The Message of the Cross and the Plan of Salvation
The message of the Cross and the plan of Salvation and Righteousness/Justification by faith.
By Craig McCartan 11/28/2012 (2,729 words)
This article sets out to discuss the message of the Cross and the plan of Salvation which eventually merges into the area of Righteousness or Justification by faith by looking at the scriptures and with references to the apostle Paul as well as respected Christian commentaries. We start with Hebrews chapter 10 starting with verse 12 through to 14.
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.
Heb 10:13 from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14 for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus Christ is that man, he was the one sacrifice for the sins of the world for ever, then he sat down by the right side of God, until his enemies become his footstool. By offering himself, Christ, has become that perfect sacrifice, for those of us that are in him. See Romans 8:1 and Romans 3:24.
Christ has become that perfect sacrifice he took on all the evil of the world, which I believe it to be the sins of the world that killed him in the soul and the sickness, maladies, the body. Perfect in the sense of the evil (as previously mentioned) and good, which has been made available for us who are in him.
Isa 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.
This was prophesised by Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Christ. This is remarkable that God the Father, new that his son Christ Jesus would die and bare all our iniquities as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. What is also interesting is that Elohim being the Alpha and Omega stands outside of time. The Greek word "aionion" used in 2 Timothy 1:9 means time in the sense of the dimension of time itself. The word appears to be derived from two Greek words which, taken together, mean "time which is not self-existent"; i.e., time which starts with a point but which continues toward some unknown destination.
So imagine this, not only was it prophesised in Isaiah but according to Timothy, it is before the beginning of time. I loved this when I found this out it was like a breath of fresh air it knocked me for a six it finally sunk in. God is good, keep praying to God if an answer hasn't come for your healing, or your business, or your family, or for finances, keep trusting and believing because it is in his time.
Isa 53:10-12
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
When I read this I felt humility and sense of oneness with Christ, I was feeling his pain in my mind and it brought a few tears, it was so humbling that Christ stepped up to the plate and said to his Father God 'that I will do this' (What Love) the plan of Salvation from the beginning of time. The dimension of time itself as mentioned above in reference to 2 Tim 1:9 would have meant that Jesus Christ would have had to return to that dimension in time to be man who 'And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' Philippians 2:8. This is mind-blowing stuff just the concept of our loving Jesus doing this for us, it never really hit me but as I study the word the more in love and the more love is revealed, which brings on a spiritual maturity as the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh) resides in ones heart distancing oneself from sin.
2Cor 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.
I have personally found that without praying to the Holy Spirit before you open your bible it won't reveal itself. The Holy Scriptures is the word of God YHWH and it is divine and holy but when one brings themselves into the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will bring you into all truth. And that is why I love this verse 'he hath made him to be sin', bearing this in mind when referencing John 1:1, I don't believe God the father would force his son, but having compassion for mankind and seeing the beginning from the end, Jesus the son, would be that sin for us, who knew no sin; the perfect sacrifice the unblemished lamb that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Wow that is so thought provoking that it is such a revelation and what hits me is what Love a love I can't fathom. It would be great if we could be ever so mindful of this fact and to contemplate upon it.
Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
God delivered His Son to die for our sins. God delivered His Son to suffer, to be despised and rejected, as prophesied in Isaiah 53, and to be delivered for our sins.
It's not until you become a mother and father that you really appreciate the suffering of your little ones, it hurts you to see your child sick or with fever, you just want to reach out and take their infirmities away, it breaks you up inside. Its then that you begin to realise the pain that the Father must have gone through to see his Son suffering. As a parent you want to take the place of your child and suffer for them. That is why the cross is so important for understanding our salvation if you displace yourself from the centre of the cross then the devil says 'Yes I have you', as this continues you start to lose the abundance of his (Jesus) Grace, which has a domino effect, you start to feel guilt, disturbance in your peace, and you feel totally off kilter. Many Christians today have itching ears and when they hear something new or exciting they drift and this is the deceptive method the devil will use to take your eyes of the cross, if you have looked at a cross it is a way of marking the bulls-eye, you aim to hit the bulls-eye and that is how we need to live our Christian walk always aiming for the bulls-eye, the mark.
