Many believers have limited knowledge as to their identification in and
with Christ. For most, the born again experience is the extent of their
spiritual connection with the Savior, meaning that they have eternal
life. (1 John 2:25) However, the Bible reveals some things that stagger
the mind, because they are almost unbelievable. When the Apostle Paul
said, "I have been crucified with Christ" (Galatians 2:20) he
meant that he had been judged, condemned, cast out, stripped naked, and
nailed to the cross with Jesus. In other words, Paul literally
identified himself with Christ in the disgrace and suffering of His
crucifixion. Paul tells us, "that our old man was crucified with Him,
that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer
be slaves of sin." (Romans 6:6) Our spirit, the real person that we
are, that Paul refers to as the old man, which was spiritual dead,
having the satanic nature, was nailed to the cross with Christ. This
means Jesus identified with humanity in sin and suffering, and we
identify with Him in His crucifixion. We were crucified with Christ! We
were nailed to the cross with Christ!
In the Father's great plan of redemption, as soon as Christ was nailed to the cross, with
His crown of thorns, and with the howling mob that surrounded Him,
justice began to do its awful work behind the scenes in the spiritual
realm. The people at the cross could only see Jesus in the physical
realm hanging on the cross, but God saw the real man, His spirit. Angels
and demons could also see His spirit, the real man, hidden within His
body. Isaiah records for us the Father's plan, "Surely He has borne our griefs (sicknesses) and carried our sorrows (pains), yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." (Isaiah 53:4-6) On that
awful instrument of death, the cross, Jesus not only became sin with
our sin, sick with our sicknesses, but He also became a curse.
(Galatians 3:13)
Sin and sickness are both a spiritual condition that manifest in the
physical body. They both come from the same source, Satan. As we see,
Jesus was made sin. Therefore, because He took our sin we need not be ruled by it ever again (Romans 6:14) Because He was made
sick with our sickness, we need not be ruled by sickness and disease
ever again. It was all nailed to the cross with Christ. When we recognize this, we will no longer struggle for faith, righteousness, and holiness, because we will know that we were nailed to the cross and died with Christ. PTL...
The Holy Spirits revelation to Paul concerning this is an unveiling of
what happened from the time that Jesus was made sin on the cross, until
He sat down at the right hand of God. Jesus was our Substitute and we
are to identify ourselves with Him in this truth. He poured out His life
unto death. Through that death we were made alive. It was our sin that slew Him and
it is His righteousness that gives us life. He drank the cup of death,
that we might drink the cup of life. In that mighty ministry before He
arose from the dead, He destroyed death. In fact when death slew Him, it
slew itself. The reality of Christ's death is, He conquered sin when He
allowed it to overcome Him. He conquered sickness and disease when He
let them take possession of Him for a most wonderful purpose, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Think about His wonderful, perfect work of redemption from the cross
to the right hand of the Majesty on high. He became one with us in
weakness, in sin, in disease, and spiritual death that He might make us
one with Himself in righteousness, in perfect health, and fellowship
with the Father. (John 17:20-26) He became death's prisoner in order to
set us free. In the mind of Justice, we died to sin and its dominion
when we died with Christ. The believer now has a perfect oneness with
Christ (John 15:5) We have become New Creations in Christ. (2
Corinthians 5:17) Therefore, sin, sickness and disease do not belong to
the New Creation. It is an abnormal thing in the mind of the Father for
a child of God to be sick and although many seem to carry the burden of
sickness and disease, we simply need to remind ourselves, we died with
Him; We died to the dominion of sin; We died to the dominion of sickness
and disease; We died to the dominion of circumstances and habits. We
must let 1 Peter 2:24 become a reality in our lives, "Jesus, Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, having died
to sins, might live for righteousness, by whose stripes you were healed," because these things are so...
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Easter. Show all posts
Monday, March 25, 2024
New Life In Christ
Monday, April 6, 2020
Let Us Exceeding Rejoice
The word freedom comes with a variety of definitions, such as; the power
or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance or
restraint; absence of subjection to foreign domination or despotic
government; the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. Out of these
definitions, "the state of not being imprisoned or enslaved," seems to
best sum up what Jesus accomplished for humanity. When looking through
the scriptures we find that God began the process of redeeming man as
soon as man fell, promising that a Redeemer should come who would break
the dominion of Satan and restore to man his lost dominion and standing.
