Where Lawlessness Meets The Cross

Opening Scripture

1 John 3:4 NLT

Everyone who sins is breaking God’s law, for all sin is contrary to the law of God.

John defines sin at its root: lawlessness (anomía).

Living in Sin isn’t just merely “slipping up” but instead living as though God’s authority is irrelevant

The Greek verb poiōn (present active participle) implies ongoing practice.

John isn’t saying a single sin makes someone hopeless; he’s saying a life characterized by sin = lawlessness, showing rejection of God’s authority.

For John’s Jewish audience, “lawlessness” would recall Israel’s covenant disobedience (e.g., Judges 21:25 — “everyone did what was right in his own eyes”).

To his Gentile audience, it communicates moral anarchy—living without regard for God’s commands.

The Law Reveals Imperfection

Romans 3:20 NLT

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.

The law only can show us our imperfections by exposing our human nature

The Torah (Genesis - Deuteronomy) has a total of 613 laws (Jewish Tradition) & only 10 Commandments (Core Moral Law)

God gave the law to establish order after Sin (lawlessness) had entered into the earth

The Law is God’s standard — As both Scripture and History teaches us because our flesh has become corrupt with Sin it is impossible for us to meet the standard of God fully without a direct relationship with Jesus Christ (The Lamb of God).

The Wage For Disobedience

Romans 6:23 NLT

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.

The payment for rebellion/sin towards God is death (2nd death through eternal seperation from God)

When God has made known to us His standard and expectation and we continue to live a life that is dishonoring to God we are choosing death

For the person who has a repentant heart and wishes to have a personal relationship with God through Jesus His Son is making the decision to chose life

God in His mercy has given us the gift of Salvation through the Sacrifice of His Son Jesus on the cross of Calvary and through His Resurrection

It is impossible for one person to keep the full law — This is why God sent us Jesus who fulfilled the Law of God.

Jesus: The Fulfillment of The Law

Matthew 5:17 NLT

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

Jesus did not come to destroy the teachings of the prophets or the law of Moses but instead He simply came to do what the Law could never do — Give us life eternally

Because of the penalty that Jesus paid for us on the cross we have been made righteous in the eyes of God

God is not pleased by works of man but instead a direct relationship

Because of Sin we alone could never have a direct relationship with God for He alone is Holy and Just

BUT through Jesus we are made righteous, whiter than snow in the presence and the eyes of God

Because of the reconciliation we have through Jesus we can now live in Holiness for we are enabled by the Spirit of the most High God

We no longer live this life on our own but through God’s own holy spirit that we receive when we make the decision to turn away from sin and call upon the name of Jesus and receive Him into our hearts as our personal Lord and Savior.