All for Nothing? - Galatians 2:21

Galatians 2:21 I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing! (NIV)

            Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and I remember an embarrassing mistake or something foolishly spoken that I committed years ago. The event or the expression I used stings my pride and I feel sorry for having said or done something stupid that may have hurt or disappointed other people. As I think about my mistake, I wish I could go back and change the past, but that’s not ever going to happen, so I make a silent prayer to God and ask for Jesus to forgive me. I cannot alter the consequences of my error either, but I am able to leave it in the hands of God after confessing my sin.

            This reminds me of why we all need a Savior. We could say to God that we regret the past and will try to be better people by making it up to Him with a whole load of good deeds, but all we would be doing is covering our shame and blanketing our remorse. We can never do enough good things anyway because there are other countless times when we have said or done something stupidly and selfishly sinful in all of our past.

            It is also the reason why the Cross is at the center of our faith. Without Christ’s sacrifice, we would sadly remain unforgiven for the numerous sinful moments across our entire lives. Without the effective work of the Cross, we could never be restored to God’s gracious love. If we could do this all by ourselves then, as Paul simply states, Jesus would have died for nothing, but because we cannot save ourselves, we need the power, purpose, and peace that the Cross of Christ provides for every one of us to be forgiven.

            So, perhaps the next time you or I awake in the middle of the night and recall an embarrassing or sinful moment from the past, instead of dwelling on our stupidity we should think about the wonderful opportunity to be totally forgiven and completely reconciled to God through Christ’s death on the Cross.

Point to ponder

What past regrets do I honestly have that still embarrass or shame me? Have I asked God to forgive me of them in Christ’s Name?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are at the center of history and the focus point of all this universe. Your Life matters to us in so many ways, but Your Death has significantly impacted us by negating our sins in order to let us be restored to our Creator. Thank You for such an amazing gift of love! In Your Holy Name, we humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sundays at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Today’s image is one of John’s Good Friday drawings called ‘Empty Sky.’ If you would like to view a larger version, click this link: Sky.

Good Friday Devotion: Annual Reminder - Hebrews 10:3-4

Hebrews 10:3-4          But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

Usually, when we break a promise or disappoint someone, we seek their forgiveness and hope to be given an opportunity to redeem our mistake with a gift. Sometimes parents do this with their children, especially if they've been unable to keep a special promise because of work related commitments. At other times spouses, who disappoint their partners, have a lot of giving to do in order to make amends. And even businesses, that unexpectedly fail their customers, usually offer a discount or free gift to make up for the disappointment. In all of these cases, some process of sacrificial giving is necessary in order to restore relationships, confidence, and trustworthiness.

In Old Testament times, when God’s people disappointed Him, they quickly offered a ritual sacrifice of a bull, a goat, a sheep, or some pigeons. Their mistakes and sins damaged their relationship with God. Because the people absolutely depended upon His bounty and blessings to sustain them, their livestock, and their crops, they sacrificed the best of their animals or the first of their produce to placate Him. They feared God’s wrath in ways that we cannot understand or even accept today.

But no matter how many times they sacrificed, the people still sinned. No matter how often they kept special feasts or religious rites to glorify God, they still were contaminated by their past mistakes and personal regrets. Their sacrifices were not sufficient to meet God’s requirements. Their regular religious rites could not effectively redeem and restore them to God.

This is why Christ came from God to enter into history and the world. This is why He sacrificed Himself so that our sins, as well as those of Christ’s own people, may be absolutely forgiven by God. After all, if the sacrifice of God’s Only Son was not enough to satisfy the demands of God’s holiness and justice, then there is nothing in all of existence that can save human beings from sin. We may not like the idea of God’s just demands; we may not ever fully understand why Christ had to die; but this we can know: Jesus died for our sins, so that we can be absolutely forgiven and eternally restored to God. This is also why the other name for Holy Week is “Passion Week’ – a sacred commemoration and faithful focus on Christ’s suffering, His Passion, for us.

Questions for personal reflection

Do I accept that Jesus died for me? Do I realize that His Death has given me Life?

Prayer:            Lord Jesus, we cannot fully comprehend why our sins would condemn You to death on a Cross. We don’t fully understand why God’s justice demanded such an awful and shameful thing. However, we are fully thankful that Your personal sacrifice has completely atoned for our sins, as well as restoring us to God forever. In Your Holy Name, we humbly and gratefully pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. If you would like to comment or ask a question about today’s message, please send him an email to traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest Holy Week drawings. It’s called ‘Descent.’ If you would like to view a larger version, please click on the following link: https://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/13439105075_cac310d7e5_b.jpg

The Loneliest Cry in the Universe

21st century Christ

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