Some of the most compelling passages of scripture concerning this
monumental event were foretold by the prophets, especially the prophet
Isaiah.
In Isaiah 7:14, we have a declarative statement of the incarnation, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Notice how this would come about, "The Lord Himself" emphasizing God's might and power shall give a sign or miraculous work and wonder for our benefit. What would this miraculous work be? "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son." She is to be a daughter of the House of David, (remembering that Christ would be of the House of David and that Joseph was not Jesus' father, God was) and she shall conceive and bear a Son and His name shall be called "Immanuel," that is, God with us. Hallelujah!
As we proceed forward, look at Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, (inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous) Counselor, (the great attorney of God's family) Mighty God, (all powerful) Everlasting Father, (having no beginning or end) Prince of Peace" (complete freedom from disturbance; complete quiet and tranquility). Yet, in all these glorious names, He would humbly come as the sin substitute for all humanity.
Turning to the four gospels, it is there we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face. We see Him arrested, taken to the High Priest Caiaphas; insulted and struck; He is taken before Pilate, then Herod; He was mocked; see Him scourged, His back laid open, blood flowing, His flesh torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bared back by the awful Roman lictor. His own clothes replaced with the mock garment of kingly authority; a mock crown of thorns pressed deep upon His brow; more mocking comes and His own clothes are placed roughly about Him, forced to carry the patibulum (a wooden beam weighting about 100 pounds) in which He would be nailed to. Heading to Golgotha, He staggering beneath the weight of the patibulum and fal1s to the ground. Rising from the ground, He again heads ever closer to Golgotha.
Weakened by the loss of blood from the merciless beating, He staggers blindly up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers who encircle Him. He and the patibulum which He carried are laid roughly down upon the stauros (a wooden beam in which the patibulum was attached to form a cross). Next, Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands; then He is lifted up naked, and the Cross is dropped into a hole to support it. Jesus the Nazarene is crucified! We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the Cross. We hear the chief priest's hurling their bitter taunts in the face of the suffering Son of God. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their priesthood. Such a horrific sight. It was not a sight for angels, or for men, but for demons only, and yet the worse was yet to come for the suffering Substitute.
In see this unfold, we now have a better understanding of the prophecy spoken by Isaiah, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4) In the Four Gospels we see Him only stricken of man, but Isaiah sees into the spiritual realm. He sees the Redeemer as He hangs there,"stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." God is dealing not with Jesus' body, but with His spirit. Isaiah goes on, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6) Here we see God taking our sin and laying every bit of it upon the spirit of the innocent Lamb of God, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus, who is God the Word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14) is now man's sin Substitute. He has taken man's place. The whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree becoming a curse with every curse (Galatians 3:13). We also see that He becomes sick, with all of humanities sicknesses, "Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick..." (Isaiah 53:10 AMP) God takes your sin and mine, as well as every sickness and every curse and places it upon Jesus, into His very being. Jesus, nailed to the cross, suspended between heaven and earth becoming the outcast of heaven and earth. From the cross the Son of God cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Finally, the time had come when "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." (Mark 15:37) As mentioned before, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face, it was finally here.
Not only was it the Father's plan for His sinless Son to die on the cross, that His blood be shed for all humanity, but he was to go to hell itself to pay the full penalty of man's sin. God in His justice could not have acquitted humanity so that mankind could stand in His presence until every charge against him had been wiped off the books. (Isaiah 43:25) Only then could man stand before God as clean and as free as though he had never sinned. God could not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. Jesus tells us, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40) Peter quotes David the king, "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27) The story unfolds.
Peter tells us, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) Notice, Jesus was made alive in spirit. He would not have been made alive in spirit had not He died in spirit. As it was with Adam, so it was with Jesus. Jesus died in spirit on the cross, before He died in the flesh. Peter declares that Jesus not only died in the flesh, physically, but that He also died in spirit, spiritually, and therefore His resurrection was a double resurrection. He was made alive, first in spirit, and then in the flesh, His spirit being raised from the dead and re-united with His body. The Apostle Paul tells us, "He put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." (Colossians 2:15) Here is a picture of Christ in hell, with the whole host of demons attempting to keep Him there, but when the penalty of our sin had been paid in full, when justice was satisfied, Satan had no power to hold Him.
