Call His Name Jesus

(Intro:)

Next to your concept of Almighty God, the most important thought you will ever think regarding your salvation is: "What is SIN?"!

"Sin" is the modern "embarrassment word." To speak of "sin" is to admit that one is far, far behind the times. It is like speaking of the earth as the center of the solar system, or of a flat earth.

It seems long ago that "sex" was an embarrassment. We referred to "legs" as "limbs" and we pretended that the stork brought babies. But it is not an embarrassment any more. We see things discussed on so-called "talk shows" that we would have been ashamed to have anyone know we knew about in other times.

But as it says in Jeremiah, in many regards "we have forgotten how to blush!" It has become almost fashionable to talk about things that should be very private. Now we are pretty un-shock­able about matters of sex.

Then "death" became the unmentionable. And we're still a bit uncomfortable thinking about this mysterious gate through which we pass one at a time and disappear from present company to a realm we cannot see. But people will talk, sometimes very authoritatively, about death. But sin?

THERE IS NO SIN! Sin is no where to be found in our modern society! Everything that is bad is sickness and maladjustment and poor environment and hereditary weakness. We have 'no-fault' insurance— and we want 'no-fault' morality— choosing without facing the consequences of choice. Jesus gets lip-service, and He is adored and admired because he went about everywhere teaching and doing good and healing. Which he did! But I declare to you this morning that Jesus did not come to earth JUST because we were weak, or sick, or maladjusted. Jesus came to earth because we are sinners, and we need a savior!

[Text:]

Matthew 1:21 "Thou shalt call His name JESUS for he shall save his people from their SINS"

I. THERE IS SUCH A THING AS SIN

A. As we have already said, "sin" is an embarrassment in modern speech. It is conspicuous by its absence in modern thought. It is 'much better' instead if we can blame illness, if there is no sin- for sickness is not our fault. But there is a vast difference between sin and sickness.

B. One large reason SIN is absent from mention is that GOD has been 'dismissed' from the consciousness of those who control the media. It doesn't mean that SIN is not real and present. It certainly does not mean that GOD 'IS DEAD,' regardless of who says so. It does mean that if we relax and relent in our personal quest after truth— and if we let others interpret God's Word to us, or take God's Word away from us by default, then we should not be surprised to wake up and find we have lost our way, morally, and have no idea where to turn for salvation— or even any idea that there is salvation!

C. If there were no sin, then Jesus was sadly mistaken in his mission. For He said in Matthew, Mark, and Luke's gospels: "I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance!" There is no logical ground for accepting Jesus as teacher and healer, and not as Savior from sin. For (as C.S. Lewis has so eloquently said:) either Jesus said he came to save sinners and was mistaken, which makes Him a lunatic; OR, Jesus said He came to save sinners, and knew He was lying all the time, which makes Him a charlatan; OR, Jesus said exactly the truth, and was and IS the Son of God, who came to die for our sins! I believe the last, and worship Him as God and Lord!

D. If there were no sin, then God the Father was unjustifiably cruel in permitting His only begotten Son to suffer and die on the cross for the sins of the world. We can be certain that there was no other way, or the love of a heavenly Father would have found it.

[Yes— there IS such a thing as SIN! But what IS sin? .....]

II. SIN IS SEPARATION FROM GOD, GOOD, LIFE

A. Popular "ideas" about "sin:" Everybody has an idea of what "sin" might be ("if there were such a thing.") At least everyone has an idea of what is EVIL. It is what other people are doing— ("Hitler was evil . . . axe-murderers are not nice people . . . ")

B. "Pictures of sin:" (Often we can SEE what we can't quite put into words—) Romans, One, describes sin in graphic terms:

• Sin is UNCLEANNESS (as read in Romans 1)
• Sin is VILE AFFECTIONS (twisted love, curved IN suicidally) And we don't have any problem with that. For we usually see sin as somebody else doing something really bad.
• Sin is certainly Hitler, and the evil he brought on the world. . .
• Sin is Adam and Eve saying: "God said it . . . but maybe He doesn't really mean it!"
• Sin is DAVID... staying home when kings were warring— lusting and killing to cover his failure— and repenting and being forgiven!
• Sin is Judas, selling His Lord for money and then realizing in despair that he is wrong.
• Sin is Demas, forsaking Paul and the church because he loves the present world too much.

But we have a hard time bringing "sin" closer home, to see: Sin is when WE know God's will, His Word— and say "I'll do it after a while, when I get ready..." sin is turning away from light, choosing darkness, and thinking: "I can find my way back any time I choose, but for NOW I'll go my own way!"

C. The Bible has words which we translate in English as "sin:" In the OT the common word is:

• khawtaw = offense; to miss— bear blame; loss; Willful transgression of known law of God.

