What Did Jesus Do For You When He Died? 1 Peter 2:24

What is so special about Jesus dying on the Cross? The Bible gets to the point in 1 Peter 2:24.

"He himself bore our sins" in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; "by his wounds, you have been healed." 1 Peter 2:24.

HE HIMSELF
This is a double emphasis. Christ had always intended to die for our sins. It was not an accident or a tragedy of history but his plan from the foundation of time.

BORE OUR SINS
Many people ask, "What is sin?" They want a list to check off and say, "I didn't do this or that, so I am OK." But sin is much more than a list of dos and don'ts. The Bible says, "He who knows what is right to do and fails to do it has sinned." (James 4:17). And elsewhere, "All wrongdoing is sin." (1John 5:17).

The word sin in the old language is used for missing the mark or failing to meet the standard. God is the standard and none of us can meet the standard of God's holiness; so He, being a God of love, sent his son to bear our judgment.

To bear something is to endure it; in this case, he bore the consequences of our sin. Christ carried our sins from us and took the punishment on our behalf.

IN HIS BODY
Jesus was not some kind of metaphysical spirit being or a ghost, he had a body that bled when whipped and pierced. He experienced pain and suffered.

Christ had no sin of his own to pay for so he was qualified to take on another's sin. Only as God could he could take the sins of all humanity.

ON THE CROSS
It was a terrible death and fulfilled the prophecy about the Messiah's death in so many ways. (Read Psalm 22 which describes crucifixion.)

SO THAT
Christ's death was not an accident or a mistake of history. He came with a purpose and an intention to give his life as a sacrifice for our sins.

WE MIGHT DIE TO SIN AND LIVE TO RIGHTEOUSNESS.
When we accept the death and resurrection of Christ on our behalf we enter into a relationship where our identities are exchanged. When God judges the believer He will not see a sinner, instead, God will see the righteousness of Christ.

Part of the believer's identity with Christ is that since Christ died on the cross to destroy sin the believer is included in that act; in Jesus, the believer has the opportunity and power to overcome sin.

BY HIS WOUNDS YOU HAVE BEEN HEALED.
It is a poetic way of explaining it. These words capture the totality of Christ suffering and death.

• His death heals our broken lives.
• His death healed the rift between God and man.
• His death healed our divided spirit and our broken hearts.
• His death healed the broken relationships we have with each other.
• His death makes it possible for us to find peace.

To learn more about trusting Jesus as your Savor see the tab above for the gospel.

To learn about my books of poems visit my website, A.E. Dozat.com.

(c) Adron 8/27/17

What Did Jesus' Death Do For Mankind? Galatians 1:4

Everyone agrees that Jesus is important and that his death is important, but not many agree on what his death on the cross did. What does the Bible say?

"Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be glory forever and ever."  Galatians 1:4.

JESUS GAVE HIMSELF

Giving is a choice. Jesus' death was not forced; he could have done many things to avoid the horrible death on the cross. He was aware it was coming, so he could have left town. He knew Judas was his betrayer, but he didn't challenge or censer Judas. He could have done a miracle or said one of those wonderful things that silenced his critics. He said heaven had ready more than six legions of angels to rescue him. But he didn't do any of those things. He stayed quiet and endured humiliation and death.

FOR OUR SINS

What is sin?   The Bible says, "All wrongdoing is sin..." 1 John 5:17, and "He who knows the good he ought to do and fails to do for him it is a sin."James 4:17.  Every act of rebellion against God is a sin.

Sin must be judged, or else God would be guilty of compromise, and evil wins mankind. But since he is the God of Love, he sent a substitute to take our place in judgment.

God accounts Christ's death as on behalf of our sins. The resurrection is God's demonstration of approval or ratification that God accepted Jesus' death on our behalf.*

RESCUE

To rescue someone is to deliver them out of a threatening situation. There was purpose in his death. It was not an accident but an intentional act to save mankind.  We need rescuing since we are in danger because of our sins and the judgment of God, who is holy and would never compromise.

Your sin had to be paid for, and either you pay for them, or a substitute does. But the substitute must not have any sin of his own, or he would not be qualified to pay for them since he must have his own sin paid for. Christ lived a perfect and sinless life. Even the professional district judge Pontius Pilot found no wrong in him. His enemies had to fabricate lies to justify his execution. He was able to bear the sins of others because he had no sin of his own to pay for.

The payment must be equal to the judgment, so the person paying for the sin would have to be God since God is the judge. Jesus proved himself to be God in many ways, so he alone is worthy.

How does Jesus' death rescue us from our sins? It is because God accepted his death on our behalf.

THE PRESENT EVIL AGE

In Christ, we are brought into God's kingdom and have become separated from this age and freed from the judgment that will come. The age we live in is going to end. Those who do not have Christ do not have any assurance of surviving God's judgment.

WHAT WE MUST DO

Jesus did the work for us. He paid for our sin as only he could do. The Father accepted his death on our behalf and leaves nothing for us to do to make salvation. Christ declared it so when from the cross, he said, "It is finished." John 19:30. All that is left for us is to accept what he did for us the same way we receive a gift since salvation is a gift. As the Gospel of John says. "But to as many, as received him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become the children of God." John 1:12.

If you want to know more about receiving the gift of salvation, see the tab above for the Gospel.

