The Cross – The Work of Jesus Christ

The Atonement PART 5 – The Sufficiency of the Atonement

Colossians 1:22

But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present

you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation. NASB

 

The Sufficiency of the Atonement

This work then, opens the door for our relationship with God to be restored! Because of this wonderful redemption paid by Christ, God is no longer alienated from us. This is to say that the atonement brings about “reconciliation” between us and God. By taking away sin, God has removed the ground of alienation between us and Him, and thereby restored our relationship to Him. This work was initiated by God who reconciled us to Himself (2 Cor 5:18).

Romans 5:8-11 – 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. 10 For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. 11 And not only this, but we also exult in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation. NASB

We see then, that all these things that have been accomplished by God through Christ in the atonement, have reconciled God to us and us to God, and our relationship has been restored.

Colossians 1:21-22 –  22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation- NASB

Through Jesus’ redemptive death upon the Cross, we have been fully reconciled to God. This is because Jesus fully met the demands of God’s righteousness in the Law for our sins, having paid the penalty the Law demanded for sins, but also having earned a positive righteousness before God by His perfect obedience to the perceptive requirements of the Law. John Murray comments on this…. “Christ as the vicar of His people came under the curse and condemnation due to sin and He also fulfilled the law of God in all its positive requirements. In other words, He took care of the guilt of sin and perfectly fulfilled the demands of righteousness. He perfectly met both the penal and the perceptive requirements of God’s law.” Therefore the demands of the Law have been fully met in Christ, and this is the ground of our reconciliation to God. In legal terms, the Bible describes us having been justified before God. Justification is the act of God declaring us righteous now based on the merits of Christ through faith in Him. This means that we have a foreign righteousness that is “not our own,” but is ours by faith in Christ.

Philippians 3:9-10 – 9 and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, NASB

Romans 3:21-24 – 21 But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, 22 even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; NASB

This is good news. This life and death of Christ is so complete before God that it not only meets the legal demands of God’s Law, but even cleanses and washes away the defilement of our sins so as to purify us before God’s spotless holiness so that we are fully sanctified.

Hebrews 10:14 – 14 For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified. NASB

1 Corinthians 1:30-31 – 30 But by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, 31 that, just as it is written, "Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord." NASB

This “justification” and “sanctification” before God is so complete that is has removed any and all condemnation of God from us so that we are set free the tyranny of the Law’s demands, which a sinner can never meet.

Romans 8:1-2 – 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. NASB

Jesus then, is the consummation of God’s Law for us, and we now rest in freedom from its demands. We now have perfect freedom to obey the Law because, if and when we fail, Christ is our righteousness, and we can be resolved once again to obey it, without having the penalty of death inflicted upon us. Every moment is new for the Christian! 

Romans 10:4 – 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. NASB

We must conclude then from these things that Jesus life and death are sufficient to redeem us from sin and reconcile us to God. And that this reconciliation is final, complete and eternal, so that nothing more is required to be justified or sanctified before God.

Ephesians 2:8-9 – 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; 9 not as a result of works, that no one should boast. NASB

Romans 3:27-28 – 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. NASB

It is therefore imperative to recognize the many false distortions of the Gospel which call people to some further obedience required than that of simple faith in Christ. It is Christ in whom we have believed, and He Himself is our righteousness before God, and we have received Him by simple faith.

John 6:28-29 – 28 They said therefore to Him, "What shall we do, that we may work the works of God?" 29 Jesus answered and said to them, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent." NASB

There are no works that we can perform that somehow merit Christ for us, rather if we look beyond Christ to find merit before God, we forfeit Christ and this is the ultimate offense to God.

Galatians 5:1-4 – It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3 And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. 4 You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace. NASB

This was the tragic mistake of Israel which ultimately brought the judgment of God upon them.

Romans 9:31-10:4 – 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed." 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. NASB

We do not seek to be justified before God by the works of the Law, but rather because we have been justified by Christ, we now live by faith in Him, continually looking to His life and death on the Cross as our righteousness before God.

Galatians 2:20-21 – 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. 21 "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." NASB

John 3:14-15 – 14 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; 15 that whoever believes may in Him have eternal life. NASB

The Law then is a display of what Christ’s life looks like in practice, so that we learn how to walk in His Spirit and fulfill the righteousness of the Law toward God and other people. Obedience to Law is something we greatly desire, as a result of being justified by God through Christ, because we are motivated by gratitude for what he has done and a desire to honor Him with our life. But it is not, and never will be the grounds of our justification and sanctification before God. We have become recipients of the love and mercy of God in spite of our life of sin and disobedience.

Titus 3:4-7 – 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, 5 He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 that being justified by His grace we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. NASB

We have been released from our sins by the blood of Jesus the Christ, because of His love. 

Revelation 1:5 – 5 and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To Him who loves us, and released us from our sins by His blood, NASB

 

 

 

 

The Cross – The Work of Jesus Christ

The Atonement PART 4 – The Nature of the Atonement

1 John 4:10

In this is love, not that we loved God,

but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NASB

 

The Nature of the Atonement

The atonement has several very important characteristics which are important to realize. In the hymn “For Man the Savior Bled,” the writer makes the statement, “Oh what heavenly wonders dwell in Thy atoning blood!” Now when we consider the nature of the atonement, this truth is displayed wonderfully.  There is so much depth of character in what Christ has done, it sends one’s heart and mind soaring! Let us consider then some of these matters. As we think about the very ground of the atonement we must consider that it is grounded in God’s Sovereignty and Eternal Decree. This is to say that God planned the atonement, and all of its intricate aspects to come to pass exactly as they did from before the creation of the world.

1 Peter 1:20 – 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you NASB

This, of course, is true about everything that happens, but nonetheless also true of the atonement. Therefore, it was always the intended purpose of God for Jesus the Christ to come and give His life as a ransom for sinners, to satisfy and appease His divine wrath, by His sacrifice to stand in the place of those sinners whom He has chosen to save, and by these to reconcile them to Himself. This is very clear in Scripture. This is why God “sent” Jesus, to fulfill the plan of redemption He had purposed from all eternity.  

1 John 4:10 – 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NASB

John 5:36 – 36 "But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. NASB

God is seen in Scripture as the cause of the atonement, the great architect behind it all.

Isaiah 53:6 – 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him. NASB

Romans 3:25 – 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; NASB

Atonement for sin is therefore CERTAIN! The awesome and wonderful thing about this is that since God has intended to save from the beginning, then that is exactly what He will do and has done. This is expressed in the very name of Jesus, which means, “the Lord saves!” In other words, this makes the atonement sufficient to achieve its ends, since its ends are the thing for which it was designed by God. This is greatly reassuring! We can rest in the fact that God has intended to save us, so we will be saved! This is the very purpose that Jesus has come, to consummate the ages by His great work of redemption!

Hebrews 9:26 – 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. NASB

But what was it that moved God to design such a thing as this? Well, the answer to this question sheds more light on the character of the atonement. The death of Christ upon the cross is motivated by free and sovereign love! This is to say that what moved or motivated God to design a world with fallen people and give the life of His Son in sacrifice for their sins, was the desire to display His love in an amazing and death defying way! What words could be used to describe the profound depth of the love of God! Only Jesus the Living Word could do that through all that He has done!

