What does "Christ died for our sins" reveal about God's plan for salvation? The Core Declaration “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures” (1 Corinthians 15:3). Paul’s summary sentence packs eternity-shaping truth into seven English words: “Christ died for our sins.” Everything in God’s plan for salvation flows out of that single statement. Christ Died: A Real Event in Real Time • The cross is not an inspiring metaphor; it actually happened. • Eyewitnesses watched Jesus breathe His last (Mark 15:37-39). • Roman soldiers confirmed His physical death (John 19:33-34). • Burial in Joseph’s tomb anchored the event in history (John 19:41-42). Salvation begins with God stepping into human history, not with humanity climbing toward God. For Our Sins: The Substitutionary Center • Isaiah 53:5 – “He was pierced for our transgressions.” • 2 Corinthians 5:21 – “God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us.” • 1 Peter 2:24 – “He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree.” The cross reveals sin’s seriousness. A perfect substitute had to take the penalty sinners deserved so that justice and mercy could meet (Psalm 85:10). According to the Scriptures: God’s Timeless Blueprint • Genesis 3:15 – the first promise of a Redeemer who would crush the serpent. • Exodus 12 – the Passover lamb foreshadowing a greater deliverance. • Psalm 22; Isaiah 53 – detailed prophecies of the Messiah’s suffering. God’s plan was never improvised; it was written long before the nails pierced Christ’s hands. What This Reveals About God’s Plan for Salvation • Planned: The cross was not Plan B; it was promised from Genesis onward. • Substitutionary: Salvation comes through Christ standing in the sinner’s place. • Sufficient: “It is finished” (John 19:30). Nothing needs to be added. • Gracious: “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith… not by works” (Ephesians 2:8-9). • Universal Offer: “For God so loved the world” (John 3:16); yet applied personally through faith (Romans 10:9-10). • Redemptive: The goal is reconciliation—bringing us back to God (1 Peter 3:18). • Verified: “He was raised on the third day” (1 Corinthians 15:4). The empty tomb certifies the payment cleared. • Transforming: Those united to Christ now “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4). Living in the Light of the Cross • Confidence: Because the debt is paid, condemnation is gone (Romans 8:1). • Gratitude: Love “compels us” to live for Him who died for us (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). • Hope: If Christ conquered sin and death, our future is secure (1 Peter 1:3-4). • Proclamation: The message is “of first importance”; we pass it on, just like Paul. |
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