*Thoughtful readers will recognize this is the most simplistic explanation of the resurrection, and much much more could be said.

(c) Adron 10/13/16

Are You Ungodly And Is There Hope?

If a person is ungodly is there any hope for them to escape God's judgment? The Bible offers hope.

For while we were still helpless at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Romans 5:6.

HELPLESS
Our sin makes us helpless.  This is helplessness before the eternal all righteous judge. We are all helpless because God is holy and he must have a holy standard; such a standard would be too high for any one. So if you lived a thousand years and only did one sin you would be helpless. (Adam had only one command, he broke it and was cast out of the garden and the effects of sin began the decay of death in him.)

DIED
Our sin deserves judgment and punishment but Our Father in Heaven is loving and instead of condemning us for eternity he took our place. God became a man we know as Jesus who was righteous and lived a life without sin. Having no sin to answer for he could offer his perfect life up for us.

UNGODLY
The simplest way to think of this word is to think of it meaning the opposite of what God is. We were opposed to God in nature and our actions even our inactions.

HOPE
If a person is ungodly there is hope since this verse says specifically that The Lord died for him. If God loves him enough to die for him then he loves him enough to accept him. The gospel is available to him and he may yet be a saint.

Click the tab above to learn more about the Gospel.

____________________________ 

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

You can contact me through comments or the email link. If you live near Columbia MD I would be glad to meet you and discuss how you can know for sure that you may have eternal life.

Adron

Use the buttons below to share this with your social networks.

Why Do I Need To Repent?

We hear that we must repent and it sounds offensive like a criticism. We react saying, "Whose business is it, and what does it matter?"

On the other hand being told to repent and turn away from sin and its corrosive consequences may be one of the most loving things some one can say to you. Jesus responded this way...

"There were some present there who told Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilot had mixed with their sacrifices. Jesus answered, Do you think that these Galileans were worst sinner than all other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you too repent you too will perish." Gospel of Luke 13:1-3. NIV.

ABOUT JESUS
Christ is qualified to say this. He was the most loving person who ever lived and his life of love was consummated in his self-sacrificing death on the cross for our sins. He was the greatest teacher who ever lived and silenced his critics with such clear insight that "No one dared to ask him any more questions, ( Luke 20:40).  Even the guards sent to arrest him declared, "No one ever spoke like this man." (John 7:46).

THE WORD REPENT
Most religious thinkers agree that to repent is to turn around; as if one was going one way, then stops and turns around back the way they came. To repent is an act that states God is right and we are bringing our lives in line with his righteousness.

WHY
We may not like to be told that we are doing something wrong but if it is The Lord who says something is wrong we have no recourse because God is the ultimate authority.  He is the Holy One who is himself pure without sin; and being without sin he can't admit us into his grace, or favor, or heaven, or relationship because he would be guilty by association.

God is our creator and he is the Lord of the universe. He has the right to judge; first as the creator and second as the Lord Ruler of all.

CONSEQUENCES
We may not like being told we are involved in a sin; but Jesus tells us if we don't turn from our sin we will perish. It is wise to suffer the discomfort of admitting our wrongdoing and turn from our sin now than to be faced with it in the before the Holy Judge in Heaven.

Jesus used the word perish, there is no mistake, he did not teach a second chance, Purgatory or reincarnation.

JESUS TOOK THE CONSEQUENCES
Christ lived love. He is the one who said, "There is no greater love than this that a man lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13. Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins. We may be offended to be told we are a sinner but we should be humbled that our sins cost the greatest man who ever lived his life, and grateful that he gave his life willingly. His death on our behalf took away our sin and through him we can come to God.

If you want to learn more about trusting Jesus as your savor click on the tab above titled The Gospel.

____________________________ 

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.

Adron

Use the buttons below to share this with your social networks.

(C) Adron

How Good Do You Have To Be For God

How good do you have to be before you are sure you are right with God?  If going to heaven is by being good how good is good enough?

These are important questions. The Bible answers them.

"But God demonstrates his own love for us in this; While we were still sinners Christ died for us." Romans 5:8, NIV.

God is full of action, he just doesn't feel love for us he demonstrates it. His love compels him to act. His love is proven by his actions. You can't say, "God, prove you love me," because he already did when he sent his son Jesus to die on the cross for us.

This love is Gods own love, it is not like human love. We often think of love as a sweet sentimental feeling, but when it comes to God love is active. God's love is powerful, merciful, gracious, and a million things more. When we trust Jesus as our savor we know the love God has for us- a love that is mighty.

He didn't wait for us to become good, beautiful, holy, or better people. He died for us while we were still sinful rebels who opposed his will and violated his commands. While we were his enemies he died for us. No matter what wicked horrible thing we did it does not need to keep us from God since Jesus already took care of it on the cross.

Christ is the word for savor. His death paid for our sins which required the ultimate sacrifice. If anyone was to be saved Jesus had to die for the wicked. He willingly endured the wrath and judgment for our wrongs. He did not wait for us to be good enough for him to die for us; because none of us would ever be good enough for the Son of God to die for them.

You do not need to do good things to get right with God but when you trust Jesus as savor you will start to do good things because you are right with God.

____________________________ 

Thank you for visiting this blog. I hope these thoughts are helpful for you.

You can find more like this in the most helpful post list on the left sidebar.
Adron

Use the buttons below to share this with your social networks.