1 John 4:10 – 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NASB

John 3:16 – 16 "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. NASB

Ephesians 5:2 – 2 and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you, and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma. NASB

God was not obligated to save us, but in fact purposed to save us freely. God did not owe mankind a debt, on the contrary, He is the one offended by the actions of people. Therefore, if He plans to save the offending rebels, He does it by His own sovereign and free prerogative! He does it because He is gracious and merciful! Therefore God’s love is not constrained by anything except the perfect, free and sovereign pleasure of His will.

Ephesians 1:4-6 – 4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him. In love 5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, 6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. NASB

This love is so profound that He Himself is willing to be the atoning victim and bear the very penalty which is reserved for those who induce His holy wrath. He is the sacrificial lamb which has to die, in my place, for my sin! What amazing love is this?

1 John 2:2 – 2 and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world. NASB

As we have stated there is a host of biblical terms which describe the character of the atonement. This is to say that the Bible uses many different terms in different passages to describe what it is and what has been accomplished by it. Its very nature is that which is pictured in the Old Testament “sacrifice.” Therefore, Christ is our “sacrifice,” our Passover lamb that died “vicariously” (for us) and as a “substitute” (in our place). In speaking about this Old Testament sacrifice, John Murray states…. “The sacrifice was the divinely instituted provision whereby the sin might be covered and the liability to divine wrath and curse removed.   The Old Testament worshipper when he brought his oblation to the altar substituted an animal victim in his place. In laying his hands upon the head of the offering there was transferred symbolically to the offering the sin and liability of the offerer. This is the pivot on which the transaction turned. The notion in essence was that the sin of the offerer was imputed to the offering and the offering bore as a result the death penalty.” Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament Passover, and the very sacrificial Lamb portrayed by it. He is the reality to which the Passover pointed, the ultimate sacrifice to cover our sin, so that the death angel of God’s wrath could pass us by and we could be set free from the bondage of sin (Egypt-Slavery-Pharaoh).

1 Corinthians 5:7 -7 Clean out the old leaven, that you may be a new lump, just as you are in fact unleavened. For Christ our Passover also has been sacrificed. NASB

Not only this but Jesus death has an eternal and perfect efficacy that the Old Testament sacrifices of goats and bulls could never afford. This is because Jesus Himself entered heaven and the true tabernacle of God to offer His blood there in the presence of God.

Hebrews 9:11-12 – 11 But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things to come, He entered through the greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this creation; 12 and not through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood, He entered the holy place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. NASB

He obtained an eternal redemption. His death was “one sacrifice for sins for all time,” that is, it was final, complete and sufficient to atone.

Hebrews 10:11-13 – 11 And every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; 12 but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time onward until His enemies be made a footstool for His feet. NASB

Because God has instituted the sacrificial system as a means of atonement, he has therefore been pleased to have a sacrifice appease or satisfy His wrath. This we call “propitiation.” Propitiation is an “appeasement” or “satisfaction.” The holy anger and wrath of God toward sin demands a satisfaction of justice, and His vengeance is enraged toward sin and must have a subject to inflict the good and righteous penalty of death.

Romans 6:23 – 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. NASB

Therefore we must have a substitute to satisfy God’s wrath or be consumed ourselves. This is what sets Christianity apart from every other world religion. Jesus Christ is the only sufficient substitute who can meet the just requirements of God’s law in order to die vicariously (for us) as a substitute (in our place).  Jesus becomes then this propitiation Himself to appease the wrath of God.

Hebrews 2:17 – 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. NASB

Therefore, the atonement does in fact “appease” or “satisfy” God’s holy wrath toward sin. Because this is true, the atonement is also “expiatory.” This is to say that it removes our guilt by meeting the demands of holy justice,  fully. The offense of our sins has been absorbed by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus for us, and the requirements of God’s justice for sin have been “cancelled out.”

Colossians 2:13-14 – 13 And when you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us and which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. NASB

The penalty deserved in our guilt, has been paid in full by the sacrifice of Christ. This is to say then that the atonement is “redemptive,” that it pays the price required by justice. Jesus death on the cross is seen as a ransom price paid to redeem us from the penal sanctions of the law.

1 Timothy 2:5-7 – 5 For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony borne at the proper time. NASB

Jesus death is the full payment price demanded by the law because of our violations of it. He redeemed us from the curse of the law.

Galatians 3:13 – 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us —  for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" NASB

It is important to recognize that this redeeming from the law is in relation to the violations we committed against the law in our sin. However, there is expressed in the law the very character and nature of God to which we look and eagerly desire to possess. We are not redeemed from this eager desire and love for God’s holy law, but only the penal sanctions it imposes upon us because of our failure to meet its holy requirements. So we honor and love the law in all of its goodness, and the holy price it imposes upon our failures to obey it, have been fully paid by the redemption of Jesus the Christ.

Ephesians 1:7 – 7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace, NASB

Revelation 5:9 – 9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. NASB

To this end therefore, the redemption that is in Christ has redeemed us from the very power of sin, that we might live a new life, free from the penalties of divine justice and eager to do what is good.

Titus 2:14 – 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds. NASB

Through Christ’s redemption, the consequences of the devil’s temptations to sin have been fully paid, and he can no longer accuse and threaten us with the holy demands of the law because we have been set free from these to now honor and serve God, not by the motivation of fear, but of thanksgiving and devoted love! In this redemption, Christ destroyed the devil’s work!

Hebrews 2:14-15 – 14 Since then the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless him who had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15 and might deliver those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all their lives. NASB

1 John 3:8 – 8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, that He might destroy the works of the devil. NASB

 

 

 

 

The Cross – The Work of Jesus Christ

The Atonement PART 3 – The Necessity of the Atonement

Hebrews 10:4

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. NASB

 

The Necessity of the Atonement

When we speak about the “necessity” of the atonement, it is important to realize that there is more than one issue at hand. First, mankind has a great “need” to be saved because of sin, and he has an utter inability to save himself. If God does not act to save mankind from this desperate plight, mankind would be hopelessly lost and destined to perish. This is because of the Holiness of God. God cannot allow sin to go unpunished, His justice will not allow it. If He did He would not be truly just or righteous. But He is in fact righteous, and His nature demands the just satisfaction of the consequences for sin.

Deuteronomy 27:26 – 26 'Cursed is he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them.' And all the people shall say,' Amen.' NASB

Romans 1:18-20 – 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. NASB

Sin is a violation of the very nature of God whish is expressed in the Law of God. By this Law, the whole world has become aware of its desperate plight before God and is now accountable to God.

Romans 3:19-20 – 19 Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, that every mouth may be closed, and all the world may become accountable to God; 20 because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. NASB

This is the reason why God gave the Law. It was to make it painfully obvious to us that we have violated God’s nature continually, and this has brought death upon us and brought about our great need to be saved from the wrath of God.

