At the community Lenten Tryst (an inter-church worship service each Wednesday noon in Lent, here in Sterling, CO) Pastor Gene Zeller of Peace Lutheran Church used the words of Thomas Paine to characterize our nation’s current difficulties: “These are the times that try men’s souls.” Paine penned those words in 1776 in the first of a series of 16 pamphlets titled “The American Crisis.”
Many consider that our current situation would warrant a similar description.
I, however, choose to see it as a spectacular opportunity.
Christians are given the privilege of seeing our situation as God sees it. The fact is, God has either allowed or designed the circumstances in which we are now living, and His purpose in these trying times is what we must discover and pursue.
That discovery and pursuit is not as difficult as we might imagine. It involves asking God three basic questions in these tough days. The first question is, “God, where are You in these circumstances?”
Sadly, hardly anyone ever listens to God’s Word for the answer. Where is God in trials? Right in the midst of these trials with us. God’s Word says, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). Jesus promised His disciples, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). In the midst of hardship, God is with His people. Do we pay attention to His presence?
Another question to ask God is this one: “God, what are You doing in this hardship?” While the specifics may vary, one thing you may be sure of: God wants to use the hardship to make you more like Jesus. Indeed, that’s His plan in everything that happens in your life, good or bad. He is intent on producing Christ-like character in you, so that you can live for His glory just as His only-begotten Son did.
The third question to ask God is, “How can I live out the Gospel in this circumstance?” The answer to this one is simple: by giving glory to the Father for salvation! After all the joys and trials of this life are over, there is waiting for us a place of wholly-undeserved splendor, in which we will praise forever the Lamb Who was slain! Hardship demonstrates to Christians the astonishing privilege we have of being heirs to this miraculous promise!
What a spectacular opportunity hardship affords us! Jesus said to His followers, “You are the light of the world . . . people do not light a lamp and put it under a basket . . . In the same way, let your light shine before others” (Matthew 5:14). How much more visible is the light when the world is dark, and how much more attractive it is to those in the gloom.
Get your faith out from under the basket! Stop hiding the Gospel as if it were something to be ashamed of. Point to Jesus. Take these circumstances and point to Jesus in them!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Jesus Saves By His Victorious Resurrection
For the last few weeks we’ve been considering the three atoning aspects of Christ’s work of redemption: that Jesus saves by virtue of His perfect life in fulfillment of God’s law, His substitutionary death under God’s wrath, and His victorious resurrection over the powers of hell and death.
As we noted last Friday, Jesus came to earth not only to die on our behalf under the righteous wrath of God for our sins, but also to obey God’s righteous requirements on our behalf. Thus, those who trust in Christ are given the same right standing with the Father that the Son obtained by His obedience.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the first two aspects of Christ’s atoning work (His righteous life and substitutionary death) that we forget the ultimate reason for His coming to earth. It was, like everything God does, primarily for the sake of His own glory. The resurrection is the clearest evidence of this: after dying in our place under the Father’s wrath, Christ rose from the dead to declare God’s victory over all the powers of death and hell (Romans 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 54-57).
Now Christ is alive forever, to live His life in union with all who trust in Him. One goal of His coming to earth is that you would be united to Him and He would be united to you, with the result that His life flows through you and produces His character in you.
The central text that teaches about union with Christ is John 15, where He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4). The life of Christ flows in and through the believer, so that His life “takes over,” and bears the fruit of Christ’s life. (This process of “taking over” the believer’s life is how Christ accomplishes the believer’s sanctification; but that’s another series of articles!)
Because Christ rose from dead to live His life out in His followers, Christians are blessed to enjoy all of the blessings that are in Christ (Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 1:20). God loves the Son, and so He loves us, because we are united with Christ. Because Christ lives in believers, everything He accomplished for us is counted as ours: we died with Him, we were raised with Him, and we have a place in heaven with Him (Ephesians 2:5-6; John 14:1-6). Because Christ was resurrected and lives in His followers, His presence with us is not temporary or transient, but permanent and constant (Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 13:5).
