How Does Jesus Respond to Our Sin? | Theocast Clips

Do you want to go talk to somebody who you know is going to be a hardened judge or do you want to talk to somebody who maybe like understands is sympathetic towards your position?

You know, I got to go back to Ephesians four, I'm sorry, Ephesians four here. Justin, you know, when you and I either are weak or we have epically face planted in a sense and where we just feel disgusted and ashamed.

You know, when you're in that moment, do you want to go talk to somebody who you know is going to be a hardened judge and it's just going to make you feel worse or do you want to talk to somebody who maybe like understands is sympathetic towards your position?

Yeah. The latter. Yeah. It's like, you know what? Justin, you and I do this. When we fail and falter, we struggle even in our own marriages.

You know, there are times we call each other because we know like Justin is going to be sympathetic to my position here because he struggles with this too.

But Justin always points me back to the grace of God. Well, this is what's amazing about Ephesians four, it says we have a high priest, the one who we are supposed to talk to, who is sympathetic.

And what that means is that not only he understands, but he wants to hear you talk about it.

So you can go in and say, all right, Lord, this I've completely face planted, I completely just botched this or I am weak and in need.

And I know that you actually care and you are compassionate to hear what I have to say. That is so powerful.

I do believe that is what James is going after. He's like, listen, you who are sinning, you can trust in the power of the righteous position you were in.

This is why he goes, hey, just so you guys know, like Elijah had a nature like ours, weak, sinful, and he prayed and God heard him.

Fallen man. That's right. That's right. Right. If he was fallen like you and he was able to pray and it didn't rain for three and a half years, you certainly, fallen as you are, can pray for each other.

You can confess your sins and you can pray and you will be healed and you will be restored and God will give mercy and grace in your time of need.

That's right. There's this idea that we should be thankful and in many ways quick to run to the one who is sympathetic.

It's hard for us to hear that. Justin, pietism and revivalism created a fear tactic amongst the believers where God isn't a sympathetic father who says, come to me in time of need.

Draw near to me. Draw near to me and I will draw near to you. Why don't they preach

James 4 when it says he gives more grace? Why can't we say that? James wrote that.

Why don't we say that? Hey, in the midst of your sin, there's more grace. Now come repent, right? Come here. Come draw near to the father and receive grace and receive mercy.

No, it's exacting. I'm just going to say this and this is the end of a podcast. You can go listen to our whole podcast on it, but this is the tone that Piper gave and it's debilitating to people.

Calling them to question their salvation. Sorry, I just dropped that bomb. Go listen to the episode. You did drop a bomb. I'm metaphorically ducking.

Bring it over to SR. I'll finish it over there. Yeah, we'll take it to SR because it is a sadness that we lose sight of the fact that we have a sympathetic high priest.

We lose sight of the fact that God does give more grace. We lose sight of the fact that, yes, he's a loving father.

When we are in agreement with him about his law and we agree with him that we're in error, it's like, yeah,

I'm coming to confess that I've sinned again. I'm sorry. I hate my sin.

My flesh loves it. I hate it in my inner man. I'm in need. Wretched man that I am, who's going to deliver me?

Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. I'm so thankful, Father, that I'm not condemned and I'm coming because I need grace and mercy.