Christianity is not a set of rules or better still a life of legalism that focuses on your good works, you will never earn salvation, salvation is a gift from God. Unfortunately like politics in the church we tend to fall into either two camps Conservative or Liberal, it's where the enemy wants you. This will cause opposition and conflict within the church, and the devil loves this when there is agitation, one group of people against another purely on a distortion of the scriptures. But when you bring the cross back into the equation is brings us all back together. This is the simple plain truth of the purpose of Salvation.
It need not to be hard brethren. Keep your eye on Christ; keep your focus on him and that way you won't be pulled here or there. I like it when Paul says to the Galatians in Chapter 3 and verse 11 through to 12, that man isn't justified by the law in the sight of God, the just shall live by faith and it goes on to say that the Law is not of faith but the man that doeth them shall live. Vs. 11 The Apostle draws into his argument the testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk chap 2 verse 4: "The just shall live by his faith". Chuck Smith gives a very good discourse on a conversation between God and Habakkuk. This passage carries much weight because it eliminates the Law and the deeds of the Law as factors in the process of our justification.
The scholastics misconstrue this passage by saying: "The just shall live by faith, as if it is a working faith, or a faith formed and performed by charitable works." Their annotation is a forgery. To speak of formed or unformed faith, a sort of double faith, is contrary to the Scriptures. If charitable works can form and perfect faith I am forced to say eventually that charitable deeds constitute the essential factor in the Christian religion. Christ and His benefits would be lost to us.
Vs. 12 And the law is not of faith.
In direct opposition to the scholastics Paul declares: "The law is not of faith." What is this charity the scholastics talk so much about? Does not the Law command charity? The fact is the Law commands nothing but charity, as we may gather from the following Scripture passages: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deu 6:5) "Strewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments." (Exd 20:6) "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mat 22:40) If the law requires charity, charity is part of the Law and not of faith. Since Christ has displaced the Law which commands charity, it follows that charity has been abrogated with the Law as a factor in our Justification, and only faith is left.
Vs. 12 But, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Paul undertakes to explain the difference between the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of faith. The righteousness of the Law is the fulfilment of the Law according to the passage: "The man that doeth them shall live in them." The righteousness of faith is to believe the Gospel according to the passage: "The just shall live by faith." The Law is a statement of debit, the Gospel a statement of credit. By this distinction Paul explains why charity which is the commandment of the Law cannot justify, because the Law contributes nothing to our justification. Indeed, works do follow after faith, but faith is not therefore a meritorious work. Faith is a gift. The character and limitations of the Law must be rigidly maintained.
When we believe in Christ we live by faith. When we believe in the Law we may be active enough but we have no life. The function of the Law is not to give life; the function of the Law is to kill. True, the Law says: "The man that doeth them shall live in them." But where is the person who can do "them, i.e., love God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and his neighbour as himself?
Paul has nothing against those who are justified by faith and therefore are true doers of the Law. He opposes those who think they can fulfil the Law when in reality they can only sin against the Law by trying to obtain righteousness by the Law. The Law demands that we fear, love, and worship God with a true Faith. The law-workers fail to do this. Instead, they invent new modes of worship and new kinds of works which God never commanded. They provoke His anger according to the passage: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mat 15:9) Hence, the law-righteous workers are downright rebels against God, and idolaters who constantly sin against the first commandment. In short, they are no good at-all though outwardly they seem to be extremely solicitous of the honour of God. We, who are justified by faith as the saints of old, may be under the Law, but we are not under the curse of the Law because sin is not imputed to us for Christ's sake. If the Law cannot be fulfilled by the believers, if sin continues to cling to them despite their love for God, what can you expect of people? Who are not yet justified by faith, who are still enemies of God and His Word, like the unbelieving law-workers? It goes to show how impossible it is for those who have not been justified by faith to fulfil the Law. For more on this article please visit my website in the bio section.
References:
http://www.khouse.org/articles/1994/33/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=23&contentID=4756&commInfo=27&topic=Galatians&ar=Gal_3_11.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=23&contentID=4756&commInfo=27&topic=Galatians&ar=Gal_3_12
By Craig McCartan 11/28/2012 (2,729 words)
This article sets out to discuss the message of the Cross and the plan of Salvation which eventually merges into the area of Righteousness or Justification by faith by looking at the scriptures and with references to the apostle Paul as well as respected Christian commentaries. We start with Hebrews chapter 10 starting with verse 12 through to 14.
