Who Is Worthy?

1. Revelation 5—Jesus is worthy because His death purchased our salvation
2. God’s wrath
   1. Adam and Eve’s sin separated them from God
   2. Many religions focus on placating an angry God
   3. Jonathan Edwards, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” (1741):

      “The God that holds you over the pit of hell, much as one holds a spider, or some loathsome insect over the fire, abhors you, and is dreadfully provoked: his wrath towards you burns like fire; he looks upon you as worthy of nothing else, but to be cast into the fire; he is of purer eyes than to bear to have you in his sight; you are ten thousand times more abominable in his eyes, than the most hateful venomous serpent is in ours. You have offended him infinitely more than ever a stubborn rebel did his prince; and yet it is nothing but his hand that holds you from falling into the fire every moment. It is to be ascribed to nothing else, that you did not go to hell the last night; that you was suffered to awake again in this world, after you closed your eyes to sleep. And there is no other reason to be given, why you have not dropped into hell since you arose in the morning, but that God’s hand has held you up. There is no other reason to be given why you have not gone to hell, since you have sat here in the house of God, provoking his pure eyes by your sinful wicked manner of attending his solemn worship. Yea, there is nothing else that is to be given as a reason why you do not this very moment drop down into hell.”¹

   4. Jeremiah 31:3—God took the initiative
   5. 1 John 4:8 tells us that God is love
   6. However, Romans 1:18-20—God’s wrath
      1. Notice that it’s directed against godlessness and wickedness (sin), not godless and wicked people
      2. God’s holiness can’t tolerate sin, but instead of dangling humanity over hell, He had a plan for restoration
3. Atonement
   1. Colossians 1:21, 22—Jesus life, and especially His death brought about that restoration
   2. Atonement (propitiation, expiation): Romans 3:25
      1. “The English word ‘atonement’ originally meant ‘at-one-ment,’ that is, a state of being ‘at one,’ or in agreement. Accordingly, ‘atonement’ denoted harmony of a relationship, and when there had been estrangement this harmony would be the result of a process of reconciliation. Understood in terms of its original meaning ‘atonement’ properly denotes a state of reconciliation that terminated a state of estrangement.”²
      2. This atonement is the result of God demonstrating His love and mercy by sending Jesus, and Jesus’ death fulfilling God’s justice
4. Forgiveness
   1. The result of atonement is forgiveness and salvation
   2. Isaiah 55:6, 7—God calls us to repent (turn) and accept His forgiveness and be saved (Isaiah 45:22)
5. Transformation
   1. Matthew 22—Parable of the wedding feast. Note especially vv. 11-14
      1. Revelation 19:8, “Fine linen stands for the righteous acts of the saints”
   2. Coming to the wedding feast was a crucial first step, but it wasn’t sufficient; the man had to wear the wedding garment, as well. In other words, his life had to be transformed by Jesus’ life.

Footnotes