“A God without wrath brought men without sin into a kingdom without judgment through the ministrations of a christ without a cross.” This was theologian Richard Niebuhr’s critique of liberal theology in America in 1959. Fifty years later, it’s still true. As we’ve eliminated sin and judgment from our vocabulary, we’ve rendered Jesus’ sufferings without purpose.

Our sin is serious. God’s wrath is real, but the power of Christ’s cross cancels our sin debt, and His resurrection raises the spiritually dead. The Christianity of the Bible doesn’t hide us from the ugly realities of the human condition. It does, however, provide forgiveness and freedom for all who turn to Christ in faith.

This Sunday we will meditate on these truths from Colossians 2:12-15 while preparing our hearts for the Lord’s Supper. Please prepare yourself as we come together to experience God’s grace.