Heb 10:12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God.
Heb 10:13 from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.
Heb 10:14 for by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Jesus Christ is that man, he was the one sacrifice for the sins of the world for ever, then he sat down by the right side of God, until his enemies become his footstool. By offering himself, Christ, has become that perfect sacrifice, for those of us that are in him. See Romans 8:1 and Romans 3:24.
Christ has become that perfect sacrifice he took on all the evil of the world, which I believe it to be the sins of the world that killed him in the soul and the sickness, maladies, the body. Perfect in the sense of the evil (as previously mentioned) and good, which has been made available for us who are in him.
Isa 53:6
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him (Jesus) the iniquity of us all.
This was prophesised by Isaiah 700 years before the birth of Christ. This is remarkable that God the Father, new that his son Christ Jesus would die and bare all our iniquities as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. What is also interesting is that Elohim being the Alpha and Omega stands outside of time. The Greek word "aionion" used in 2 Timothy 1:9 means time in the sense of the dimension of time itself. The word appears to be derived from two Greek words which, taken together, mean "time which is not self-existent"; i.e., time which starts with a point but which continues toward some unknown destination.
So imagine this, not only was it prophesised in Isaiah but according to Timothy, it is before the beginning of time. I loved this when I found this out it was like a breath of fresh air it knocked me for a six it finally sunk in. God is good, keep praying to God if an answer hasn't come for your healing, or your business, or your family, or for finances, keep trusting and believing because it is in his time.
Isa 53:10-12
But the LORD was pleased to crush Him, putting Him to grief; if He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the LORD will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, as He will bear their iniquities. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the spoil with the strong; because He poured out Himself to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the transgressors.
When I read this I felt humility and sense of oneness with Christ, I was feeling his pain in my mind and it brought a few tears, it was so humbling that Christ stepped up to the plate and said to his Father God 'that I will do this' (What Love) the plan of Salvation from the beginning of time. The dimension of time itself as mentioned above in reference to 2 Tim 1:9 would have meant that Jesus Christ would have had to return to that dimension in time to be man who 'And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross' Philippians 2:8. This is mind-blowing stuff just the concept of our loving Jesus doing this for us, it never really hit me but as I study the word the more in love and the more love is revealed, which brings on a spiritual maturity as the Holy Spirit (Ruach Hakodesh) resides in ones heart distancing oneself from sin.
2Cor 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.
I have personally found that without praying to the Holy Spirit before you open your bible it won't reveal itself. The Holy Scriptures is the word of God YHWH and it is divine and holy but when one brings themselves into the atmosphere of the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit will bring you into all truth. And that is why I love this verse 'he hath made him to be sin', bearing this in mind when referencing John 1:1, I don't believe God the father would force his son, but having compassion for mankind and seeing the beginning from the end, Jesus the son, would be that sin for us, who knew no sin; the perfect sacrifice the unblemished lamb that we might be made the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus.
Wow that is so thought provoking that it is such a revelation and what hits me is what Love a love I can't fathom. It would be great if we could be ever so mindful of this fact and to contemplate upon it.
Romans 8:32
He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?
God delivered His Son to die for our sins. God delivered His Son to suffer, to be despised and rejected, as prophesied in Isaiah 53, and to be delivered for our sins.
It's not until you become a mother and father that you really appreciate the suffering of your little ones, it hurts you to see your child sick or with fever, you just want to reach out and take their infirmities away, it breaks you up inside. Its then that you begin to realise the pain that the Father must have gone through to see his Son suffering. As a parent you want to take the place of your child and suffer for them. That is why the cross is so important for understanding our salvation if you displace yourself from the centre of the cross then the devil says 'Yes I have you', as this continues you start to lose the abundance of his (Jesus) Grace, which has a domino effect, you start to feel guilt, disturbance in your peace, and you feel totally off kilter. Many Christians today have itching ears and when they hear something new or exciting they drift and this is the deceptive method the devil will use to take your eyes of the cross, if you have looked at a cross it is a way of marking the bulls-eye, you aim to hit the bulls-eye and that is how we need to live our Christian walk always aiming for the bulls-eye, the mark.
