Author: petebeck3

Pete Beck III ministered as a pastor and Bible teacher in Burlington for over 34 years. He is married to Martha, with whom he has four children, ten beautiful grandchildren, and four amazing great grandchildren. He ministers in his local church as a Bible teacher and counselor. He has published two books - Seeing God's Smile and Promise of the Father - as well as a wide variety of Bible-related articles which he has compiled into books in PDF form.

21: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Death

Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT)

The gift of eternal life means that in an ultimate and fundamental sense the power of death has been defeated.

Jesus told Martha: “I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again. 26 They are given eternal life for believing in me and will never perish. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26 (NLT)

Jesus did not deliver us from experiencing a physical death, but He did liberate us from the second death, the one that lasts forever.

And death and the grave were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire. Revelation 20:14-15 (NLT)

If we are born once, we die twice. If we are born twice, we die once.

That means that those who are born again by the Spirit through faith in Christ will never experience the second death. Those who are not born again will.

Fear of eternal separation from God after being found wanting at the judgment seat of Christ is what is behind the fear of death in many people.

By delivering us from the threat of eternal condemnation, Jesus also set us free from the bondage produced by the fear of death.

I assure you, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. 25 "And I assure you that the time is coming, in fact it is here, when the dead will hear my voice—the voice of the Son of God. And those who listen will live. 26 The Father has life in himself, and he has granted his Son to have life in himself. 27 And he has given him authority to judge all mankind because he is the Son of Man. 28 Don't be so surprised! Indeed, the time is coming when all the dead in their graves will hear the voice of God's Son, 29 and they will rise again. Those who have done good will rise to eternal life, and those who have continued in evil will rise to judgment. John 5:24-29 (NLT)

After assuring his disciples that they would never be condemned, Jesus spoke of the coming judgment and resurrection from the dead. It is vital that we see the connection even as Jesus did.

Confidence at the judgment seat of Christ depends upon our conviction that we have been set free from the threat of the second death.

And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we are like Christ here in this world. 18 Such love has no fear because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of judgment, and this shows that his love has not been perfected in us. 1 John 4:17-18 (NLT)

For believers, physical death will be an instant transition into God’s manifest presence where we will experience the extreme joy of being with God and the extended family of born-again believers.

So we are always confident, even though we know that as long as we live in these bodies we are not at home with the Lord. 7 That is why we live by believing and not by seeing. 8 Yes, we are fully confident, and we would rather be away from these bodies, for then we will be at home with the Lord. 9 So our aim is to please him always, whether we are here in this body or away from this body. 10 For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in our bodies. 2 Corinthians 5:6-10 (NLT)

Once again we are encouraged to be confident when we stand complete in the righteousness of Christ before God at the judgment. We have nothing to fear. For believers, judgment will not determine heaven or hell. That has already been decided in Christ, since he took our condemnation and judgment upon himself.

For us who trust in and follow Christ, the judgment will be a place where God will reward our works of faith and love done in cooperation with God’s Holy Spirit.

It is extremely important that we do not allow Satan to rob us of our freedom from the fear of death by implanting his lie that God will ultimately reject us. We are accepted in the beloved, the eternal Son, Jesus Christ. Because He lives, we live. Death has been defeated through His resurrection!

For our perishable earthly bodies must be transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die. 54 When this happens—when our perishable earthly bodies have been transformed into heavenly bodies that will never die—then at last the Scriptures will come true: "Death is swallowed up in victory. 55 O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 1 Corinthians 15:53-55 (NLT)
Click here to see the other articles in this series.
 
Questions for Further Study and Discussion 
  • What is the only thing that can prevent our being cast into the lake of fire?
  • What are some of the reasons a person might fear death?
  • How does Christ set us free from these fears?
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20: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Dead Traditions of Men

And so, by your own tradition, you nullify the direct commandment of God. Matthew 15:6 (NLT)

This verse records Jesus’ rebuke of the Pharisees for allowing men to donate money or land to the synagogue that otherwise would have been used to support their aged parents, thus relieving them of their duty to provide for them. God is not impressed when we dodge a clear command to honor our parents under the pretext of being generous in a religious way. I remember counseling a young man who ducked into a denominational church wearing a hat. His hair was a mess, and he was embarrassed to remove his hat. The gate keeper of the church asked him to leave if he would not remove his hat. That young man was seeking after God, but the roadblock of a religious tradition barred the door. Sure, if he had been more mature, he would have swallowed his pride and uncovered his head. However, he was not that mature, and neither was the gate keeper. It ended poorly because tradition triumphed over mercy and love. When I spoke to this young man, another stumbling block had been erected in his life. Hopefully he forgave that man and moved on. Sometimes traditions of men keep us locked in bondage.

Nowhere is the deviousness of the human intellect so clearly seen as in our religious traditions that we think are expressions of devotion to God, but which defeat the clear intent of His Word.

Every group has traditions, even those who profess to be free from such things. Non-tradition can easily become a defining tradition. When Luther distanced himself from the Roman Catholic Church, he was careful to try to retain everything that he deemed was not a contradiction to Scripture. Others were more iconoclastic and rooted out anything they considered was not clearly found in the Bible. Hence, Lutherans have a more formal liturgical type of worship service somewhat reminiscent of Catholic tradition, while some more radical groups did such things as banning musical instruments from worship services, since the New Testament nowhere mentions them. The question we must ask ourselves is: “Which philosophy is correct, retention or iconoclasm?”

To answer this question requires that we step back and examine our presuppositions. The Protestant Reformation protested flagrant abuses and errors found in the Catholic Church at that time. Luther found much good in the church but could not abide certain things. Thus, he posted his 95 Theses on the church door in Wittenberg to launch a religious and political upheaval. He was careful to not “throw out the baby with the bath water”, so to speak. Others did not have his love and appreciation for the Roman church. They hated it and found it rotten to the core. Their version of the Reformation was much more an overthrow of the entire system. Centuries later, it is interesting that the church polity and style we follow more resembles the radical reformers than the Lutherans.

The Catholic Church adopted a theology that gives as much weight to church tradition, including ex cathedra pronouncements by the Pope, as it gives to the Holy Scripture. Evangelical Protestant tradition insists on sola scriptura, meaning the Bible is our only infallible source for doctrine and practice. As children of the Reformation, sola scriptura is an established doctrine. Things break down a little right off the bat, however, because not everyone interprets the Bible the same way. Different Protestant groups have established their own church traditions based on their interpretations of the Bible. Hence, some groups rally around what is called “Reformed” doctrine, based on John Calvin’s teachings. One group may make its stand on the proper mode of water baptism, which divided the Baptists and Methodists during the great early camp revivals in our nation. Other groups believe resolutely in the present-day baptism in the Holy Spirit and the operation of the spiritual gifts, while still other groups declare that these things are no longer in operation and are “of the devil”. Depending on the group to which you belong, you will think the other group has man-made religious traditions that nullify God’s Word. Christians have been fighting each other for centuries over doctrinal disputes. What is a person to do?

Some people get confused and rattled by all this wrangling. They wonder how anyone can determine what is right, or if there is a “right” side to the argument.

Jesus came to set us free from men’s traditions that conflict with the Word of God.

