Christ and Sin After looking at the origin of sin and how God first made provision for Adam and Eve’s nakedness, we now transport ourselves four thousand years later to the event that was foreshadowed in the Garden of Eden—the offering up of “the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” When the Promised Messiah, the Christ, came into the world, the angel Gabriel pronounced that His name would be called Jesus, which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew name Jeshua, or Joshua, meaning—Jehovah is Salvation. Thus, by His very name, Jesus the Christ, we understand both who He is and what was His purpose for coming into the world. John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. Matt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. The first thing we will look at is who Jesus really is. We know that He was born into the human race by a Jewish maiden named Mary. That she was a young girl who was engaged to a man called Joseph, and that both of them were in the family tree that could be traced all the way back, through King David, Jacob, Isaac, Abraham, to Adam.[1] Although Mary was espoused to Joseph, she was still a virgin, having never had sexual relations with any man. This becomes an important issue for two reasons: the first is that, prophetically, the Promised Messiah, called Immanuel, or God with us, was foretold that He would be born of a virgin; the second is that, although He was truly a man, He did not inherit Adam’s sin nature as did the rest of the human race—this was because Jesus had no earthly father. The Bible teaching is clear—that it is through the man that the fallen nature of Adam is passed down to his progeny. In order for Jesus to be a substitutionary sacrifice for the sins of His people, He Himself must be sinless, without spot or blemish before God. Isa 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
Luke 1:26 And in the sixth
month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of
Galilee, named Nazareth,
Rom 5:18 Therefore as by
the offence of one judgment came upon all men to
condemnation; even so by the righteousness of one the
free gift came upon all men unto justification of life. Who then was the father of Jesus, and what, might we ask, was the true nature of Jesus? To answer these questions we must consider not only His entrance into the world as a baby born into the human race, but His pre-existence as well. That God was His Father, there can be no doubt—for He “shall be called the Son of the Highest,” and “that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.” So then, Jesus was truly a man—born of a human mother; but because God was His progenitor, He had the nature of God also; He is the God-man—wholly a man, and at the same time, wholly God.
Luke 1:32 He shall be great,
and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the
Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David:
Heb 1:4 Being made so much
better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a
more excellent name than they.
Matt 16:13 When Jesus came
into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his
disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man
am? Next, let us also consider His pre-incarnate existence. We must not think, as many people do, that Jesus’ existence began when He was conceived in Mary’s womb. His earthly birth was only a vehicle by which He could be accounted a member of the human family and become our substitute. However, as is plainly taught in the Scripture, He has always existed as the Eternal Word—God the Son. He is, and has always been, God, one with the Father and the Holy Spirit—the Trinity. He was “in the beginning” when the worlds were created, and “All things were made by him.” He is the manifestation of God, “the express image of his (the Father’s) person.”
John 1:1 In the beginning was
the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was
God. Gen 1:26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
Col 1:15 Who is the image
of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature: Heb 1:3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; Because Jesus is God, He has all the power and authority of God. Jesus demonstrated His divine omnipotence by healing the sick, restoring sight to the blind, raising the dead, casting out devils, and controlling the weather. He walked on water, turned water into wine, and feed multitudes with a few fish and a few loafs of bread. There was nothing He could not perform if it brought glory to His Father. He showed His omniscience by revealing the thoughts of the heart, both His followers and His enemies. He showed His omnipresence by revealing things that were done out of His physical presence. He showed He was God by daring to forgive sins—which only God can do; because, as we have seen, sin is first and foremost against God.
John 3:34 For he whom God hath
sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the
Spirit by measure unto him.
John 5:26 For as the Father
hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have
life in himself; Matt 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
Matt 4:23 And Jesus went about
all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the
gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness
and all manner of disease among the people.
Luke 7:12 Now when he came
nigh to the gate of the city, behold, there was a dead man
carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a
widow: and much people of the city was with her. Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm
John 2:7 Jesus saith unto
them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up
to the brim.
Matt 15:34 And Jesus saith
unto them, How many loaves have ye? And they said, Seven,
and a few little fishes.
Matt 9:3 And, behold, certain
of the scribes said within themselves, This man blasphemeth.
John 4:16 Jesus saith unto
her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.
John 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael
coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed,
in whom is no guile!
Luke 7:47 Wherefore I say unto
thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved
much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth
little.
