultery. “Whosoever hateth his brother” (I Jh. 3:15) is guilty of murder. Any human weakness whatsoever that causes us to fail in living up to God’s perfect standard of holiness is SIN, of which we “all” are guilty. God proclaims load and clear through His Word that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23) and that “the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 6:23). Every time we drive by a cemetery, darken the door of a funeral home, or read an obituary column, it’s a reminder that man is a SINNER and the “wages of sin is death.”
Let me ask you a question as you read this message. If you were to “die” today, could your life stand the test of God’s “judgment?” Your passport into eternity will either be stamped Redeemed for Heaven or Condemned for Hell. Because God is Holy, He demands that “sin” be JUDGED and paid for in full. Knowing that we, being sinners, are incapable to paying such a sin debt, God wrapped Himself in a body of Human flesh and came to satisfy that debt for those who will “believe” (Acts 16:31) in His Son, Jesus Christ. Those who trust Him as the One Who died to satisfy the wrath of God against us will be “saved” from sin’s penalty (Rom. 10:8-13).
Make no mistake about it, our SIN will be JUDGED in one of two places. It will either be JUDGED at Calvary in “the Lord Jesus Christ” Who was God in human flesh (Jh. 1:1-14)and died as our Substitute, or else it will be JUDGED at the “great white throne” just before the lost are “cast” into the eternal “lake of fire” (Rev. 21:11-14) to spend eternity in Hell. It’s hopeless to think that you’ll escape JUDGMENT and go to heaven at death just because you’ve lived a good life and done good deeds (Isa. 64:6). It’s true that a believer will be JUDGED for his works (I Cor. 3:11-15) and not for his sins, but if our “faith” isn’t in “Christ” alone, then good “works” (Eph. 2:8-9) will not stand the test of God’s JUDGMENT. If you desire to be right with God and know forgiveness of SIN, then there is Good News and Eternal Hope in “Jesus Christ.”
The Third Great Certainty is that Christ Died to Bear Our Sins v.28a
The Good News of “Jesus Christ” is just as certain as DEATH and JUDGMENT (Rom. 5:7-8). God made us, God gave us physical life, God loves His creation, and God seeks to have fellowship with us. But do you have a genuine desire in your heart to personally “know” (II Tim 1:12) Him? That can only happen when the Holy Spirit opens your heart in repentance of SIN and grants faith to believe. The question is not, do we believe in the existence of God, but have you ever committed yourself to “Christ” and trusted Him as “Lord” (Acts16:31) of your life? In fact, the question is not so much, do you know God, but does God know you as one of His dear little children and is your name written in the“lamb’s book of life” (Rev. 21:27)? The “many” spoken of in our opening text for whom Jesus died are those whom the “Father” has given to the “Son” (Jh. 17).
With all that being said, let’s pause for a moment to consider very quickly just what the Good News of “Jesus Christ” really is! As the virgin born sinless Son of God, “Christ”(the long-awaited promised Messiah of the Old Testament), on our behalf took our place and became our Substitute in paying the penalty of our SIN with His sacrificial death on a cruel Roman cross. Then, on the third day, “Christ” arose from the dead as proof of His deity and commanded His followers to proclaim that forgiveness of SIN and eternal life are freely given to all whom the Holy Spirit calls to repent and believe. Have you ever known that conviction? Once a sinner is “born again” (Jh. 3:1-16) and birthed into the family of God, he is made a “new creature” (II Cor. 5:17) and a joint-heir with “Christ” (Rom. 8:17). God accepts us as we are, “sinners” (Rom. 5:8), lost, helpless, unclean, and undone. However, to God’s praise and glory, He does not leave us that way. He credits the sinless life of “Christ” to our spiritually bankrupt account and stamps our sin debt paid in full imputing to us the righteousness of His Son. He places us in His body, indwells us with the Holy Spirit, and radically transforms our lives so that we can glorify Him in our witness. But that’s not all. He promises us a home in heaven with Him when we die and depart these frail mortal bodies of flesh.
The Fourth Great Certainty is Christ’s Second Coming v.28b
To be a true “born again” believer who is walking in fellowship with God means that he/she can look for the “second” coming of “Christ” with joy and confidence. Just as surely as “Jesus Christ” came the first time to this earth in a body of flesh over 2,000 years ago, He is coming again the “second” time. His first coming was as the Suffering Savior, but His “second” coming will be as “Lord of Lords and King of Kings” (Rev. 17:4) to judge, rule, and reign forevermore. It’s certain that He “will come again” (Jh. 14:3, Acts 1:11) because God’s Word declares it!