If you are a believer, Christ is not somewhere “out there.” He came out of the tomb to come into your life and live His life out in you and through you. As the song puts it, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!” It is my earnest prayer that those words are more than song lyrics to you, but rather that they are the genuine testimony of your salvation!
As we noted last Friday, Jesus came to earth not only to die on our behalf under the righteous wrath of God for our sins, but also to obey God’s righteous requirements on our behalf. Thus, those who trust in Christ are given the same right standing with the Father that the Son obtained by His obedience.
Sometimes we get so caught up in the first two aspects of Christ’s atoning work (His righteous life and substitutionary death) that we forget the ultimate reason for His coming to earth. It was, like everything God does, primarily for the sake of His own glory. The resurrection is the clearest evidence of this: after dying in our place under the Father’s wrath, Christ rose from the dead to declare God’s victory over all the powers of death and hell (Romans 6:9-10; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4, 54-57).
Now Christ is alive forever, to live His life in union with all who trust in Him. One goal of His coming to earth is that you would be united to Him and He would be united to you, with the result that His life flows through you and produces His character in you.
The central text that teaches about union with Christ is John 15, where He says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in Me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4). The life of Christ flows in and through the believer, so that His life “takes over,” and bears the fruit of Christ’s life. (This process of “taking over” the believer’s life is how Christ accomplishes the believer’s sanctification; but that’s another series of articles!)
Because Christ rose from dead to live His life out in His followers, Christians are blessed to enjoy all of the blessings that are in Christ (Romans 8:32; 2 Corinthians 1:20). God loves the Son, and so He loves us, because we are united with Christ. Because Christ lives in believers, everything He accomplished for us is counted as ours: we died with Him, we were raised with Him, and we have a place in heaven with Him (Ephesians 2:5-6; John 14:1-6). Because Christ was resurrected and lives in His followers, His presence with us is not temporary or transient, but permanent and constant (Matthew 28:18-20; Hebrews 13:5).
If you are a believer, Christ is not somewhere “out there.” He came out of the tomb to come into your life and live His life out in you and through you. As the song puts it, “You ask me how I know He lives? He lives within my heart!” It is my earnest prayer that those words are more than song lyrics to you, but rather that they are the genuine testimony of your salvation!
Jesus Saves By His Righteous Life
For the last couple of weeks we’ve been considering the three atoning aspects of Christ’s work of redemption: that Jesus is able to save us by virtue of His perfect life in fulfillment of God’s law, His substitutionary death under God’s wrath, and His victorious resurrection over all the powers of hell and death.
As we noted last Friday, the most obvious aspect of Jesus’ atoning work is His crucifixion. The New Testament clearly presents Christ’s death as the key to our salvation: He died under the Father’s holy wrath, which is His just and rightful response to the rebellion of humanity.
Somewhat less widely understood is how Jesus’ perfect life plays a role in saving people. If the death of Christ for our sin were the only aspect of His saving work, it would not have been necessary for Him to have lived among humanity for over thirty years: He could simply have appeared as a full-grown man and died a short time later. We get a hint as to the purpose of His living when He is standing in the Jordan River about to be baptized: when John protests that Jesus does not need baptism, Jesus replies, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
Clearly, Jesus came to earth not only to die on our behalf under the righteous wrath of God for our sins. He also came to obey God’s righteous requirements, or as He put it, “to fulfill all righteousness.” The glorious thing in which we can rejoice is that Christ did this for us. He was already righteous before the Father, so His fulfillment of the law was not something He did for Himself: instead, He did it on our behalf.
The wonder of grace is that for all who trust Christ, His righteous life and fulfillment of God’s law is credited to us. Because of His life of sinlessness and perfect obedience on this earth, God legally credits believers with the righteous acts that Christ performed on our behalf. Thus, those who trust in Christ are given by God the same position or standing with the Father that the Son obtained by His obedience.