The core of God’s Word can be summed up in two commandments – love God and love your neighbor. (Matthew 22:36-40)

God has given us unity with our spiritual brothers and sisters based on our being children of the same Father, servants of the same Lord, and indwelled by the same Holy Spirit. Whether or not our doctrine is perfect does not affect any of these core unities.

Even if we dispute the meaning of certain scriptures, we are to maintain a unity of heart and Spirit.

Some doctrinal differences are so great, however, that they must be resisted vigorously.

Dear friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the faith that God has entrusted once for all time to his holy people. 4  I say this because some ungodly people have wormed their way into your churches, saying that God’s marvelous grace allows us to live immoral lives. The condemnation of such people was recorded long ago, for they have denied our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. Jude 1:3-4 (NLT)

Deciding what doctrines are pernicious is the responsibility of church leaders who are guardians of the truth.

Anything that detracts from God’s glory, Jesus’ lordship, or the Holy Spirit’s role in our lives, leads us to disobey God’s clear commands, or promotes immorality cannot be from God and must be heartily resisted because of their destructiveness.

The truths enunciated in the early church creeds are a good starting point for identifying what is essential.

However, if we allow a non-essential doctrinal tradition to separate us from our brethren, it is wrong. Honest God-fearing Christians see things quite differently.

If we hold to our own interpretations and traditions with a high regard and show respect for those held by others, and we refuse to allow our hearts to be divided from other groups because of these things, it shows that we have been redeemed from the power of tradition. Doctrine divides, but God’s love and the Holy Spirit unite us.

I believe God has made His Word deliberately ambiguous in certain areas to test our hearts. I do not suggest biblical truth is relative or malleable, but I do believe our ability to grasp the enormity and complexity of God’s truth is limited by our imperfect human minds. To make the human intellect the measure of what is true is gross arrogance. To insist that our group is the only group that really “gets it” is an expression of an ugly form of pride. To hold to one’s own convictions with magnanimity of heart towards those who disagree is an expression of spiritual maturity. Let’s use the following maxim as our guide.

IN ESSENTIALS UNITY, IN NON-ESSENTIALS LIBERTY, IN ALL THINGS CHARITY

Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don't see things the way you do. And don't jump all over them every time they do or say something you don't agree with—even when it seems that they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently. Romans 14:1 (MSG)

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

  • Can you name a man-made tradition that you or your church holds that is not clearly in Scripture.
  • Can you name any areas in which you have observed a man-made tradition lead someone to disobey clear biblical teaching?
  • If we find ourselves in a dispute over a particular doctrinal point of view, such as the rapture, what is the best way to handle it?
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19: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Lawlessness

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? 2 May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Romans 6:1-2 (NASB)

Lawlessness is the opposite side of the coin from legalism. Legalism and lawlessness are both forms of rebellion against God. Lawlessness rejects God’s standard of righteous living altogether. It fully embraces sin and gives free rein to the sin nature. Legalism, as we have seen, embraces God’s standard of righteousness but rejects God’s way of attaining it through faith in Christ.

When we first hear about how Jesus set us free from the power of condemnation, the carnal mind is tempted to draw the conclusion that we are now free to be lawless, or, as Paul put it in the verse above, “to continue in sin that grace may increase.” A person who thinks this way has not yet experienced the transformation of the mind through the power of God’s Word and the Holy Spirit. The regenerated person receives a new heart that desires to serve God and be pleasing to him. The old nature inherited from Adam will always desire to sin; therefore, we should not be surprised when these sorts of thoughts occur to us. However, we must resist these temptations to believe a lie.

Spiritual maturity is the condition of thinking and living in harmony with God’s Spirit and Word.

God has not abandoned his desire for his people to live according to his ways. The only thing that has changed in the New Covenant is how we get there. The new way of the Spirit produces in us the obedience and purity of heart that the Law could not. All the Law can do it expose how far short we fall.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2  And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death. 3  The law of Moses was unable to save us because of the weakness of our sinful nature. So God did what the law could not do. He sent his own Son in a body like the bodies we sinners have. And in that body God declared an end to sin’s control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4  He did this so that the just requirement of the law would be fully satisfied for us, who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (NLT)

A distinguishing characteristic of those who serve God and those who refuse God is the fear of the Lord.

Part of the fear of the Lord is a regard for the consequences of our actions. Those who fear God fear his judgments against sin.

God’s born-again children should properly fear the Lord. We know that God loves us, and we love him back, but we still stand in awe of him and the discipline he may bring should we defy him.

A person who flaunts his or her sin is either not regenerated or still is yielding actively to the sin nature for some reason. Regardless of the reason, a lawless person embraces that which nailed Jesus to the cross. Such a person may be ignorant of the truth, or may be bitter or offended with God in some way, using that as an excuse for sin, or may be trying to cover up his or her pain by “self-medicating”. The answer for the unregenerate person is to put his or her faith in Christ and surrender to his lordship. This article is aimed at the born-again believer who still is living a lawless life.

“Walking in the Spirit” is a phrase Paul uses that describes the condition of allowing the Holy Spirit to live His life through us in such a way that makes us obedient and pleasing to God.

The gospel not only provides forgiveness: it also provides the power to live a new kind of life.

The best defense many times is a strong offense. If we actively seek after God by doing the things that promote deepening our relationship with him (worship, prayer, meditation on God’s Word, etc.), we are less likely to give ourselves over to sin.

Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19  singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20  And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians 5:18-20 (NLT)

But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. Galatians 5:16 (NASB)

Walking in the Spirit produces an obedience that legalism cannot because it begins from a position of resting in our having already obtained God’s favor and blessing through Christ, instead of working to gain that favor through our performance.

If what we are doing is producing in us the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, etc.., we can be sure it because we are resting in God’s grace. Legalism, in contrast, is an attempt to gain God’s favor and blessing through our own performance, proving, so to speak, that we deserve it. Legalism cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. Usually it results in frustration, discouragement, pride, impatience, and judging others.

Walking in the Spirit makes us aware of God’s graciousness toward us and encourages us to show appreciation and love to the One Who has done so much for us.

By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. 3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 1 John 5:2-4 (NASB)

The only way obeying God is not a heavy burden is when our love and appreciation for him is coupled with his grace toward us through faith.

When Jesus lives through us, we can serve God willingly.

I believe our Lord described what this is like better than anyone else.

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 29  Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30  For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT)

Refusing to let the Holy Spirit have His way in our lives is the fundamental sin of self-directed living.

When the Holy Spirit directs us, He also gives us the power to perform what He shows us to do; whereas, the Law leaves us to our own devices.

Jesus described our predicament under legalism as follows, speaking of the Pharisees who represented legalistic self-righteousness:

They crush you with impossible religious demands and never lift a finger to help ease the burden. Matthew 23:4 (NLT)

Grace is God’s power via the Holy Spirit to live the Christian life.

The Christian’s highest calling in life is to bring glory and honor to God. Anything that dishonors God can never be a product of grace or true righteousness. Grace was never meant to be an excuse for sin or permission to sin. Quite the opposite, it is the reason we do not have to sin any more after being born again. Through our identification with Christ in His death, the sin nature lost its power to dominate or rule us.

Sin is no longer your master, for you are no longer subject to the law, which enslaves you to sin. Instead, you are free by God's grace. Romans 6:14 (NLT)

The lawless Christian is deliberately yielding once again to the domination of sin, which is a contradiction of the efficacy of the cross. Such a person’s life is actively testifying to all who know him or her that the cross of Christ is powerless to deliver someone from sin.