Mark 2:5 When Jesus saw their
faith, he said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, thy sins
be forgiven thee. The second thing we will look at is what Jesus came to do. Although He performed many miracles, and relieved the sufferings of many people while He walked this earth, that was not His purpose in coming. Those miracles, which He exhibited, were primarily done to give evidence to who He was, and to give credence to those things which He taught. The words and teachings of Jesus are far more important than those miracles which He performed. Miracles may give temporary relief to our suffering; but we are all still going to die and spend eternity somewhere. Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, but he still died again. The need of man is much more than physical; we need to be delivered from the power and penalty of sin; and we need a new life—eternal life. The great fallacy of many of today’s so-called charismatic preachers, is that they emphasis miracles and signs, and neglect the teaching of God’s Word. God has done, and still does, miraculous things for His people; but too many children of God are looking for a miracle instead of looking for the truth of God’s Word. John 5:36 But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me.
John 20:30 And many other
signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book: Matt 4:4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
John 12:35 Then Jesus said
unto them, Yet a little while is the light with you. Walk
while ye have the light, lest darkness come upon you: for he
that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. Therefore, what might we say was the true purpose in Jesus coming to this earth? 1. His supreme purpose in coming was to do the will of the Father. Jesus had no personal agenda in coming to this earth, apart from what the plan and purpose of God was for Him to do. Indeed, if we have a proper view of the Godhead—the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—we understand that there is but one God who manifests Himself in three persons. We understand also that these Three Persons are never separated from each other, even though they may appear to be presented that way in Scripture. Sometimes we are lead to look at them as the Father in heaven, or the Holy Spirit descending as a dove, or Jesus walking this earth, but in reality they are never apart. “God (the Father) was in Christ,” and “the Spirit of the Lord” was upon Jesus throughout his life. The will of Jesus was to do the will of the Father because His soul was the indwelling Father.[2] John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. Luke 2:49 And he said unto them, How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not that I must be about my Father's business? Matt 6:9 After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Matt 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 2 Cor 5:19 To wit, that God (the Father) was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.
Luke 4:18 The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach
the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the
brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and
recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them
that are bruised, 2. Another reason that Jesus had in coming to earth was to reveal God’s truth concerning His plan and purpose to redeem fallen man. God has spoken to His people in various ways for the last four thousand years, but mainly through the Old Testament prophets. However, now, in the “last days,” He will speak to us directly by His Son. Indeed, everything that Jesus said is the Word of God, because He is the Word made flesh.
Heb 1:1 God, who at sundry
times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the
fathers by the prophets, John 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. God had revealed much of His purpose in the Old Testament writings by using types and shadows of things to come; however, much of His plan was a mystery to the Old Testament saints. Jesus came so that He might make plain the truth of God to all who would believe on Him. It has been said that, “The Old Testament is Christ concealed, and the New Testament is Christ revealed.”
1 Pet 1:10 Of which salvation
the prophets have inquired and searched diligently, who
prophesied of the grace that should come unto you: Rom 16:25 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began,
John 12:44 Jesus cried and
said, He that believeth on me, believeth not on me, but on
him that sent me. Jesus, who is the Word made flesh, the same Word that God used to create the world, spoke the truths that would set men free from their bondage to sin, and give to them eternal life. What He said, and what He revealed is so important, that those who do not hear His words will miss Heaven and eternal life.
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to
those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word,
then are ye my disciples indeed;
John 5:23 That all men should
honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that
honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath
sent him.
John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto
the twelve, Will ye also go away? 3. Another reason that Jesus had in coming into the world was to live out a perfect sinless life. The lambs offered for the blood atonements in the Old Testament had to be animals that were “without blemish”; and they had to be examined for a certain period of time to prove that they were. Even so Christ, the “Lamb of God,” had to prove that He indeed was “a lamb without blemish and without spot.” This was necessary in order for His sacrifice to acceptable to God. Furthermore, in order for believers to have faith that His sacrifice was sufficient, they must also examine His life, and see for themselves that He indeed was perfect—without sin in all of His thoughts, words, and deeds.