Christ’s return is what Scripture calls the “blessed hope” (Titus 2:13) of those who believe in Him. As long as we are left in these frail mortal bodies, we must fight against SIN, declare war on the devil, and patiently wait for Christ to fulfill His promises and come again at His appointed time. Until then, the indwelling presence of the “Holy Spirit” is the “earnest” (down payment or guarantee) that God has given to every believer toward his future heavenly “inheritance” (Eph. 1:13-14). When “Christ” comes for His “bride” (Rev. 21:9), the dead saints will be raised and the living saints will be caught up “to meet the Lord in the air” (I Thess. 4:13-18). At such a time, I want to remind believers that our “salvation” will be complete (glorification) and the only future JUDGMENT coming to a Christian will be the JUDGMENT of our works that were done in His power and for His glory(I Cor. 3:11—15). That’s because the “Lord Jesus Christ” took our SIN upon His sinless self (II Cor. 5:21) on the cross, became sin for us, and imputed His “righteousness” (Rom. 3:21-22, II Cor. 5:2) to those who believe on His Holy Name.
Closing
The only way to escape DEATH is to be a regenerated child of God and “alive” (I Thess. 4:14-17) when God’s “trumpet” (I Cor. 15:51-57) sounds at Christ’s return. With this being the only exception, every person is someday going to “die.” Every day we live, we’re one step nearer to our appointment with DEATH. For the Christian, DEATH is not going to be a SAD experience, but a GLORIOUS commencement from this life into the ETERNAL presence of the “Lord Jesus Christ.” A person who knows the saving “grace” (Eph. 2:8)of Christ will most certainly know His dying “grace” (II Cor. 12:9). Because a Christian possesses the “Holy Spirit” (Rom. 8:9,11), he’s able to look DEATH directly in the face and say, “come on and get me, I’m not afraid of you!” It’s recorded of the death of D.L. Moody that at 6 AM he fell into a natural sleep. At 7 AM, he awoke and said in a low voice, “Earth recedes, heaven opens before me. This is no dream. It is beautiful. If this is death, it is sweet. There is no valley here. God is calling me. I must go.” This was God’s signal for D.L. Moody, a God-called preacher of years ago, to enter his eternal rest. Another man of God to whom I made reference at the beginning of this message, R.G. Lee, left another dynamic death-bed testimony. Just before he died, he told his daughter that he saw Jesus. He said, “I tried to describe heaven, but my words were so woefully inadequate. I wish I could tell the people how beautiful it really is.”
Although the temporal things of this life are UNCERTAIN, we can be sure about the destiny of our eternal souls. God doesn’t give “his people” (Matt. 1:21) a think-so, maybe-so, perhaps-so, or hope-so salvation, but He gives us a “know” so salvation like the apostle Paul wrote about (II Tim. 1:12). Today, do you “know” that you have passed from DEATH unto life in Christ (Gal. 5:20, Phil. 1:21, II Tim. 2:11)? Do you “know” that because of conviction of sin, a repentant heart, and by the fruit of the Spirit in your life (Gal. 5:16-26), that God has planted “faith” to believe (Eph. 2:8-9) in your soul? Do you “know” that God has done a supernatural work of “grace” in your heart and that He knows you and that you have been numbered among His redeemed people? Do you “know” that you are one of “them” in our text that’s anxiously waiting and looking for “him” to return the “second time?” You might be like a multitude of people who consider themselves religious, church members, good, and charitable but are lost and not ready to “die.”
If you don’t “know” Christ in the forgiveness of sin, then your greatest need is to “repent” (Lk. 13:3) of your sin and trust Christ as the One Who bore the penalty of your “sins” on the cross. If we do “know” Christ in saving “faith,” then let’s remember the poem “only one life will soon be passed, only what’s done for Christ will last.” It could be that God’s timing for Christ’s return or your appointment with DEATH might occur before this day is over or this year has passed. It may be that TIME will vanish from your life and that you will step out into ETERNITY in the blink of an eye (Jam. 4:14). Whenever that time comes, where will you spend eternity and what kind of testimony will you leave behind?