This devotional is a continuation of the concept of sin and how various faiths have dealt with the issue.
Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. Galatians 3:24-25
Definition of Tutor: (In Greek according Strong’s concordance): “schoolmaster”: a guardian and guide of boys. Among the Greeks and the Romans the name was applied to trustworthy slaves who were charged with the duty of supervising the life and morals of boys belonging to the better class. The boys were not allowed so much as to step out of the house without them before arriving at the age of manhood.
The Jewish law was the schoolmaster to keep people in check. Unfortunately, man used the law to babysit each other’s righteousness. He also created additional rules to make sure no one gets away with sin because of loopholes in the law. Jesus had to address this issue on numerous occasions with the Pharisees and Sadducees.
Since morality was based on the law, as long as people looked like they followed the law, they appeared to be in the right standing with God. However, the law increased the fear of man in people’s hearts and did not deal with man’s nature. This is the reason why religion is powerless to change humanity. At best, it is only a band-aid to a deep-seated problem of man’s unbelief and rebellion before a holy God.
If we are honest with ourselves, we all have doubted and rebelled against a holy God. We have failed to followed God’s rules in a consistent way and at times we have outright disobeyed Him. That makes us all sinners and guilty as charged. We can honestly admit that our nature continually desires to move independently of God and wants to do what feels right at the moment. The question is: What is the solution to our sinful nature?
God proved to man that the law wasn’t going to change their nature. That’s why He had a plan to send a Savior to the world which He spoke about in various prophesies in the Old Testament. What man could not do for himself, the Savior was going to accomplish by first forgiving man and then freeing him from his sinful state before a holy God.
God’s solution to sin came 2000 years ago. He chose to enter the scene of humanity formed as a baby to dwell among us. The Lord sent Jesus to the earth through a virgin to protect his sinless nature in order to accomplish the purpose of redeeming humanity from sin.
For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. Hebrews 4:15
Jesus was still a human being with a free will. He could have chosen to sin, but the scriptures tell us otherwise.
In the Old testament, God instituted a lamb without blemish to be sacrificed as a substitute for the sin of the people. Because Jesus remained sinless, He was the only qualified one to fulfill the Old Testament law of God that stated the punishment for sin is death. Jesus took the shame, the blame, and the chastisement of our sins upon himself. He became the bridge to this great chasm between God and us. He tore the veil, so we can get to know a holy God up close and personal! He breathed life into our spirit, so now we can commune with God in our spirit man.
And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being.” The last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 1 Corinthians 15:45
Jesus began a new line for humanity by becoming the last Adam. The first Adam sinned, and so all his descendants had the sinful nature in them. The last Adam remained sinless.
Those of us who put our faith in Him are a new creation. At the point of salvation, a new sinless nature is deposited in those of us who accept His work on the cross on our behalf! We now have the responsibility to nurture the new nature and allow it to take control of our lives and our actions. Lord, we Thank you for sending your son to bring us back into a right relationship with you! Amen!