What do you think God should do about that? The lawless Christian should be in fear and trembling, wondering what God may do to preserve the testimony of Christ.

How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God, and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has insulted the Spirit of grace? 30 For we know Him who said, "VENGEANCE IS MINE, I WILL REPAY." And again, "THE LORD WILL JUDGE HIS PEOPLE." 31 It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God. Hebrews 10:29-31 (NASB)

Since Christ took our punishment for sin on the cross, he is not required to punish us as our sin deserves any longer. (Psalm 103:10)

When God disciplines a lawless son or daughter, it is the stern love of a Father who wants the best for his child.

God will chasten or discipline a rebellious person with three ends in mind: (1) to draw us to himself in love, (2) to make our lives match the truth that the gospel sets people free, and (3) to transform us into Christ’s image and likeness.  Everything God does is motivated by his love for us and will work for our good and his glory. (Romans 8:28)

God knows when to be gentle with us and when to be stern.  (Romans 11:22)

Even though God’s mercy is great, sin is no light thing, and it is very unwise to put God in a position where He may need to do something drastic to preserve the integrity of his name and the gospel.

Living by grace requires that we walk in the tension created between knowing that God does not demand perfection from us in keeping “the rules,” but He does expect us to surrender our lives to him and make a sincere effort to walk in cooperation with and obedience to his Spirit.

Jesus has set us free from legalism and lawlessness so that we can bring glory to the Father through heartfelt obedience.

Through Christ, God has given us the privilege and authority as apostles to tell Gentiles everywhere what God has done for them, so that they will believe and obey him, bringing glory to his name. Romans 1:5 (NLT)

 

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion

  • Do you think that most believers are surprised when they discover that the “flesh” can never be rehabilitated?
  • Can you describe how legalism and lawlessness are both examples of rebellion against God?
  • How would you explain to someone that lawlessness in a Christian is a contradiction of the effectiveness of the cross of Christ and the truth of the gospel?
  • Can you give an example of how an unbeliever might use the contradictory lifestyle of a lawless Christian as an excuse to reject the gospel?
  • Does it make sense to you why God disciplines his children who are lawless?
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18: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from Performance-Based Living

Oh, foolish Galatians! Who has cast an evil spell on you? For the meaning of Jesus Christ’s death was made as clear to you as if you had seen a picture of his death on the cross. 2  Let me ask you this one question: Did you receive the Holy Spirit by obeying the law of Moses? Of course not! You received the Spirit because you believed the message you heard about Christ. 3  How foolish can you be? After starting your Christian lives in the Spirit, why are you now trying to become perfect by your own human effort? 4  Have you experienced so much for nothing? Surely it was not in vain, was it? Galatians 3:1-4 (NLT)  

Legalism or performance-based living is one of the greatest evils propagated by well-meaning people in cooperation with the devil. Paul likened it to being under the power of witchcraft. Legalism mesmerizes those under its sway. It is fueled by our pride and reinforced by rules that are used to measure people’s righteousness before God.

Performance-based living cannot give us the peace we desire because it is based on the lie that it is possible to gain and maintain a right relationship with God through our own effort.

Because of the effects of sin, most of us realize that something is missing in our relationship with God. Religion is man’s attempt to connect with God, but the Bible makes it clear that any restoration of that relationship must be initiated by God himself. We are quite incapable of pulling it off.

Just as the people of Israel thought they could fight against the Canaanites on their own, we are under the delusion that through trying hard we can please God without his help. The Israelites who followed Moses, illustrated this principle.

So Moses returned from the mountain and called together the elders of the people and told them everything the LORD had commanded him. 8  And all the people responded together, “We will do everything the LORD has commanded.” So Moses brought the people’s answer back to the LORD. Exodus 19:7-8 (NLT)

They thought they had the capacity to obey. All they needed was to know what to do. The truth of the matter was that they were fatally flawed at the core of their being because of the devastating effects of sin. Even though they professed to want to obey God, they had no ability to follow through on their promise. God knew this, but they did not – yet. The same is often true for us. We imagine that if we just try a little harder, we can pull this off. But we cannot.

Most Christians understand that before being born again we desperately needed Christ. When we realize that we are unable to save ourselves, the gospel becomes most welcome news. Jesus died to take our punishment for all the sins we ever committed! God is willing to “let bygones be bygones” and erase or forgive all the marks against us on the great blackboard of life.

Those who do not fully understand the gospel tend to stop here with forgiveness, thinking that once we get a fresh clean slate, now it is our responsibility to make the most of it. After all, “God helps those who help themselves.” (This is probably the most quoted non-scripture ever!) This way of looking at things misses the point. We could not save ourselves before we turned to Christ, and we cannot do it after.

The good news is much more than simple forgiveness. God gives those who trust in Jesus his Spirit to live the Christ life in and through us!

This means that we need God’s grace to operate in every aspect of our lives from the beginning to the end.

Therefore, since we have been made right in God’s sight by faith, we have peace with God because of what Jesus Christ our Lord has done for us. 2  Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory. Romans 5:1-2 (NLT)

Under legalism, we get into the kingdom by grace, but we remain in God’s favor through our obedience. In other words, we earn it. Grace thinking is quite different. We enter the kingdom by grace, and become obedient through grace. The result is the same, but how we get there is very different. Legalism requires self-effort.

Grace requires faith that Christ has already provided us with a permanent right standing with God. Our obedience stems from our love for such an amazing Savior and a desire to please and bring him glory.

For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. 4  For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given. As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God. Romans 10:3-4 (NLT)

Legalistic thinking in earlier times led some to postpone water baptism until their deathbed. That way they would have the cleanest slate possible when they approached the judgment seat of Christ. The early Jewish believers in Christ often added a slightly different twist: people get into the kingdom by faith alone, but if you wanted to be a true follower of Christ, you then had to keep the law and be circumcised.

The key idea in legalism is that salvation comes through faith in Christ plus something else. The true gospel is that salvation comes through faith in Christ alone.

So Christ has truly set us free. Now make sure that you stay free, and don’t get tied up again in slavery to the law. 2  Listen! I, Paul, tell you this: If you are counting on circumcision to make you right with God, then Christ will be of no benefit to you. 3  I’ll say it again. If you are trying to find favor with God by being circumcised, you must obey every regulation in the whole law of Moses. 4  For if you are trying to make yourselves right with God by keeping the law, you have been cut off from Christ! You have fallen away from God’s grace. Galatians 5:1-4 (NLT)

Every God-fearing person who has tried to keep the Law knows what it is like to feel the desperation of condemnation. Before faith in Christ, all of us were under condemnation and wrath because all have sinned.

We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. 23  For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. 24  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. Romans 3:22-24 (NLT)

No one has ever escaped this judgment, because no one apart from Christ has been without sin. Condemnation comes because of the Law.

The Law is God’s righteous standard of holiness that points out and defines sin in our lives. Its job is to place us under condemnation so that we will understand our desperate need for a Savior. It is our servant to lead us to Christ.

For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are. Romans 3:20 (NLT)

Once a person places his or her faith in Christ, this condemnatory role of the Law in our lives is finished forever.