Exo 12:5 Your lamb shall be
without blemish, a male of the first year: ye shall take
it out from the sheep, or from the goats: 1 Pet 1:19 But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Matt 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? 4. The most significant reason that Jesus came was to shed His innocent blood for the sins of His people. This was the purpose for which He “set His face” throughout His life. All of us, sooner or later, come to the realization that we are going to die, although none of us know for certain what form death may take. However, such was not the case with Jesus; who, from eternity past, knew all the gory details and the suffering that He would go through in order to redeem His people. The suffering of that first sacrificial animal in the Garden of Eden pales in comparison to the agony that the Son of God would have to endure. Many people are very familiar with Psalm twenty-three; and we find great comfort in knowing that the “Lord in my shepherd.” However, for us to enjoy all the blessings of the Lord becoming our Shepherd He had to become our Saviour first; and He first had to bear all the torments that were foretold in Psalm twenty-two. 1 Tim 1:15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. Luke 9:51 And it came to pass, when the time was come that he should be received up, he stedfastly set his face to go to Jerusalem, 1 John 3:5 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins; and in him is no sin. Rev 13:8 And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. 1 Cor 15:3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; Psalm 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. Most of us can imagine the physical pain of what it might be like to be crucified. We have all had our little accidents and injuries that are but an indication of the tortures of crucifixion. However, none of us can ever know the torments of the soul that Jesus experienced. We are all born “dead in trespasses and sins,” and are unaware of the eternal delights of being one with the Father as Jesus had been. For Jesus to be our substitutionary sacrifice, it was a necessity that He “bare our sins” upon the cross, and be judged by the Law, and God Himself, as a guilty sinner. During those hours of physical suffering, Jesus, for the first time in His existence, became separated from the presence of God—the Father turned His face from His own Son as our sins lay upon Jesus.
Psa 22:1 My God, my God,
why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from
helping me, and from the words of my roaring? Matt 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? 1 Pet 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. Isa 59:2 But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. He was also subjected to public ridicule and mockery. Jesus endured the scorn and accusations cast upon Him by His enemies, though He Himself had only spoken the truths that could deliver man from sin. The sufferings of the cross included the ridicule of the crowds who had gathered to see the spectacle. Most men justly deserved this public scorn, but Jesus bore it silently for our sakes.
Psa 22:6 But I am a worm, and
no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
Matt 27:39 And they that
passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,
1 Pet 2:22 Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth: Psalm twenty-two now leads us to the holy ground of the actual crucifixion—the spilling of Christ’s blood for those who would believe upon Him. It is doubtful that there is anywhere else in recorded history that so vividly records the actual sufferings of a victim of the cross. One could hardly believe that anyone would care to express the agonies of his body and soul while he is dying from this tortuous execution. The accounts from the synoptic Gospels give us little detailed information other than telling us, “and they crucified Him.” However, in Psalm twenty-two we find much upon which to illuminate our understanding. The first act of crucifixion was, of course, to nail our Saviour to the tree out of which the cross was fashioned. This was done as the Scriptures had foretold when it said, “they pierced my hands and my feet.” This fixation of the victim’s body upon the cross was accomplished by driving rather large nails or spikes near the ankles of the subject, and then through the wrists of his outstretched arms—either directly overhead, or, as we are used to believing, out to one’s side. The sufferer would probably have been tied to the pole around the waist, with maybe a small board upon which to stand. Now, all of this was done as the pole lay upon the ground. Therefore, the next action would have been for the cross to be raised into the air and then dropped into a hole that had been dug into the ground. This sudden jerking upon the outstretched body of Christ might give us the reason for the Scripture foretelling that, “all my bones are out of joint” and, “I may tell all my bones: they look and stare upon me.” This dropping was also accompanied by the tearing of the flesh around the nail wounds; and, at the same time, Christ must now bear His weight upon those tortured limbs. We are told, that in order for a victim of the cross to breath, it became necessary for them to push themselves up with their feet, and not merely hang loosely upon the pole; of course, if they did hang, that would pull upon the nail torn wrists also; so whether they stood or hung, there was no release from the pain. We might imagine that the sufferer would regularly transfer his weight between the arms to the legs, especially as he became weaker through these torments and the loss of blood. This loss of blood would also be further enhanced by these movements, and the natural coagulation of the blood around the wounds would not be permitted to occur. The Scripture gives evidence to these continued torments as the hours pass slowly for the Crucified One. The Scriptures foretold, “My strength is dried up like a potsherd”; and as His body began to lose an adequate supply of blood through His heart and veins it says, “I am poured out like water,” “my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels.” Furthermore, as He begins to dehydrate to the point of death, Jesus says, “my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death.”
Psa 22:14 I am poured out
like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is
like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. Mark 15:25 And it was the third hour, and they crucified him. The last thing we shall consider from this Psalm is the humiliation that Christ suffered upon the cross. Crucifixion was by design, the most cruel and shameful method of punishment that the Roman government[3] ever contrived. The sufferer not only agonized for hours, and even days in some cases, but he was put to a public shame, being stripped of all dignity. This form of execution was meant to extract not only the life blood of an individual, but every ounce of dignity and respect also. Christ bore the sin and shame that we as sinners justly deserve. He became a “curse for us”; but He despised the shame, being stripped of all His glory, so that He might redeem us to God. He became the naked sinner before men and God, and gave us His robes so that we sinners might be clothed.