Paul tells us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25) The very moment the sin problem was settled, the moment Jesus
Christ was legally justified, was made alive in spirit once more, He cast off the hosts of demons, and became the Master of hell by taking from Satan the keys of death and hell. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus died as our sacrificial Lamb, but He rose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. The matchless, mighty Son of God had gone into the strong mans house, bound him and took his spoils. (Matthew 12:29) Jesus has taken from Satan all his authority, his dominion and now offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace. What does this mean to humanity?
It means that every person who repents (express a sincere regret or remorse about their sin), confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as their Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God, free and clear of all charges against them. It means that God is vindicated, He has taken advantage of no one. He can now save humanity by His grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8), but also judge every person for rejecting His way to freedom. It means that Satan is defeated, and man can be free from sin, sickness, disease, poverty, death and all the works of the devil. It means that man is legally justified, declared righteous and is an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. (Romans 3:21 through Romans 8:39). It means that man, through faith in Christ receive the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25) It means that man can become a child of God and have all the privileges as sons and daughters. (John 1:12-13) It means that heaven is legally the home of God's children.(John 14:1-4)
Let us look beyond "Resurrection Sunday" and live in the abundant and the triumphant life that Jesus has given to us. "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14) Remember, we are no longer imprisoned or enslaved by the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) So, let us never forget what Jesus has done for us, "And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail" (exceeding rejoice) (Matthew 28:9) and every day, exceeding rejoice in our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful Resurrection Day. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always...
In Isaiah 7:14, we have a declarative statement of the incarnation, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." Notice how this would come about, "The Lord Himself" emphasizing God's might and power shall give a sign or miraculous work and wonder for our benefit. What would this miraculous work be? "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son." She is to be a daughter of the House of David, (remembering that Christ would be of the House of David and that Joseph was not Jesus' father, God was) and she shall conceive and bear a Son and His name shall be called "Immanuel," that is, God with us. Hallelujah!
As we proceed forward, look at Isaiah 9:6, "For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, (inspiring delight, pleasure, or admiration; extremely good; marvelous) Counselor, (the great attorney of God's family) Mighty God, (all powerful) Everlasting Father, (having no beginning or end) Prince of Peace" (complete freedom from disturbance; complete quiet and tranquility). Yet, in all these glorious names, He would humbly come as the sin substitute for all humanity.
Turning to the four gospels, it is there we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face. We see Him arrested, taken to the High Priest Caiaphas; insulted and struck; He is taken before Pilate, then Herod; He was mocked; see Him scourged, His back laid open, blood flowing, His flesh torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bared back by the awful Roman lictor. His own clothes replaced with the mock garment of kingly authority; a mock crown of thorns pressed deep upon His brow; more mocking comes and His own clothes are placed roughly about Him, forced to carry the patibulum (a wooden beam weighting about 100 pounds) in which He would be nailed to. Heading to Golgotha, He staggering beneath the weight of the patibulum and fal1s to the ground. Rising from the ground, He again heads ever closer to Golgotha.
Weakened by the loss of blood from the merciless beating, He staggers blindly up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers who encircle Him. He and the patibulum which He carried are laid roughly down upon the stauros (a wooden beam in which the patibulum was attached to form a cross). Next, Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands; then He is lifted up naked, and the Cross is dropped into a hole to support it. Jesus the Nazarene is crucified! We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the Cross. We hear the chief priest's hurling their bitter taunts in the face of the suffering Son of God. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their priesthood. Such a horrific sight. It was not a sight for angels, or for men, but for demons only, and yet the worse was yet to come for the suffering Substitute.
In see this unfold, we now have a better understanding of the prophecy spoken by Isaiah, "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. (Isaiah 53:4) In the Four Gospels we see Him only stricken of man, but Isaiah sees into the spiritual realm. He sees the Redeemer as He hangs there,"stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted." God is dealing not with Jesus' body, but with His spirit. Isaiah goes on, "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:5-6) Here we see God taking our sin and laying every bit of it upon the spirit of the innocent Lamb of God, "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us..." (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Jesus, who is God the Word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14) is now man's sin Substitute. He has taken man's place. The whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree becoming a curse with every curse (Galatians 3:13). We also see that He becomes sick, with all of humanities sicknesses, "Yet it was the will of the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief and made Him sick..." (Isaiah 53:10 AMP) God takes your sin and mine, as well as every sickness and every curse and places it upon Jesus, into His very being. Jesus, nailed to the cross, suspended between heaven and earth becoming the outcast of heaven and earth. From the cross the Son of God cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Finally, the time had come when "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." (Mark 15:37) As mentioned before, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face, it was finally here.
