This I recall to my mind, therefore have, I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore, will I hope in him. Lamentations 3:22
1. Mankind has a sinful nature that naturally separates us from a Holy spiritual God. In fact instead of us running to God we naturally as humans tend to stray away from God. Therefore, we are worthy of death because we have separated ourselves from the source of life.
a. Because of Adam's sin we all have been born with a sinful nature.
As it is written, there is none righteous, no, not one:
There is none that understand, there is none that seek after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Their throat is an open sepulcher; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness Their feet are swift to shed blood: Destruction and misery are in their ways And the way of peace have they not known: There is no fear of God before their eyes. Romans 3:10-18
b. Every time we sin the just payment for our sin is death both a spiritual death and a physical death.
The wages of sin is Death….Romans 6:23
2. Although throughout history mankind continued to rebel against God and still do it has never changed the Love of God towards mankind. The Love and Mercy of God always proves itself.
a. During our rebellion God always seeks an opportunity to extend his love and grace towards us.
God did not wait on us to show his love towards us for while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. God's love is unconditional agape love.
Instead of God just letting us die in our sin he rescues us from eternal death, hell, and the grave.
Romans 5:8
Genesis 6:5-8
Genesis 18:20-33
b. God never gave up on us because of our many sins, instead he expanded his grace, mercy and love towards us.
The law says that almost everything must be made clean by blood. Sins cannot be forgiven without a blood sacrifice. Hebrews 9:22
For God so loved the world he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believes in him should not perish but have everlasting life John 3:16
For I am persuaded, that neither Death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39
3. It is a privilege for us to have access to God. There are many people before us who didn’t experience the grace we now have access to, neither were they able to draw near to Gods presence with facing consequences.
a. At one time drawing near to God resulted in death.
Exodus 20:18-20
Leviticus 16:30
Exodus 19:12
b. For over 2,000 years the prophets who foreknew of Christ desperately desired to see the salvation of the Lord and experience the Love of God to that capacity. Even the angels desired to know or experience this great love and compassion God has towards us.
The Spirit of Christ was in those prophets. And the Spirit was telling about the sufferings that would happen to Christ and about the glory that would come after those sufferings. The prophets tried to learn about what the Spirit was showing them—when it would happen and what the world would be like at that time. It was made clear to them that their service was not for themselves. They were serving you when they told about the things you have now heard. You heard them from those who told you the Good News with the help of the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even the angels would like very much to know more about these things you were told.1 Peter 1:11-12
Moreover, the law came in so that the transgression would increase, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more. Romans 5:20
4. We must always remember the goodness of the Lord and not take his grace for granted. We must remind ourselves continuously of his goodness and all that he has done for us.
a. When we meditate on his goodness it causes us to fall deeper in love with God.
We love because he first loved us 1 John 4:19
Or do you think lightly of the riches of his kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the goodness of God leads us to repentance. Romans 2:4
The LORD appeared to him from afar, saying I have loved you with an everlasting love, therefore I have drawn you with lovingkindness. Jeremiah 31:3
b. Although we know that God is full of mercy, grace and Love we must never forget He is also Holy. So, we can’t take some of his attributes and disregard the rest. God will not tolerate our willful sinning because we have grace. The fact that we do have grace is even more reason we have to be sure not to abuse it.
What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Romans 6:1-2
For if we go on sinning willfully after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 10:26
We must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we don not drift away from it…. How will we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? After it was at first spoken through the Lord, it was confirmed to us by those who heard Hebrews 2:1-3