This position of “right standing” before the Father is the source of tremendous benefits to the believer. Because God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us, we can come boldly before God in prayer, knowing that He accepts us as He accepts His Son (Hebrews 4:14-16); we are assured of peace with God because Christ’s perfection earned our peace (Romans 5:1-3); we have the child-blessings of God’s family established for us by Christ (Romans 8:16-17); and we are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1-4).
And how do you receive this righteousness of Christ? Only by the instrument of faith alone, plus nothing; and even this faith is a gift of God, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-10). Trust in Christ’s atoning work, and His righteousness is given to you.
Next Week: By His Victorious Resurrection
As we noted last Friday, the most obvious aspect of Jesus’ atoning work is His crucifixion. The New Testament clearly presents Christ’s death as the key to our salvation: He died under the Father’s holy wrath, which is His just and rightful response to the rebellion of humanity.
Somewhat less widely understood is how Jesus’ perfect life plays a role in saving people. If the death of Christ for our sin were the only aspect of His saving work, it would not have been necessary for Him to have lived among humanity for over thirty years: He could simply have appeared as a full-grown man and died a short time later. We get a hint as to the purpose of His living when He is standing in the Jordan River about to be baptized: when John protests that Jesus does not need baptism, Jesus replies, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
Clearly, Jesus came to earth not only to die on our behalf under the righteous wrath of God for our sins. He also came to obey God’s righteous requirements, or as He put it, “to fulfill all righteousness.” The glorious thing in which we can rejoice is that Christ did this for us. He was already righteous before the Father, so His fulfillment of the law was not something He did for Himself: instead, He did it on our behalf.
The wonder of grace is that for all who trust Christ, His righteous life and fulfillment of God’s law is credited to us. Because of His life of sinlessness and perfect obedience on this earth, God legally credits believers with the righteous acts that Christ performed on our behalf. Thus, those who trust in Christ are given by God the same position or standing with the Father that the Son obtained by His obedience.
This position of “right standing” before the Father is the source of tremendous benefits to the believer. Because God imputes Christ’s righteousness to us, we can come boldly before God in prayer, knowing that He accepts us as He accepts His Son (Hebrews 4:14-16); we are assured of peace with God because Christ’s perfection earned our peace (Romans 5:1-3); we have the child-blessings of God’s family established for us by Christ (Romans 8:16-17); and we are free from condemnation (Romans 8:1-4).
And how do you receive this righteousness of Christ? Only by the instrument of faith alone, plus nothing; and even this faith is a gift of God, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-10). Trust in Christ’s atoning work, and His righteousness is given to you.
Next Week: By His Victorious Resurrection
Jesus Saves By His Substitutionary Death!
Last Friday we took an overview of the three atoning aspects of Christ’s work of redemption. We were reminded of the classic orthodox understanding of His redemptive ministry: that Jesus is able to save us by virtue of His perfect life in fulfillment of God’s law, His substitutionary death under God’s wrath, and His victorious resurrection over all the powers of hell and death.
As we noted last Friday, the most obvious aspect of Jesus’ atoning work is His crucifixion. The New Testament clearly presents Christ’s death as the key to our salvation.
To understand how Christ’s death works for us, we first need an accurate view of sin. From the account of our first parents’ sin in the Garden of Eden, until the New Testament, Scripture teaches that sin is intentional rebellion against God’s will as well as against His right to rule our lives.
The depravity of this rebellion is measured not merely by the act itself, but also by the nature of Him against Whom it is committed: because God is eternal and infinite, the rebellion is eternal and infinite as well. Let me illustrate.
If you were to punch a friend, your punishment might be as simple as losing that friendship. If you were to punch a police officer, you would spend some time in jail. If you punched the United States President, you would spend the rest of your life in a mental institution. In each case, the same act is committed: a punch. But the punishment varies with the authority of and respect due to the person you punch: the greater their position, the greater your punishment.