Not only was it the Father's plan for His sinless Son to die on the cross, that His blood be shed for all humanity, but he was to go to hell itself to pay the full penalty of man's sin. God in His justice could not have acquitted humanity so that mankind could stand in His presence until every charge against him had been wiped off the books. (Isaiah 43:25) Only then could man stand before God as clean and as free as though he had never sinned. God could not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. Jesus tells us, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40) Peter quotes David the king, "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Psalm 16:10; Acts 2:27) The story unfolds.
Peter tells us, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) Notice, Jesus was made alive in spirit. He would not have been made alive in spirit had not He died in spirit. As it was with Adam, so it was with Jesus. Jesus died in spirit on the cross, before He died in the flesh. Peter declares that Jesus not only died in the flesh, physically, but that He also died in spirit, spiritually, and therefore His resurrection was a double resurrection. He was made alive, first in spirit, and then in the flesh, His spirit being raised from the dead and re-united with His body. The Apostle Paul tells us, "He put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." (Colossians 2:15) Here is a picture of Christ in hell, with the whole host of demons attempting to keep Him there, but when the penalty of our sin had been paid in full, when justice was satisfied, Satan had no power to hold Him.
Paul tells us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25) The very moment the sin problem was settled, the moment Jesus
Christ was legally justified, was made alive in spirit once more, He cast off the hosts of demons, and became the Master of hell by taking from Satan the keys of death and hell. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus died as our sacrificial Lamb, but He rose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. The matchless, mighty Son of God had gone into the strong mans house, bound him and took his spoils. (Matthew 12:29) Jesus has taken from Satan all his authority, his dominion and now offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace. What does this mean to humanity?
It means that every person who repents (express a sincere regret or remorse about their sin), confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as their Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God, free and clear of all charges against them. It means that God is vindicated, He has taken advantage of no one. He can now save humanity by His grace through faith in Christ (Ephesians 2:8), but also judge every person for rejecting His way to freedom. It means that Satan is defeated, and man can be free from sin, sickness, disease, poverty, death and all the works of the devil. It means that man is legally justified, declared righteous and is an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. (Romans 3:21 through Romans 8:39). It means that man, through faith in Christ receive the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25) It means that man can become a child of God and have all the privileges as sons and daughters. (John 1:12-13) It means that heaven is legally the home of God's children.(John 14:1-4)
Let us look beyond "Resurrection Sunday" and live in the abundant and the triumphant life that Jesus has given to us. "...I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) "Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ..." (2 Corinthians 2:14) Remember, we are no longer imprisoned or enslaved by the god of this world. (2 Corinthians 4:4) So, let us never forget what Jesus has done for us, "And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail" (exceeding rejoice) (Matthew 28:9) and every day, exceeding rejoice in our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. Have a wonderful Resurrection Day. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always...
Monday, April 22, 2019
Never Forget
Though resurrection Sunday was celebrated yesterday, let us never forget the great price that our wonderful Savior paid to save humanity from the grips of the devil. Let's begin by turning to the four gospels, it is there we see Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that He would ever face. We see Him arrested, taken to the High Priest Caiaphas; insulted and struck; He is taken before Pilate, then Herod; He was mocked; see Him scourged, His back laid open, blood flowing, His flesh torn as the cruel blows fall mercilessly upon His bared back by the awful Roman lictor. His own clothes replaced with the mock garment of kingly authority; a mock crown of thorns pressed deep upon His brow; more mocking comes and His own clothes are placed roughly about Him, and He is started out for Golgotha, staggering beneath His own Cross. We see Him fal1under its weight, and Simon of Cyrene is compelled to bear it.
