We Have a Redeemer

This passage and most of the Bible is God preaching to his own people. The world needs the gospel, not judgment on sin.
WE NEED A REDEEMER: If God does not seem present to us, it is not that he is inefficient or incapable or indifferent—just that he is holy. So we don’t enjoy being forgiven; we don’t enjoy our relationship to him. We need our consciences sensitized. Sin is contagious and leads to frustration. We have no peace. Bad people can do good things because of ‘common grace’, God’s restraint of evil. Good people do bad things because of ‘radical depravity’ Calvin. Read text vv 1-8 and hear Martyn Lloyd-Jones: “If you do not accept this description of yourself apart from the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ, then there is no need to argue about it. You are just not a Christian…. “This description of man in sin [believers] is the simple, horrible truth. This is what sin has brought us to.” Deep down we are no different than the world, except
WE WANT A REDEEMER: Meekness is letting other people think of you based on what you know of how God thinks of you. How liberating! No need for pretense. But we must always challenge ourselves because of sin.
WE FIND A REDEEMER: Palm Sunday, Hosanna means “Save us!” Jesus comes to make war on sin, clothed in the armor of God and in his vengeance.

OTHER VERSES: 1 John 3:4-6, Romans 3:15-17, Matthew 5:21 ff, 1 Corinthians 5:11-13, 1 Peter 4:17, Romans 7:15-17, Psalm 51:3-4, Matthew 5:3-5.