Romans 7:12-13 – 12 So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. 13 Therefore did that which is good become a cause of death for me? May it never be! Rather it was sin, in order that it might be shown to be sin by effecting my death through that which is good, that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful. NASB

The Law also teaches us that God’s standard of righteousness is unattainable for sinners. This purpose of the Law is to show us our great need for justification before God’s holiness. Because we are in such a desperate plight, the Law leads us to the obvious conclusion, that we need a Savior. 

Galatians 3:19-22 – 19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. 22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. NASB

Therefore when we see our utter inability to measure up to or keep the Law of God, we are driven to a hopeless and desperate state in ourselves to meet God’s demands of righteousness. This then teaches us that we must look outside of ourselves to Christ Jesus to be saved.

Galatians 3:23-24 – 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. NASB

Therefore is absolutely necessary that mankind have a way to become justified before God. This now is why the atonement is necessary for mankind to be justified before God. Without it mankind is guilty under God’s law and hopelessly awaiting His fearful judgment which His nature demands. God cannot be violated by sin without reacting to it according to His nature.

Consider how John Murray has expressed this…. “Sin is the contradiction of God and He must react against it with holy indignation. This is to say that sin MUST meet with divine judgment. It is this inviolable sanctity of God’s law, the immutable dictate of holiness and the unflinching demand of justice, that makes mandatory the conclusion that salvation from sin without expiation and propitiation is inconceivable. It is this principle that explains the sacrifice of the Lord of glory, the agony of Gethsemane, and the abandonment of the accursed tree. It is this principle that under girds the great truth that God is just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus. For in the work of Christ the dictates of holiness and the demands of justice have been fully vindicated. God set Him forth to be a propitiation to declare His righteousness.”  

These ideas illustrate another aspect of the “necessity” of the atonement. Secondly, if God decides to save mankind, there becomes a “need” for the means by which God will do it. Because mankind cannot provide a way for himself to be justified before God, having violated Gods Law and become accountable to him, God must now act to save mankind, or they will perish. Now concerning this matter, there are two views about the necessity of the atonement.

·         Hypothetical Necessity – This view was held by good men in the church such as Augustine, Aquinas, and even Calvin for many centuries. It is the idea that God has no necessity to save mankind by means of the vicarious substitution of Christ, but could have used other means to bring about atonement. But God in His wisdom chose to use the means of the atonement of Christ, to save mankind because it was the way in which the greatest number of advantages concur and in which grace is most marvelously exhibited. In other words, the Cross was not absolutely necessary to be the means of salvation, but the means that God chose to use by His own sovereign decree.

·         Absolute Necessity – This view is the classic protestant view held by such men as Turretin, RL Dabney, Berkhof, Murray and both A.A. and Charles Hodge. In this view, the atonement is seen as necessary because God had purposed by His free and sovereign grace to save mankind in His decree, and because of His perfect nature, vicarious sacrifice was the only menas by which it could be brought about. Murray states, “while it was not inherently necessary for God to save, yet, since salvation had been purposed, it was necessary to secure this salvation through a satisfaction that could be rendered only substitutionary sacrifice and blood-bought redemption.”

Concerning these two views of the necessity of the atonement one might ask, why does it matter? The answer to this question is of paramount importance, as to see the infinite value of the Cross of our blessed Savior. Why did Christ die? Was it absolutely necessary? Could some other person have achieved this great salvation? Might we have been saved some other way, or was this just a “hypothetical” set of circumstances that God chose to use of which He had many choices? On these questions we shall look to the Scripture. It is rather clear in the text of Scripture that the atonement of Christ was in fact the only means by which salvation could be obtained. In Hebrews chapter 2 we see that in order for Christ to “make propitiation” or satisfaction for divine justice, and also to be merciful to mankind, “He had to be made like His brethren in all things.”

Hebrews 2:17 – 17 Therefore, He had to be made like His brethren in all things, that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. NASB

More than this, because of the infinite perfections of God, we needed a high priest that was undefiled and without blemish so that He could die for the sins of others and not His own sins.  

Hebrews 7:26-27 – 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. NASB

Also, we needed an undefiled high priest who could enter the tabernacle in heaven, and sprinkle the mercy seat there, in the presence of the Holy God, once for all.

Hebrews 9:23-24 – 23 Therefore it was necessary for the copies of the things in the heavens to be cleansed with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. 23 For Christ did not enter a holy place made with hands, a mere copy of the true one, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; NASB

The sacrifice of Christ was absolutely necessary because it is impossible for the blood of goats and bulls to take away sins.

Hebrews 10:4-7 – For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. 5 Therefore, when He comes into the world, He says, "Sacrifice and offering Thou hast not desired, But a body Thou hast prepared for Me; 6 In whole burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin Thou hast taken no pleasure. 7 "Then I said, 'Behold, I have come  (In the roll of the book it is written of Me)To do Thy will, O God.'" NASB

Because of God’s inviolable holiness and perfection, in order to be accepted by Him a person must be holy and righteous. Because all mankind have sinned, they cannot therefore be accepted by God without a justification brought about by God Himself. He must be “the justifier,” and this justification must be of such quality that it actually provides and infinitely perfect righteousness for the person being justified. This can only be provided by a vicarious substitute, since mankind can in no way become this. This is why the redemption in Christ is absolutely necessary.

Romans 3:25-26 – 25 whom God displayed publicly as a propitiation in His blood through faith. This was to demonstrate His righteousness, because in the forbearance of God He passed over the sins previously committed; 26 for the demonstration, I say, of His righteousness at the present time, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. NASB

Further, this atonement is absolutely necessary to be the supreme display of the love of God and the costly value of it. It is the greatest demonstration of the love of God and this love could not have been displayed apart from the infinitely valuable price of the death of His perfect Son. 

1 John 4:10 – 10 In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. NASB

If there could have been any other way than the sacrifice of Jesus to save sinners, surely God would have answered Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane!

Mark 14:35-36 – 35 And He went a little beyond them, and fell to the ground, and began to pray that if it were possible, the hour might pass Him by. 36 And He was saying, "Abba! Father! All things are possible for Thee; remove this cup from Me; yet not what I will, but what Thou wilt."  NASB

Of all of the reasons why it is absolutely necessary that Christ’s Cross be the only means of propitiation for sinners, it is because God, in His infinite wisdom and omniscience, has set forth in the divine decree that it should be so. In other words, God has decreed that salvation be wrought by this means, and this makes it absolutely necessary because God does not deliberate in moments of time in His consideration of decrees, but rather in perfect omniscience decrees that which is perfect in one simple and eternal act.

1 Peter 1:20 – 20 For He was foreknown before the foundation of the world, but has appeared in these last times for the sake of you NASB

Praise God, the sacrifice of Christ is sufficient to meet all of these demands of God’s holiness, and the Cross does provide for us a righteousness before God.

Hebrews 9:13-14 – 13For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling those who have been defiled, sanctify for the cleansing of the flesh, 14 how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? NASB

The demands of divine justice have been satisfied by Christ, and sin has been put away.

Hebrews 9:26 – 26 Otherwise, He would have needed to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now once at the consummation of the ages He has been manifested to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. NASB

Let us therefore see and affirm that it was absolutely necessary for Jesus to die in our place, and for us, and this to be a propitiation for our sins. In light of this, let us consider the infinite value of His death, and may His blood be to us what it truly is, “precious blood!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Basic Disciplines of the Christian Life

                                     

Disciplemakers must teach new believers to pursue the three basic disciplines of the Christian life.

