Aug 18
20
CHRIST IS WHAT HE DOES AND GIVES Daniel E. Parks (2010.11.07)
The Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is the very embodiment of the saving works He was sent to perform and of the saving blessings He was sent to bestow. For example, He is:
1. Both Wisdom Giver and Wisdom Given: 1) “The LORD gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding; He stores up sound wisdom for the upright …” (Proverbs 2:6-7ff; cp. Luke 21:15); 2) “Christ Jesus became for us wisdom from God” (1 Corinthians 1:30; cp. Colossians 2:3).
2. Both Justifier and Righteousness: 1) “My righteous Servant shall justify many” (Isaiah 53:11); 2) “Christ Jesus became for us … righteousness” (1 Corinthians 1:30; cp. Jeremiah 23:6).
3. Both Sanctifier and Sanctification: 1) “I am the LORD who sanctifies you” (Leviticus 22:32); 2) “Christ Jesus became for us … sanctification” (1 Corinthians 1:30; cp. Ephesians 4:24).
4. Both Redeemer and Redemption: 1) “As for our Redeemer, the LORD of hosts is His name” (Isaiah 47:4); 2) “Christ Jesus became for us … redemption” (1 Corinthians 1:30).
5. Both Savior and Salvation: 1) “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11; cp. Matthew 1:21); 2) “And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6; cp. Psalm 98:2f; Isaiah 49:6; Luke 2:25-32).
6. Both Covenant Personality and Covenant Itself: 1) He is the covenant’s “Messenger” (Malachi 3:1), “Mediator” (Hebrews 12:24), “Surety” (Hebrews 7:22); 2) “I will keep You and give You as a covenant to the people” (Isaiah 42:6).
7. Both Peace Giver and Peace Given: 1) “Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you” (John 14:27); 2) “And this One shall be peace” (Micah 5:5; cp. John 16:33; Ephesians 2:14-17).
8. Both Light Giver and Light Given: 1) “The Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Luke 1:78f; cp. Malachi 4:2); 2) “I am the light of the world. He who follows Me shall not walk in darkness, but have the light of life” (John 8:12; cp. 1:4-9; Isaiah 42:6f; 49:6).
9. Both Life Giver and Life Given: 1) “The Son gives life to whom He will” (John 5:21); 2) “I am the life” (John 14:6).
10. Both Bread Giver and Bread Given: “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).
11. Both Strength Giver and Strength Given: 1) “The God of Israel is He who gives strength and power to His people” (Psalm 68:35); 2) “My God shall be My strength” (Isaiah 49:5).
12. Both Grace Giver and Grace Given: 1) “Grace to you … from Jesus Christ” (Revelation 1:4f); 2) “… the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men” (Titus 2:11).
13. Both Mercy Giver and Mercy Given: 1) “… mercy … will be with you … from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father” (2 John v.3); 2) “I have trusted in Jehovah’s mercy” (Psalm 13:5).
14. Both Resurrector and Resurrection: 1) “Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth – those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28f); 2) “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25f). (Although Jesus Christ will be the resurrector of both the good and the evil from physical death at the last day, He is the Resurrection of only the good, whom He raises from spiritual death to eternal life.)
“I defy anyone to find a solitary text of Scripture in the New Testament that uses the law to motivate, inspire, regulate, or even guide the believer. Believers are motivated by love, inspired by gratitude, regulated by grace, and guided by the Holy Spirit. The whole Word of God, the complete revelation of His will, is our law. Our lives are governed by love, not by fear. We walk by faith, not by legislation. We walk in the Spirit, not in the flesh” (Romans 8:9-14; Galatians 3:3). ~Scott Richardson
Minding the Flesh
“They that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh”. Rom. 8:5. This explains why when the religious (who have not the Spirit of God) talk about their god, it is always in relationship to this fleshly life. They speak of the need to believe in something bigger than themselves. They speak of a need for a higher power to help them with the trials of life. They talk about a ‘jesus’ who gives them peace. For them, god’s purpose is to improve their life in this world. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and the flesh profited nothing. Never do you hear them express a need to be delivered from the wrath that is to come. The forgiveness of sin is at best a secondary concern for them. They are unable to set their affections on things above because all they can see are the things below. Only they that are after the Spirit mind the things of the Spirit. ~Greg
FREE INDEED!
Isaiah 49: 9: That thou mayest say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Shew yourselves.