We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. 9 We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, 10 for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine 11 that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me. 1 Timothy 1:8-11 (NIV)

Christ took upon Himself all the condemnation that the Law placed upon us. He bore our sin and the penalty for our sin. When we placed our faith in Christ, we were justified by the Father, which means we received Christ’s perfect righteousness as a gift. This means in God’s eyes we already have the righteousness that comes from perfect obedience unto death over a lifetime. That is why we are no longer subject to condemnation.

Freedom from condemnation is a big key to victorious living by faith.

The strength of sin is the Law’s power to condemn. (1Cor.15:56) If we allow ourselves to be condemned because of our sins and failings after becoming a Christian, we are giving power to sin to rule us, even though it has no right to do so.

Until we decide to focus instead on Christ’s righteousness given to us instead of on our own sinfulness and weakness, we will struggle with a condemnation-induced power of sin in our lives.

Therefore, it is just as important to understand and believe that we are free from condemnation through dying to the law in Christ as it is to believe we are free from the power of indwelling sin through our identification with Christ’s death to sin and resurrection in life.

The Law will never go away. Its righteous standards are eternal. We had to “go away” by dying so that we could be married to someone else whose name is Jesus Christ. Just as our union with the Law brought forth evil fruit due to our corrupt sin nature, even so, our union with Christ produces good fruit out of our new nature in Christ.

The new nature cannot be joined to the Law because the two are incompatible. We must jettison old performance-based thinking and accept the new way of the Spirit.

But now we have been released from the law, for we died with Christ, and we are no longer captive to its power. Now we can really serve God, not in the old way by obeying the letter of the law, but in the new way, by the Spirit. Romans 7:6 (NLT)

The only way this will work is if the power of grace and the indwelling Spirit is strong enough to overcome temptation and the desires of the sin nature, which still reside in us in diminished strength. According to Romans 8, this is indeed the case.

So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death. 3 The law of Moses could not save us, because of our sinful nature. But God put into effect a different plan to save us. He sent his own Son in a human body like ours, except that ours are sinful. God destroyed sin's control over us by giving his Son as a sacrifice for our sins. 4 He did this so that the requirement of the law would be fully accomplished for us who no longer follow our sinful nature but instead follow the Spirit. Romans 8:1-4 (NLT)

If this sounds too good to be true, it is because we have never understood the true gospel of grace. Instead, we have been living to some degree or another under a form of legalism or performance-based Christianity. Yes, it is vitally important to obey God, but we don’t do it to gain a right standing or acceptance from Him. We do it because we already have those things. Love and appreciation are far more powerful motivators than fear and condemnation. If we have any doubts about this, consider the story of the woman caught in adultery in John Chapter 8. She expected to be killed by stoning for her sin as required by the Law, but…

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” 11  “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11 (NLT)

She was able to walk in victory over sin because God forgave her and released her from condemnation. If we have only known serving God out of fear of judgment, we really should give this new way of living condemnation free in the Spirit a try. We will never go back!

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How did God deliver us from the power of condemnation?
  • Why is condemnation so antithetical to living by grace?
  • Why is it just as important to understand and believe that we are dead to the law’s power to condemn as it is to know that we are dead to indwelling sin’s power to rule us?
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Can We Know if We Are Going to Heaven?

Over the years I have asked many people this important question. If you were to die today, would you go to heaven? The usual answers are: “I hope so,” “No,” and “Yes.” The follow up question helps me to know how to proceed in the conversation. “Why do you think that?” Some respond by saying that they feel that they are basically good people. Others say that they go to church or try not to hurt anyone. Those who have heard the gospel and understand it reply that they have put their faith in Jesus to save them. Some who say that they have believed in Jesus are not sure whether they will go to heaven. Does God want us to be sure, or does he hold us in suspense in order to motivate us to keep on the “straight and narrow?” This begs a larger question, can we be truly saved and then lose that salvation, or are we permanently saved once we are born again? If the former is true, then we cannot know for sure if we are going to heaven until our last breath is exhaled, even if we are believers. If the latter is correct, then perhaps our eternal destiny can be known while we still live and breathe here on earth. 

In his first letter, John wrote that we can know for sure.

I have written this to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 (NLT)

This verse hinges on the meaning of two words: believe and eternal.

Faith consists of at least four components: revelation, trust, allegiance, and obedience.

It is not mere mental assent to a set of doctrinal facts, as some suppose.

Faith is the result of an interaction in our hearts between the Word of God and the Holy Spirit.

The words of God carry within them an explosive capability to release revelation and faith. The Spirit of God takes the Word of God and “sparks” a divine internal “explosion,” which results in our being able to “hear” or truly understand, receive, believe, and respond to what God says or what is written in the Bible. Some people call this interaction the “rhema” word of God, as differentiated from the written or logos word of God. The key thing I want us to grasp is that people can read or hear what is written in the Bible without any attendant revelation or faith. Unless the Spirit of God is at work in a heart that is open and receptive, God’s words fall on deaf ears.

For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.’ Matthew 13:15 (NLT)

When an open heart truly hears and believes God’s Word, a trust in God forms. This is because we begin to see or understand who God really is and what he has done for us and will do. Love for and loyalty to God follows, along with a developing obedience.

Real faith always produces obedience, even if it takes a while to develop. Faith without loyalty and obedience to God is not genuine faith. Probably it is mere mental assent or an emotional response without any substance. Jesus spoke of this in his parable of the sower and the seed.

The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. Luke 8:13 (NLT)

Since faith grows out of a revelation of who God truly is, faith results in our knowing God.

This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. John 17:3 (NASB)

This is a spiritual knowing. It is one thing to know about God and quite another to truly know him. It is akin to how a married couple comes to know one another after making their vows. Sex in marriage results in a deep “knowing” that establishes a strong emotional and spiritual bond and, when everything is working properly, children or “fruit.” Our knowing God is in the spirit as a result of our spirits and God’s becoming one (1Cor. 6:17), which allows us to commune with him and know him.

Knowing God produces spiritual fruit in our lives called the fruit of the spirit. Our fruit will also be new people coming into the kingdom of God as a result of our testimony.

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. Romans 7:4 (ESV)

When the Holy Spirit comes into our lives when we believe, he bears witness with our spirits that we are God’s children. 

For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, Romans 8:15-16 (ESV)

Now that we have explored the meaning of “believe,” let’s think about the word “eternal”. Its meaning is clear based on other teachings of Jesus. On many occasions, he taught his followers that those who believe in him will never die.

Simply put, having eternal life means we will never die, or as our Lord said in John Chapter Five, we have passed from death to life.

Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life. John 5:24 (NASB)

This important verse also tells us that those of us who truly believe in him will never be condemned to death for our sins. Jesus already took our condemnation upon himself at the cross. A debt never has to be paid twice. As a result, we have already passed from the realm of death into eternal life.

Those who truly believe in Jesus already have eternal life and will never die.

Jesus told her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. 26  Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die. Do you believe this, Martha?” John 11:25-26 (NLT)

Even though our pre-resurrection bodies will eventually cease to function, since they are still part of the old order of things because of Adam’s sin, the spirit within us, the new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) which has already been born into God’s kingdom, will never die. It cannot because it is united with God’s Spirit. (1 Corinthians 6:17) It has passed from death to life and from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God’s Son. (Colossians 1:13) We are now seated with Christ at God’s right hand. (Colossians 3:1-4) He is in us, and we are in him. (John 14:20) As children of God, we are part of the family of God forever. (John 8:35)

The Holy Spirit is God’s seal of ownership that he puts on all who belong to him.