When we sin, we are actively rebelling against the highest Authority in the universe, One Whose nature rightly demands infinite and eternal respect. Our sin, therefore, dishonors God infinitely and eternally, and rightly places us under His righteous wrath.
It is this eternal and infinite rebellion that Jesus came to remedy, this wrath He came to suffer. In His death, Christ willingly submitted Himself to the just penalty which we deserved. He received it on our behalf and in our place so that we will not have to bear it ourselves. The penalty for our sins was removed from us and placed upon Christ, our substitute.
The benefit of this substitution is that we are no longer under God’s wrath. Irish poet Charitie Lees Bancroft wrote of this miracle of grace in 1863:
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
God’s righteous wrath was poured out on the Son, Who, because He is also infinite and eternal, could receive the infinite and eternal measure of that wrath. Our pardon is made possible by His punishment.
Or, as Peter put it, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Aren’t you glad He died in your place, to take God’s punishment for your sin?
Next Week: By His Righteous Life
As we noted last Friday, the most obvious aspect of Jesus’ atoning work is His crucifixion. The New Testament clearly presents Christ’s death as the key to our salvation.
To understand how Christ’s death works for us, we first need an accurate view of sin. From the account of our first parents’ sin in the Garden of Eden, until the New Testament, Scripture teaches that sin is intentional rebellion against God’s will as well as against His right to rule our lives.
The depravity of this rebellion is measured not merely by the act itself, but also by the nature of Him against Whom it is committed: because God is eternal and infinite, the rebellion is eternal and infinite as well. Let me illustrate.
If you were to punch a friend, your punishment might be as simple as losing that friendship. If you were to punch a police officer, you would spend some time in jail. If you punched the United States President, you would spend the rest of your life in a mental institution. In each case, the same act is committed: a punch. But the punishment varies with the authority of and respect due to the person you punch: the greater their position, the greater your punishment.
When we sin, we are actively rebelling against the highest Authority in the universe, One Whose nature rightly demands infinite and eternal respect. Our sin, therefore, dishonors God infinitely and eternally, and rightly places us under His righteous wrath.
It is this eternal and infinite rebellion that Jesus came to remedy, this wrath He came to suffer. In His death, Christ willingly submitted Himself to the just penalty which we deserved. He received it on our behalf and in our place so that we will not have to bear it ourselves. The penalty for our sins was removed from us and placed upon Christ, our substitute.
The benefit of this substitution is that we are no longer under God’s wrath. Irish poet Charitie Lees Bancroft wrote of this miracle of grace in 1863:
Because the sinless Savior died,
My sinful soul is counted free,
For God the just is satisfied
To look on Him and pardon me.
God’s righteous wrath was poured out on the Son, Who, because He is also infinite and eternal, could receive the infinite and eternal measure of that wrath. Our pardon is made possible by His punishment.
Or, as Peter put it, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God” (1 Peter 3:18).
Aren’t you glad He died in your place, to take God’s punishment for your sin?
Next Week: By His Righteous Life
Jesus Saves! But HOW?
How glorious it is to know that God, the One against Whom humanity has steadily rebelled since Eden, has chosen to make peace with us rebels through His Son! His grace truly is amazing: that the offended would take upon Himself the responsibility of forgiving and reconciling the offenders is more wonderful than we can imagine.
And yet, it is true! Jesus saves us from our sins and restores us to relationship with God.
But how? How is it possible that what Jesus did 2,000 years ago and 5,000 miles away would save you, here, today?
The orthodox understanding of Christ’s saving work presents His redemptive ministry in three basic parts. For the next three Fridays, we’ll look more closely at each of these three parts of Christ’s atoning work. For today, here’s an overview of how Jesus saves.
