Sin | The Sufficiency of Christ
No discussion of sin would be complete without the hope that comes from Jesus Christ. Truly and honestly, we need to understand the origin and depth of our personality depravity as we understand the weight of sin and the effect it has on the life of humanity. Yet, if we stopped with our depravity, we would be guilty of ignoring the gospel in its entirety. The Gospel depicted the state of mankind with the real and true understanding of our great need but always followed up with the hope of eternity in the person of Jesus Christ.
Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned— for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:12-17, ESV)
The work of Jesus Christ on the cross paid the penalty of our sin. Where sin required a punishment of death, Jesus Christ came to bear the weight of that punishment on Himself, a punishment we could not sufficiently pay. In our rebellion against God, God made the first move to save and rescue mankind from the eternal consequences of our sin. The Old Testament paved the path for this substitutional atonement, but only the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross would be fully sufficient to meet the righteous requirements of holiness to return to the presence of God forever.
Jesus Pays The Cost and Redeems The Sinners
The cost of our rebellion against a holy and perfect God that we all inherited from Adam can only be death to maintain the justice and perfection of God. All sin must go punished for God to continue to be a just and perfect God. Sin must be punished. Jesus Christ, though, came not just to live the life we could not life in perfection, but to die the death we could not bear. His work on the cross fully paid and satisfied the righteous requirements of holiness by taking our full punishment upon Himself willingly. From our sin we had been separated from the source of all life. By the grace of God and the works of Jesus Christ, He draws us back to Himself for His glory. Sin has no hold on Him and those who are in Him
Through the works of Jesus Christ on the cross, those who faith rest in Him are freed from the shackles of sin that wrapped us up and mangled our soul. In Christ, the Christian no longer needs to be concerned with breaking free from sin but rather has already been fully equipped with everything needed to be free from sin. By the grace of God, sin no longer holds any power over those who are in Christ. “For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.” (Romans 6:14, ESV) This work in its fullness is done by Jesus Christ. Our faith rests in the one who paid everything for those who did not bring anything knowing that nothing could stop a sovereign ruler and King. Christ redeems the world with His outstretched hands by taking the punishment of sin through the shedding of His blood to restore mankind from the decay of sin, brining them to the life everlasting.
The Once and For All Sacrifice
This system of the blood of an innocent being spilt on behalf of another had long been established in the old covenant. Yet, even this was an act of grace by God. The continued and ongoing sacrifice of animals could not meet the standards of perfection and redeem mankind. Nor does God desire bloodshed. “For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.” (Hosea 6:6, ESV) Bloodshed is the necessary payment and consequence of sin, but at the core of God’s being is the desire to know and to love out of the abundance and overflow of His infinite love.
There will always be a temptation to add to our salvation or to supplement it so that we bear some of the responsibility of our salvation. Nothing could be further from the truth. After the work of Jesus Christ on the cross, everything that needs to be done from God’s perspective is necessary. “For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God.” (Romans 6:10, ESV) The work of Jesus Christ is fully sufficient. We do not need to add anything to our salvation as everything has been accomplished by the work of Christ. We do not add out works, we do not add our abilities, but everything falls on the shoulders of Jesus Christ who lovingly offers forgiveness for all who come to Him. Instead, we repent and turn from our sins, knowing that He redeems those sick with sin. Jesus Christ is the perfect sacrifice who offers forgiveness to the sinners, hope to the hopeless, and life to the dead.
About The Author
Daniel Burton is the founder of The Gospel Outpost. He is passionate about discipleship and seeing people grow in their relationship with Jesus Christ. To find out more about him, check out his Author Page.