And now you Gentiles have also heard the truth, the Good News that God saves you. And when you believed in Christ, he identified you as his own by giving you the Holy Spirit, whom he promised long ago. 14  The Spirit is God’s guarantee that he will give us the inheritance he promised and that he has purchased us to be his own people. He did this so we would praise and glorify him. Ephesians 1:13-14 (NLT)

God knows those who belong to him.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, 29  for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from the Father’s hand. 30  The Father and I are one.” John 10:27-30 (NLT)

So do the angels and the demons.

Not only does the Spirit mark or seal us as God’s own possession, he is a type of down payment or earnest money guaranteeing that God will finish what he began in our lives.

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns. Philippians 1:6 (NLT)

When we are born again, we receive the first installment of our “great salvation.” This part of our salvation might be called justification and is based on Christ’s past finished work on the cross. After being born again, we begin a daily process of being transformed so that our thoughts, words, and actions come into greater conformity with what is already true in our spirits. Some call this sanctification. It is a process requiring fresh grace or help from God moment to moment. The last installment will happen at the resurrection when our Adamic bodies will be transformed into new spiritual bodies that will never die.

The Scriptures tell us, “The first man, Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a life-giving Spirit. 46  What comes first is the natural body, then the spiritual body comes later. 47  Adam, the first man, was made from the dust of the earth, while Christ, the second man, came from heaven. 48  Earthly people are like the earthly man, and heavenly people are like the heavenly man. 49  Just as we are now like the earthly man, we will someday be like the heavenly man. 1 Corinthians 15:45-49 (NLT)

Ephesians 1:14 tells us that the Holy Spirit is given as a pledge to those who were purchased by God and who now belong to him.

God purchased us by using the precious blood of his Son. We no longer belong to ourselves.

Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, 20 for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NLT)

To conclude, our wonderful salvation consists of three parts that work together to convince us that we indeed have been forgiven, saved, given eternal life, and belong to God.

For there are three that testify: 8  the Spirit and the water and the blood; and these three agree... 10  Whoever believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself... 1 John 5:7,10 (ESV)

The blood is the price paid for our salvation. God the Father chose us from before the foundation of the world to be his children. (Ephesians 1:4-5) He sent his Son Jesus to die for our sins, shedding his precious blood in the process, which was the price paid to satisfy the wrath of God against our sins, provide forgiveness, allow Christ’s righteousness to be given to us in a great exchange, reconcile us to himself, give us eternal life, and make us his children.

The water refers to our declaration of faith and allegiance to Jesus our Lord which takes place at water baptism. God declared his love for us by sending his Son. (John 3:16) We declare our love for him by confessing him before men. This confession agrees with what God did for us through the blood of his Son.

The Spirit is God’s seal of ownership in our lives which inwardly testifies that we belong to him. He is the source of life and all blessings we have in Christ. He lives Christ’s life through us, something we could never accomplish on our own.

When we put our faith in Christ and his finished work, confess him before men, and receive the Spirit, these three things work together to convince us that we belong to God, have eternal life, and that God will indeed raise us from the dead as he promised.

All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, 4  and we have a priceless inheritance—an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. 5  And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see. 1 Peter 1:3-5 (NLT)
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17: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption from the Power of Sin

The blood of Jesus provided for our overall redemption. It is the price that was paid to secure our freedom from every form of bondage.

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. 1 Peter 1:18-19 (NIV)

The blood of our Lord provides us with forgiveness of sins. This aspect of redemption can be equated with salvation in general.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace Ephesians 1:7 (NIV)

Here we have an overlapping of propitiation and redemption. In this mediation, we will focus on how Jesus redeemed or set us free from the power of sin.

Our identification with Christ in his death and resurrection is the divine mechanism that sets us free from sin’s enslaving power.

The following scripture verse clearly shows this.

Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. Romans 6:6 (NLT)

Many, if not most, Christians do not understand or even know about the importance of the principle of identification. Instead, they are usually only familiar with the idea of substitution.

Most believers know and believe that Jesus died FOR their sins, in their place, but they do not grasp that the believer died WITH Christ and lives IN Christ so that the sin nature or “old man” might lose its power to rule our lives.

Not only are we identified WITH Christ, but the Bible says that we are IN Christ. We are in him, and he is in us.

If you love me, obey my commandments. 16  And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. 17  He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive him, because it isn’t looking for him and doesn’t recognize him. But you know him, because he lives with you now and later will be in you. 18  No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you. 19  Soon the world will no longer see me, but you will see me. Since I live, you also will live. 20  When I am raised to life again, you will know that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. John 14:15-20 (NLT)

The principle that we are “in Christ” is found throughout the New Testament. In fact, we are united with Christ in the Spirit. (1 Cor. 6:17) Here are a few verses for us to consider.

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus; Romans 3:24 (NASB) 

Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:11 (NASB)  

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NASB)

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. Romans 8:1 (NASB)  

nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:39 (NASB)  
I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus, 1 Corinthians 1:4 (NASB)  

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, Ephesians 1:3 (NASB)

There are literally dozens of verses containing this small and often overlooked prepositional phrase “in Christ” which contains one of the most important concepts in the Bible.

God ingeniously inextricably linked our salvation to a Person. All we have from God is in His Son. By being in Him and his being in us, we have everything.

He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 1 John 5:12 (NIV)

Therefore everything that is true of Christ, is true for us believers, aside from His divinity and unique role as the only begotten Son of God. He shares his life, his power, his holiness, his authority, and his freedom from sin’s power with us.

Because Jesus is free from sin, so are we.

For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. 11 Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:10-11 (NASB)

For this freedom to be fully experienced and enjoyed, we must understand and believe it. Satan seeks to rob God’s children of our freedom and authority through ignorance and deception. He wants us to rely on our own experience and feelings to determine if we are indeed free from sin, instead of believing what God’s Word says.

Since the Bible teaches that Christ has indeed set us free from the power of sin, we are responsible to believe it and ask the Holy Spirit to make it our experience.

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Explain in your own words what it means to be “in Christ”. (Hint: 1 Cor. 6:17)
  • Why is being in Christ fundamental to our freedom?
  • Is it right for us to claim that we are “dead to sin” even if we still commit sins? (Hint: Our true identity is who we are “in Christ.”)
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16: Christ’s Finished Work – Redemption

He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, having obtained eternal redemption. Hebrews 9:12 (NIV)

Redemption encompasses the entire work of Christ at times, but it also has a very specific meaning. Jesus our Redeemer purchased us from slavery and set us free. He liberated us from the dominion of a tyrant, the devil. He delivered us from our enemies. This is all part of what it means to be redeemed.

In its basic sense, “redemption” means to buy back from slavery with the intent to set free. It is the power of the gospel to liberate us.

Redemption extends to everything that formerly held us in bondage – sin, death, Satan and his demons, the Law, men’s traditions, deception, sickness, disease, and various enslaving addictions. Redemption extends to all areas of bondage.

