Nov 16
28
Our Substitute
II Corinthians 5:24 "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."
What a grand declaration in the heart of a helpless sinner! That the
Father has charged my guilt to his Son and has given me the
righteousness of God in Christ. This is substitution-the innocent made
to be the sin of the guilty and the guilty made to be the righteousness
of the innocent. This is reconciliation-those once enemies of God made
to be his dear children in their representative Christ Jesus. In order
for this transaction to take place some important things had to happen.
The substitute had to be flesh and blood like us. He had to be tempted
in every way like us. As a man the representative had to be completely
free of any guilt in thought or in deed-as righteous as God is. Christ
met these requirements.
So then when Christ fulfilled all that the prophets had written of him,
when he finished the work that God gave him to do upon this earth, he
went to the cross. God took all the sin of all the elect from every
generation and laid it upon Christ. God's vindicated his wrath upon
every one of his people in the substitute. And not only did Christ
justify them of their sins but he also freely gave them the
righteousness of God, which he earned as a man on their behalf. None of
them will be found guilty for God accepts them in his beloved Son. Not
one of them will be lost for the precious blood of God's only begotten
Son has bought them. Every one will cease from his corrupt works and
rest completely on Christ Jesus who is seated at the right hand of the
Father. And every one rejoices, ever thankful, amazed that Christ was
made to be sin that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
There is no greater blessing!
Clay Curtis
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Extract from The great things God has done for his people William
Gadsby 1838
And we must take into the account each glorious Person in the one
undivided Jehovah,--God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost.
For in the "great things," that the eternal Trinity has done for the
church of God, each distinct Person has a solemn part, a part that
redounds to the glory of all and the blessedness of them that are
brought to trust in God. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy
Ghost, as one blessed Triune Jehovah, hath entered into a solemn
covenant before all worlds to bring an infinite number of mortals to
glory. In this solemn contract, this covenant of grace, the eternal
Trinity took a survey of all their sins, and all their weaknesses, and
all their misgivings, and all their backslidings, and all their
temptations, and all their besetments, and all their slips, and all
their falls, and all their tumblings, that this body would have from the
beginning to the end of time; and in this immortal covenant God made
provision to meet it all, and so to meet it as to be glorified in saving
them all from all the horrors and consequences of sin. Now is that not a
"great thing?" Why, if we make a provision, as we think, for our
children, and make it over to them, one gets proud and profligate, sets
up to be a gentleman, and soon destroys the provision; and the others do
the same thing in some other way; so that by and by the mistaken
provision we made for them has been a kind of means of leading them into
deeper ruin than they would have been in if they had been obliged to
work for every penny they have. But our God made no mistake of that
nature. One "great thing" he did in his council and covenant was to make
the provision sure--" the sure mercies of David;" (Isa. 55:3) certain
mercies, "ordered in all things." (2 Sam. 23:5) Why, he saw all thy
temptations, before ever thou didst. When he gave thee to Christ, he saw
all thy besetments, all thy bewilderments, all thy hard-heartedness, all
thy darkness, all thy coldness, all thy barrenness; and in the eternal
purpose of his grace, he made such a provision for thee that it is not
possible for Satan himself to drive thy poor bewildered soul into any
place where God's provision will not reach thee and be sufficiently
powerful to bring thee out. Is not this a "great thing," a matchless thing?
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Zingers Don Fortner
The biblical doctrine of limited atonement is particular, effectual
redemption. Christ died for his sheep, Gods elect. The Son of God was
stricken by the rod of divine justice for the transgressions of his
people (Isaiah 53:8). Having satisfied the justice of God for his elect,
the Lord Jesus Christ effectually accomplished and obtained eternal
redemption for all for whom he died (Hebrews 9:12).
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No doctrine hatched in hell is more blasphemous or more brazenly denies
the very godhood of our Saviour than universal atonement, the teaching
that Christ made atonement for sinners who yet suffer the wrath of God
in eternity.
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By faith in Christ we receive internally that which Christ has
accomplished for us externally: redemption, righteousness,
justification, forgiveness, holiness, peace, and reconciliation. Faith
does not accomplish these boons of grace. Faith receives them and
experiences them by grace.
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No one is saved in time who was not saved before time began; and all who
were saved in Christ Jesus before the world began (2 Timothy 1:9)
shall be saved in time.
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God never plays Lets Pretend. He did not pretend to make Christ sin
for us. He made him who knew no sin sin for us. And God does not pretend
to make sinners righteous in Christ. He made us the righteousness of God
in him.
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Substitution is the message of the Bible and the very heart of the
gospel. And this is the way God the Holy Ghost declares this sweet,
gospel doctrine. For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no
sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
*****
BLESSED SUBSTITUTION
Deliver me from all my transgressions . . . (Psalm 39:8)
For an enlightened son of Adam, the longing of his renewed heart is for
deliverance from that which is his nature SIN! He longs not only for
deliverance from daily temptation, but also from that final curse which
will usher in everlasting damnation to those without Christ as their
Substitute. This is a paradox, for with his mind he longs for
deliverance from the clutches of sin, while in his flesh he continues to
rebel.