Psa 22:18 They part my
garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture. Mark 15:24 And when they had crucified him, they parted his garments, casting lots upon them, what every man should take. Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Furthermore, we have not even mentioned the suffering and humiliation that Christ bore before the cross: His arrest in the garden; the all night trial He endured as if He were a criminal; the beating, mocking, and the scourging to which He was subjected. At His trial before the Jewish Sanhedrin, though they could prove nothing against Him, yet they beat Him, spit in His face, plucked off His beard, and taunted Him. Then Jesus was sent to the Roman rulers, where He was again beaten, mocked by the soldiers, and scourged until the flesh of His back was ripped off. The Scriptures said that His face was so mangled that He could not even be recognized; and by this time He was so weak that He could not even drag His own cross.
Matt 26:55 In that same hour
said Jesus to the multitudes, Are ye come out as against
a thief with swords and staves for to take me? I sat
daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold
on me.
Matt 27:11 And Jesus stood
before the governor: and the governor asked him, saying, Art
thou the King of the Jews? And Jesus said unto him, Thou
sayest.
1 Pet 2:22 Who did no sin,
neither was guile found in his mouth: Isa 50:6 I gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not my face from shame and spitting. Isa 52:14 As many were astonied at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: Now, someone might be led to ask, ‘Where was God when all of this was taking place?’ To this question we would answer—that just as God killed that first animal in the Garden of Eden, even so it was God Himself, who, through the instrumentality of wicked men, now offered His Son to be our Sacrifice.
Acts 4:26 The kings of the
earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together
against the Lord, and against his Christ. Isa 53:10 Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. We also might ask, ‘Could not Jesus have used His power to deliver Himself? The answer to this question is yes; Jesus was quite capable of either delivering Himself or calling upon the Father to save Him. However, to do so, and save Himself, He could not have saved us. He willingly subjected Himself to all the suffering and shame of the cross “for the joy” of seeing lost sinners brought into God’s family.
Matt 26:53 Thinkest thou
that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently
give me more than twelve legions of angels? Matt 27:42 He saved others; himself he cannot save. If he be the King of Israel, let him now come down from the cross, and we will believe him. Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 5. Jesus came to deliver His people from the penalty, power, and presence of sin. He came to fulfill the promise made to the woman of a “seed” that would “bruise,” or destroy Satan’s power over mankind. His very name, which the angel Gabriel told Joseph that He should be called, means Jehovah is Salvation. Satan’s dominion, and the sins of mankind have turned this earthly paradise into a foretaste of hell; but Jesus came to atone for those sins, break the power of evil, and restore to man a new paradise. Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Matt 1:21 And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins. Penalty of sin: Although we have looked at the sufferings of Christ, we must not lose sight of the purpose for which He died in such a horrible and ignominious way. There were many attempts to kill Him before He went to the cross; even as a baby Herod tried to take His life[4]. However, in order to fulfill all the Scriptures, and to be a suitable sacrifice to atone for our sins, it was necessary for Him to suffer, bleed, and die in the manner in which He did. His suffering needed to propitiate—satisfy God’s wrath against man’s sin. When He bore our sins upon the cross, God’s justice avenged itself upon Christ. Many have the idea that God is like an old gray-haired grandfather, who wouldn’t hurt anyone, but such is not the case, especially toward sinners. He is “angry with the wicked every day,” and “the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men.” To those who put their faith in Christ’s suffering for an appeasement of God’s anger, they will find peace with God. However, for anyone who refuses to believe upon Christ, “the wrath of God (still) abideth on him.” Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Psa 7:11 God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Rom 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 1 Pet 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: Isa 53:12 Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors. Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. Next, His means of dying must have been in such a way that His blood was shed. He could not have died by being pushed from a cliff, as a crowd once tried to do[5]; or by the usual means of stoning a person to death[6], as was the Jewish manner of execution. He had to die upon the tree[7]—the Roman cross; for that method would extract all His blood; “for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul.” Lev 17:11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. Matt 26:28 For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Eph 1:7 In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Rev 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, Finally, not only did Jesus have to suffer and shed His blood, but He had to die[8]. Because He bore our sins upon the cross, He also bore the judgment of the law towards sinners, which is death. It was Adam’s sin that brought death upon the whole world; but it was Christ’s death that paid the penalty for His people, and through which their sins are atoned for. Now, lest someone think that the natural course for anyone who is crucified, and loses his life’s blood, is to die, such was not the case with Jesus. Men’s actions did not take the life of Jesus, even after all the suffering and bleeding He experienced at their hands, before and on the cross. He gave up His life by an act of His own will. Jesus was in such control of everything taking place, that it would have been impossible for Him to die, except by His own volition. Eze 18:4 Behold, all souls are mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.