Christianity is not a set of rules or better still a life of legalism that focuses on your good works, you will never earn salvation, salvation is a gift from God. Unfortunately like politics in the church we tend to fall into either two camps Conservative or Liberal, it's where the enemy wants you. This will cause opposition and conflict within the church, and the devil loves this when there is agitation, one group of people against another purely on a distortion of the scriptures. But when you bring the cross back into the equation is brings us all back together. This is the simple plain truth of the purpose of Salvation.
It need not to be hard brethren. Keep your eye on Christ; keep your focus on him and that way you won't be pulled here or there. I like it when Paul says to the Galatians in Chapter 3 and verse 11 through to 12, that man isn't justified by the law in the sight of God, the just shall live by faith and it goes on to say that the Law is not of faith but the man that doeth them shall live. Vs. 11 The Apostle draws into his argument the testimony of the Prophet Habakkuk chap 2 verse 4: "The just shall live by his faith". Chuck Smith gives a very good discourse on a conversation between God and Habakkuk. This passage carries much weight because it eliminates the Law and the deeds of the Law as factors in the process of our justification.
The scholastics misconstrue this passage by saying: "The just shall live by faith, as if it is a working faith, or a faith formed and performed by charitable works." Their annotation is a forgery. To speak of formed or unformed faith, a sort of double faith, is contrary to the Scriptures. If charitable works can form and perfect faith I am forced to say eventually that charitable deeds constitute the essential factor in the Christian religion. Christ and His benefits would be lost to us.
Vs. 12 And the law is not of faith.
In direct opposition to the scholastics Paul declares: "The law is not of faith." What is this charity the scholastics talk so much about? Does not the Law command charity? The fact is the Law commands nothing but charity, as we may gather from the following Scripture passages: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might" (Deu 6:5) "Strewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my Commandments." (Exd 20:6) "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets." (Mat 22:40) If the law requires charity, charity is part of the Law and not of faith. Since Christ has displaced the Law which commands charity, it follows that charity has been abrogated with the Law as a factor in our Justification, and only faith is left.
Vs. 12 But, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Paul undertakes to explain the difference between the righteousness of the Law and the righteousness of faith. The righteousness of the Law is the fulfilment of the Law according to the passage: "The man that doeth them shall live in them." The righteousness of faith is to believe the Gospel according to the passage: "The just shall live by faith." The Law is a statement of debit, the Gospel a statement of credit. By this distinction Paul explains why charity which is the commandment of the Law cannot justify, because the Law contributes nothing to our justification. Indeed, works do follow after faith, but faith is not therefore a meritorious work. Faith is a gift. The character and limitations of the Law must be rigidly maintained.
When we believe in Christ we live by faith. When we believe in the Law we may be active enough but we have no life. The function of the Law is not to give life; the function of the Law is to kill. True, the Law says: "The man that doeth them shall live in them." But where is the person who can do "them, i.e., love God with all his heart, soul, and mind, and his neighbour as himself?
Paul has nothing against those who are justified by faith and therefore are true doers of the Law. He opposes those who think they can fulfil the Law when in reality they can only sin against the Law by trying to obtain righteousness by the Law. The Law demands that we fear, love, and worship God with a true Faith. The law-workers fail to do this. Instead, they invent new modes of worship and new kinds of works which God never commanded. They provoke His anger according to the passage: "But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men." (Mat 15:9) Hence, the law-righteous workers are downright rebels against God, and idolaters who constantly sin against the first commandment. In short, they are no good at-all though outwardly they seem to be extremely solicitous of the honour of God. We, who are justified by faith as the saints of old, may be under the Law, but we are not under the curse of the Law because sin is not imputed to us for Christ's sake. If the Law cannot be fulfilled by the believers, if sin continues to cling to them despite their love for God, what can you expect of people? Who are not yet justified by faith, who are still enemies of God and His Word, like the unbelieving law-workers? It goes to show how impossible it is for those who have not been justified by faith to fulfil the Law. For more on this article please visit my website in the bio section.
References:
http://www.khouse.org/articles/1994/33/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=23&contentID=4756&commInfo=27&topic=Galatians&ar=Gal_3_11.
http://www.blueletterbible.org/commentaries/comm_view.cfm?AuthorID=23&contentID=4756&commInfo=27&topic=Galatians&ar=Gal_3_12