As much as most people don’t want to hear this, everyone is a slave to something or someone. Slavery is usually associated with being captured, mistreated, stripped of all rights, and forced to work without pay. Most slavery over the centuries has been just that. However, there is a type of slavery mentioned in the Bible that was more like what was once a common practice – indentured servanthood. In fact, my mother’s seventh great grandfather, Pieter Claesen Wyckoff , who was born on 26 JAN 1625 in Boda, the Netherlands, and died on 30 JUN 1694 in what is now Brooklyn, New York, came to the new world, New Amsterdam to be exact, as an indentured servant as a young boy. After fulfilling his term of seven years of service, he married and settled in the Brooklyn area. His home still stands and is a museum. His many thousands of descendants are scattered all over the United States. For him, indentured servanthood was a temporary “slavery” of sorts that served to liberate him from poverty in his motherland and give him new opportunities to thrive in a new world. He or his parents made the choice to enter this contract. I suspect it was a choice to either be a voluntary slave for seven years followed by freedom or be enslaved permanently by poverty in the Netherlands. 

In the Old Testament, if a person sold himself into this kind of slavery to a master for economic reasons, he might discover during his time of service that his life was far better than before. In this case, he could choose to make the enslavement permanent. His master would drive an awl through the ear lobe of the servant, marking him for life as a voluntary slave.

But the slave may declare, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children. I don’t want to go free.’ 6  If he does this, his master must present him before God. Then his master must take him to the door or doorpost and publicly pierce his ear with an awl. After that, the slave will serve his master for life. Exodus 21:5-6 (NLT) 

The Bible describes the Christian as a doulos or slave to Christ. Paul makes it clear that we only have two options in life - to be a slave to sin or a slave to God.

There is no third way of doing our own thing. That option, by definition, is serving self, which equates to serving Satan, the king of self.

Do you not know that when you present yourselves to someone as slaves for obedience, you are slaves of the one whom you obey, either of sin resulting in death, or of obedience resulting in righteousness? Romans 6:16 (NASB)

Jesus taught that all who sin are slaves of sin. (John 8:34) Satan does a good job of deceiving us into thinking that, when we sin, we are simply doing what we want. The fact of the matter is that when we choose to sin, we become willing slaves of Satan in the matter of sin, taken captive by him to do his will.

Then they will come to their senses and escape from the Devil's trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants. 2 Timothy 2:26 (NLT)

Sin opens the door to all sorts of bondage. We became subject to slavery to death and the fear of death through our sin. Jesus died to set us free from that.

Because God's children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—Jesus also became flesh and blood by being born in human form. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the Devil, who had the power of death. 15 Only in this way could he deliver those who have lived all their lives as slaves to the fear of dying. Hebrews 2:14-15 (NLT)

Jesus also set us free from demonic and satanic oppression through His death and resurrection.

In this way, God disarmed the evil rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross of Christ. Colossians 2:15 (NLT)

Likewise Jesus redeemed us from sickness and disease; although, we still live in bodies that will one day suffer physical death. The full manifestation of our redemption from sickness and death will take place at the resurrection of the body.

He personally carried away our sins in his own body on the cross so we can be dead to sin and live for what is right. You have been healed by his wounds! 1 Peter 2:24 (NLT)

Another aspect of redemption is deliverance from the performance-based system of attempting to find and maintain favor with God.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: "Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree." Galatians 3:13 (NIV)

One of the most wonderful areas of redemption is deliverance from our bondage to deception. Jesus is the Truth, and as we continue in the revealed truth of His Word, we are made free.

So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; 32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." John 8:31-32 (NASB)

Slavery to sin and the devil always produces death, destruction, sorrow, regret, and loss. In contrast to this, voluntary submission to God produces life, peace, righteousness, joy, and abundance.

Whereas the devil enslaves us to impoverish us and strip us from everything that brings joy and fulfillment in life, God “enslaves” us to set us free.

Submission to God fulfills and enhances our life. In fact, God has elevated us from simple slave status to sonship. We take our cue from the only begotten Son, who was subservient to His Father’s will. His obedience unto death elevated him to being Lord of all.

Before becoming a man, the Son of God enjoyed the privileges and status of being part of the Godhead. After his incarnation, death, and resurrection, he has all the rights and privileges of divine sonship, but as the God-man and Lord he has reclaimed the authority Adam gave away. This has enormous consequences for us who believe in him.

Through being identified with Christ, God has conferred upon us who serve Him all the wonderful privileges and status associated with being a child of God.

Far from being a miserable slave, our obedience to God elevates us to the highest status available, God’s own child.  This will be the subject of another aspect of Christ’s finished work on our behalf.

Jesus answered them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. 35 "The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. 36 "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed. John 8:34-36 (NASB)

Now let’s review a bit. Use the following chart to clarify and deepen your understanding of what we have covered thus far regarding what Christ accomplished on our behalf on the cross and by his resurrection and ascension.

 

Work of Christ

Propitiation

Forgiveness

Justification

Redemption

Definition

God’s wrath against our sin has been appeased.

Our debt toward God has been erased.

Our guilt has been removed and we have been given Christ’s right standing with God.

We have been bought back from slavery and set free.

Result

We can now enjoy God’s love without fear.

We can now forgive others as God forgave us.

We can now come boldly into God’s presence without condemnation or shame.

We are now free to serve God and others.
Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • From what has Christ set you free that is the most meaningful to you?
  • How does redemption differ from propitiation, forgiveness, and justification?
  • How do they overlap?

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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15: Christ’s Finished Work – Justification

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, Romans 5:1 (NASB)

It is one thing to be forgiven for an offense and quite another to be completely exonerated in court and declared not guilty! When we are forgiven, it means we admit that we have done something wrong to another person, concerning which we have incurred some sort of debt to them.

Forgiveness does not erase the wrong; it simply releases us from the debt. Justification, however, erases the record of the wrong altogether, as if it never happened.

Justification is the formal declaration of our righteous standing with God in the court of heaven. What Jesus did on the cross delivered us from guilt and condemnation through his becoming our substitute. God’s justice demanded that we pay back our debt incurred by our sin by dying a criminal’s death.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 6:23 (NLT)

Jesus, who never sinned, agreed to die in our place as our substitute, taking upon himself our sin, our guilt, and our debt. Because he substituted for us and paid off our debt, we were forgiven. In other words, toward God we became debt free, but the record of our offense still existed. Forgiveness leaves us being wrongdoers for whom someone else has paid the debt.

Justification, however, removes the record of our wrongdoing. Perhaps the closest parallel in our legal system is expungement, the process by which a record of criminal conviction is destroyed or sealed from state or federal record.

An expungement order directs the court to treat the criminal conviction as if it had never occurred, essentially removing it from a defendant’s criminal record as well as, ideally, the public record.

When Jesus rose again, Father God declared that his atoning death was enough to erase the guilt and condemnation associated with our sin.

The reason this could be done without violating Father God’s own righteousness and justice is because we are now identified with our Lord Jesus. Instead of being defined as a “sinner”, we are now the righteousness of God because we are “in” Christ, and he is “in” us. This means that we are now partakers of who Christ is and all the benefits of what he accomplished through his death and resurrection.

He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NASB)

We are now partakers of God’s own righteousness, a perfect righteousness without fault or blemish!

It is God who has made you part of Christ Jesus. And Christ has become for us wisdom from God. He is the reason we are right with God and pure enough to be in his presence. Christ is the one who set us free from sin. 1 Corinthians 1:30 (ETRV)

Some have said that to be justified is to be “just as if I’d” never sinned. This is a memorable way to define justification, but it is inadequate. Such a definition of justification returns us to a state of moral innocence, the condition that Adam and Eve enjoyed initially in the garden. Justification goes much further by giving us the complete and perfect righteousness of the Son of God, who was obedient to his Father unto death.