Rom 5:6 For when we were yet
without strength, in due time Christ died for the
ungodly.
John 10:17 Therefore doth my
Father love me, because I lay down my life, that I might
take it again. Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost. Power of sin: Jesus not only came to free us from the penalty of sin, but He came to free us from the power that sin has upon our lives. The sacrifice of Christ was not offered just to atone for our sins and then one day for God to take us to heaven. His suffering, bleeding, and dying provided a way for the people of God to overcome sin and to serve God in this present world. As the children of God we are meant to walk in righteousness and to show forth good works that bring glory to God and the name of Jesus.
John 8:34 Jesus answered them,
Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin
is the servant of sin. 1 John 2:6 He that saith he abideth in him ought himself also so to walk, even as he walked. Eph 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. John 15:8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. How then did Jesus break the power that sin holds over the human race? We have already studied how, that in Adam’s transgression, the whole of mankind became spiritually dead, separated from God. As we have seen, this was brought about because of man’s inability to keep the Law of God—which Adam obligated us to do by eating of the forbidden fruit. Although The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil was inherently good, its fruit was poisonous for man, because we were not able to digest it. Indeed, instead of making man better, it became the catalyst by which sins power overcame us and destroyed us. Although we may acknowledge that God’s commandments and laws are “holy, just and good,” we have not the wherewithal to obey them. We may “delight in the law of God after the inward man”; but the “law” of our “members”—the natural constitution with which we were created—wars against the Law of God and our own will; because our flesh has no innate desire to obey God’s Law. We may look upon this Law as something that could make us a better being, but we do not find the strength needed to accomplish our aspiration. “The law is spiritual,” our flesh is carnal—totally sold-out to sin and the satisfying of its carnal cravings. We—meaning our souls, our inner being—is enslaved to the flesh, because we have no spiritual power to resist its lusts and demands. As the Apostle Paul wrote, “O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?”
Rom 7:10 And the
commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto
death.
Rom 7:21 I find then a law,
that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. Rom 8:3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: Christ’s sacrifice did four things to break sin’s power. As we have seen, “the strength of sin is the law”; and therefore to free us from this power, He had to free us from the law. The first thing He did was to satisfy the laws demands against us. His blood atoned—made reparations, or amends for the law we had broken. His suffering and death propitiated—satisfied God’s wrath against us for breaking His law; and we now stand justified—just as if we had never sinned before God. The law can now, never be the cause by which we would be condemned before God.
1 Cor 15:55 O death, where is
thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?
Rom 5:8 But God commendeth his
love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ
died for us. Rom 3:25 Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; Rom 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
Rom 4:6 Even as David also
describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God
imputeth righteousness without works, Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. The second thing Christ did to break sins power, was not only to free us from the condemnation of the law, but to free us from the demands of the law. When He died, He died under the law to pay our penalty, and He died to the law to free us from its dominion over us. Adam put mankind under the law; Christ’s death absolved those, who trust in Him, of any requirements to obey that law. ‘But how,’ may we ask, ‘did He accomplish this?’ In His death, Christ, as a Son of man, died to every attachment to this world, and to the law, as a member of Adam’s race. Jesus did not merely die for three days and nights, and then was resurrected again as a man; because the law would never have been satisfied with this temporal death as a payment for sins. When He died as a man, He died forever as a man; and we who associate ourselves with Him, died forever with Him. When Christ arose, He did not arise as a man, but as the firstborn of God’s new creation, and we arose with Him. So then, dying as a man, the laws dominion over Him, and over us, in Him, ended. In His resurrected life, as part of God’s new creation, He is no longer under the law as a part of Adam’s race; and we are not under that law of sin and death either. In His death we have been made free—if we have put our trust in what He has done for us, and if we account what the Scripture plainly teaches, is true. Rom 3:19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.
