The central message of the Gospel stands in stark contrast to the central message of our age. Modern man has embraced a message of victimhood without sin, morality without a standard, and science without truth. Mankind wants covenant blessing but is horrified by the specter of covenant curses looming over covenant breakers. This is an era where we know there’s great evil afoot, but our ability to actually identify evil has been so warped by the corruption of our age that we just cannot spot it.
So then, the Gospel stands forth and offers a staggering message for modern man. Your sins are great and many, you have not only broken God’s law, you’re incapable of even living up to your own imagined ideals for morality. You are lawless, and as the Apostle John put it, lawlessness is sin. But God is rich in mercy.
God has purposed to satisfy the just requirements of His Holy law, and at the same time extend mercy to fallen mankind. We are lawbreakers, but God applies to our account the record of the only perfect Law-keeper: Jesus Christ His Son. All your sin is swallowed up in His righteousness. All of the cruelty you’ve shown to others and they’ve shown to you, might be reconciled by the tendnermercies of Your loving Father. All the damnable rebellions to the God who made you are cast into the sea of His promise to forget your sins.
All of that is brought with force upon us in this supper of the Lord. In order for you to get off scot free, God ordained to send His Son to die in your stead. While He drank up the cup of bitter wrath, you now taste the sweet wine of grace. While Christ was broken, you are made whole. And this rich mercy is received by faith alone.
So come in faith and welcome to Jesus Christ…
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