Welcome to the What Saves Us message that was given by Pastor Mark Witas at Sunnyside Seventh-day Adventist Christian Church in Portland, Oregon on Sabbath, 12 January 2019.
Psalms 9:7-8
New King James Version (NKJV)
7But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
8 He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.
We do not like being caught speeding by a law enforcement officer. When you are guilty of speeding, you are under Judgment.
Every single human being except Jesus has sinned at some point in their life. There is a Judgment Day coming.
First Rock Concert In History Was When Jesus Wrote With His Finger In the Sand & the Adulteress Accusers Dropped Their Rocks.
In John 8, Jesus told the woman accused of Adultery that HE did not accuse her and to go and sin no more. Jesus offered her Mercy. The Religious Leaders were trying to trap Jesus and see what HE would say about the woman’s punishment for being caught in Adultery. Jesus did not say a word. HE bent over and began writing in the sand. Many Biblical scholars have commented that Jesus was writing the sins of the men who were accusing her of Adultery. As these men saw their sins written in the sand by the Finger of Jesus, they walked away from what was going to be a Death By Stoning Judgment against the woman.
John 8:1-12
Jesus the Light of the World
8 But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.
2 Now early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people came to Him; and He sat down and taught them. 3 Then the scribes and Pharisees brought to Him a woman caught in adultery. And when they had set her in the midst, 4 they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, in the very act. 5 Now Moses, in the law, commanded us that such should be stoned. But what do You say?” 6 This they said, testing Him, that they might have something of which to accuse Him. But Jesus stooped down and wrote on the ground with His finger, as though He did not hear.
7 So when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” 8 And again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9 Then those who heard it, being convicted by their conscience, went out one by one, beginning with the oldest even to the last. And Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst. 10 When Jesus had raised Himself up and saw no one but the woman, He said to her, “Woman, where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you?”
11 She said, “No one, Lord.”
And Jesus said to her, “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.”
12 Then Jesus spoke to them again, saying, “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life.”
Mercy
Jesus told the woman to go and sin no more. She received mercy. Jesus offers us all Mercy. We must accept that HE is the source of Grace that we need as fallen human beings.
Pastor Mark and his friend from seminary were coming back from the Camp Meeting in Alberta, Canada one summer. They were speeding trying to get home quickly. A Montana law enforcement officer pulled the young men over as they were clocked at doing 107 miles per hour.
Mark’s friend Alex was driving. The officer asked the two young men why there were speeding over 100 miles per hour. Alex told the police officer they were excited and were in a hurry to get back to seminary and share with their class mates how to best share the Gospel so they could save the world. The officer laughed and stated that their answer was the most incredible that he had heard and warned them to drive slower. The officer extended Grace to the two young men.
Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You,
Pardoning iniquity
And passing over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage?
He does not retain His anger forever,
Because He delights in mercy.
Judgment
Mercy does not save us. In the Judgment, we get what we deserve. Because of Jesus Christ and His Sacrifice on the Cross as My Savoir, I am assured of eternal life. Jesus took my punishment for my sins on His Shoulders. No Greater Love Can a Man Know Than the Love of Christ Jesus for the repent sinner.
Pastor Mark told a story about a car salesman and a Lincoln Continental. The salesman ended up in an accident and had a bloody lip as a result of the accident. The owner of the car business had every right to Judge the salesman and fire him for the accident. The car salesman received Grace.
Are you holding onto anything you should let go of?
Hope you have enjoyed reading the What Saves Us post. You can Read More of my posts in the Spiritual Category section of my website.