The most obvious aspect of Jesus’ atoning work is His crucifixion. As the incarnate second person of the Triune God – and thus both fully God and fully human – Jesus was able as a man to die, and as God to do so perfectly. In His death, He took our place under the righteous wrath of His Father. Indeed, as Isaiah prophesied in the famous text about the suffering Messiah, “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all . . . the Lord was pleased to crush Him” (Isaiah 53:6, 10). Those who trust Jesus are no longer under the Father’s wrath, because that wrath was fully poured out on the Son. Forgiveness is accomplished because the God’s wrath upon human sin has been satisfied.
But if Jesus came only to die, why would He spend over three decades living among sinful humanity before dying for our sins? Jesus Himself told us why: “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Because humanity’s sin rendered us incapable of meeting God’s righteous requirements, Christ lived a perfect and sinless life on our behalf. As our representative, He lived before God flawlessly and fulfilled all the Law. Those who trust Christ are given His righteousness, as God sees us in Christ, clothed in His perfection. Thus, not only are we forgiven by Christ’s death, but we are also reconciled to God by Christ’s righteousness given to us.
However, Christ’s atoning work would be incomplete if, after having lived a sinless life for us and died under God’s wrath for our sins, He then remained dead. His resurrection not only vindicates all His claims, but also guarantees our eternal life, as He lives His life out in us. Jesus came out of the tomb to come into your life and live in you. Thus, as He lives in you, His life flows through you, and by the union of His life with your life, you are able to bear the fruit of Christ-like living, and draw others to Him. (See John 15:1-11.)
So, here is how Jesus saves us. We are forgiven by Christ’s substitutionary death. We are reconciled to God by His righteous life. And we live in union with Him for God’s glory.
It’s really amazing, isn’t it?
Next Week: By His Substitutionary Death
And yet, it is true! Jesus saves us from our sins and restores us to relationship with God.
But how? How is it possible that what Jesus did 2,000 years ago and 5,000 miles away would save you, here, today?
The orthodox understanding of Christ’s saving work presents His redemptive ministry in three basic parts. For the next three Fridays, we’ll look more closely at each of these three parts of Christ’s atoning work. For today, here’s an overview of how Jesus saves.
The most obvious aspect of Jesus’ atoning work is His crucifixion. As the incarnate second person of the Triune God – and thus both fully God and fully human – Jesus was able as a man to die, and as God to do so perfectly. In His death, He took our place under the righteous wrath of His Father. Indeed, as Isaiah prophesied in the famous text about the suffering Messiah, “the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all . . . the Lord was pleased to crush Him” (Isaiah 53:6, 10). Those who trust Jesus are no longer under the Father’s wrath, because that wrath was fully poured out on the Son. Forgiveness is accomplished because the God’s wrath upon human sin has been satisfied.
But if Jesus came only to die, why would He spend over three decades living among sinful humanity before dying for our sins? Jesus Himself told us why: “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Because humanity’s sin rendered us incapable of meeting God’s righteous requirements, Christ lived a perfect and sinless life on our behalf. As our representative, He lived before God flawlessly and fulfilled all the Law. Those who trust Christ are given His righteousness, as God sees us in Christ, clothed in His perfection. Thus, not only are we forgiven by Christ’s death, but we are also reconciled to God by Christ’s righteousness given to us.
However, Christ’s atoning work would be incomplete if, after having lived a sinless life for us and died under God’s wrath for our sins, He then remained dead. His resurrection not only vindicates all His claims, but also guarantees our eternal life, as He lives His life out in us. Jesus came out of the tomb to come into your life and live in you. Thus, as He lives in you, His life flows through you, and by the union of His life with your life, you are able to bear the fruit of Christ-like living, and draw others to Him. (See John 15:1-11.)
So, here is how Jesus saves us. We are forgiven by Christ’s substitutionary death. We are reconciled to God by His righteous life. And we live in union with Him for God’s glory.
It’s really amazing, isn’t it?
Next Week: By His Substitutionary Death
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