Weakened by the loss of blood from the merciless beating, He staggers blindly up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers who encircle Him. He is laid roughly down upon the cross on His back, and the Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands and feet; then He is lifted up naked, and the Cross is dropped into a hole to support it. Jesus the Nazarene is crucified! We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the cross. We hear the chief priest's hurling their bitter taunts in the face of the suffering Son of God. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their priesthood. Such a horrific sight. It was not a sight for angels, or for men, but for demons only, and yet the worse was yet to come for the suffering Substitute.
Jesus, who is God the Word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14) is now man's sin Substitute. He has taken Man's place. The whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree. (Galatians 3:13) God takes your sin and mine, yes, the sin of the whole world and places it upon Jesus until the sin of the world has entered into His very being. Jesus, nailed to the cross, suspended between heaven and earth, has become the outcast of heaven and earth. From the cross the Son of God cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Finally, the time had come when "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." (Mark 15:37) As mentioned before, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face, it was finally here.
Not only was it the Father's plan for His sinless Son to die on the cross and His blood be shed for all humanity, but he was to go to hell itself to pay the full penalty of man's sin. God in His justice could not have acquitted humanity so that he could stand in His presence through eternity, until every charge against him had been wiped off the books. (Isaiah 43:25) Only then could man stand before God as clean and as free as though he had never sinned. God could not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. Jesus tells us, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40) Peter quotes David the king, "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:27) The story unfolds.
Peter tells us, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) Notice that He was made alive in spirit. He would not have been made alive in spirit had not He died in spirit. As it was with Adam, so it was with Jesus. Jesus died in spirit on the cross, before He died in the flesh. Peter declares that Jesus not only died in the flesh, physically, but that He also died in spirit, spiritually, and therefore His resurrection was a double resurrection. He was made alive, first in spirit, and then in the flesh, His spirit being raised from the dead and re-united with His body. The Apostle Paul tells us, "He put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." (Colossians 2:15) Here is a picture of Christ in hell, with the whole host of demons attempting to keep Him there, but when the penalty of our sin had been paid in full, Satan had no power to hold Him.
Paul tells us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25) The very moment the sin problem was settled, the moment Jesus
Christ was legally justified, was made alive in spirit once more, He cast off the hosts of demons, and became the Master of hell by taking from Satan the keys of death and hell. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus died as our sacrificial Lamb, but He rose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. The matchless, mighty Son of God had gone into the strong mans house, bound him and took his spoils. (Matthew 12:29) Jesus has taken from Satan all his authority, his dominion and now offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace. What does this mean to humanity?
It means that every person who turns from their sin, confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as their Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God, free and clear of all charges against them. It means that God is vindicated, He has taken advantage of no one. He can now save believers and judge the sinners for rejecting His way to freedom. It means that Satan is defeated, and man can be free from sin, sickness, disease, poverty, death and all the works of the devil. (Romans 8:37) It means that man is legally justified, declared righteous (Romans 5:1) and is an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17). It means that man, through faith in Christ receive the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25) It means that man can become a child of God and have all the privileges as sons and daughters. (John 1:12-13) It means that heaven is legally the home of God's children. (John 14:1-4)
So, let us look beyond "Resurrection Sunday" and live in the triumphant, abundant life that Jesus has given to us. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32) Remember, we are no longer imprisoned or enslaved by the god of this world. So, let us never forget the cross, that is, what Jesus has done for us!!! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always....
Weakened by the loss of blood from the merciless beating, He staggers blindly up the mountain side, surrounded by soldiers who encircle Him. He is laid roughly down upon the cross on His back, and the Roman soldiers with cruel hate drive the spikes into His hands and feet; then He is lifted up naked, and the Cross is dropped into a hole to support it. Jesus the Nazarene is crucified! We watch the mob as it surges backward and forward about the cross. We hear the chief priest's hurling their bitter taunts in the face of the suffering Son of God. We hear the mob in their bitter denunciation, led on by their priesthood. Such a horrific sight. It was not a sight for angels, or for men, but for demons only, and yet the worse was yet to come for the suffering Substitute.
Jesus, who is God the Word who became flesh (John 1:1, 14) is now man's sin Substitute. He has taken Man's place. The whole human race is now represented in Him, as He hangs there under judgment on the accursed tree. (Galatians 3:13) God takes your sin and mine, yes, the sin of the whole world and places it upon Jesus until the sin of the world has entered into His very being. Jesus, nailed to the cross, suspended between heaven and earth, has become the outcast of heaven and earth. From the cross the Son of God cries out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me." (Matthew 27:46) Finally, the time had come when "Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last." (Mark 15:37) As mentioned before, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane pouring Himself out in prayer as He was about to face the most horrific event that he would ever face, it was finally here.