·      Daily focus on the Word of God

·      Daily communion with God through prayer

·      Regular fellowship with godly Christians 

 

These basic disciplines are vital and necessary for effective, productive Christian living that fulfills our chief end of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.  They are basic because they are God’s ordained fundamentals for nurturing our relationship with Him and His people in the Church.  They are disciplines because they require deliberate, active pursuit with the intent of forming enduring habits.  They are vital because they release the life-giving sap of the True Vine, Jesus Christ which flows through us to others.  They are necessary because they are the essential nutrients for new creations in Christ.  The new life we’ve been given grows strong on the spiritually rich milk of God’s Word, is enriched through communion with the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit in prayer, and produces effective, God-honoring service in His family the church.

Matthew 4:4:  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

 

John 8:31-32:  ³¹So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

 

Philippians 4:6-7:  ⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Psalm 5:1-3:  ¹Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my groaning.  ²Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray.  ³In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;  In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

 

Acts 2:42,44-46:  ⁴²They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . . . ⁴⁴And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; ⁴⁵and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.  ⁴⁶Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

 

 

Basic Disciplines of the Christian Life

                                     

Disciplemakers must teach new believers to pursue the three basic disciplines of the Christian life.

·      Daily focus on the Word of God

·      Daily communion with God through prayer

·      Regular fellowship with godly Christians 

 

These basic disciplines are vital and necessary for effective, productive Christian living that fulfills our chief end of glorifying God and enjoying Him forever.  They are basic because they are God’s ordained fundamentals for nurturing our relationship with Him and His people in the Church.  They are disciplines because they require deliberate, active pursuit with the intent of forming enduring habits.  They are vital because they release the life-giving sap of the True Vine, Jesus Christ which flows through us to others.  They are necessary because they are the essential nutrients for new creations in Christ.  The new life we’ve been given grows strong on the spiritually rich milk of God’s Word, is enriched through communion with the Father, through the Son, by the Holy Spirit in prayer, and produces effective, God-honoring service in His family the church.

Matthew 4:4:  But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

 

John 8:31-32:  ³¹So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; ³²and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” 

 

Philippians 4:6-7:  ⁶Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.  ⁷And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

 

Psalm 5:1-3:  ¹Give ear to my words, O Lord, Consider my groaning.  ²Heed the sound of my cry for help, my King and my God, For to You I pray.  ³In the morning, O Lord, You will hear my voice;  In the morning I will order my prayer to You and eagerly watch.

 

Acts 2:42,44-46:  ⁴²They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. . . . ⁴⁴And all those who had believed were together, and had all things in common; ⁴⁵and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.  ⁴⁶Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart.

 

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

 

The Glory of Christ

 

Today I want to encourage you that what you see going on in the world today is not all there is. God has something in store for the world and the course of human history in the near future that would be absolutely unbelievable if it had not come from the mouth of God Himself.

 

The world and nations of mankind give very little attention to the person of Jesus Christ. Christ is relegated to a historical religious figure who has no real significance in the way nations govern themselves, make their laws, or engage in commerce. More than this, many of the people of the world have either never heard of Him, or if they have, give Him little attention. According to the Joshua Project website, the world’s population is 6.9 billion, and of those 6.9 billion, 41.3 percent remain unreached and have had little or no gospel witness. Safe to say that more than two thirds of the world’s population give little or no attention to Christ, who He is, or how He affects the way they live their lives. Most of the people of the world ignore Jesus Christ, and pay no attention to Him at all.

 

What is striking about this is that Christ is in fact the exalted and supreme King of Glory, the God-man come to earth from Heaven, crucified and killed by men, but raised from the dead in power by God, and who even now sits at the right hand of God, demanding the homage and willful submission of every person on earth, and offering a free pardon for all the crimes they have committed against Him. More than this, He is the judge of the living and the dead, who has promised to return again in power and glory to render to every man and woman in history according to their deeds.

Matthew 16:24-27 – 24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 25 "For whoever wishes to save his life shall lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake shall find it. 26 "For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? 27 "For the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and will then recompense every man according to his deeds. NASB

Jesus is in fact the central figure of human history, having come to the earth to redeem mankind as the Lamb of God, a sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the world, according to the plan of redemption decreed by the Creator of the world and of mankind, God the Father. All people of human history have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom 3:23), and are accountable to God for their sins, and will experience eternal separation from God if they do not come to receive Christ as Savior and Lord by faith in His atoning work. This of course is the Gospel that has gone out into all the world for some 2000 years now. Christ is the sufficient means and way of being reconciled to God through the sacrifice of atonement, whereby He came from heaven to earth, the eternal Son of God, to offer Himself as the great High Priest of God and means of reconciliation to God through His priestly work.  God has offered a free pardon for the crimes of each person committed against Him, through the work that Christ has done to fulfill the justice of God and reconcile people to Him. Moreover, He has promised to give eternal life, in joy and bliss forever, to those who will believe upon Him by faith and repent of their sins to follow Him as their Lord. Therefore, in the church, and in the mind and heart of the true believer, Christ is the King of Glory and power, the wonderful Savior of their souls, and the supreme object of their affections and worship.

 

Jesus is the supreme, central and sufficient person who has ever lived on this globe. Jesus Christ is NOT a great man, He is an incomparable man of glory and power, far above every person who has ever lived. He is God incarnate, who gave Himself in sacrifice for the sins of the world, who was killed and raised from the dead in power, the reigning King and the right hand of God, and bringing human history to the end for which God the Father has created it. The destiny of every single person in human history hangs on their relationship to Christ the King. He is either the exalted King of glory and power who is the Savior of the world to all who believe in Him by faith, or He is that terrible Judge who will meet out His perfect justice for their arrogant life of blasphemy and crimes against His Father, the Creator and sustainer of all that is. There is no middle ground with Christ. He is either Savior or Judge, and God has now in the gospel offered a free pardon to all who will repent and believe upon Him (Acts 17:31). This is the testimony of the Bible, the Word of God.

Acts 17:24-31 – 24 "The God who made the world and all things in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 neither is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He Himself gives to all life and breath and all things; 26 and He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, 27 that they should seek God, if perhaps they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we also are His offspring.’ 29 "Being then the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and thought of man. 30 "Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent, 31 because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead." NASB

Since this be true, then let us consider that Jesus should take this rightful place of Savior and King in our hearts. Let us test ourselves by this rule. Does He reign in our hearts? Does the way we live our life demonstrate that Christ is in fact our Savior and King? Let us not be self-deceived thinking that some vague profession of faith will be our merit before God, but let our lives be a powerful demonstration that we do in fact believe in Him, that He is our Lord and Savior, and that He alone is our merit before God. We are pardoned and blessed because of Him, and His mighty work to redeem us and secure for us an eternal and glorious life forever with Him, in the New Heavens and Earth that he will create.

 

To bring some context to today’s text, Philippians 2:9-11, which concerns the exalted state of Christ, let me first read the preceding verses, which discuss his humility and condescension.