Christ, the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world (of
believers), accomplished that which no mortal man could. By imputation,
He entered Himself into a state of familiarity with the guilt of all
those chosen unto salvation, in that their guilt actually became His
guilt. Though personally innocent, Christ assumed the position of every
guilty sheep. He then could honestly cry forth, "Deliver me from all my
transgressions." Absolute justice must be satisfied before any
deliverance can take place. In one all-encompassing blow of divine
justice upon the blessed Substitute, the Father obliterated forever the
curse that Christ assumed. In Him, the believer can with a heart at
peace, echo His prayer, "Deliver me from all my transgressions."
Marvin Stalnaker.
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Christ our Substitute
Then released he Barabbas unto them: and when he had scourged Jesus, he
delivered him to be crucified (Matt. 27:26).
God has ordered by His marvelous providence a vivid picture of every
believer's Substitute. Barabbas was rightly charged, convicted and
sentenced to be executed. He was found guilty of murder, robbery and
sedition against Rome. When the executioner came to release him, he was
told Jesus had taken his scourging and crucifixion and that he could go
free.
Barabbas is a type and picture of sinners for whom Christ Jesus died
(1Tim.1:15). We stand guilty before the law of God (Rom. 3:19-20). We
were justly convicted of great offences against God (Psalm 51:4). We
were waiting the execution by God's holy law (Rom.6:23). However, by the
order of Almighty God, Jesus Christ was sent to rescue, redeem and
release sinners (Matt.9:13; Luke 4:18).
Believers no more merit release and rescue than Barabbas did
(Eph.2:1-4). But God in His sovereign grace sent the gracious
Substitute, the Lord Jesus Christ to take our place and set us free
(1Peter 3: 18). Christ Jesus paid our debt to God's law and justice and
cleared us of all guilt (Gal. 3:10-13;). Christ Jesus took our scourging
and with His strips we are healed (Isa. 53:5). Christ Jesus took our
death and gave us His life (1John 5:12). He took our sin and gave us His
righteousness (2Cor. 5:21). He was condemned though innocent (1Peter
2:22), that we might be justified though guilty (Rom.3:24-26; 8:1).
There is infinite merit in all that Christ performed for His covenant
people (Heb. 2:17; Rom. 5:6-11). Surely, it is right to honor and
worship the Lamb of God that takes away all our sin and that brings in
and freely imputes to us an everlasting righteousness (1John 3:5; John
1:29; Rom 4:6). God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our
Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto
the world (Gal. 6:14).
Tom Harding.
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Substitution Is The Gospel
Todd Nibert
Particular redemption. Limited Atonement. Definite Atonement. Effectual
Atonement. These are all words used to describe the atoning work of
Christ on the cross. He died for a particular people. His intention to
save was limited to the elect. His atonement was with a definite purpose
for a definite people. His atonement was effectual. All that He died for
must be saved. These terms are all well and good in their place, but a
better word is plain old substitution. All of these terms point to a
real, substitutionary death on the cross. Substitution is the Gospel. To
deny, water down, or omit in our preaching the particular, limited,
definite, effectual death of Christ on the cross .ie .substitution .is
to deny, water down, or omit the Gospel of Christ. The meaning of
substitution is so simple that adjectives are not even needed to
describe it.
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SUBSTITUTION - GODS MYSTERY
For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin; that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. 2Co 5:21
The incomprehensible, wondrous works of the Triune God in the redemption
of sinners defies all finite human logic and frustrates the
understanding of mankind. From the incarnation of the Eternal Son of God
to the glorification of the sanctified ones there remains a treasure of
divine secrets known only unto Him. Even unto His chosen there are
unspeakable words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter. Often we
have a hankering to delve into the unrevealed mysteries of the Infinite
Mind and consequently gather unto ourselves confusion. When an attempt
is made to explain that which God is pleased to retain in His storehouse
of wisdom there issues forth a polluted fountain of intellectual poison
gendering pride, causing strife and division. Gods ministers are called
and sent to declare what God has revealed. When we go beyond Divine
revelation we are promoting self rather than the glory of God. In our
text and context God has declared, He hath made Him to be sin for us,
Who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.
Any deviation from this would be heresy. This is the Word of God. Need
we say more? The theme of all scriptures is the Lord Jesus Christ and
His redemptive, substitutionary work, and the ultimate substance and
accomplishment of that work is, He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who
knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him to
the praise of His glory and grace. This is the crystal clear revelation
of God Almighty concerning His blessed Son. I cannot answer for anyone
else, but as for me I cannot explain the Triune God, the incarnation of
Christ, the actual guilt of my sin being laid upon Christ, the death of
One Who is God in the flesh, the resurrection of the dead Lamb, the
regenerating work of God the Spirit, the glorification of once dead
sinners, except - DIVINE WISDOM AND OMNIPOTENCE! REVEALED TRUTH!
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! how unsearchable His judgments, and His ways past finding out!
Tommy Robbins.