The Good News
ICS Daily Devotions
John 3:16 (NKJV) For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.
Although man uses different religions and practices to try to be accepted by the gods, not only will they not obtain freedom from their sins, but the fear of torment and retribution will snare them if they fail to fulfil the requirements of those religious beliefs. In contrast, Christianity is the only religion where God came in search of sinners to bring about restoration. It is good news to the world because everything required for our salvation has already been done by God through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to deal with the sin issue that had separated us from God. The law is a schoolmaster to teach us what sin is. Yet the law cannot make us righteous because of the weakness of the flesh and the sinful nature. We are all enslaved to sin until we accept Jesus Christ into our lives. Jesus came to show us the way home to the Father.
2 Corinthians 5:21 (NKJV) For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
God made Jesus, who was sinless, to be made sin for us. God placed the sin of humanity on Jesus and judged sin on Jesus. The sins of humanity in the past, present, and future were placed on Jesus. The sin issue that had plagued humanity ever since Adam and Eve decided to rebel and sin against God was dealt with on the cross of Calvary. God gave us Christ’s righteousness when we gave Him our filthy rags of self-righteousness through religious rituals and activities. We have the imputed righteousness the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. This is how we are seen in God’s sight.
Nobody can stand before God if He imputes our sins on us, just like the animal sacrifices could not bring about absolute forgiveness of sins and were a yearly reminder of their sins before God. However, Jesus—the lamb of God who takes away the world’s sin—has done a thorough work through His death, burial, and resurrection to deal with our sin issue. There is nothing that man can add to the finished work of Jesus Christ.
This is good news for everyone in the world because nobody can do any good work to be worthy before God. Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. Nobody can return to the Heavenly Father except through Jesus because only He is sinless and perfect.
Sermon Series：The Time is Now