Philippians 2:5-8 – 5 Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6 who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. NASB

Jesus left the Glory of Heaven to humble Himself and become obedient to death on a cross. But consider that the lowly state to which Christ humbled Himself is not fit for a king. Should Jesus remain in that low estate to which He condescended forever, even though the Scripture should proclaim that “humility comes before honor?” (Prov 15:33) Jesus the God-man will of course be a man forever, having taken on the additional nature of man, but He shall not be a humbled man, but One who is greatly exalted.

Philippians 2:9-11 – 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NASB

See here that God has exalted Christ in His humanity and given Him a name among men and angels which is “above every name.” Because Jesus became obedient to death to serve God’s purpose in redemption as a man (Phil 2:6-11), God has “therefore also highly exalted Him!” Consider the nature of this exaltation, “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the father.” See here that now Jesus the man will be exalted by all God’s creatures, and they shall be made to publicly confess His Lordship and pay homage to His great name, and this to “the glory of God the Father!” Consider what a contrast this is with His humiliation at Calvary. Jesus, who was scorned, shamed and beaten to death by men, shall now be their exalted King and Sovereign Judge! Thomas Watson comments..

“Christ shall judge his judges, he shall judge Pilate that condemned him; kings must leave their thrones and come to his bar. And this is the highest court of judicature, from whence is no appeal….See the different state of Christ on earth and in heaven. Oh how is the scene altered! When he was on earth, he lay in a manger; now he sits on a throne. Then he was hated and scorned of men; now he is adored by angels. Then his name was reproached; now, `God has given him a name above every name.’ Then he came in the form of a servant, and as a servant, stood with his basin and towel, and washed his disciples’ feet; John 13:3, now he is clad in his princes’ robes, and the kings of the earth cast their crowns before him. On earth he was a man of sorrows; now he is anointed with the oil of gladness. On earth was his crucifixion; now his coronation. Then his Father frowned upon him in desertion; now he has set him at his right hand. Before, he seemed to have no form or beauty in him; Isa 53:3; now he is in the brightness of his Father’s glory. Heb 1:1. Oh what a change is here! `Him has God highly exalted.’” UNQUOTE

 

The Scripture speaks in many places of His exaltation now at the “right hand of God.” The term “right hand” means that God has given Him the greatest honor, dignity, and power, as kings set the next in honor and authority to themselves at their right hands. It is esteemed the place of the highest honor to be seated at the right hand of a king. So, to be seated at the right hand of God, means that Jesus is exalted to the highest honor of the universe. So we are told in Scripture that when Jesus ascended into Heaven, He sat down at God’s right hand, and is awaiting the complete subjection of His enemies “under His feet.”

Psalm 110:1 – 110 The Lord says to my Lord: "Sit at My right hand, Until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet." NASB

The Scripture describes the full extent of this honor which the Father has bestowed upon Him. Jesus is above all others. Above all earthly powers and authority, He is the heavenly King! 

Ephesians 1:19-23 – 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might 20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead, and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come. 22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, 23 which is His body, the fulness of Him who fills all in all. NASB

1 Peter 3:22 – 22 who is at the right hand of God, having gone into heaven, after angels and authorities and powers had been subjected to Him. NASB

 

Dear Church, this Jesus whom you have trusted in…. is above all. He has conquered all enemies, including death by His victory at the cross. He is now simply allowing history to take its course, according to God’s plan, until the timing is fulfilled and He comes again in glory and power to take what is rightfully His and take His seat on His earthly throne in Jerusalem. Jesus triumphed over His enemies by the cross, the death blow has been delivered and He awaits the right time to bring His rule into the full view of men and angels. What we are now seeing in the nations of the world todays is the enemy’s last ditch efforts to grab for some hold on earthly authority, but nothing in the course of history will ever come about that will alter God’s plan for Christ to come and bring all earthly powers under His authority and subjection to His great name. Even the evil Antichrist will arise and seek to exalt Himself above God and Christ and will cause of time of great tribulation upon the earth, but Jesus will come and destroy him by the splendor and glory of His coming.

Mark 13:24-27 – 24 "But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light,  25 and the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers that are in the heavens will be shaken. 26 "And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.  27 "And then He will send forth the angels, and will gather together His elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth, to the farthest end of heaven. NASB

Finally consider that Jesus is coming again in power, with all His angels in glory, to arrest and bring under His subjection all earthly powers, governments and authorities, and every single person on earth. When Jesus establishes His throne upon the earth, and after He has ruled for 1000 years, He will then finally destroy all of His enemies, including death, which is the last enemy to be destroyed. This of course is the testimony of the Bible, God’s Word in 1 Corinthians 15.

1 Corinthians 15:22-26 – 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the first fruits, after that those who are Christ’s at His coming, 24 then comes the end, when He delivers up the kingdom to the God and Father, when He has abolished all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be abolished is death. NASB

So not only did He possess this Sovereignty from all eternity as God the Son, but now the man Christ Jesus sits at the throne of God with a name among His creatures that is exalted above every name! This is what our text had said….

Philippians 2:9 – 9 Therefore also God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, NASB

But consider here also,

Philippians 2:10 – 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, 11 and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. NASB

There is coming a day when all mankind will confess that Jesus is Lord. And they shall give Him the glory due His name, and not a single creature shall fail to glorify Him and confess His Sovereign Glory and pay homage to Him as King of Kings and Lord of Lords! This vision John sees in Heaven in Revelation 5.

Revelation 5:9-14 – 9 And they sang a new song, saying, "Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to break its seals; for Thou wast slain, and didst purchase for God with Thy blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. 10 "And Thou hast made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God; and they will reign upon the earth." 11 And I looked, and I heard the voice of many angels around the throne and the living creatures and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands, 12 saying with a loud voice, "Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing." 13 And every created thing which is in heaven and on the earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all things in them, I heard saying, "To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever." 14 And the four living creatures kept saying, "Amen." And the elders fell down and worshiped. NASB

The Glory of Christ is awesome and incomparable!….. Consider then how important it is that each one of us be in right relationship with Christ and walking in a manner that pleases Him. Kevin DeYoung comments, “No matter what you think of him now, one day you will stand before Jesus. And on that day you will not see him as a little baby or as a dying man on a cross. He will stand before you as the glorious and exalted Son of Man. You will see the nail marks in his hands, but instead of a crown of thorns, a crown of glory will rest upon his brow. He will be more dazzling than you imagined, his splendor more radiant than you thought possible. There will be no mistaking who he is at that moment—the Lord, the Messiah, the image of the invisible God, the Word made flesh. No one will wonder if there might be other gods besides him.  No one will speculate about the plausibility of this or that historical Jesus. No one will dare to think that some clandestine council or some rogue disciple concocted Jesus the Christ. There will be no atheists at that moment. No skeptics on that day. Every knee will bow.  Every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.  It will be the immediate and unavoidable conclusion for everyone who sees him. And as you stand before this Christ you will do so alone. You will not be able hide in a crowd. You will not have your family or church or well-wishers to stand in the gap. Just you. Your name will be called and you will rise to stand before him. At that moment what your parents thought of you will be inconsequential.  Whether you were popular or rich or intelligent will make no difference. Your diplomas will be of no use to you. Your talents and earthly treasure will not matter. When you see Christ as he is, for who he is, you will not be neutral… No one will equivocate or find some middle ground. You will either thrill to realize that this is the One you have loved and have longed to look upon, or you will hate to look on One so lovely when you’d rather be looking at yourself.”