Rom 7:1 Know ye not, brethren,
(for I speak to them that know the law,) how that the law
hath dominion over a man as long as he liveth? Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Col 2:13 And you, being dead
in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he
quickened together with him, having forgiven you all
trespasses; ‘But how,’ we might also ask, ‘does removing us from under the laws demands, free us also from sin and make us any better?’ Although, as we have already seen, the law is perfectly just and holy, and if it were possible, “righteousness should have been by the law”; nevertheless, we were unable to satisfy its demands. However, our inability did not free us from our obligation to obey the law; because once Adam made it a part of his being, its demands were forever binding upon the whole human race. Furthermore, not to obey the law means certain death, and that includes eternal death. Therefore, mankind has been driven to perform every kind of perverse act and religious ritual that, although meant to satisfy the law, are in truth, nothing but sin and abomination to God. We, who are in Christ, have repented of these dead works to serve God in truth and in true righteousness. We have been made free from these acts of fleshly obedience; and because of our union with the resurrected Christ, we now serve God in “newness of Spirit.” Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Deut 12:29 When the LORD thy
God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou
goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and
dwellest in their land; Heb 6:1 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, Gal 2:19 For I through the law am dead to the law, that I might live unto God.
Rom 6:3 Know ye not, that
so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were
baptized into his death? Rom 6:14 For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. Rom 7:6 But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter. The third thing Christ did to free us from the law and sins power, was to cancel out the laws negative influence upon our fleshly lusts. In studying Adam’s fall, we saw that the law actually opened his eyes to a whole world of sin and debauchery. Living in innocence, Adam had no conception of those things which we now know to be evil; but contra wise, he did those things which were naturally good. However, in Adam’s fallen state, where his will has become subservient to his fleshly desires, the inhibitions of the law only tantalized his carnal nature, and created lusts that drew him into deeper sin. Fallen man seeks after these forbidden pleasures, while to those in Christ, these forbidden pleasures no longer exist. This does not mean, that as believers, we have a license to sin; but those who are in Christ are “dead to sin”—meaning sin has lost its power, its allurement that was created by the law. When we walk in “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” we are “free from the law of sin and death.”
Rom 7:5 For when we were in
the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did
work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death. Rom 6:2 God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Rom 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. The fourth thing Christ did to deliver us from sins power was to free our guilty conscience. The law not only drives us to satisfy its demands and creates in us inordinate desires, but it creates in us discouragement and despair. When we do all that we can to satisfy the law and to please God, and all we sense is displeasure and God’s angry countenance, we become discouraged to the point where we stop resisting sin altogether. We have the attitude that—after trying our best to please God and obey His law, nothing works, why should we even try? To those individuals, who have reached this state of existence, their struggles against sin and the forces of corruption cease, and they lose all semblances of any moral virtues. They also give up on God, believing in their hearts that He is too intolerable to please; or, many try to believe that He does not even exist. They quit praying, seeking, and hoping; having only fear and despair to fill their empty void. However, to those who identify themselves with Christ—His blood atonement, His death under the law and to the law—their conscience has been set free; there is now nothing to condemn them and to discourage their hearts. They have come to see that—“there is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus”; that—“the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin”; that—God forgave their “iniquity, and … will remember their sin no more.” Their conscience has been purged from the guilt of failing in their self-efforts and self-righteousness; and they are now at liberty to serve God in truth. Rom 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. Jer 31:34 And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD; for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. 1 John 1:7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. Heb 9:14 How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? Heb 10:22 Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Presence of sin: Although this is one aspect of Christ saving His people from sin that has not yet been realized, nevertheless we have joy in the hope that one day “them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.” At the last supper, before His arrest, trial, and crucifixion, Jesus, seeing the troubled and anxious faces of His disciples, said that, although He must go away, “I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.” When that time comes “we shall see him as he is,” and, “we shall be like him”; for He will “change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body”; and then, even the flesh, wherein the sin nature now dwells, shall be “delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God.” Heb 9:28 So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many; and unto them that look for him shall he appear the second time without sin unto salvation.
John 14:1 Let not your heart
be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.
1 Pet 1:3 Blessed be the God
and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his
abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 1 John 3:2 Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
Phil 3:20 For our conversation
is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ: Rom 8:21 Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. Christ shall not only deliver us from the presence of sin within us, but at His second coming He shall rule over this earth “with a rod of iron,” and “put down all rule and all authority and power” of this present evil world. Then, after His earthly reign of one thousands years, there will be a new heaven and a new earth wherein “dwelleth righteousness.” At that time, sin, and the effects of sin, will be forever banished from God’s new creation. In that eternal day “there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.”
Rev 19:11 And I saw heaven
opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him
was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth
judge and make war.
Rev 20:1 And I saw an angel
come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit
and a great chain in his hand.
