TUESDAY FEBRUARY 11, 2020.
SUBJECT: THE REALITY OF REDEMPTION!
Memory verse: "Him who knew no sin, God made to become sin that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." (Second Corinthians 5 vs 21.)
READ: Romans 3 vs 21 - 26:
3:21: But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,
3:22: even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. For there is no difference;
3:23: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
3:24: being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus,
3:25: whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that are previously committed,
3:26: to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.
INTIMATION:
All humanity has fallen short of that which is required for one to dwell in the presence of God. The result of law is that all have been made sinners. The result of sin is separation from God (Isaiah 59 vs 1 - 2). And the result of separation from God is spiritual death which will eventually lead to a second death. Since all have sinned (Romans 6 vs 23), then apart from the grace of God, no one can stand before God in the basis of law alone.
Before the cross, all were under the curse of sin in that they could not deliver themselves from spiritual death through meritorious law-keeping or good works. Therefore, as a result of God’s grace, the sinless Son of God was offered as a sacrifice for sin. Jesus thus bore the sins of all humanity on the cross to redeem us from the consequences of sin—eternal separation from God. In order for any person to take advantage of the God’s grace he or she must obediently respond to the gospel.
In His death, Jesus was God’s offering to appease His wrath that would eventually have to be poured out on sinners. In order for God to stand just in judgement of free-moral man, there had to be a choice for men to be saved from condemnation. Through the offering of the blood of Jesus, God gave the choice. Though the offering has to be made at a point in time in human history, the required response to God by faith on the part of man has always been in existence (Galatians 3 vs 11).
Those who confessed Christ are justified freely on the grounds of grace, through the redemption that God wrought in Christ. The redemption is based upon the fact that God laid our sins, griefs, sorrows, diseases etc., upon Jesus. Not only did He become the Sin-bearer, but God accepted His substitutionary sacrifice on our behalf. He was delivered up on account of our sins, for God made Him sin with our sins. He was raised from the dead because He had put sin away; He had, by His death on the cross, satisfied the claim of justice—"the soul who sins shall die" (Ezekiel 18 vs 20).
Therefore, redemption means Christ setting sinners free from slavery to sin and Satan, and the revealing of the righteousness of God that comes to man through faith in Jesus Christ, and it belongs to all those who acknowledge Christ as Savior and confess Him as their Lord. Jesus died in order that we might become the justified children of God in Christ. It is because of His death that we able to be righteous before God. Since we cannot establish our own righteousness on the basis of perfect keeping of law or meritorious good works, then all must be drawn to the cross in order to be justified from sin. It is at the cross that we are justified by the grace of God.
The righteousness of God is the justification of those who obediently respond to the grace of God that was revealed on the cross. It is the righteousness (justification) that is accredited to those who seek God by faith. God is just because He has revealed the means by which we can be made righteous. It was through Jesus’ faithfulness to go to the cross that the righteousness of God was accomplished. Justification was also accomplished because of the faith of those who believed in the cross. Both the faithfulness of Jesus in going to the cross, and man’s faith response to the cross, were necessary in order to accomplish God’s eternal plan to reconcile us to Himself through Jesus.
After His death on the cross, Jesus was resurrected, made alive in spirit, that is, recreated. He was the firstborn out of death. Thereafter, He was declared righteous and made a new creation by the life God imparted to Him. Then He met Satan in his own kingdom and stripped him of his authority and took from him the dominion that he had over the world. That new creation—the recreated life—is what Christ has wrought for us, and we are also made righteous in Him by redemption—His substitutionary work for us on the cross.
When Jesus arose from the dead, He arose, not only because He had put away sin, but also because He had, as a substitute, conquered Satan. It was as though we, individually, had been the conquerors, just as though we had been there in that dark region and had conquered Satan, stripped him of his authority and risen from the dead. When Christ rose from the dead, redemption became a settled and closed issue.
Prayer: Abba Father, thank You for what You wrought for me in redemption in Christ Jesus. He took my place and died the death I ought to die as a sinner I am. He gave His sinless life of inestimable value for my life of sin that is completely worthless; paying the wage of my sin with His life. I confess Him as my Lord and personal Savior. My utmost heart desire is to live for Him all the days of my life, in Jesus’ Name I have prayed. Amen.
PRAISE THE LORD!
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