I preached this sermon around 2000.
Introduction:
Most of us have probably had someone tell us before that they have good news and bad news. Then they ask which we want to hear first. Usually people will take the bad news first and end on a good note. Well today I have good news and I have bad news. And we will start with the bad news and end with the good. It is important for us to view them in this order because if we don’t know the bad news, the good news won’t mean anything to us.
Some of the things that I am going to say today you may regard as offensive. But let me point out from the beginning that what I say today is not my opinion; it is God’s Word. Most people don’t like to be told bad things, especially about themselves. But often, this is what they need most. Take a man who is sick for example. He has no idea that anything is wrong, but you know that he is deathly ill. Would you tell him? Of course you would. Even though it would be very bad news you would tell him. Why? Because if you tell him, then he can seek the necessary help that he needs. Or take a man in a burning house or a sinking boat. He is not aware that he is in danger, but you see his trouble. Would you tell him? Of course. Why? Because his only chance of escaping is if he knows he is in trouble.
Sometimes bad news is the best news we can here because awareness of a danger is necessary in order to escape it. What is a friend? Some people say that a friend is a person who will never say anything bad to you; he will never tell you when you are doing wrong. A true friend is one who will tell you the truth even when it may be hard, because he cares for his friend. I don’t know you today, but I want to show you that I care for you by confronting you with the truth from the Bible.
Pray
I. What is the bad news?
A. Man is wicked.
Romans 3:10–19, 23 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways: And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;
· How did man become sinful? Romans 5:12, 19
· So what is the big deal? Man is a sinner. So what.
B. God is angry.
Psalm 7:11 God is angry with the wicked every day.
Why? God is holy and cannot tolerate sin.
C. God will punish sinners in a place called hell for eternity.
1 Corinthians 6:9–10 Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19–21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Ephesians 5:5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God.
Revelation 21:8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.
Okay, this is serious, so how can we escape?
I know, I’ll stop sinning and start doing good.
Sounds like a good plan, but it will not work for a couple reasons.
1. One sin is enough.
James 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
2. You cannot.
Jeremiah 13:23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.
Matthew 7:17–18 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil
fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
3. Good works are not enough.
Isaiah 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
Romans 3:20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Ephesians 2:8–9 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.
Titus 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
II. What is the good news?
If we ended right here we would be left to despair. But praise God that there is more. There is hope, not in yourself, but in Christ. There is a place to escape. You must run to Christ. You see just as we fell into sin because we were connected to Adam, so we must be connected to Christ, the Second Adam, in order to escape the wrath of God. Here is where our only hope lies, in being connected to Christ. The natural question to ask would be, “How can I be connected to Christ?” This is what we need to figure out. But first let us see why it is so important to be connected to Christ.
In our text, Romans 5:12–21, Paul compares Adam to Christ, and the despair of those connected to Adam with the hope of those connected to Christ.
A. Christ accomplished salvation for all who will be connected to Him.
2 Corinthians 5:21 God made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
1. Christ dealt with the sin of all who believe in Him.
Only those who are connected to Christ have their sins forgiven.
Because God is a just God, he cannot just pass over our sin or hide it under the rug. It must be punished. This is what Christ did for all who are connected to Him.
2. Christ earned the necessary righteousness that we need to enter
heaven.
Only those who are connected to Christ are considered as righteous. No merits of our own can even begin to earn favor with God. Only Christ who was sinless could earn a righteousness for us.
Matthew 5:20 Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
B. You can be connected to Christ.
1. If you will believe in Christ.
a. Understand the facts of the Gospel.
b. Agree to the truth of the Gospel.
c. Depend on the Christ of the Gospel.
2. If you will turn from your sin to Christ.
a. Repentance is a turning from sin and human effort to earn favor with God.
b. Repentance is a turning to Christ as the only hope of eternal life and submitting to Him as Master of your life.
You may be thinking at this point, “I thought I couldn’t do anything to save myself, but it seems like you are telling me to do something to be saved.” Even faith and repentance are gifts that God gives to us. They are not our own works.
Conclusion:
The need at this point should be clear. Man is in a desperate condition and there is only one way to escape the wrath of God. You must flee to Christ. You must hide under His cross. You must turn from your sin and your own efforts of gaining eternal life and you must turn to the Savior. As being connected to Adam brings despair, so being connected to Christ brings hope and eternal life. You must be connected to Christ, herein is your only hope. If you remain in your sin it is because you love it too much and hate God. But if you today hate your sin and desire to come to Christ then come, come and embrace him as Lord and Savior of your life. Jesus himself said, “Him that cometh to me I will certainly not cast out, and come to me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest.”