 

I would like to add “You will either thrill to realize that this is the One you have loved and have longed to look upon, or you will shudder in fear and dread realizing that all your life you shunned this King of Glory, and at last you have met Him face to face, only to have Him speak those horrifying and final words to you, away from me you worker of iniquity, I never knew you.”

 

But there is no reason for such a terrible end as that. Jesus offers to freely pardon. He offers to make you His own, and care for your needs, and heal you from your sins, and give you eternal joy, forever set free from the burden of sin. There is no sin that is so great that can stand between you and the forgiveness of God. His grace is greater than all of our sin. Listen now, even now the King calls to you….

Matthew 11:28-30 – 28 "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. 29 "Take My yoke upon you, and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart; and you shall find rest for your souls.  30 "For My yoke is easy, and My load is light." NASB

 

Let us not be found in the nakedness of our own self-righteousness, but trusting fully in Christ, and His merits before God in His finished work at the cross. He is indeed worthy of our trust, and nothing less is acceptable to God except the glory of Jesus the Christ.

 

You can hear this preached here…. http://www.heritageabq.org/teaching/player/the_glory_of_christ/

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

The Law in the New Testament – Pauline Epistles Part 3

Romans 3:28

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. NASB

 

In chapters 9 through 11 there is a discussion of the ethnic nation of Israel whom God had also chosen to be His covenant people through His unconditional election of them, and that He is perfectly free and just to do so (v-9:1-24). Paul uses this discussion to highlight the massive transition which has now come in the NEW covenant age. He labors to show that God has intended to save the Gentiles “by faith,” and that God has expanded His saving covenant to include the Gentiles, as He had promised in the Old Testament (v-9:22-29).

Romans 9:22-26 – 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so in order that He might make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory, 24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles. 25 As He says also in Hosea, "I will call those who were not My people, ‘My people,’ And her who was not beloved, ‘beloved.’" 26 "And it shall be that in the place where it was said to them, ‘ you are not My people,’ There they shall be called sons of the living God." NASB

Then there is a discussion about Israel and their failure to attain the righteousness of God because they did not pursue His righteousness according to faith, but rather by works.

Romans 9:30-10:4 – 30 What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; 31 but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. 32 Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, 33 just as it is written, "Behold, I lay in Zion a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed." 1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. NASB

He shows the utter ineffectual way of seeking to be justified by the works of the Law as a “way of righteousness,” and explains that Christ has brought about a definitive transition in the plan of redemption by becoming the fulfillment and “end of the Law” and providing an effectual way of righteousness by faith in Him.

Romans 10:4 – 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. NASB

He explains that in this NEW way of righteousness in Christ, that God is concerned with the inner reality of faith “in your heart,” in contrast to an outward conformity to the Law by works, as Israel had tried to achieve (v-9:30-33).

Romans 10:8-13 – 8 But what does it say? "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart" —  that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved; 10 for with the heart man believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed." 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, abounding in riches for all who call upon Him; 13 for "Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved." NASB

He affirms then, that in this transition in history, that God is making no distinction between Jew and Gentile, but is in fact saving both Jew and Gentile through the preaching of the Gospel (v-10:14-17), and that He is still “calling” out His “elect” people as He always has “by grace” through faith, apart from works, highlighting the glory of His electing grace.

Romans 11:1-6 – 1 I say then, God has not rejected His people, has He? May it never be! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, of the tribe of Benjamin. 2 God has not rejected His people whom He foreknew….. 5 In the same way then, there has also come to be at the present time a remnant according to God’s gracious choice. 6 But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works, otherwise grace is no longer grace. NASB

Because Israel, as a corporate group, was seeking to attain their own righteousness by the works of the Law instead of by faith, God has set them aside as a corporate group, in order to expand His saving grace to all the Gentile nations. This resulted in a “partial hardening of Israel” in the plan of God to therefore reach the Gentiles which He had promised in the Old Testament, until the full number of Gentiles is brought into faith and salvation, at which time God will again return and save all of Israel in the course of redemptive history.

Romans 11:25-32 – 25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery, lest you be wise in your own estimation, that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fulness of the Gentiles has come in; 26 and thus all Israel will be saved; just as it is written, "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob." 27 "And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins." 28 From the standpoint of the gospel they are enemies for your sake, but from the standpoint of God’s choice they are beloved for the sake of the fathers; 29 for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. 30 For just as you once were disobedient to God, but now have been shown mercy because of their disobedience, 31 so these also now have been disobedient, in order that because of the mercy shown to you they also may now be shown mercy. 32 For God has shut up all in disobedience that He might show mercy to all. NASB

See then that God has a progressive purpose through the course of redemptive history to bring about His own saving purposes. He gifted and called Israel in order to fulfill His purpose through the OLD covenant age with them, ushering in the Messiah through them, and through the Law and sacrificial system, to promise and fulfill Messianic salvation which has now blossomed and come to fulfillment through the Person and Work of Christ. In this, God has brought about the NEW covenant age of Messianic salvation in which He is saving both Jew and Gentile including people from every nation, and language, and tribe, and people, by the preaching of the Gospel. In fact in the course of redemptive history God has “shut up all in disobedience,” (that is all kinds of people…race, class, language, gender) from every nation, including Jew and Gentile, that He might “show mercy to all” (v-32). See then how God has planned the OLD to fill its functions and the NEW to be the eternal reality with the global purpose of salvation for men of every nation, and this to bring about a NEW effectual and powerful salvation that not only saves from sin, but sanctifies until it ultimately glorifies with eternal life and immortality.

It is important to point out here that even the NEW covenant age will progress through redemptive history and accomplish more purposes of God. Paul here speaks of the national salvation of the gifted and called people of Israel, and how they have received a “partial hardening” from God while He is at the business of saving the “fullness of the Gentiles.” This “partial hardening” happens UNTIL “the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.” Paul reasons that they will be “grafted back in” (v-23-24), to the true vine of God’s saving people as a corporate group. The fact that Paul is referring to Israel as a corporate group in contrast to the Gentiles who are being saved is quite obvious from the language of the context where they are held in contrast with the you-they, you-them, you-those language of verses 11:11-32. In these verses the “you” is the Roman Gentiles to whom the letter is addressed and the [they, them, those, their] is the Jews who were “cut off” and “partially hardened.” See then Paul’s conclusion that [they, them, those, their], whom he calls “all Israel,” will eventually be “saved” when the “fullness of the Gentiles” has come in. So God has a yet further purpose in the course of redemptive history to save the whole corporate group of Jews. He makes it very clear that this happens at the second coming of Christ in verses 26-27 when he says "The Deliverer will come from Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob."27 "And this is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins. "” Learn here, that the corporate group of ethnic Israel will be saved at the second coming of Christ as a further purpose of God in redemptive history. Of course we know that this will be the time of fulfillment of all of God’s promises to ethnic Israel of land, seed, blessing and King/Kingdom that will be granted them in the Millennial Kingdom. Therefore the OLD and NEW contrast through redemptive history comes to fulfillment in God’s purpose to save not only Gentiles from every nation, but also to save the entire corporate group of Israel as He has promised.

