I Corinthians 15:17
And if Christ has not been raised your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.
Message: Atonement: Our Only Hope
What the Lord is Saying: Why is atonement our only hope? Because our sin makes us imperfect. In order for us to be accepted, our sin must be atoned for. For man to be reconciled to God, sin must be dealt with. This is the consistent message of scripture, beginning in the Old Testament when the blood of animals was the means by which sin was atoned for, ultimately looking forward to the blood a perfect lamb found in Jesus. It is the central idea of the Christian faith - that sin separates us from God and the only way to be reconciled is through trusting that Jesus covers that sin. The idea of atonement is not unique. Everywhere in society we see some sort of atonement occurring. When a person is wronged, people seek to make up in some way for a wrong committed. Prison terms are ways a person's life is atoned for an offense. Fines and penalties in our courts for wrongs committed is a form of atonement. Even saying "sorry" is a form of atonement. In the scope of our relationship with God, as this scripture states, without Jesus rising from the dead, faith in Him has no value.
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Psalm 85:10
Lovingkindness and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
Message: Sin our Relationship to God
What the Lord is Saying: God is our creator. We live in the Father's World. In the Garden where he originally placed man and woman, there was complete freedom to live and work and play. There was only one sin to avoid - eating from a fruit tree. Through one man, sin came into the world. When Adam sinned, as our federal head or the representative of the human race, his response becomes our response. Through one act of disobedience all our guilty. Due to each person being imperfect and sinning, the debt cannot be paid by any person that has committed sin. Jesus becomes our federal head - through his infinite worth in satisfying the requirements - his sacrifice becomes a substitute for all, But it can only happen if that gift is received. There must be a payment for sin in the same way we see payments in society through saying sorry, levying fines, and prison sentences. We can be made righteous through the cross. Righteousness and love meet at the cross.
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Matthew 20:28
just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.
Message: The Ransom of Christ
What the Lord is Saying: Jesus came to give his life for all? No, for many. He will restore many from their position of being under the Adamic state of condemnation. Verse 16 of Romans 5 brings the same idea: "For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification." A trespass condemned us all. A free gift (Jesus offering his life for mine) brings justification. Jesus comes to earth to bring a gift to man. Ransom is a payment for the release of someone else. What is owed? Death. We earn death from the wage of sin (Romans 6:23). The ransom payment is the life of Jesus, lived and then his death on the cross. Sin had to be covered and covered completely.
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Matthew 1:18-21
18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: when His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child by the Holy Spirit. 19 And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man and not wanting to disgrace her, planned to send her away secretly. 20 But when he had considered this, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”
Message: The Extent of the Atonement
What the Lord is Saying: Did God intend for Jesus’ death to atone for all people or only for some? If Jesus died only for some, then all of the some experience the outcome of the atonement. Thus, the atonement was perfect in that God designed it and it achieved its outcome, to save those that benefited from its work. If Jesus died for all and yet not all are saved, then his atonement was in way unsuccessful. And instead it only paved the way and man is responsible for claiming the ransom - with some believing and some not believing. So does God limit the extent of the atonement or man? Scripture points more to God than man. Faith is the instrument, but the gift is from God.
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I Peter 2:21-25
21 For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, 22 WHO COMMITTED NO SIN, NOR WAS ANY DECEIT FOUND IN HIS MOUTH; 23 and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; 24 and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. 25 For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.
Message: Two Kinds of Obedience
What the Lord is Saying: There is a distinction that can be made of active obedience and passive obedience. Active is Jesus' work on earth - living a perfect life so that he would be a perfect substitute. Passive is him going to the cross, not of his own doing, but arrested by Jewish officials and sentenced later by Pilate; this was not his doing. By trusting in Jesus or having faith in Him for what He has done, his perfect obedience is transferred over to our account. The penalty is due and the penalty is paid by what Jesus did on the cross and how he lived on his path.
Summary: The Atonement rescues us by Jesus living a perfect life and ransoming His life so that our life of sin can be paid for by Him and through faith in Him; we are restored from the condemnation we received when Adam sinned to being justified and escaping God's wrath.
Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.
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