Anchor3

Our first anchor was solidly planted on the conviction that God is the Creator of all that there is and He loves us.

Our second anchor firmly stated that there is no use in denying that we do not fit in with a creation where everything is done just right. We are sinners by nature and practice but God still loves us. How can He accept us when we by nature don’t fit in?

The third anchor, available if the first two are in place, offers us a solution. Here is His plan: John 3:16 “God so loved the world that He gave His only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life.” The penalty for sin is spiritual separation from God and the wages of sin is death but Christ died in our place. He paid for sin there. If we have accepted the first two anchors we can ask for forgiveness and He will grant it. He will remove the penalty for sin by having Jesus Christ assume the death penalty on our behalf.

This is good news, really good news! God has a big eraser, a huge delete button. Those who acknowledge that He is the Judge in charge, admit that we are the guilty sinner and accept His offer to cleanse us from all sin if we ask Him to, will be taken into His family. That removes the condemnation – we are free! Not only that, according to 1 John 2:1, Jesus advocates for us when we sin after that initial transaction. Eventually He will present us to the Father without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27). That is a major accomplishment. This constitutes the third anchor – a sure solution. John 1:9 “If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Some have then concluded that then it doesn’t matter what we do after becoming a Christian. Jesus will take care of it. But it does matter, as we will see in the fourth anchor next week.

 

 

 

Henry Wiebe