How many explanations of this process have you heard, doubtless at least two or three. Some think Christ was a sacrifice to appease God who says that somebody has to die since the law was broken. That God mystically placed all the sins of the entire world on Christ who then paid the death penalty for sin. The idea being that someone has to be punished and die because sin was committed. If these reasons were correct than God’s justice should certainly be questioned. Is this how justice works, is this what a God of justice would do, is this what is required for sin to be forgiven?
Remember those who told us that the gospel was so simple, well they were completely right. Somehow we have strayed from the truth's simplicity. It only takes one sentence to explain why Jesus Christ came to earth to live and die and live again. He came to show us what God is like, to demonstrate the lengths to which rebelling against God goes and to prove that He has the power of life even over death. Okay so there are several different items in the one sentence and yes more could be added but that is the gist of it.
Let’s takes a more in depth look at why Jesus came to earth. Hebrews 2:17 explains; Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. (KJV) Jesus came to reconcile us to God. "That God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians
Now that we understand that Christ came to reconcile us to God, we must determine how this is done. The story of the Garden of Eden is used to demonstrate that we have doubts and questions about God. In the story man is freshly created and placed in a beautiful garden yet the man and woman questioned whether God really had mans best interests at heart. The voice of questioning is presented in the guise of a talking serpent, man disregards Gods warnings after the serpent insinuates half truths about God since a half truth is far more effective then a clear untruth. Being newly created in the story they have nothing to base their knowledge of God on so the falling ideas appear to have merit to the couple in the story and to all subsequent people.
1. God is not a God of love and he does not have mans best interest in mind.
2. God is vindictive and to disagree with Him will bring His wrath upon one’s self.
3. God is not the only source of life. Every being has the potential to become a god and to be as God is. God is selfishly withholding knowledge from us.
Using the above assumptions about God man can hardly trust and it is impossible to have a close relationship with anyone you don’t trust, it becomes a barrier that separates.
The best way for God to reconcile us to Himself was for Him to answer our questions and misunderstandings about Him without overwhelming us. This is the work of reconciliation that Jesus came to earth to perform.
1. God proved His love by sending His son John 3:16. Jesus is not simply a son but He is God Himself. John 1, Col 1:19,
2. God proved he is not vindictive by providing a way of escape from our sinful condition Romans 6:23 . (Rom
3. God proves that He freely forgives sin. (Luke
4. God shows that he is the source of life by the resurrection of Christ. Romans 1:4 and who through the Spirit of holiness was declared with power to be the Son of God by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord. (NIV) (1 Cor
You may be saying to yourself did not Jesus die a Substitutionary death for us. Did not he have to die because God’s law says the wage of sin is death. Think about what this is saying...it says that one innocent man’s death can substitute for billions of sinner's deaths. This could in no way be considered justice. Justice would have the one innocent man freed from any penalties while the guilty pay for their crimes. Perhaps we are missing something, maybe there is an exception in this law on the wages of sin. Let us take another look at Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (NIV) All who sin should die but and this is a very large exception, God is willing to give us a gift, the gift of eternal life. So we see that God is willing to save us for no other reason than that he loves us (love is another word for grace). Remember John
Did not Jesus taste death for everyone, therefore isn’t he our substitute according to Hebrews 2:9? But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. (NIV) Here we see that Christ did die for everyone, however it is not a Substitutionary death. Christ’s death was a means of drawing us back to God. Remember what Ephesians
Finally, does not Hebrews 9:28 tell us that Christ bore our sins on the cross? So Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him. Hebrews
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:18-21 (NIV)
2 comments:
God thoughts Ron and I agree with much of it, but if the bible says Christ died for the sins of many, then thats substitution. While Christ was not guilty of sin and he was not punished for sin, The bible does teach that Christ suffered for our sins...thats substitution. Theres is a big difference in being punished and suffering.
I think its just a matter of you not wanting to recieve the biblical fact of substitution...and that idea is a thread through out the bible. And you also fail to recieve the biblical fact of the legality of sin and death, that is...the transgression of Gods law by humanity. But for the most part, I do agree with the MIT, but you also must understand, Its more about the legal matters of why He died and not the Moral of it. But in the end...the ultimate reason why Christ came to die was to exault the Father....its not about us, but really about God. Ask your self....what was the end for which God created the world? Him self!
AT....Adventtruth
Sorry...thats good thoughts Ron
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