There Is No Atonement For Sin Except Through Christ

Definition of atonement

Being reconciled to God

Definition of propitiation 

An atoning sacrifice

9 But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone.

10 For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering.

11 For he who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one source. That is why he is not ashamed to call them brothers,

12 saying, "I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will sing your praise." 

13 And again, "I will put my trust in him." And again, "Behold, I and the children God has given me." 

14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

16 For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. - Hebrews 2:9-17

For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost." - Luke 19:10

even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." - Matthew 20:28

21 But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it-

22 the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction:

23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,

24 and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,

25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. - Romans 3:21-25

4 For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

5 Consequently, when Christ came into the world, he said, "Sacrifices and offerings you have not desired, but a body have you prepared for me; 

6 in burnt offerings and sin offerings you have taken no pleasure. 

7 Then I said, 'Behold, I have come to do your will, O God, as it is written of me in the scroll of the book.'" 

8 When he said above, "You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings" (these are offered according to the law),

9 then he added, "Behold, I have come to do your will." He does away with the first in order to establish the second.

10 And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.

12 But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, - Hebrews 10:4-12

3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.

5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. - 1 Timothy 2:3-6

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6

The wrath of God must be satisfied!

There was or is none righteous enough to satisfy God's holy justice.

God being rich in mercy, sent His only Son to bring redemption to sinful man.

Jesus Christ was the atoning sacrifice!

Only Christ can bring about our reconciliation with God.

Without Christ as our blood sacrifice, we will forever be separated from God and His love.

The only thing you can do is repent of your sin and beg for forgiveness.

Faith in Christ as the Lamb of God is our hope.

Faith in Christ as Savior is our justification.

that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God; there is no other. - 1 Kings 8:60

With Daniel in the School of Prayer

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer, and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth, and ashes.” Daniel 9:3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Only prayer can hold back the floodtide of sin in our nation and the floodtide of judgment. Only prayer can release the cleansing and healing hand of God.  And not just any prayer.  It’s not the arithmetic of our prayers; that is, how many they are. It’s not the geometry of our prayer, how long it might be.  It’s not the rhetoric of our prayer, how eloquent it may be.  It’s not the music of our prayer, how sweet our voice. Not the logic of our prayer, how eloquent we become. It’s not the method of our prayer, how methodical we are. But it’s the faith and the fervency of our prayer that counts with God.

ACTION POINT:

God has said in His Word that we are to confess our faults one to another and pray one for another that we may be healed. And “The effectual fervent prayers of a righteous man availeth much.” (James 5:16) Read Daniel chapter 9 today and see this in action.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Turning the Tide

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“I exhort therefore that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; for kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable and right in the sight of God our Savior.” I Timothy 2:1-3

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

When I was a boy in Florida, we lived at the seaside. I love the water and one of the things that always intrigued me as a boy was the changing of the tide. As we’d go out fishing, my brother and I would always be cognizant of the tides because we would come and go by the tides. The tides were important to us.

There are tides in nations too. America saw a tide of revival sweep in twice—in the First and Second Great Awakenings. But today we’ve seen a different tide. At this lowest point, when the tide is as low as it can get, may God grant that we see the tide begin to turn, back the other way, back to decency in America, back to standing up for the unborn.

ACTION POINT:

We need to look up. Only God can help us. We need to confess up and turn from our wicked ways. We need to speak up and we need to stand up for what is right.  Pray 1Timothy 2:1-3 today.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

God Has Ordained Human Government

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“And He changeth the times and the seasons; He removeth kings and raiseth up kings….” Daniel 2:21

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

What does the Word of God have to say about government?  It teaches that God has ordained human government. The prophet Daniel said that God is the one who removes kings and God is the one who sets up kings. And Romans13 teaches that the powers that be are ordained of God.

What about wicked governments? Did God set them up? It may surprise you to learn, yes, He did. That does not mean they are God’s will. God would much rather have righteousness. But by and large people get the kind of government they deserve. Wicked leaders are God’s reward for a wicked people. 

ACTION POINT:

What are we to do as a church?  What is my responsibility so far as government is concerned?  First of all, we are to pray for our government.  We need to pray for leaders even if they are wrong “For this is good and acceptable and right in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:3). I am calling upon you to confess your sins personally and our sins nationally. And I am calling upon you to pray for America as Daniel prayed for his people—in the power of the shed blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is prayer time in America.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

You Are the Salt

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.” Matthew 5:13

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

Edmund Burke wrote, “All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing.” When it comes to the political scene and government, there are some who have dropped out all together. They have the idea that if you get involved in government, somehow that is the “social gospel.”  So they’ve just hunkered down, trying to “hold on till Jesus gets here.” They see the political scene as being dirty and worldly. And some have been intimidated by the great debate between church and state.

We can’t drop out.  It’s impossible to think that God would have ordained government and told His people to stay out.  Who else does that leave to run things?

Others with misguided zeal have tried to bring in the kingdom of God by political machinations. That cannot be done either. So where do we get the answers?  We’re not going to get the answers today from the politician who may have his personal ax to grind or from the ungodly and the humanists who don’t believe the Word of God, or from finger-bumping philosophers who don’t know the Word of God. The only place we’re going to get the answers, I believe, is from the Word of God.

ACTION POINT:

We need to confess and turn from our wicked ways.  We need to speak up and stand up for what is right. Let your speech be seasoned with salt.  But stand up, speak up and come out from under the rock. Stand on the rock and speak up for the Lord Jesus Christ.

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers

Power In Worship

Our God lives!

Our God reigns!

We gather together to praise Him!

We sing and we voice that our God is real!

He gives blessings, He corrects, He forgives and we praise Him.

Are you in a season of darkness, trials, and temptation?

Is there sickness?

Is there persecution?

Are your children in rebellion?

Are there marital troubles?

Praise God from whom all blessings flow.

He is there, He is constant and He will deliver you.

He alone has the power to save, deliver, and raise you up.

When the enemy attacks, go to your knees, grab that bible to be fed the power that overcomes.

It cost you to be faithful.

When your faith is small God is bigger.

He will carry you.

He will listen to the faithful.

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 

26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 

27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me! 

28 If you say, 'How we will pursue him!' and, 'The root of the matter is found in him,' 

29 be afraid of the sword, for wrath brings the punishment of the sword, that you may know there is a judgment."  - Job 19:25-29

Thanks Pastor Kevin!!

God Reigns, Rules, Overrules and Overrides

BIBLE MEDITATION:

“The king’s heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever He will.”  Proverbs 21:1

DEVOTIONAL THOUGHT:

God can change a ruler, God can remove a ruler, and God can overrule a ruler.

You ask, “Should I pray for my leader if he’s wicked?” You ought to pray all the more for him. Why?  Because the Bible says, “I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men; for kings and for all that are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.” 1Timothy 2:1-3

The greatest responsibility in America is not in the White House but in the church house. We’re to pray for our government. Pray for those who are in authority.

ACTION POINT:

Would you pray for America right now? You might pray, “Oh God, bless America. Lord, we deserve judgment, but we need mercy. Bring this nation, Lord, back to You. The troubles that we see in our land are tokens of Your love to bring us to our knees. Lord, it’s beyond us. God, we need You in America.”

LWF Dr. Adrian Rogers