Devotional Christian » The Gospel

Jesus Was Condemned for Me

Emily Riley — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 01:39:53 +0000

The death was humiliating and cruel… a public ridicule reserved for the most despicable criminals. More than simply a punishment for a deed of injustice, crucifixion was designed to make the condemned completely vulnerable, humiliated and cause them to suffer the most horrible pain imaginable (hence the word “excruciating”). It was a death of disgrace kept for the worst that society had to offer.

This is what Christ’s death was: a humiliating disgrace as a payment for sin. But Jesus Christ, who lived a sinless life, was not suffering because of His own guilt and shame. On that cross He was judged by God for my sins. As God the Father viewed Jesus on the cross, He saw my blasphemy, my ungratefulness, my heart full of envy and rage. The weight of my sins of unforgiveness, greed, self-sufficiency, and self-righteousness were placed on His shoulders.

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:4-5

For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring us to God. 1 Peter 3:18

As Jesus became sin for you and me, He bore the cup of God’s wrath against our sins. “This is the Father’s cup: the omnipotent hatred and anger for the sins of every generation, past present and future. Omnipotent wrath directed at one naked man hanging on a cross.” Rick Gamache

By His wounds – by His death – we are reconciled to God. The death He died brought us life and peace. Every sin was placed upon Jesus Christ on the cross, where we find justice and grace. At the foot of the cross there is acceptance and mercy offered for all who believe. At the foot of the cross we find the power to live our lives, not for ourselves, but for the glory of the God who gave His Son to forgive us for our sins. Let us rejoice today in the wonder and glory of what Christ has done for us.

“For, whether we like it or not, we are involved. Our sins put him there. So, far from offering us flattery, the cross undermines our self-righteousness. We can stand before it only with a bowed head and a broken spirit. And there we remain until the Lord Jesus speaks to our hearts his word of pardon and acceptance, and we, gripped by his love and full of thanksgiving, go out into the world to live our lives in his service.” John Stott

[copyright, 2010, Emily Schankweiler; A Sacrifice of Praise]

Gospel Thankfulness

John Starke — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:51:26 +0000

If you, O LORD, kept a record of sins, O Lord, who could stand? But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared. (Psalm 130:3)

What should inform the thankfulness of a Christian? What should be its motive? The common remedy against grumbling for many is the “it could be worse” attitude. The mother says to her ungrateful eater, there are starving children who don’t get to eat. The unhappy employee sees the rising unemployment rates and complains a little less. Reader’s Digest recently gave 10 Reasons to be Thankful, which included larger homes compared to forty years ago, rising literacy among young people, and hundreds of television channels to watch anything we want, anytime we want.

As Christians, we should be thankful for God’s common grace. Our Lord cares for us and provides for our needs and we should increase in our thankfulness for his provision. John Calvin wrote that “thankfulness is the soil to which pride does not easily grow.” For Christians, there is a more fundamental level to our thankfulness: We no longer stand in God’s judgment. Our sins are forgiven. Someone else bore the wrath for our unrighteousness. The forgiveness of sins should make our hearts swell in thankfulness more than the two cars we have in our garage.

In fact, if our thankfulness is only informed by our material increase, then it is difficult to be thankful in times of great suffering. Yet, if our thankfulness is informed by the Gospel, then we can endure much poverty or affliction, awaiting our blessed hope.

Also, if the Gospel does not inform our thankfulness, it is difficult to forgive others when they sin against us. However, if our hearts are adorned with thankfulness for God’s saving work on our behalf, we will be quick to forgive. It is only with a Gospel-thankful heart that we can obey Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

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John Starke is on staff at the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood in Louisville, KY. He and his wife Jena have three children. He also blogs at John Ploughman.

The Gospel Stirs Up Christian Obedience

John Starke — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:11:49 +0000

The author of Hebrews gives instruction to his readers to imitate those who “through faith and patience inherit the promise” (Heb. 6:12). This simple command comes within a larger section where the author calls us to persevere in faith. The faith that leads to inheriting God’s promise produces fruit of good works and love towards others, fruit which is worth imitating – hence his command to imitate! Yet, this fruit of good works worth imitating stems from true “faith and patience.”

The author gives us glorious things to consider in order to stir up our faith to love and good works. He points us to the certainty of God’s promises found in the work of his Son when he writes, “We have this sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as our forerunner” (Heb. 6:19-20). Every year, the high priest of the nation of Israel entered the “inner place” of the temple, behind the curtain, where the presence of God was, and he interceded for the sins of the people. Yet, Jesus went into the “inner place” not simply to do the work of intercession, but to completely remove the veil from God’s presence. He went in as our “forerunner,” meaning he went in so that we may go in after. What Jesus accomplished fully reconciled God and his people and removed the veil, so that God’s people may enjoy his presence in holiness.

I wonder if you live in light of the finished work of the Son on our behalf. Many Christians examine their lives and constantly feel condemned. They constantly try to outpace other Christians in order to calm their conscience. They perpetually berate themselves, hoping at some point they will obey and finally find rest. They are critical of others who do not seem to work half as hard at obedience but seem to be enjoying God’s blessings. Instead of finding comfort in the gospel, they only feel guilt.

While it seems so counterintuitive, embracing the gospel not only gives rest but also stirs up obedience in a way that a guilty conscience cannot. Embracing the gospel means relying on the righteous standing of someone else. We need to humble ourselves and see that our pitiful efforts at obedience will never be enough to satisfy a holy God. Yet, we see Jesus who is our forerunner into the presence of God – the holy presence of God! He has made it possible for filthy sinners to be clean, apart from their obedience, by the obedience of Christ. When we finally apply God’s unfailing love to our sinning hearts, we will be compelled to be patient with others as God has been patient with us; to love others as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us; and to forgive others as God in Christ forgave us. Obedience comes when we are so enthralled with the love of Christ that it becomes the desire of our hearts, overflowing in our actions toward others.