When we are justified, we receive Christ’s righteousness deposited into our spiritual bank account.

It is as if we had already lived a perfect life, died as a martyr, and already stand before the Father completely vindicated and faultless! In fact, that is our actual condition positionally in Christ.

Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes. Ephesians 1:4 (NLT)

The only way anyone of us can be without fault is because we are one with the Righteous One. There is no righteousness available outside of Christ’s. God is not dispensing little bags of righteousness based on our performance.

We either become righteous because we are in Christ, or we are outside of his righteousness altogether.

A thinking person will realize at this point that justification is an overwhelmingly amazing gift from God.

Imagine that while we are running in a race, it is announced that we have already finished our race and won. What kind of encouragement would that be? I imagine we would gain a new spring in our step! This is what has happened to us believers! We who are still on planet earth are in a race (Hebrews 12:1), and we have won through Christ!

No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. Romans 8:37 (NLT)

In God’s eyes the race is already finished.

and these whom He predestined, He also called; and these whom He called, He also justified; and these whom He justified, He also glorified. Romans 8:30 (NASB)

All of the verbs in the above verse are in the aorist past tense, which means the action has been completed once for all, never to be repeated. This means God regards us as having been justified and even glorified in His sight. He sees the end from the beginning. (Isaiah 46:10) He knows the outcome since He is sovereign and all-knowing.

Father knows you have already finished the race in Christ and have been declared a winner because Christ already won!

Even though we have already won our race, we must keep running. This is where our faith comes into view. Faith includes the following attributes – trust, allegiance, and steadfastness. The Bible says it is a gift from God, like everything else necessary for our existence. The idea is that the God who saved us by dying on the cross when we were still his enemies, will continue to “keep” us by and through faith now that we are his friends.

And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation. 10  For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. 11  So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God. Romans 5:9-11 (NLT)

As we, with God’s help, steadfastly continue in a trust and allegiance relationship with Christ (faith), God’s grace will keep us.

Yet now he has reconciled you to himself through the death of Christ in his physical body. As a result, he has brought you into his own presence, and you are holy and blameless as you stand before him without a single fault. 23  But you must continue to believe this truth and stand firmly in it. Don’t drift away from the assurance you received when you heard the Good News. The Good News has been preached all over the world, and I, Paul, have been appointed as God’s servant to proclaim it. Colossians 1:22-23 (NLT)

This is what it means to be justified. We have been given another person’s, Christ’s, righteous standing before God – a perfect standing resulting from a completed life of absolute faithfulness to God. We are no longer under the Law or any performance-based system in which we must earn or maintain our standing before God. Our righteousness is no longer in question now that we have placed our confidence in Christ.

Everyone who believes in him is freed from all guilt and declared right with God—something the Jewish law could never do. Acts 13:39 (NLT)

So, if we have put our faith and allegiance in Christ, we have passed from death to life (John 5:24). The next time we are tempted to get down on ourselves because of a recent sin or failure, we must remember that we stand before God clothed in Christ’s perfect righteousness. Therefore, we can come boldly before our Father’s glorious throne to receive mercy and grace to help us in our time of need. If we confess our faults and sins to our loving Father, he will let us experience the blessing of His mercy and forgiveness once again. We should never doubt our right standing with Him.

So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it. Hebrews 4:16 (NLT)

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Explain how justification is different from forgiveness.
  • Why did Jesus have to pay the penalty for our sin?
  • How did Jesus’ resurrection prove his vindication (righteousness) before God?
  • Can you explain the difference between moral innocence and justification.
  • Does it make sense to you that we are in a race that we have already won?
  • Why can we always boldly come into Father’s presence to receive grace and mercy, even when we have recently failed?
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14: Christ’s Finished Work – Forgiveness

This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. Matthew 26:28 (NIV)

Forgiveness is another side of propitiation. Once the just wrath of God against sin has been appeased, forgiveness may be offered.

Forgiveness is never required. It is an offer to release someone from a debt that is justly owed. It is always an act of mercy.

In this case, our debt was one we had no means of ever paying – the debt of sin. The only acceptable payment that could release us from this debt was the death of a perfectly righteous God-Man offered in obedience on the cross. Only the Lamb of God could pay that price. Thank God He did!

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NIV)

Jesus’ parable of the unrighteous servant (Matthew 18:23-35) teaches us that we are forgiven only because of the mercy of God. The unrighteous servant never understood and thought he could or should pay back his master over time for a debt that had already been removed. As a result, he failed to properly receive the gift offered to him or to show the same sort of mercy to others. Since he thought he must still earn his forgiveness; he demanded that others earn theirs, too, by repaying their debts to him. This kind of spiritual blindness and pride produces legalism in which we try to earn our acceptance and standing with God through our performance. Only One Person had the ability to pay the necessary price, and he has already done it.

Jesus offered himself, not because he was required to do so because of a personal debt he owed, but because he chose to extend mercy to us by paying our debt.

He purchased our forgiveness with His blood.

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace Ephesians 1:7 (NASB)

Redemption is a theological word which simply means to buy back from slavery and set free. We will look more at the depth of meaning of this word in future meditations. For now, we will concentrate on this one aspect of redemption – the forgiveness of sins.

Once a debt has been paid, it can never be legally demanded again.

Until the debt is paid, the debtor is in bondage to the lender. Being in a state of unforgiveness is a kind of prison, a debtor’s prison. We do not have this form of debt collection anymore, but in earlier times a person could go to prison for unpaid debts. On a personal level, we can hold people in a psychological or spiritual prison of our own making through refusing to forgive. It is impossible to relate in any sort of a close way when we hold an offense against another person or that person holds an offense against us.

Forgiveness means we release the other person from owing us anything at all. We let go of our demands for personal satisfaction or vengeance, knowing that God will handle any justice that needs to be administered.

When Jesus died for us and paid the price of His blood for our redemption, God’s wrath was completely satisfied, and He released us from our impossible debt. God forgave us completely and released us from the prison of our sins. We were still guilty of committing them, but we were released from the debt incurred. This is an important point.

Forgiveness does not remove guilt: only the debt.

If someone commits a murder, the family of the murdered person may offer forgiveness to the killer, but that will not remove the murderer’s guilt or bring the dead person back to life. He still did the act and must answer for it in a court of law. The consequences of the murder remain. If the governor should pardon him, he also would be released from the state’s demand for vengeance or pay back. In that case, he would be completely forgiven and set free. Nevertheless, he would still be guilty of killing a man, and that family would still have to suffer the consequences of losing a loved one. Forgiveness does not erase the guilt for what we did; only the debt we had to pay.

There is another aspect of salvation called justification that takes care of the guilt problem. We will look at that next time. For now, why not spend some time thanking God for releasing us from the impossible debt we owed Him because of our sins? And we should also make sure we are not failing to release anyone else from a debt owed to us.

Holding an offense against another person is one sure way to sabotage our own mercy.

God forgives us as we forgive others. God requires us to extend mercy to others. (Matthew 6:12 & Mark 11:25) If we have been holding on to an offense, we must let it go, just as God did for us. It’s not just the best way: it’s the only way.