All who Christ saves are guilty prisoners by Adam’s one transgression. And receiving Adam’s sin nature we were born in a prison cell in chains which no man could break. Our prison-nature was solitary confinement, complete darkness, with no windows to let in the light. That is what the flesh is.
If we would have been born free then later locked away for our crimes we would have known the difference between freedom and imprisonment. But since we were born in prison, we never knew anything but the total darkness of our prison cell. Therefore sinners boast of their free will. But a sinner under the power of his sin-nature has as much freedom as a prisoner in solitary confinement. Indeed, he can stand, walk, and lay down when he will but only within the confines of his cell. We were in prison, on death row, too blind in sin to know it –“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil.” (Jer 13: 23; 2 Cor 4: 3-4)
God sent the Deliverer, Christ Jesus his Son, who purchased liberty for those given him from everlasting by his death on the cross. Christ rose from the dead with all power in heaven and earth “to loose those that are appointed to death;” (Ps 102: 20) “to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.” (Is 42: 7)
When Christ spoke with irresistible power into our hearts, saying, “Show yourselves” for the first time, we, who hated the Light and would not come to the Light, did truth by stepping forward in our hearts into his marvelous Light. (Jn 3: 19-21; 1 Pet 2: 9) Christ said, “Go forth” and for the first time, we became truly free to do God’s will–“And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (Jn 6: 40) “Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.” “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (Rom 6: 18; Jn 8: 36)
Clay Curtis.
Unto you that believe, He is precious.
1 Peter 2.7
Believers receive Christ, rejoice in Christ and, to them, He is precious. His obedience is our righteousness. His blood is our atonement. His prayers are our intercession. His reign is our glory. His coming is our hope. Christ is all and in all.
~Henry Mahan
PARDON FOR SIN
When a president leaves office, he frequently pardons prisoners. Those prisoners are set free from prison, but those former prisoners remain guilty. The president of the United States has power to set a guilty prisoner free from prison, but he does not have the power to make that prisoner not guilty. Society must look on that former prisoner as a free man but everyone knows he is really still guilty.
GOD DOES NOT PARDON SIN LIKE THE PRESIDENT PARDONS PRISONERS. God is holy. God ALWAYS punishes sin.
God “will by no means clear the guilty” (Ex. 34:7). So when God pardons sin, God removes the guilt of sin through the sacrifice of His Son, our Lord Jesus Christ. The guilt of the sin of all of God’s elect was charged to Christ our Substitute. The blood of Christ removed the guilt of the sin of His people. In Christ we stand NOT GUILTY. The Father does not wink at the sin of His people and accept them in spite of their sin. The Father accepts His elect in Christ because in Christ they have no sin! “And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity, whereby they have sinned against me; and I will pardon all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned, and whereby they have transgressed against me” (Jer 33:8). Frank Tate
CHRIST ALONE
The person and work of Jesus Christ is an offense to this lost world and the reason for it is very evident for those who know and believe the gospel of the Grace of God.
· Man by nature is in darkness, blinded by the devil and Jesus Christ is the only life.
· Man by nature has only his filthy rags of righteousness, Jesus Christ only is righteous.
· No man by nature can please God; Jesus Christ alone is pleasing to God.
· No man by nature is accepted and just with God; Jesus Christ alone is the Just One.
· All the obedience the natural man can render to God is utterly rejected; only the obedience of Christ is accepted.
· No natural man knows the love of God; the love of God is in Christ Jesus alone.
Therefore if any would have light and life it must be that which Jesus Christ alone gives freely by His grace. If we would be pleasing to God and accepted of Him, we must be accepted in Christ alone. If we would be justified – cleared of all sin and guilt – we must believe in Christ alone for it. For only in Him can a Holy God justify the ungodly. If we would stand before God without the shame of our nakedness manifested, we must be clothed in the righteousness of Christ alone. If we would know God loves us, we must see ourselves complete in Christ, for in Him alone can a Holy God love a sinner. If men aren’t gathering to Christ as their all in all then they are scattering from Him. If a man is not for Christ with all His heart, then he is against Christ with all his heart. There is no middle ground. That which rejoices the hearts of God’s elect is that very thing all others find offensive. Christ alone, Christ alone, Christ alone.
Bruce Crabtree
Christ did not come to make salvation possible for as many people as might someday decide to accept him as their personal savior. The Lord Jesus Christ came into the world to make salvation CERTAIN for all those the Father gave Him in the covenant of grace. If this is not so, it is not possible for anyone to be saved. Frank Tate