1 Cor 15:24 Then cometh the
end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God,
even the Father;
when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and
power. 2 Pet 3:13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
Rev 21:1 And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first
earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. 6. Jesus came to this earth to give to His people a robe of righteousness. It was not enough for Him to come and be the perfect sacrifice for ours sins, for we would have been justified sinners, but sinners still. We needed more than just forgiveness; we needed righteousness, and the ability to live righteously. This He accomplished in two ways, the first is what is called imputed righteousness. As Jesus walked this earth He was subjected to every temptation known to man, “yet (He was) without sin.” He lived His earthly life under the law in perfect obedience to it. He was the only man who ever lived that earned a perfect righteousness by how He lived. The Father in Heaven testified on more than one occasion saying, “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Jesus Himself challenged His enemies to point out anything in His life that was not done in perfect truth and righteousness by asking them, “Which of you convinceth me of sin?” Heb 4:15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin Matt 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him. John 8:46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me? However, this life He lived, and this righteousness He earned, was not for His benefit. Jesus did not need to live righteously to be judged righteous and earn acceptance with God. Before coming to this earth He was already righteous because He was already God. He already had stood in the presence of the Father, as one with the Father. He did not come to earn His way to Heaven because He had come from Heaven, and could ascend back to Heaven whenever He chose to do so. This meritorious salvation He earned as a man was to give to His people a robe of righteousness for their covering. Just as the skin of that innocent animal in the Garden of Eden was made into a covering for the guilty pair, so Christ, our Lamb of God, is made a covering for those who trust in Him. To all those who put their faith in Christ, they become one with Christ; they are placed in Christ, and are “made the righteousness of God in him.” Christ Himself becomes their righteousness before God, and they stand before God in Him. John 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 17:5 And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. John 6:38 For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. John 17:21 That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. 2 Cor 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Phil 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
Jer 23:5 Behold, the days
come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a
righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and
shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. Psa 17:15 As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness: I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness. 7. Jesus came that He might “purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.” The imputed righteousness He provided for us, which is absolutely essential for our salvation, still leaves us wanting in one thing—it is not a practical righteousness. It does, by faith, allow us a standing before the Father, but it does little—in our earthly bodies—to aid us in overcoming sin. We not only need to have Christ’s robe of righteousness covering us, we need to have Christ living within us to live righteously. On earth, Jesus had been the disciple’s companion, teacher, and friend for three and one-half years, but now He was going back to Heaven. However, at the same time Jesus promised His disciples that He would come again, He also promised them, that in His absence, He would send them another Comforter—the Holy Spirit of God. Now, we must not think that the Holy Spirit is merely a second-string substitute for Christ in His absence; for He is the same essence and substance as God the Father and God the Son. Jesus made this plain when He said, “I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.” He was leaving them in the bodily form as the Son, but He would return to them in the Spirit—the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Christ, and the Spirit of God. Tit 2:14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.
John 14:16 And I will pray
the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter,
that he may abide with you for ever; Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. Now, the Spirit had been present in the world, and His power had been manifested through Christ, even as Jesus was present here on earth. The disciples themselves had witnessed the Spirit’s power, as it was given to them to work miracles in the name of Jesus. Therefore, Jesus was not merely promising that which they had already witnessed, but something altogether new and glorious. Throughout the Old Testament, until the time of Jesus’ crucifixion and ascension, the Holy Spirit had come upon certain individuals for the service and work of God; most specifically, He came to inspire them to write the Word of God. He had come upon the prophets, certain kings, the disciples, and many other individuals; but now, more than just being with them and upon them—He would be in them.
Num 11:25 And the LORD came
down in a cloud, and spake unto him, and took of the
spirit that was upon him, and gave it unto the seventy
elders: and it came to pass, that, when the spirit rested
upon them, they prophesied, and did not cease. Mic 3;8 But truly I am full of power by the spirit of the LORD, and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin.
Matt 10:5 These twelve Jesus
sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way
of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter
ye not: 2 Pet 1:21 For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost. John 14:17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. Col 1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory: This glorious new relationship between God and His people began on the day of Pentecost. This was the fulfillment of “the promise of the Father” spoken of by Joel the prophet, then by Jesus as He taught in the Temple, and again just before His ascension. This was the beginning of what we have come to call the church age; wherein God’s children are born again by the Spirit of God, who now comes to dwell in their hearts through faith in Christ.
Joel 2:28 And it shall come to
pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all
flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see
visions:
John 7:37 In the last day,
that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying,
If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.
Acts 1:4 And, being assembled
together with them, commanded them that they should not
depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the
Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
Acts 2:1 And when the day of
Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in
one place.
