Sin is not obsolete…
WE are still sinful. Just as people were thousands of years ago
- “there is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
- “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.”
Jesus and His church are not obsolete – Instead of submitting to systemic and individual evils (aka – wisdom of man, idols, self)…
WE only need to submit to Christ in order to be forgiven.
- “repent and be baptized” (Acts 2:38)
- “Peter replied, ‘Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.'”
We are still the problem / we are still the crooked and perverse generation that the psalmists and prophets spoke of…
WE still need Christ’s sacrifice.
- “while we were still enemies – Christ sacrificed His life for us” (Romans 5:6-8 ESV)
- “6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
- We remember this sacrifice by partaking in the Lord’s supper – “do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19-20)
- “19 And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” 20 In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.”
We need Christ’s sacrifice in order to be forgiven and be reconciled (Romans 5:10) with God. We can’t do it on our own, for “our righteousness is as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). We partake in the Lord’s Supper now to remember this sacrifice – and proclaim Jesus’ death until he comes (1 Corinthians 11:26)
- 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.
- 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.