Rejecting Jesus Christ is the world’s sin
Jesus: “The world’s sin
is that it refuses to believe in me.” - John 16:9 (NLT)
It is a very serious thing to reject the free gift of salvation
that Jesus Christ offers the world. In His mercy, God waits on us patiently to
repent and turn to Him. He even commissioned His disciples to help spread the
Good News of His salvation. Tragically, some people respond with hardened hearts
and say no to the Savior.
Ever wonder why Jesus would ask us mere humans to help with His
harvest of souls [Matthew 9:38]? After all, He is all-powerful and does
not need any “associates” in this mighty endeavor. I am speculating here on a
possible reason: He wants us to help because salvation involves the human will.
The Lord will not save someone against his or her will. God made mankind in His
image – the will being an attribute that the Creator possesses, and He will not
override the will of the men and women He created.
People do not fully understand how special they are to the
Lord. (I personally still find it difficult to assimilate this. Me, special to
the Lord – how?). Yet, the Bible tells us that we are so special to God that
the Father sent Jesus His only son to be born into humanity, live among us, and
ultimately, to also suffer betrayal and torture, and to die a lonely death on the cross.
He was able to rise from the dead (Resurrection) because there was no sin found
in Him; He never committed a sin. He took on our sins but He Himself was perfect.
He died a horrible death, and He did this to save anyone who is willing to come
to Him.
We cannot wrap our heads around this easily, because it is
so huge that our finite minds cannot comprehend what it really cost Jesus to
redeem us. He had to take on the sin of the entire world – of all people
everywhere at all times. And, He had to take on the collective punishment for the
collective sin.
We can understand how perhaps someone might sacrifice
him or herself for others, such as our battlefield Medal of Honor heroes. But the
sacrifice of Jesus was so much more. The Bible records that Jesus was separated
from the Father while on the cross, and this is why Jesus cried out “My God, my
God, why have you forsaken me?” [Matthew 27:46]. The holiness of God is
such that He could not look upon Jesus as the Son took on our sins.
Why did Jesus sweat drops of blood in Gethsemane as He prayed?
Because He was shown exactly what He had to endure in order to rescue humanity
[Luke 22:44]. Jesus hoped, as He prayed, that there could be another
way. The Father said there was no other way.
Our sin separates us from God. Because of sin, we are
literally at war with God, and we are at war with our souls; as a result, we
belong to the kingdom of darkness ruled by satan. There is no middle ground or
fence on which to straddle as we delay this consequential decision.
We can repent and turn to Jesus and through His free gift
of salvation be instantly reconciled to the Father. The one sin that the Father
cannot overlook is our outright rejection of Jesus Christ – refusing to believe
in Him. We have national sins, community sins, individual sins. But refusing to
believe in Jesus – that is the sin of the world.
It is a sin that affects every one of every language, nation and
background, male or female, rich or poor. It will result in a death sentence (Revelation 20:14) and
eternal separation from God. "And just as it is appointed for people to die once—and after this, judgment," – Hebrews 9:27 (CSB). There is no reincarnation, or karma, or just a physical death. We will die and after that we will answer to God for what we did about His son. Jesus did everything He could to ransom us, and He shed
His precious blood for us – a sacrifice with eternal value straight from the
Father’s heart motivated by His love for us.
Today, if you read or hear this message – which is good
news for anyone who is far from God – turn to Him while there is time. Do
not harden your heart. We can learn a lesson from the Egyptian pharaoh’s unfortunate mistakes. He started
to repent after several of the ten plagues recorded in the Bible started to bother him, but then he would change his
mind and go back to rebelling against God. He did so even as each new plague grew worse.
This continued until in the end, pharaoh was destroyed [Exodus, chapters
7-14].
Leviticus 26:14-39
provides a frightening narrative of God’s progressive punishments for continued
sinful rebellion. Generally, there are two things that keep people from turning
to God: ignorance about the Good News of salvation and or the unwillingness to
give up a sinful lifestyle. The Lord will do whatever is possible to get our
attention; ultimately though, we must choose or reject Him and accept the
eternal consequences.
The hardening of our hearts is
a serious matter, because every time we say no, we make it harder for ourselves
to say yes later. At some point, time will run out and so will our opportunity
receive God’s free gift of salvation. Jesus reproved the religious leaders of
His day, in particular the Pharisees, for their “hard hearts.” [Mark 3:5-6]
The Lord can give us a new heart,
one that is not callous, indifferent or hard. "A new heart also will I
give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you [a] heart of flesh" [Ezekiel
36:26]. Pride, one of the sources of a hardened heart, can also lead us to
deception: “You have been deceived by your own pride" [Obadiah, verse 3].
Other related verses
In Mark 8:17, we read that
hardness of heart hinders faith: “Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked them: “Why
are you talking about having no bread? Do you still not see or understand? Are
your hearts hardened?”
“Their minds are full of
darkness; they wander far from the life God gives because they have closed
their minds and hardened their hearts against him.” - Ephesians 4:18 (NLT).
See also Proverbs 28:13-14;
John 12:40; Mark 10:5.
In chapter 26 of Acts, King Agrippa gave a regretful
response to Paul the apostle’s passionate testimony about the Good News, a
response that exposed a hardened heart.
“Then Agrippa said to Paul, “You almost
persuade me to become a Christian” [Acts 26:28-NKJV]. Almost persuaded will not be not good enough.
Not everyone that Jesus personally preached to was willing to believe
Him either. How that must have broken His heart, and it still does. He is in
Heaven today as our Savior, High Priest and Advocate. He is coming back – this
time - as Judge [Revelation 1:7.; Rev. 20:12-13.]
Repent and be saved
How?
Confess your sins to God. Tell Him you are willing to
turn around and turn away from sin.
Ask for and receive His free gift of
salvation. You will receive the Holy Spirit. Thank Him.
Tell someone you
accepted Jesus Christ as your savior. Get baptized and join a Bible-believing
Christian church where you learn how to grow in your faith.
2 Peter 3:9 (WEB) – “The Lord is
not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness; but is patient with
us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.”
John 1:29 (ESV) - The next day he [John the Baptist] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Shalom!
Faith
Today Christian Ministries
Exalting
the Name of Jesus!
