THE WICKED AND THE WONDERFUL: Does the Bible say that You are Wonderful? [podcast]

Attention: Jesus didn’t come to die because you are wonderful.

No He came because you are wicked (Genesis 6:5, 12; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 3, etc.).

The testimony of Holy Scripture is that JESUS is “Wonderful” (Isaiah 9:6-7)…. and we are “desperately wicked” without Him (Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18, 24).

Each of His children, bought by His blood, merely stand as unworthy beggars, shoulder to shoulder in honor of our KING, Jesus!

The only righteousness we have is that which our LORD Jesus mercifully, graciously provided for us by the one-time shedding of HIS precious blood for our sin – to pay the price in full, the exclusive redemption price which alone could and did satisfy the claims of the Father’s justice to redeem fallen mankind back to Him and the Father (Ezekiel 22:30; John 19:30; Romans 3:21-25; 1 Timothy 2:4-6; Titus 3:5-7, etc.).

So, let me get this straight: you are so full of self-love that you have reduced the coming of Jesus down to how wonderful you are?

Any person who believes that the whole reason the Son of God came and died on the cross was because they are so valuable and wonderful, is completely deceived. Jesus came and died because we are wicked and He is so merciful, and not because we are so wonderful! “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” (1 Timothy 1:15).

Contrary to popular pop psychology preaching, we are not wonderful, we are wicked. You’re not a champion, you are a vile sinner in perpetual need of a holy, merciful Savior! The Gospel is all about Jesus, the one glorious, matchless Savior and His great mercy toward wicked wretches like us!

It’s time to get off the high horse before God knocks you off of it as He did with Saul of Tarsus (Acts 9).

Fallen man’s utter depravity and need for the saving mercy of Jesus Christ!

How can we possibly begin to understand and appreciate why Jesus came to the earth to die if we still see ourselves as anything except “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked” before a holy God? (See Isaiah 6:3; Jeremiah 17:9; Romans 7:18; Revelation 4:8.)

“It is then, we say, in the successive stages of his experience, that the believer sees more distinctly, and adores more profoundly, and grasps more firmly, the finished righteousness of Christ. And what is the school in which he learns his nothingness, his poverty, his utter destitution? The school of deep and sanctified affliction. In no other school is it learned, and under no other teacher but God. Here his high thoughts are brought low, and the Lord alone is exalted.” Octavius Winslow

Did Jesus, Paul or any of the apostles ever call God’s people “champions”? No! This is Joel Osteen type heretical flattery. Any man who calls you something the Bible doesn’t call you is a vile wolf. Beware.

“Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Romans 16:17-18

Osteen: Affirmation without Salvation 

Mankind’s fallen state:

False teachers remove the focus from the love and holiness of God and move it onto how valuable and worthy sinful, separated man is. Yet the Bible tells us that the cross reveals the greatness of our depravity and sin, and God’s holiness and love, not how wonderful, worthy, or valuable we are! We are depraved, wretched sinners in utter need of the mercy of God given us at the cross of Jesus Christ.

Speaking of false leaders, the Bible says:

“For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” Romans 16:18 

By listening to the flattering delusions of most modern preachers, frauds, you’d believe that we are wonderful. But does God’s Word tell us there we are wonderful? No, not once. God’s Word reveals that we are utterly wicked and in desperate need of Him, of His saving mercy!

“For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet SINNERS (not wonderful good people!), Christ died for us.” Romans 5:6-8

You and I merit only divine judgment for our sin! We are not wonderful, JESUS IS! We are wicked without HIM! (Romans 3:1-23; 7:18, 24)

Those who’ve bought the lie of self-importance are completely deceived and have no clue of Bible doctrine. This seems to account for the vast majority of pastors today in the apostate modern church world.

“He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.” Proverbs 28:26

Truth:

“May I never forget on my best day, that I still need God as desperately as I did on my worst day.” unknown

God grants His mercy in salvation upon the merit of Jesus Christ alone – in spite of the sinner and not because of anything good in fallen man!

Saints, we cannot possibly begin to appreciate this “so great salvation” that is Christ until we understand how lost, helpless, and alienated we were in our sin (Ephesians 2:1-10; Hebrews 2:3). We must study to understand the biblical doctrine of inherent sin, fallen mankind, and the holiness of God …. in order to begin to be able to appreciate the redemption that is in Jesus Christ.

JESUS JUDGED SIN ON THE CROSS SO WE DON’T HAVE TO BE JUDGED FOR OUR SIN AND SO WE CAN EXPERIENCE “THE EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE” BOTH NOW AND FOREVER (JOHN 12:31-32; EPHESIANS 1:7; 2:7).

Until we are confronted with what Scripture declares about fallen mankind, us, we cannot possibly appreciate this “so GREAT salvation” provided for us exclusively through the LORD Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, who was sacrificed for our sins, who tasted death for every man (Hebrews 2:3, 9; 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21; 1 Peter 3:18; etc.).

Where do some get off acting like they are so wonderful, and special? Who did you allow to lie to you? Who misled you to believe such a delusion of yourself? The Bible says that you are a wicked, hopeless, unworthy, depraved sinner in desperate need of the mercy and forgiveness of a Holy God. Now, Repent and trust Jesus, not yourself.

Jesus came because we are wicked, not wonderful. The wonderful One came to save the wicked ones!

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. 7 Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Isaiah 9:6-7

Jesus came to save sinners, not wonderful people.

“This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save SINNERS (not wonderful good people); of whom I am chief.” 1 Timothy 1:15

How wonderful did the apostle Paul believe he was?

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans 7:18

“O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?” Romans 7:24

Although i appreciate the gesture of your kind opinion (compliment, encouragement), I now understand and have experienced great weaknesses in this body of flesh and that in harmony with the truth of God’s infallible Word that only God is truly ultimately good and everything He is, does and gives is good, and that in me dwells no good thing except Christ and Him crucified for the ungodly who upon a heart-cry of belief receives Christ, that unfathomable gift of Him, the sent One, the internal and eternal Holy Ghost that must bring dominion through my submission, my death and the relinquishing of my personal herd of wild stallions as I turn them over to the only true rightful owner who has purchased me to bring about meekness (strength under control) to the glory of God and to my good and the good of others. What a wonderful God we serve. Blessings today.” DT

God reconciled the world, paid the whole price for the separating sin of mankind through Christ… because He is wonderful and loving and not because men merit this unspeakable gift of God.

“To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. … 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 2 Corinthians 5:19, 21

“For we ourselves also were sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving divers lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But after that the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man appeared, 5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost; 6 Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour; 7 That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Titus 3:3-7

The Bible tells us that the LORD is wonderful and that He came to His sin cursed earth to offer His life, His body, His sinless blood, on the altar of the cross as the atoning sacrifice for man’s sin. God’s creation was wayward, was separated from Him in their iniquities and unable to redeem himself.

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30 (see also Psalm 53)

God found no one who could re-deem (to buy back) His creation, those created in His image. Listen with your heart to this divine communication of fallen man’s state before God:

Romans 3:9-28

“What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 
10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 
11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 
12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 
13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 
14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 
15 Their feet are swift to shed blood: 
16 Destruction and misery are in their ways: 
17 And the way of peace have they not known: 
18 There is no fear of God before their eyes. 
19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God. 
20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 
The Righteousness of God Through Faith
21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 
22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 
23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 
24 Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 
25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 
26 To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 
27 Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 
28 Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.” Romans 3:9-28

The word “propitiation” appears 3 times in the Bible:

“Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;” Romans 3:25

“And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” 1 John 2:2

“Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

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