Rev. David Holwick P
First Baptist Church
West Lafayette, Ohio
April 24, 1988
I Need a Sub!
Hebrews 9:11-15
It was the National Basketball Playoffs. In six games the Lakers and the Celtics had seesawed back and forth. They were now in the last, deciding game. But it was more than just the finale to a great series. -To add to the tension, the Lakers legendary center, Kareem Abdul Jabar, had been sidelined with an injury. The team had no choice but to use a substitute. They decided on "Magic" Johnson. He played the position of guard instead of center, so they had no idea how he would do. As it turned out, Johnson tore the Celtics up and the Lakers won the Playoffs. The substitute did even better than the one he was standing in for. If any mothers or girlfriends out there are wondering why your men spend so much time watching sports, it is because they are getting spiritual lessons from it. They can now appreciate this sermon better than you can.
What happened in the Lakers/Celtics playoff is a snapshot of what the gospel is all about. We as sinners are injured, and we need someone, who's better than we are, to substitute for us and win the game. Not everyone thinks they need a substitute when it comes to spiritual matters. They just go directly to God. If you sin, you tell him you're sorry, and he forgives you. It's automatic, no middleman to get in the way. Unfortunately, it cannot work that way. No one can go straight to God. The reason is sin.
Anyone who has heard me preach knows that I believe sin separates us from God. I preach it because it is in the Bible. I also preach that each and every person has sinned. This is not too controversial. It's even been said that sin is the only Christian doctrine that can be proved beyond a shadow of a doubt by looking at human history. We may excuse some of our sins, and rationalize away others, but we know we have disobeyed God. But a lot of other people have done much worse than us! What many don't realize is the full effect of sin. It may make you feel depressed about yourself. It may even humiliate you in front of the neighborhood. But you can't imagine the effect it has on your relationship with God. I have already mentioned the gulf of separation sin has on our relationship with God. When we sin, we wander away from the perfect plan God has for our life. But something much more serious happens.
When we sin, there is more than a separation. There is divine wrath. The Bible says that God hates our sin, and so cannot look on us. This is probably one of the most difficult teachings of the Bible. For example, Hebrews 10:30-31 says:
"God has said, 'It is mine to avenge; I will repay,' and again, 'The Lord
will judge his people.' It is a dreadful thing to fall into the hands of
the living God."
Many who call themselves Christian say it is a barbaric concept. Jesus certainly wouldn't teach this. But he does. He says those who oppose God will be consumed by him.
The problem is not a barbaric view of God. The problem is we have an inadequate view of God. We think he will just swish away any little thing we do. But even the smallest sin destroys our spiritual relationship with the Father. Even the smallest sin bears an eternal penalty. Our God is too small. And too familiar. The people of the Bible knew better. They spoke of God as being beyond the heavens and beyond their thoughts. A person could not look God in the face and still live. What about Moses? It does say that he spoke with God "face to face." (Exod 33:11) But this must be a figurative way to describe their close relationship. Because the only instance where it says Moses actually saw God, he was only allowed to see God's back. (God's reflected glory, as it were.)
We are separated from God by a great chasm. What is worse, he is angry at our sin - His holy nature requires him to have this attitude. But there is hope. Because the Bible says God not only has wrath toward us, he also has love toward us. Both at the same time. (Hosea 11:7-9) Therefore God has provided a way for us to be brought back to him. But before that can happen, our sin must be removed and the penalty paid. This is called the doctrine of Atonement. It is something we can never do by ourselves. No matter how hard you try, you cannot atone for your own sins. Some people think you can balance out your sins by doing good. But God expects us to do good. All the time. Doing good may keep you even, but it can never get you ahead.
(Illustration about kids - they expect rewards for not being bad, not just
for being good. Like God, I expect good behavior. Rewards are from my
graciousness, not their deserving.)
Some people try to get around this by having someone else be good for them. A spiritual substitute. Maybe your wife reads her Bible every day. You're very proud of her for doing that. And when you die and stand before God, you'll be sure and let him know how godly she was. Or maybe you had a grandfather who was a Methodist preacher. It still won't do you any good. Each person will have to answer for their own sin.
The only way to erase the penalty is to make a substitution of a life. Since the spiritual life has been severed, another life must be substituted in its place. To see this principle from the Bible's perspective, turn to Leviticus 17:11 -
"For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon
the altar to make an atonement for souls: for it is the blood that maketh an
atonement for the soul."
This is the basis of the sacrificial system in the Bible. Sins can only be covered over by the taking of a life. But there is still a problem. A valid substitute must be a close equivalent. It took "Magic" Johnson, a professional, to sub for Kareem Abdul Jabar. If David Holwick had walked out there, no one would accept it. (If this doesn't make you smile, it's because you never saw me dribble.)
The problem with the sacrifices of the Old Testament is that animals are not equivalent to people. As Jesus says in Matthew 12:12 - "How much more valuable is a man than a sheep!" Because of this, the sacrifices of the Old Testament only provided limited atonement. The book of Hebrews outlines all the limitations of animal sacrifices. In Hebrews 9:9, it says that they cannot clear the guilty consciences. In 9:13 it says they can only cleanse a person outwardly, or ceremoniously. Inwardly your spiritual condition remains the same. Then in 10:1-3 it says the fact that these sacrifices must be repeated continuously shows how ineffective they are. The conclusion of the matter is found in Hebrews 10:4 - "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."
So if animals are inadequate, what would it take to totally remove our sin? How about the sacrifice of another human? Moses offered himself as a substitute for the people of Israel. So did the apostle Paul. History provides some moving examples of this:
Of all the Nazi concentration camps, the worst was Auschwitz. Over four
million people were exterminated there. One of the prisoners was a Polish
priest named Maximilian Kolbe. When a number of inmates were selected for
execution, one of them screamed that he was a married man with children.
Father Kolbe stepped forward and asked if he could take the condemned man's
place. His offer was accepted by the guards, and he was placed in an
underground cell, where he was left to die of starvation.
Even this kind of substitute is not adequate, because although another person is equivalent to us, they are sinners themselves. The problem is that only man needs atonement, and only God can provide it. The solution is for a sacrifice who is human, yet perfect.
Jesus Christ is the only answer. In effect, God sacrificed himself on our behalf. It was a sacrifice that is complete and all-powerful. On the human level, it not only cleanses us from sin, but removes the guilt. And from God's perspective, it is the only way to satisfy his wrath against sin and his love for sinners. On the Cross, Jesus took the penalty for our sins by becoming our substitute, so that we might be reconciled to God. Do you grasp the holiness of God? Someone wonderful and terrible to you? Do you grasp the depth of your sin? Jesus saves completely and forever. No other substitute is available.
Copyright © 2024 by Rev. David Holwick
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