 

This concludes Paul’s treatment of the OLD and NEW contrast in Romans except for the application of the moral use of the Law and how we should understand and apply the Law as New Covenant Christians in Romans 13 and 14. We will treat this section of text below as we discuss Legalism, License and Liberty. Paul does bring up the OLD and NEW contrast in a few other sections of text which are important to note.

 

In 1 Corinthians 9 Paul mentions his own relation to the Law in the context of his evangelism efforts. He states “though not being myself under the law.” Of course Paul had stated this in Romans where we saw that we are “no longer under the law, but under grace” (Rom 6:14). Paul is here simply restating that he is freed from the Law and therefore free to live and interact in different cultural situations in order to benefit those whom he seeks to evangelize “win” for Christ.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 – 19 For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all, that I might win the more. 20 And to the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win Jews; to those who are under the Law, as under the Law, though not being myself under the Law, that I might win those who are under the Law; 21 to those who are without law, as without law, though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ, that I might win those who are without law. 22 To the weak I became weak, that I might win the weak; I have become all things to all men, that I may by all means save some. 23 And I do all things for the sake of the gospel, that I may become a fellow partaker of it. NASB

He also here states “though not being without the law of God but under the law of Christ.” Notice how even though Paul states in this passage that he is “not under the law,” he also here says that he is “not being without the law.” Paul maintains the fact that the law cannot bind him in any situation, it nevertheless serves to inform him continually of the will of God. He further adds though that he is bound “under the law of Christ.” This of course is a reference to the new commandment that Christ gave His disciples to “love one another” (John 13:34). Paul sees himself obligated to love others (Rom 13:8) and thus being “under the law of Christ” and fulfilling the Law’s ultimate goal. 

Galatians 6:2 – 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and thus fulfill the law of Christ. NASB

Romans 13:8 – 8 Owe nothing to anyone except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor has

Fulfilled the law NASB

Paul has an extensive treatment of the Law in the book of Galatians. There he is writing to refute the Judaizers who were falsely teaching that one must be circumcised and keep certain Jewish customs on order to be saved. In chapter 2 Paul treats the doctrine of justification by faith alone in a very similar way to Romans chapter 3. Galatians 2:16 is one of the clearest statements of justification by faith in Holy Writ.

Galatians 2:16 – 16 nevertheless knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the Law but through faith in Christ Jesus, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we may be justified by faith in Christ, and not by the works of the Law; since by the works of the Law shall no flesh be justified. NASB

He goes on to make plain that he has in fact been convicted by the Law, and sought justification in Christ and therefore has begun a new life free from sin and living “to God.” This new life is a life empowered by union with Christ and lived “by faith in the Son of God.”  

Galatians 2:17-21 – 17 "But if, while seeking to be justified in Christ, we ourselves have also been found sinners, is Christ then a minister of sin? May it never be! 18 "For if I rebuild what I have once destroyed, I prove myself to be a transgressor. 19 "For through the Law I died to the Law, that I might live to God. 20 "I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and delivered Himself up for me. 21 "I do not nullify the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly." NASB

Having been “crucified with Christ,” Paul shows that he is then in fact living by “the grace of God,” and by “faith in the Son of God,” and therefore in “righteousness,” (right standing with God) which has not come “through the Law,” but rather by grace through faith in Christ. This of course is the thrust of Paul’s whole argument in Galatians. He labors to show that righteousness does not come “through the law,” but rather “by faith” in Christ. In fact in chapter 3 he shows that seeking to be justified by the works of the law puts one “under a curse,” because the law demands perfect blameless obedience to which no one can conform.

Galatians 3:5-10 – 5 Does He then, who provides you with the Spirit and works miracles among you, do it by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? 6 Even so Abraham believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. 7 Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "All the nations shall be blessed in you." 9 So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer. 10 For as many as are of the works of the Law are under a curse; for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, to perform them." NASB

Contrasting then “the works of the law” with “faith,” he explains that “no one is justified by the law,” but rather “the righteous man shall live by faith.” He explains that the “Law is not of faith,” because it will demand perfect obedience in order for one to “live by them.” Instead he maintains that “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us.” See yet again the Law being contrasted with faith, “the Law is not of faith.” What the Law could not do, God did (Rom 8:3) through Christ. Christ bore the “curse of the Law,” for us, that we might “receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”  

Galatians 3:11-14 – 11 Now that no one is justified by the Law before God is evident; for, " The righteous man shall live by faith. " 12 However, the Law is not of faith; on the contrary, "He who practices them shall live by them." 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us —  for it is written, "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree" —  14 in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. NASB

See here the great contrast of the OLD and NEW. The Law brings the “curse” of sin and death, but faith brings “the promise of the Spirit.” Paul then explains what the purpose of the Law was in the course of redemptive history.

Galatians 3:19-21 – 19 Why the Law then? It was added because of transgressions, having been ordained through angels by the agency of a mediator, until the seed should come to whom the promise had been made. 20 Now a mediator is not for one party only; whereas God is only one. 21 Is the Law then contrary to the promises of God? May it never be! For if a law had been given which was able to impart life, then righteousness would indeed have been based on law. NASB

See here “the Law was added because of transgressions” so that we could clearly see the nature of sin and how far short of righteousness we really fall, and further, that “righteousness” is not “based on the Law,” nor can it “impart life.”

Galatians 3:22-25 – 22 But the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept in custody under the law, being shut up to the faith which was later to be revealed. 24 Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor. NASB

Therefore in the course of history, “the Scripture has shut up all men under sin, that the promise by faith in Christ might be given to those who believe.” Before the “faith” of the New Covenant came, “we were kept in custody under the Law,” awaiting the freedom that would come in the “faith that was later to be revealed.” In this way then “the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we may be justified by faith.” And now that we have come to Christ and been justified by “faith,” then “we are no longer under a tutor.” The Law then was temporary and intended to show the nature of our sin and our utter inability to be in right standing with God UNTIL, in the course of redemptive history, Christ would come and we could be justified by faith in Him, an eternal benefit. See here the OLD Covenant and NEW Covenant contrast in crystal clear terms.

 

Paul then has a lengthy discussion on how the Law is rightly understood and applied in this new age of faith in chapter 5. He urges the Galatians that returning to the Law to be justified would be “subject again to a yoke of slavery” and explains then that Christ has set us free from the constant and unending demand of the Law. 

Galatians 5:1-2 – 5 It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. 2 Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you NASB

In verses 13-24 he shows that love is the fulfillment of the Law and that now believers are to live governed by love for one another. This he calls the “Law of Christ” in chapter 6:2. Effectively he explains that Christians are now “led by the Spirit” v-18 and therefore “not under the Law.” He sets out a contrast between the Spirit and the flesh, which are at enmity with each other, much like Romans 8:5-8. We therefore strive to “walk by the Spirit” and in love for one another and so fulfill the Law.