Not only was it the Father's plan for His sinless Son to die on the cross and His blood be shed for all humanity, but he was to go to hell itself to pay the full penalty of man's sin. God in His justice could not have acquitted humanity so that he could stand in His presence through eternity, until every charge against him had been wiped off the books. (Isaiah 43:25) Only then could man stand before God as clean and as free as though he had never sinned. God could not pardon man until an adequate sacrifice had been made. Jesus tells us, "For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth." (Matthew 12:40) Peter quotes David the king, "For You will not leave my soul in Hades, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption." (Acts 2:27) The story unfolds.
Peter tells us, "For Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit." (1 Peter 3:18) Notice that He was made alive in spirit. He would not have been made alive in spirit had not He died in spirit. As it was with Adam, so it was with Jesus. Jesus died in spirit on the cross, before He died in the flesh. Peter declares that Jesus not only died in the flesh, physically, but that He also died in spirit, spiritually, and therefore His resurrection was a double resurrection. He was made alive, first in spirit, and then in the flesh, His spirit being raised from the dead and re-united with His body. The Apostle Paul tells us, "He put off from Himself the principalities and the powers, and made a show of them openly, triumphing over them." (Colossians 2:15) Here is a picture of Christ in hell, with the whole host of demons attempting to keep Him there, but when the penalty of our sin had been paid in full, Satan had no power to hold Him.
Paul tells us, "Jesus was delivered up because of our offenses, and was raised because of our justification." (Romans 4:25) The very moment the sin problem was settled, the moment Jesus
Christ was legally justified, was made alive in spirit once more, He cast off the hosts of demons, and became the Master of hell by taking from Satan the keys of death and hell. (Revelation 1:8) Jesus died as our sacrificial Lamb, but He rose as Lord, as Master of death, of hell and of the grave. The matchless, mighty Son of God had gone into the strong mans house, bound him and took his spoils. (Matthew 12:29) Jesus has taken from Satan all his authority, his dominion and now offers it to fallen man through His matchless name and grace. What does this mean to humanity?
It means that every person who turns from their sin, confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus Christ and takes Him as their Savior, stands legally acquitted in the presence of God, free and clear of all charges against them. It means that God is vindicated, He has taken advantage of no one. He can now save believers and judge the sinners for rejecting His way to freedom. It means that Satan is defeated, and man can be free from sin, sickness, disease, poverty, death and all the works of the devil. (Romans 8:37) It means that man is legally justified, declared righteous (Romans 5:1) and is an heir of God and joint heir with Christ. (Romans 8:17). It means that man, through faith in Christ receive the promise of eternal life. (1 John 2:25) It means that man can become a child of God and have all the privileges as sons and daughters. (John 1:12-13) It means that heaven is legally the home of God's children. (John 14:1-4)
So, let us look beyond "Resurrection Sunday" and live in the triumphant, abundant life that Jesus has given to us. "Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice. And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you." (Ephesians 4:31-32) Remember, we are no longer imprisoned or enslaved by the god of this world. So, let us never forget the cross, that is, what Jesus has done for us!!! The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you always....
Monday, March 14, 2016
What's the Plan
As we draw nearer to what is traditionally referred to as "Easter" or "Easter Sunday" it might behoove us to consider changing the name to "Resurrection Sunday." Why? The name “Easter” has its roots in ancient polytheistic religions (paganism). This name is never used in the original Scriptures, nor is it ever associated in the Scriptures with the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. This is the reason why we should call the Sunday celebration of the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ "Resurrection Sunday” rather than “Easter” when referring to the annual Christian remembrance of Christ’s resurrection.
Man has, and continuously accuses God of injustice in His dealings with the human race. Many angrily declare that He has no right to execute judgment because man is basically good. However, can God justify Himself in the face of these age old accusations? Has God a right to sentence one person to hell and another to heaven? Has God, as Judge, a right to execute the sentence prescribed in
Scripture against those who reject Christ? Let us consider this matter to see if God is just or unjust in His dealing with man. We must consider what was in the mind of God, His plan for mans redemption, as to what must be accomplished for mans sin to be paid in full and justice completely satisfied. First. let us consider the fallen state of man.