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said unto
them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name
of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,
and ye shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. Here then is the power over sin that Christ’s work provided for His people. He not only freed us “from the law of sin and death,” but through the indwelling Holy Spirit, He now begins to sanctify, or set apart His people from their old lifestyle of sin, unto a new life of holiness and service unto God. The law was powerless to change us because “it was weak through the flesh”; but those who are in Christ and walk “after the Spirit,” now fulfill “the righteousness of the law.” We have been “made free from sin,” and by the strength of the indwelling Spirit of Christ, we “became the servants of righteousness.”
Rom 7:24 O wretched man that I
am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 1 Cor 3:16 Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you? Rom 8:9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
Rom 8:2
For the law of the Spirit of
life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin
and death. Acts 1:8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 1 Pet 1:2 Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
Rom 6:6 Knowing this, that
our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin
might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 8. Jesus came to give those who trust in Him a new life, even eternal life. While there are many blessings in having our sins under the blood, being freed from the law, and having power over sin, what would it all mean if we were to only live out our “threescore years and ten” and then perish forever? Even the Apostle Paul admitted that “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” However, this life is not all that there is for the child of God; because He has promised us eternal life, and prepared us to live in eternity. The resurrection of Jesus from the dead secured, for those who believe in Him, eternal life; because we were raised together with Him. Just as “we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Psa 90:10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.
1 Cor 15:19 If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most
miserable. Rom 6:5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:
Rom 6:8 Now if we be dead
with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:
John 3:14 And as Moses lifted
up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of
man be lifted up:
John 17:1 These words spake
Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father,
the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may
glorify thee: 1 John 2:25 And this is the promise that he hath promised us, even eternal life. Howbeit, many might suppose that yes, when believers in Jesus die, their souls will go to heaven; and that one day there will be a resurrection of the dead; and then they will begin to enjoy eternal life. However, that is not what is taught concerning the born-again children of God. The Old Testament saints—meaning those who lived and died before the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ—entered into what is called soul sleep. Their bodies were buried, and the essence of their lives—their souls—went to Paradise. There they rested until the future resurrection of Christ from the dead. Many have a similar idea about the New Testament children of God—that after death, they are buried, and their souls rest in the arms of Jesus awaiting resurrection. Jesus did teach this view of Old Testament believers in the coming Messiah saying, “he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live”; but He taught something entirely different concerning those who would be alive after His resurrection saying, “whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die”; and in both instances He was not talking about the body, but the soul. Deut 31:16 And the LORD said unto Moses, thy Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them. Eph 4:8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. (Speaking of the Old Testament saints sleeping in Paradise.) Luke 23:43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
John 11:25 Jesus said unto
her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: The glorious message that Jesus gave to His people, was that eternal life begins the moment we trust in Him and are born-again by the Spirit of God. God’s children “shall never die.” Our bodies may sleep in the graves until the resurrection, but our souls, though “absent from the body” will be “be present with the Lord”; but even then, though our “earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved”—returned to the dust—we will have a temporary body “not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.” For a child of God, death is only the doorway that leads to Heaven, because Christ has already given to us “eternal life,” and we “shall never perish.” Those who have gone before us are more alive then we who now “groan” in “our earthly house of this tabernacle.” They are enjoying complete freedom from sin, the splendors of Heaven, and the joy of beholding their Saviour face to face. Now, one day, when Christ returns in the air for those believers who still remain on this earth, the bodies of those saints which slept in the grave shall be resurrected. “Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” At that moment, those saints who are still alive when Jesus comes “shall be changed”—their bodies transformed, “fashioned like unto his glorious body.”
2 Cor 5:1 For we know that
if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we
have a building of God, an house not made with hands,
eternal in the heavens.
John 10:27 My sheep hear my
voice, and I know them, and they follow me:
1 Thess 4:13 But I would not
have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no
hope.
1 Cor 15:51 Behold, I shew you
a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be
changed,
Phil 3:20 For our conversation
is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the
Lord Jesus Christ: [1] Matt 1:1-17, Luke 3:23-38 [2] For a further explanation of the Godhead, see The Garden and the Gospel, the chapters, Dying and Death, Man’s Nature, and Dying and Death, Man’s Design, also available from this author or at "http://GodsPurposes.org". [3] “the power of the dog”, Psalm 22:20. [4] Matt 2:16 [5] Luke 4:28-30 [6] John 8:3-5 [7] It was the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil—the Law—which brought condemnation to mankind; and it was the Tree of Calvary’s cross that brought salvation to man. [8] For more study on the death of Christ, see The Garden and the Gospel, the chapter, The Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Christ, also available from this author or at "http://GodsPurposes.org".
|
 |
|
 |