You must make allowance for each other's faults and forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Colossians 3:13 (NLT)
 
Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • How does it affect us when someone refuses to forgive us?
  • How does it affect us when we refuse to forgive another person?
  • How does our refusal to forgive others reveal that we have never yet understood our own need for mercy?
  • Would you agree that when we refuse to forgive someone, it shows that we have elevated ourselves to be their judge on a par with God?
  • Are you aware of anyone that you still need to forgive?
  • What do we do when we know we should forgive someone, but our heart is not in it?
  • What do we do when we choose to forgive someone, but when we get around them the old feelings of bitterness resurface?
  • When we forgive someone, does that require us to act as if they never did anything to us?
  • When we forgive someone, does that mean we should trust them in the future?
  • How specific should we be when we forgive someone? (Example: I forgive you vs I forgive you for betraying me.)
  • What is the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation?

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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13: Christ’s Finished Work – Propitiation

In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 1 John 4:10 (NASB)

The work of salvation accomplished by the Lamb of God is so broad, deep, and high that it might be compared to viewing a mountain range. Mountains will look different depending on our vantage point. It is the same with the finished work of Christ. We will look at it from different perspectives to gain a better understanding of the whole. Some of the views will overlap, as when we blend many shots together to make a panorama.

As I begin breaking down the magnificent and multi-faceted work of our great Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, I will be using theological terms that may or may not be familiar to you. Some of these concepts are overlapping and have more than one way of being understood. The word that I believe encompasses the entire work of salvation is the “atonement,” which is an invented word to describe what Christ did. Jesus died and rose again to restore us to a place of “at-one-ment” with God. I have chosen to break down the atonement into various aspects that I believe are distinctive and enlightening. It is important to see how each part contributes to the whole. Let’s begin with “propitiation”, a word rarely used today.

Propitiation is accomplished by offering a blood sacrifice to appease God’s just wrath against sin.

If we are in deep trouble with a very powerful and angry person because of a major offense we committed, the first thing we need to do is somehow defuse the situation. Otherwise, no progress will be made in the relationship. If we have betrayed someone to whom we owe loyalty, our treason demands justice.

Beginning with Adam and Eve, we humans have rejected our Creator in favor of going our own way and trying to be our own god. Instead of being grateful creatures, we have arrogantly refused to acknowledge, praise, and serve the One to whom we owe everything.

In our fallen condition, things have only gotten worse. We have committed numerous crimes against other people and the creation as well. This is a violation of God’s justice and has justly stirred up his holy wrath.

Our greatest primary need regarding God is to somehow satisfy or appease His just wrath against our rebellion and sin.

Jonathan Edwards was a brilliant theologian in New England many generations ago during the First Great Awakening in this country. In his famous sermon, “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God,” he put into words the condition of every person without Christ.

So that, thus it is that natural men are held in the hand of God, over the pit of hell; they have deserved the fiery pit, and are already sentenced to it; and God is dreadfully provoked, his anger is as great towards them as to those that are actually suffering the executions of the fierceness of his wrath in hell, and they have done nothing in the least to appease or abate that anger, neither is God in the least bound by any promise to hold them up one moment; the devil is waiting for them, hell is gaping for them, the flames gather and flash about them, and would fain lay hold on them, and swallow them up; the fire pent up in their own hearts is struggling to break out: and they have no interest in any Mediator, there are no means within reach that can be any security to them. In short, they have no refuge, nothing to take hold of; all that preserves them every moment is the mere arbitrary will, and uncovenanted, unobliged forbearance of an incensed God.

Obviously, this was written for the purpose of awakening each of his listeners to the imminent danger of dying while being in an unforgiven and unreconciled state and to stimulate us to reach out to God for mercy. It is recorded that many in his congregation grasped the truth of his words and groaned in agony until they had a breakthrough of knowing in their hearts they were forgiven. Only the sacrifice of Jesus the Messiah, the innocent Lamb of God, could satisfy or propitiate God’s fiery wrath against our sin..

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 (NLT)

Only Jesus could take the full fury of God’s wrath upon Himself, thereby leaving us unscathed and unthreatened. And that is just what He did!

Because Jesus took God’s wrath as our substitute, we now have been delivered from that wrath and any threat of ever encountering it.

For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 5:9 (NASB)

We can compare Paul’s words to those of our Lord regarding our deliverance from wrath and condemnation.

I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life. John 5:24 (NLT)

Jesus substituted for us by taking our punishment. We are identified with him because the Word of God says that when he died, we died, and when he rose, we rose. Our sin fell upon him, and his righteousness was given to us who believe. Substitution and identification are two very important concepts we need to understand and believe.

The reason we are not destined for wrath is because Jesus took our condemnation and punishment upon himself, leaving us “justified” or “not guilty” before God. We have passed from death to life because Jesus died for us and rose again. When he died, we died. When he rose, we rose.

Some appointments are pleasant, such as one to see an old friend. Others are not pleasant at all, such as an appointment to have a root canal. The most feared of all appointments is an appearance before the judgment seat of God for one who has no propitiation for his or her sins. This is an appointment to wrath. Every believer in Christ has been delivered from this appointment. It is not in our future. Praise the Lord!

This does not mean we will never encounter God’s discipline or reap the consequences of our sin. We will reap what we sow, but we will never have to endure God’s wrath.

For example, King David committed two deadly sins for which death was the just punishment. He committed adultery with his faithful friend’s wife and had his friend put to death to hide the fact. God, showing David New Covenant mercy, did not require David to be put to death. He was forgiven when he repented, but God warned him through the prophet that he, his family, and the entire nation would suffer bad consequences for his sins. We can be forgiven yet still have to reap what we sow. King David was a person who ushered in countless blessings to his family and the nation, but he also brought to them some negative reaping. The same is true for us. We all reap what we sow; so, we should ask God’s help to bring blessings upon those we love and serve and ask for a crop failure when we sow evil.

But those of us who put our faith and allegiance in Christ will never reap the wrath of God. That bit of reaping has already been taken by Jesus when he became sin on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. (2 Cor.5:21)

And they speak of how you are looking forward to the coming of God's Son from heaven—Jesus, whom God raised from the dead. He is the one who has rescued us from the terrors of the coming judgment. 1 Thessalonians 1:10 (NLT)

The next time we think about what God has done for us in Christ, let us try to remember what it was like to fear the certainty of spending an eternity in hell suffering the torments of God’s wrath. Let us lift our hands to heaven in thanksgiving that He sent a Savior Who endured that wrath on our behalf so that we will never have to face it.

Instead of being sinners in the hands of an angry God, we are beloved children sitting in the lap of a loving Father.

Only Jesus could effect that change. What a Savior!

We have all benefited from the rich blessings he brought to us—one gracious blessing after another. 17 For the law was given through Moses; God's unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God. But his only Son, who is himself God, is near to the Father's heart; he has told us about him. John 1:16-18 (NLT)

 

Questions for Further Study and Discussion
  • Why didn’t God simply forgive us, instead of requiring Jesus to appease His wrath?
  • Why can we be confident we will never encounter God’s wrath if we put our faith and allegiance in our Lord Jesus Christ?
  • Animistic religions also recognize the need to appease the wrath of demon “gods.” If you were preaching the gospel to a group of people who regularly offered animal sacrifices to gain the blessing and protection of a demon spirit ruling the area, how would you go about it?

Click here to see the other articles in this series.

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