Man was created to be the eternal associate of God Almighty, and was formed on those lines, in "Gods image and likeness." (Genesis 1:26) When man became a living being, he was completely in tune with the heart and mind of God. God gave man a place in creation that was second only to God Himself with dominion and authority over creation. (Psalm 8:5-6) Yet, this man, Adam, did the unthinkable. He committed a crime against eternity, against creation, against his unborn descendants, moreover, against the Creator. He committed Treason against the Supreme Court of the universe, against the Government of God. He turned over all that he was and meant to be, into the hands of an enemy, Satan, giving this enemy the dominion and authority that God had given him. (Luke 4:5-6)
Man had become spiritually bankrupt. He has lost his approach to God; he has forfeited his legal standing and is now under the rule of a foreign king. He has renounced his allegiance to the God of the universe and is described as "having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12) But God is a God of justice. When justice makes its demand that man pay the penalty of his crime, man is unable to pay even the interest. The penalty of man's transgression is separation from God, hell. There was no mitigation of the sentence for the crime that man committed. His crime was an unpardonable sin. Sadly, Adam did this on such a legal basis that God could not abrogate or annul what he had done. Justice would have to be satisfied and it all had to happen on legal ground.
The great dilemma; Simply put, man's penalty for treason must be met, man cannot meet the demands, therefore he cannot save himself. The penalty is spiritual death and incarceration in hell. Someone must go there and pay man's penalty. Unfortunately, there is not a man who can represent the human race before God, neither is there a man who can stand for himself before God. The whole human race is under indictment. This means that it would be entirely up to God to provide a way. In other words, God must assume the liabilities of man's awful treason. If not, then man would be eternally lost. If God should assume the liabilities of man's fall and pay man's penalty independently of man, then God will have answered the criticism of man against His justice. This means, that it would be necessary that God would come down to the earth, become flesh, lay upon Himself all the guilt of the entire the human race, go to Hell and suffer in man's place so that no human would have to suffer. This would be the only way that man could be saved and at the same time, God could vindicate Himself.
So, the work to restore man must not take advantage of Satan, and must be upon absolute legal grounds to man, to the Devil, and to God Himself. Man must not only be delivered from the dominion of Satan, but there must be a way that man be given the authority by which he can meet the devil and conquer him. There must also be legal grounds on which God can justly judge the human race and compel them to pay the penalty of sin if they reject His plan of redemption. So, what's the plan? The first thing that God must do is to provide a Redeemer. This Redeemer must first be adequate to meet every demand of justice; second, every need of man; and third, He must conquer Satan, annihilate death, and bring life.
The only way that this could be accomplished, is through incarnation. That is, He as a spiritual being must take on a human body. This human body cannot be a mortal body as ours, that is, subject to death, but He must have a body patterned after the pure body of the first man, Adam, as well as having the same dominion and authority as Adam had prior to the fall. Finally, He must be able to be a substitute for man. He must pass the requirements that justice demands for a substitute, that is, He must be capable of suffering all that man would have suffered until justice was completely satisfied and every legal requirement of justice has been fully satisfied against the human race. No man, no angel, or a disembodied spirit could accomplish this, it must be God Himself.
The Bible tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-2, 14) One of the most wonderful, incredible, mind boggling event in the entire history of man occurred. Deity put on flesh. The Son of God, Jesus, stepped out of eternity and entered time and space for one reason, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) Hallelujah!!!
Our heavenly Father had devised such a brilliant, ingenious plan to save man, that not man or Satan himself was able to discern. Man and Satan simply carried out the Father's will completely unaware of it. His plan was progressively revealed throughout the Old Testament and yet man and Satan were blinded to the truth. Let us never forget the great love that our heavenly Father has for man, that He Himself would take the liability for all the crimes of man upon Himself, so that "whoever believes in Him (Jesus Christ) should not perish but have everlasting life."
