How Can a Holy God Have Pleasure in Sinners?
A John Piper Sermon Summary
We are born corrupt and selfish, following the ways of the world. By nature, none of us is good (Ephesians 2:2). Since God cannot look at evil, His wrath should be on us (Habakkuk 1:13, John 3:36). But our Holy God still takes pleasure in us (Isaiah 62:4, Zephaniah 3:17, Colossians 1:9-10, 2 Corinthians 5:9, Philippians 4:18, Hebrews 13:16). How can our Holy God take pleasure in sinners?
God resolved this dilemma through Christ. His beloved Son’s crucifixion not only saves us from God’s wrath, but also justifies us while we are sinners (Romans 5:1, 5:6-9, 8:32).
Through faith in God, we are united with Christ. Our sins are nailed to the cross, with Christ’s righteousness counted as ours (Romans 3:24, 4:5, 8:30; Psalm 32:1-2; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24). We contribute nothing to this (Philippians 3:9, Romans 5:19, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
However, we still sin. Fortunately, through union with Christ, we are still pleasing to God (Matthew 3:17).
Note that God doesn’t approve our remaining corruption. He will discipline and refine those He loves, while simultaneously we are forgiven and pleasing to Him (Proverbs 3:11-12, Hebrew 12:5-6).
Because of Christ, we have been made perfect once and for all (Hebrews 10:14). But the essence of Christian ethics is that we pursue holiness because we are holy (1 Corinthians 5:7). We seek to please God when we are already perfectly pleasing to Him (Colossians 1:10, Philippians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 5:9, Ephesians 5:10).
We depend on Christ for our righteousness and sanctification, where we will be made holy gradually.
Through faith in His grace, God empowers us to realize our desire for doing His will. God is pleased with our works of faith. Christ gets the glory in us, and we get the glory in Him (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 11:6, 13:20-21).
The faith for our justification is also the faith for our sanctification. Through faith in God, we are perfectly pleasing to Him, while progressively pleasing to Him as He gradually transforms us.
Summary of a sermon by John Piper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1RsfVM-ZTk
God resolved this dilemma through Christ. His beloved Son’s crucifixion not only saves us from God’s wrath, but also justifies us while we are sinners (Romans 5:1, 5:6-9, 8:32).
Through faith in God, we are united with Christ. Our sins are nailed to the cross, with Christ’s righteousness counted as ours (Romans 3:24, 4:5, 8:30; Psalm 32:1-2; Colossians 2:14; 1 Peter 2:24). We contribute nothing to this (Philippians 3:9, Romans 5:19, 2 Corinthians 5:21).
However, we still sin. Fortunately, through union with Christ, we are still pleasing to God (Matthew 3:17).
Note that God doesn’t approve our remaining corruption. He will discipline and refine those He loves, while simultaneously we are forgiven and pleasing to Him (Proverbs 3:11-12, Hebrew 12:5-6).
Because of Christ, we have been made perfect once and for all (Hebrews 10:14). But the essence of Christian ethics is that we pursue holiness because we are holy (1 Corinthians 5:7). We seek to please God when we are already perfectly pleasing to Him (Colossians 1:10, Philippians 4:18, 2 Corinthians 5:9, Ephesians 5:10).
We depend on Christ for our righteousness and sanctification, where we will be made holy gradually.
Through faith in His grace, God empowers us to realize our desire for doing His will. God is pleased with our works of faith. Christ gets the glory in us, and we get the glory in Him (2 Thessalonians 1:11-12; Ephesians 1:6; Hebrews 11:6, 13:20-21).
The faith for our justification is also the faith for our sanctification. Through faith in God, we are perfectly pleasing to Him, while progressively pleasing to Him as He gradually transforms us.
Summary of a sermon by John Piper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1RsfVM-ZTk