Sin, Righteousness, Judgment
John 16:5-15
May 2, 2021 anno Domini
The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires. (James 2:20) Anger is the world’s religion. The world preaches anger to set things right. Have you been angry this past year? Angry at Democrats? Angry at Republicans? Angry at COVID? Angry at masks? Angry at people for not wearing masks? Angry at the police? Angry at Black Lives Matter? Repent. The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God requires.
It took Dr. Luther six chief parts in his Small Catechism to teach the righteous life. It only takes Jesus three. Read John 16:8. Sin, righteousness, and judgment. If you know these three and hold to these three you will know the truth that makes all of life (especially yours) right.
The Holy Spirit will convict the world concerning sin … because they do not believe in me.
How does the world define sin?
Sin is a character flaw. Of course, I sin, but who doesn’t? Nobody’s perfect.
Sin is what someone else does. Criminals get shot because policemen are racist. Minorities are poor because white people are rich and greedy. The American way of life is being threatened by immigrants and refugees. Our children are failing in school because the teachers aren’t getting enough money or too much money.
One thing that is sorely missing from the world’s definition of sin is Jesus. The Holy Spirit convicts the world concerning sin because they do not believe in Jesus. Jesus’ first sermon was “Repent and believe the Gospel.”
Repent. Sin is not a character flaw; it is the complete corruption of your human nature. Repent. You are a sinner. Sin isn’t someone else’s problem. It is your problem. It doesn’t matter what branch of the human race you belong to or what your economic status is. You are a sinner who sins. If you hate a person with different skin color you are racist and denying that God created all humans in his image. If you would use your authority to hurt or harm someone you are a murderer. If you lump all black people or white people or men or police officers together and label them all with the sins of some you are bearing false testimony against your neighbor. Repent.
Do you want to know why things are not right in the world? You are a sinner and so is every other human being. There are people who commit crimes. There are police officers who abuse their authority. There are rich people and poor people who covet and are greedy. There are men who love to make children, but never want to father children. Look in the mirror of God’s Law. Examine your heart toward your neighbor according to God’s Word. There is no band aid for sin. Death is the only way for a sinner to stop sinning.
Which leads us to the next important truth of Christianity. Righteousness. The world preaches that everything will be right when you get what your heart desires, but that is a lie. Was everything right when your president was elected? Is everything right now that Derek Chauvin has been found guilty? Would everything be right if he had been found innocent? If you had all the money you wanted, or your kids turned out the way you desired, or your health was perfect – would everything be right? Has capitalism set the world right? Socialism? Communism?
Nothing done by man will make the world right because the world is not right with God. What can a man do about his sin? You cannot make your sin righteousness anymore than you could give yourself a heart transplant. Do a gold casket and a martyr’s square atone for George Floyd’s sins and crime? Does a jail sentence and a ruined life atone for a police officer’s sins? What can undo what you have done before God and to your neighbor?
Only Jesus. He alone is your righteousness. Jesus returns to His Father because He has taken care of sin. He died the death of a sinner. He died your death and was raised to life again. Now that His work is done, He can sit down at the right hand of His Father.
Don’t look inside you. Look at Jesus. Don’t consider your works. Trust His work. Don’t judge yourself compared to others. See the judgment og God against Jesus for your sins. Christ has returned to His Father because He was put to death for our sins and raised for our justification. When you believe that, the Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and declares it to you. You are righteous. Your sin is forgiven. You’re alive forever. Your conscience is clean. Your old sinful self was put to death with Jesus in baptism and a new man was raised, with a new heart. You’re at peace with God. You love your neighbor. You are right with God in Christ.
Finally, you need to know about judgment. We try to escape judgment by not calling a thing what it is. Sin is someone else’s fault. I’m better than most people therefore God will judge me a good person. God is loving therefore He doesn’t judge anyone. Try those lies on Jesus or the Devil or Adam.
If God doesn’t judge then Jesus didn’t need to come into the world or hang on a cross for your sins. If God doesn’t consider sin damnable why did He damn His Son for your sin? Thy mystery of the cross is that Jesus survived your eternal damnation. He went to hell and death for you and came back. He rose from the dead. The Devil didn’t survive the cross. The prince of this world is judged. He’s done. If you despair of your sins, if you’re angry at evil, if everything is wrong in your eyes, believe this – the prince of this world is judged. Your sins do not win. Jesus did. Evil does not win. Jesus did. Everything is not wrong. You are declared right before God in Christ.
You need to know these three things to be a Christian “sin, righteousness, judgment.” There’s a danger in giving you a numbered list of things to know. Dr. Luther said in his small catechism, “If someone doesn’t desire communion at least four times a year … he is not a Christian.” What did people do with that? They made sure they went 4 times a year. The only way to know these three words is by Holy Spirit which means you need to read the six chief parts of the Catechism, the two testaments and the sixty-six books of the Bible. You need the three sacraments and at least fifty-two sermons a year, because the world preaches to you every day about sin, righteousness, and judgment. If you listen to the world’s lies you’re lost, but if you listen to the Holy Spirit He will lead you into all truth, into the righteousness that is yours in the name of Jesus. Amen.