Man has, and continuously accuses God of injustice in His dealings with the human race. Many angrily declare that He has no right to execute judgment because man is basically good. However, can God justify Himself in the face of these age old accusations? Has God a right to sentence one person to hell and another to heaven? Has God, as Judge, a right to execute the sentence prescribed in
Scripture against those who reject Christ? Let us consider this matter to see if God is just or unjust in His dealing with man. We must consider what was in the mind of God, His plan for mans redemption, as to what must be accomplished for mans sin to be paid in full and justice completely satisfied. First. let us consider the fallen state of man.
Man was created to be the eternal associate of God Almighty, and was formed on those lines, in "Gods image and likeness." (Genesis 1:26) When man became a living being, he was completely in tune with the heart and mind of God. God gave man a place in creation that was second only to God Himself with dominion and authority over creation. (Psalm 8:5-6) Yet, this man, Adam, did the unthinkable. He committed a crime against eternity, against creation, against his unborn descendants, moreover, against the Creator. He committed Treason against the Supreme Court of the universe, against the Government of God. He turned over all that he was and meant to be, into the hands of an enemy, Satan, giving this enemy the dominion and authority that God had given him. (Luke 4:5-6)
Man had become spiritually bankrupt. He has lost his approach to God; he has forfeited his legal standing and is now under the rule of a foreign king. He has renounced his allegiance to the God of the universe and is described as "having no hope and without God in the world." (Ephesians 2:12) But God is a God of justice. When justice makes its demand that man pay the penalty of his crime, man is unable to pay even the interest. The penalty of man's transgression is separation from God, hell. There was no mitigation of the sentence for the crime that man committed. His crime was an unpardonable sin. Sadly, Adam did this on such a legal basis that God could not abrogate or annul what he had done. Justice would have to be satisfied and it all had to happen on legal ground.
The great dilemma; Simply put, man's penalty for treason must be met, man cannot meet the demands, therefore he cannot save himself. The penalty is spiritual death and incarceration in hell. Someone must go there and pay man's penalty. Unfortunately, there is not a man who can represent the human race before God, neither is there a man who can stand for himself before God. The whole human race is under indictment. This means that it would be entirely up to God to provide a way. In other words, God must assume the liabilities of man's awful treason. If not, then man would be eternally lost. If God should assume the liabilities of man's fall and pay man's penalty independently of man, then God will have answered the criticism of man against His justice. This means, that it would be necessary that God would come down to the earth, become flesh, lay upon Himself all the guilt of the entire the human race, go to Hell and suffer in man's place so that no human would have to suffer. This would be the only way that man could be saved and at the same time, God could vindicate Himself.
So, the work to restore man must not take advantage of Satan, and must be upon absolute legal grounds to man, to the Devil, and to God Himself. Man must not only be delivered from the dominion of Satan, but there must be a way that man be given the authority by which he can meet the devil and conquer him. There must also be legal grounds on which God can justly judge the human race and compel them to pay the penalty of sin if they reject His plan of redemption. So, what's the plan? The first thing that God must do is to provide a Redeemer. This Redeemer must first be adequate to meet every demand of justice; second, every need of man; and third, He must conquer Satan, annihilate death, and bring life.
The only way that this could be accomplished, is through incarnation. That is, He as a spiritual being must take on a human body. This human body cannot be a mortal body as ours, that is, subject to death, but He must have a body patterned after the pure body of the first man, Adam, as well as having the same dominion and authority as Adam had prior to the fall. Finally, He must be able to be a substitute for man. He must pass the requirements that justice demands for a substitute, that is, He must be capable of suffering all that man would have suffered until justice was completely satisfied and every legal requirement of justice has been fully satisfied against the human race. No man, no angel, or a disembodied spirit could accomplish this, it must be God Himself.
The Bible tells us, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God... And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:1-2, 14) One of the most wonderful, incredible, mind boggling event in the entire history of man occurred. Deity put on flesh. The Son of God, Jesus, stepped out of eternity and entered time and space for one reason, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved." (John 3:16-17) Hallelujah!!!
Our heavenly Father had devised such a brilliant, ingenious plan to save man, that not man or Satan himself was able to discern. Man and Satan simply carried out the Father's will completely unaware of it. His plan was progressively revealed throughout the Old Testament and yet man and Satan were blinded to the truth. Let us never forget the great love that our heavenly Father has for man, that He Himself would take the liability for all the crimes of man upon Himself, so that "whoever believes in Him (Jesus Christ) should not perish but have everlasting life."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)