Are You Pure and Holy?

2 Corinthians 5:21 Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God.

I was at church the other Sunday and the pastor, during His sermon, asked this question of the congregation: “Are you pure and holy?” I put up my hand and said “Yes, absolutely I am” and yet, I was the only one who did. People laughed. The preacher made some quip about “There goes Berni again …” and moved on with the rest of the message.

Can I tell you, I wanted to jump up and shout – What’s the matter with you people? Do you believe in Jesus … or not? Because here’s what God says about you, if you believe in Christ:

Christ had no sin, but God made him become sin so that in Christ we could be right with God. (2 Corinthians 5:21)

In other words, Jesus who never sinned in His life, took our sin, yours and mine, on His shoulders so that on that Cross, He paid for every sin of yours (and mine) past, present and future – so completely, so fully, so perfectly – that you and I stand before God as clean and as pure and as holy and as righteous, if you’ll allow me to use that word, as Jesus Himself.

Look, if you go to court and you’re convicted of a crime, you’re guilty. Sentence is passed. But once you’ve done the time or paid the fine, you have a right standing with society again in the eyes of the law.

And when it comes to our standing, right or otherwise, before God, here’s how it works: Jesus did the time and paid the fine. That’s what Easter was all about. He paid the price. The one who had no sin in Him, became sin by taking our sin on Himself, dying the death that we deserved, so that we could be, what? Still guilty as hell? No, so that we could be right with God!

Look, I make mistakes every day. None of us will ever be on that super-spiritual, higher plane living the completely perfect life; where we can be completely pure and holy. But when you believe in Jesus, God wipes the guilt away. You have a right standing before God. You are, in His eyes, as pure and as holy as Jesus Himself.

And if you believe in Jesus, but don’t believe that about yourself – let me ask you this: What’s the matter with you?

That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.

‹ Previous Next ›