Some of the NT words are:

• hamartia = to miss the mark (and so not share the prize); to err, to trespass;
• paRAbasis = violation: breaking, transgression;
• para baino= to go contrary to or violate a command;
• paraptoma = a side-slip, (lapse or deviation) i.e. unintentional error , or wilful deviation transgression; fall, fault, offense, sin, trespass (As in Matthew 5: Forgive us our PARAPTOMA); "SIN" is going against what God has revealed as right and good; the "world" hates the word, because to accept the concept of SIN assumes that there is a God, and that He has spoken, and that what He has said is important to the way we live.

D. Sin defined: But Romans, One, also begins to DEFINE SIN:

Sin is a REPROBATE MIND (degenerate/perverted) Sin is GOING AGAINST GOD, AND GOOD, AND LIFE ITSELF! Sin is CHOOSING NOT TO OBEY GOD:

Romans 1:32 "...and, although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them"

Sin is SPIRITUAL SUICIDE: God told Adam and Eve: "If you disobey, you will surely die!"

We think," But they DIDN'T die!" But die they DID! Paradise was LOST! God's IMAGE was marred! Fellowship interrupted!

III. JESUS SAVES FROM SIN AND SAVES TO LIFE

A. The name "Jesus" is the same as Joshua, in the Old Testament. We think of Moses as the one who led the people out of Egyptian bondage, but there were two leaders. Moses led them OUT, and Joshua led them IN! It took the work of BOTH of those men to signify what JESUS does for us: Jesus is OUR JOSHUA ! He wants to lead us out of bondage, if that is where we are— the bondage of sin; and He wants to lead us INTO FREEDOM!

B. JESUS IS OUR FRIEND. HE WILL TEACH US. HE WILL SAVE US.

He did not come to CONDEMN a sinful world; but that it might be CONVICTED. He did not come to send us to hell, but to lift us to heaven.

What did Jesus SAY about sin? and what do the scriptures say about Him on the subject of sin?

1. Jesus Himself was without sin! John 8:46 "Which of you convinceth me of SIN?"
2. Jesus identified with US in our sinfulness:
   1. He was baptized!
   2. Isaiah said: "He bore our sorrows!"
   3. 2 Corin. 5:21 (God) made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might become the righteousness of God IN HIM!"
3. Thus Jesus had the power to FORGIVE sin: (Mark 2:7) "Who can forgive sins but God alone?" (also in Luke 5:21) (Mt 9:6) The Son of man hath power on earth to forgive SINS" (John 1:29) "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the SIN of the world."

What did Jesus DO about sin? The CROSS speaks of the seriousness of sin. Jesus DIED for our sins! Romans 6:10 "..in that he died, he died unto sin once . . ." and in so doing HE PAID THE PENALTY FOR ALL OUR SINS! ROMANS 6:23 THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH"

C. Jesus conquered the sin problem by his death on the cross of Calvary. But we must appropriate his victory by identifying with HIM in His death. (Psalm 31:5 "Into thy hand I commit my spirit; Thou hast ransomed me, O Lord, God of truth.") His words can be OUR words.

This is what Paul meant when he said, in Galatians 2:20, "I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live!" In truth we can say: "Let me die with Christ to sin, in order that I may rise with Christ to newness of life.

Conclusion:

I said at the very beginning today that 'Next to your concept of God, what you think about sin may be the most important factor in your salvation.

The reason is: If you ever miss heaven and eternity with God and good and light and life IT WILL BE SIN THAT KEEPS YOU OUT!

(And you have sinned! ALL have sinned! (Rom 3:23)) And if you simply give in, capitulate, and agree with the fools who say there is no sin; or, if you have such a trivial regard for sin that you think it is nothing serious, the fact that you have under-estimated sin will not change the fact one iota.

The Bible says: "(Numbers 32:23) Be sure your sins will find you out!" and "(Ezekiel 18:20) The soul that sinneth shall surely die." and "(Romans 6:23) The wages of sin is death!" That is God's Word on the matter.

Or, perhaps through preaching on the Law, without the benefit of grace and the gospel, you have such a heavy and oppressive view of sin— you think that your sins are so great that they can never be forgiven, even though Christ died for you, then you may be so discouraged you never reach out for the salvation that is there for you all along.

But if you look to Jesus, and listen to what He says— Jesus our Joshua, who brings us INTO the Promised Land; Jesus who died for us, and who bids us DIE WITH HIM TO SIN, then salvation is within the grasp of your God-given faith!

Romans 6:22

"Therefore being made free from sin, and become servants to God, you have your fruit unto holiness, and the end, eternal life."