Poetry With A Mission



...a thought provoking poetical exercise.

An Oxymoron explained —

A figure of speech in which contradictory or incongruous terms are combined.
E.g. Bitterly happy.  Idiotic wisdom.
Cold heat.  Dry rain.

“The angel said to her [Mary], ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born [Jesus] will be holy; He will be called the Son of God’ ” (Luke 1:35).

“But emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, being born in human likeness.  And being found in human form, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death—even death on the cross” (Phil 2:7,8). Note also Rom 8:3.

“Therefore He had to become like His brothers and sisters in every respect [that is, His ability to be tested and suffer like us], so that He might be a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the people.  Because He Himself was tested by what He suffered, He is able to help those who are being tested” (Heb 2:17,18). Note Heb 2:14.

“And you know that He [Christ] was manifested to take away our sins, and in Him there is no sin” (1 John 3:5, NKJV).

“For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin” (Heb 4:15, NKJV).

“For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: ‘Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth’ ” (1 Peter 2:21,22, NKJV).

“For as by one man’s disobedience [Adam] many were made sinners, so also by one man’s obedience [Jesus] many will be made righteous” (Rom 5:19, NKJV).

“Indeed, there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and who never sins” (Eccl 7:20, NASB).

“Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?” (Prov 20:9, KJV).

“For if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Note also 1 Kings 8:46.

“Behold, I [David] was brought forth in iniquity [born guilty, rebellious], And in sin my mother conceived me [David recognized that children inherit natures with propensities to evil. We all have an inborn tendency to do evil]” (Ps 51:5, NASB).

“Yea, thou heardest not; yea, thou knewest not; yea, from that time that thine ear was not opened: for I knew that thou wouldest deal very treacherously, and wast called a transgressor from the womb” (Isa 48:8, KJV).

“The wicked go astray from the womb; they err from their birth, speaking lies” (Ps 58:3).

“ ‘Who can make the clean out of the unclean? No one!’ ” (Job 14:4, NASB).

“But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags…[only the robe of righteousness that Christ has provided will fit man to appear in the presence of God]” (Isa 64:6, KJV).

“As it is written: ‘There is no one who is righteous, not even one’ ” (Rom 3:10, NIV).

“All unrighteousness is sin…” (1 John 5:17).

“The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?” (Jer 17:9, KJV).

“He [Christ] saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy [grace]...” (Titus 3:5, NIV).

Note also 1 Thess 5:9; Eph 4:7; 1 John 5:11; Rom 6:23; Gal 2:21.

“...and this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God – not the result of works, so that no one may boast [Christ took on His shoulders (suffered) our punishment, stood in our place, paid the price we deserved to pay] ” (Eph 2:8,9).

“For what I [Paul] am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do” (Rom 7:15, NKJV).

“Yet we know that a person is justified [treated as righteous] not by the works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. And we have come to believe in Christ Jesus, so that we might be justified [treated as righteous] by faith in Christ, and not by doing the works of the law, because no one will be justified [considered as righteous] by the works of the law” (Gal 2:16).

“What then are we to say? Gentiles [some Gentiles], who did not strive for righteousness have attained it [grasped it], that is, righteousness through faith; But Israel, who did strive for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why not? Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone” (Rom 9:30–32).

“You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace [refers to those who effectively reject salvation by faith for salvation by works. Thus, to adopt the one is to reject the other]” (Gal 5:4, NASB).

“ ‘Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father, which is in Heaven’ ” (Matt 5:16, KJV).

“For it is God who is at work in you, enabling you both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:13).

“...we are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us…” (2 Cor 5:20, NIV).

“You were taught with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness [God accepts people where they are, but He gives them no excuse for staying there]” (Eph 4:22-24, NIV).

“For we are what He has made us, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life [our works, sanctification, obedience, and victories, are not for saving us, but for bringing glory to God (Matt 5:16). A peach tree bears peaches because it is a peach tree, never in order to be one]” (Eph 2:10).

“ ‘Therefore by their fruits [response] you will know them’ ” (Matt 7:20, NKJV). Note also Matt 3:8.

“...How can we who died to sin still live in it” (Rom 6:2, RSV).

“Whoever knows what is right to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin” (James 4:17, RSV).

That's An Oxymoron


A person cannot be born a sinner and yet sinless be born too,
’Cause such is an oxymoron, something that simply cannot be true.
No, one cannot be born sinless, and yet a sinner by nature be,
’Cause such is an oxymoron, and thus thinking ridiculously.

And therefore, it only stands to reason that Jesus was born sin free,
’Cause a sinful moral nature in our Saviour could hardly be.
After all, only one who was sin free, an unblemished lamb could be,
As was foretold via the sacrifice in the ancient sanctuary.

Tell me, how could Jesus have saved us if He was a sinner too
Due to ill propensities like those that are found in me and in you?
And hence why there wasn’t found in Him any sinful propensity.
No, such never marred the life of our Lord and Saviour’s humanity.

Though able to be tempted like us, not even once did Jesus sin.
No, not even when tempted in the wilderness did Jesus give in.
But rather, a life of perfect obedience to His Father’s will,
Along with a sinless moral nature, saw Jesus His task fulfil.