Galatians 5:13-24 – 13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. 14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, " You shall love your neighbor as yourself." 15 But if you bite and devour one another, take care lest you be consumed by one another. 16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. 17 For the flesh sets its desire against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; for these are in opposition to one another, so that you may not do the things that you please. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the Law. 19 Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, 21 envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. NASB

He explains then that walking in and being led by the Spirit truly, we bring forth “the fruit of the Spirit” (v-22-23) in contrast to the “deeds of the flesh” (v-19-21). This is in fact the reality of the true Christian life wherein all true Christians “have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” See then the freedom of the Spirit that Christians now live under where being led by the Spirit we learn to fulfill the Law and love one another.

 

 

 

 

This is an ongoing series….. you can hear it taught here…..

 

http://www.heritageabq.org/teaching/seriesview/1819/

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org

The Law in the New Testament – Pauline Epistles Part 2

Romans 3:28

For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law. NASB

 

Romans 8:1 – 1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. NASB

Notice here the “therefore” of chapter 8 verse 1. Here Paul refers to the entire scope of all that he has explained thus far in Romans, and not just the immediate preceding verses. This is the crescendo of the symphony of Gospel truths that has been laid out before us, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Chapters 1 thru 3 layout the condemnation of the whole world before God because of sin, and that sin is clear because of the holiness of God’s Law. And then in chapter 3 verse 21 and following Paul argues that “justification” has been affected by the manifestation of “the righteousness of God,” and that righteousness is a “gift by His grace,” because of the sacrifice of “Jesus Christ,” which is received “by faith.” Then in chapter 4 he makes the point that if righteousness is by believing and not by works, then the circumcised and the uncircumcised can be “justified” in only one way which is apart from human works and comes only as a gift of grace to those who have faith in Christ. This is the meaning of the Law and Gospel contrast. Then in chapter 5 he argues that in the same way that “sin entered the world through the disobedience of one man Adam,” and we have all sinned in the likeness of Adam, that all who are “in Christ” shall be “made righteous through the obedience of the One” man Jesus. Through Him “grace reigns” and brings “eternal life” in Christ. In chapter 6 Paul reasons therefore that the OLD self has “died with Christ” so that we now live in “newness of life,” for we are “not under Law but under grace,” and been given the free gift of eternal life, “for the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” And even though our mortal body with its imperfect sinful nature is still “weak” according to the perfect standard of the Law, and this causes a huge struggle for our sanctification between the Law and the weakness of the flesh, as chapter 7 exposes, we see in this our great need of the deliverer from sin and death, namely Jesus Christ the Savior. Here then Paul draws the great conclusion of all that has been said in Romans 8:1. “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Charles Hodge explains, “Since men, being sinners, cannot be justified by works ; since by the obedience of one man, Jesus Christ, the many are made righteous; and since through him, and not through the law, deliverance from the subjective power of sin is effected, therefore it follows that there is no condemnation to those who are in him…. Those who are in Christ are not just presently not condemned, but placed beyond the reach of condemnation permanently, they shall never be condemned, because Christ has procured for them eternal life, and they shall “never be separated from His love” chapter 8:39.” Paul then explains why it is that there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ.

Romans 8:2-4 – 2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. 3 For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. NASB

Paul now explains the great reality of the massive transition that has come in the Gospel age. “The law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.” That is the NEW principle in the Gospel of the justification and regeneration of “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” has delivered us from the OLD principle of sin resulting in death made crystal clear by the holy standard of the Law. Now here is good news, we have been “set free” from the “law of sin and death” by what Christ has already done. He explains the NEW and OLD contrast by saying that “what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh.” Because the flesh is so weak and cannot obey the Law which results in death, God cancelled out by “sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin” and thus He condemned and punished sin in Christ. This glorious work that Jesus has done already has resulted in a NEW effectual life principle, “the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus.” And this new result shows forth the power of the Gospel that Jesus has accomplished in those who have been delivered by Him. Paul explains “in order that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” The meaning here is that since the “requirement of the Law” has been fulfilled in Christ, and we have received Him by faith and are now under grace by the Spirit, the result is a sanctified life. Again Charles Hodge explains, “Sin was condemned in Christ, in order that the sentence of justification might be fulfilled, or carried into effect in us….The Gospel is not antinomian. Those that are justified are sanctified. Holiness is the fruit and evidence of reconciliation with God.”

 

See here Paul again describing the OLD ineffectual way of the Law compared to the NEW effectual way of the Spirit. And this is his purpose in all that follows in chapter 8. He labors to describe the NEW effectual way of the Spirit in contrast to the flesh. Those who have been delivered by Christ into this NEW life principle have their “minds set on the things of the Spirit,” and the result is “life and peace.” In contrast, those who are not in Christ have their “minds set on the things of the flesh,” and they are “hostile toward God” and “not able to subject themselves to the Law of God, cannot please God,” and the result is “death.”

Romans 8:5-11 – 5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. 6 For the mind set on the flesh is death, but the mind set on the Spirit is life and peace, 7 because the mind set on the flesh is hostile toward God; for it does not subject itself to the law of God, for it is not even able to do so; 8 and those who are in the flesh cannot please God. NASB

Even better, those who are in Christ have the indwelling presence of the Spirit and they are “alive because of righteousness.” And this state of being “alive” gives them the great hope of glorification, that is, that Christ will “give life to our mortal bodies through the Spirit.”

Romans 8:9-11 – 11 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 And if Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who indwells you. NASB

These Gospel promises were never heard of in the OLD Covenant age of the Law, but have now come to light in the NEW age of the Gospel. See here the effectual power of life in the Spirit, causing our progressive sanctification, and resulting in our glorification, the very resurrection of our mortal bodies. Life and immortality have come to us in the Gospel because of the great things that God has done in Christ. Paul then reasons if these indicatives of our NEW position in Christ are true, then we must see how this demands the imperative of our zealous obedience because of the newness of life that we live in, driven by the power of the indwelling Spirit. This he says is our “obligation,” to the Spirit and “not to the flesh.”

Romans 8:12-13 – 12 So then, brethren, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh, 13 for if you are living according to the flesh, you must die; but if by the Spirit you are putting to death the deeds of the body, you will live. NASB

In the rest of chapter 8, Paul goes onto to describe some of the great promises we possess because of our eternal position in Christ. He says we are “sons led by the Spirit” (v-14), and that the Spirit helps and aids us in our struggle until we enter into glory (v-18-27), that “God causes all things to work together for our good because we have being foreknown, predestined, called and justified” (v-28-30), and all of this because “God is the One who justifies” us and will ultimately glorify us (v-30-34). Then He sums up chapter 8 with much assurance as He describes our eternal security in God’s love because of God’s eternal purpose to save us which He has already fully accomplished in Christ, and that nothing “will be able separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (v- 39).

 

 

 

 

 

This is an ongoing series….. you can hear it taught here…..

 

http://www.heritageabq.org/teaching/seriesview/1819/

 

 

If you would like to know how to know Jesus Christ and be ransomed from your sins and enter into eternal life…..click here to find out how….. http://www.gty.org/Resources/Articles/2425

 

 

If you have comments or questions, please do respond to shaan@heavenslight.org