And that sinless moral nature came from His heavenly Father, and
Not from His fallen earthly mother — Mary a virgin — as planned.
Just like Adam’s before the Fall, our Lord’s moral nature was sin free,
’Cause for Christ to be a second Adam, such was but a necessity.

Over Adam’s sinless nature, the devil obtained the victory,
And therefore, the second Adam’s nature had to also be sin free.
Yes, to succeed where Adam failed, one could only successful be
If their moral nature was sinless also — in other words, Holy.

And hence why only Jesus, a second Adam was able to be,
’Cause since the Fall, not one human has had a nature that’s been sin free.
Thus only via our sinless Saviour, do we receive eternity,
’Cause our good deeds can never save us, for by nature, sinners are we.

Yes, even our righteousness is like filthy rags, and thus cannot save,
And hence why we’re saved by grace alone, and never via how we behave.
However, Christ (who saves via His grace), still complied with His Father’s will,
And if we're genuine here, we too will try our best to do God's will.

If Christ had had our fallen moral nature, crippled He would have been,
And therefore, no spotless sacrificial Lamb this old world would’ve seen.
’Cause He too, just like us fallen creatures, a saviour would have needed,
And that we would all be lost, is something that has to be conceded.

That said, Christ’s physical nature inherited the results of sin,
And hence why He needed to rest, and hence why He felt the strain within.
Yes, Christ had a human body too, that like ours, gave Him aches and pains,
A body composed of bone, flesh and blood, one that on the cross left stains.

Yes, Jesus came in human form, and experienced hunger and thirst,
But He always displayed righteousness, despite suffering from the worst.
Divinity from God the Father, humanity from His mother,
 Humanity and divinity combined, He one like no other.

Imagine going through this life knowing that just one step out of place
Would thereby imperil the salvation of the whole human race.
Though He had a sinless moral nature, it was needed for the task,
And I’m glad He had that nature, ’cause now, I in His grace can bask.

If Christ’s great mission had failed, then separated He would have been
Forever from His heavenly Father (who no eye on Earth has seen).
And given how Christ loves His Father, parted He wouldn’t want to be,
Yet He chose to take that great risk so that there’d be hope for you and me.

That Christ had a sinless moral nature, some may well think such unfair,
But if we are saved via grace alone, where on Earth is the issue here?
’Cause if Jesus hadn’t had that nature, and not obedient been,
Power and salvation for the sinner, this old world would not have seen.

Oh yes, Christ took on our human nature, but a sinless, moral one.
He keenly felt sorrow and grief, and the weight of what had to be done.
His senses were also assailed by all the sights and sounds of Earth,
But never once within Him did the desire to do wrong give birth.

No, our Saviour never sinned, but was obedient throughout all,
And He knows that we’ll never match Him, that we will often slip and fall.
And hence why He has promised fallen mankind that via His gift of grace
He will provide us with Salvation, if in our heart, He has first place.

So where is the unfairness then, when all that He expects is our best,
Knowing that the stain of sin, even our very best will still infest.
And hence why Christ’s perfect obedience has provided us with grace,
’Cause He knows that perfection is totally beyond this fallen race.

Just our best. Now that’s a pretty good deal, one we don’t deserve at all,
So why would anyone complain, and unfair, Christ’s sinless nature call?
Christ’s sinless moral nature was clearly needed to save you and I,
’Cause someone with a sinful nature couldn’t save, couldn’t grace supply.

So where does obedience fit in then? And why has such, God called for?
Do our works benefit Him or us? Are they warranted anymore?
After all, we’re told our works can’t save us, that we’re only saved by grace,
And therefore, why are we told to obey? Where exactly is work’s place?

Okay. Well, God wants us to obey Him, not because we’re saved by works,
But because the one who’s truly sincere, hardly righteous living shirks.
’Cause via our obedience, sincerity and gratitude we convey,
And also that we’re genuine, that we truly mean the things we say.

Though our good works certainly can’t save us, our hearts true intent they show,
Which is proven in that fruitage that comes as further in Christ we grow.
Obedience witnesses for God, and thereby glory to Him brings
As the Holy Spirit changes the person who to their Saviour clings.

You see, Christians work because they’re saved, and not in order to be saved,
Though sadly, some who’re misinformed here, inappropriately have slaved.
Oh yes, our works certainly have their place, despite our Lord’s gift of grace,
But that our works can’t save us, everyone on Earth must clearly face.

Though God knows that it is only grace that can release us from our plight,
He didn’t intend that His grace let us off from doing what is right.
No, it wasn’t God’s intention that His gift of grace should cover sin,
But that through His enabling, the victory over sin, we would win.

“For if we willingly persist in sin after having received the knowledge
of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins [God’s grace
is made void], but [rather] a fearful prospect of judgment
 [unless we repent]...” (Heb 10:26,27).

Oh yes, we must be very careful regarding Christ’s humanity,
Lest we reduce Him to our level, denigrating divinity.
Although He came in human likeness, and thus in human form was born,
He didn’t have our sinful bent, ’cause if He’d had, we’d have cause to mourn.

By Lance Landall


This poem was upgraded on 5 February 2023.


If Christ had had a sinful moral nature, what would be the point of the ‘new birth’ experience (2 Cor 5:17; Rom 6:3,4) if what came to us from the ‘new’ Adam [Christ] by faith, was the exact same sinful moral nature that came to us from the first Adam by inheritance (Rom 5:19)?