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| Volume 21 Number 9 September 2019 | Page 11 |
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| Volume 21 Number 9 September 2019 | Page 11 |
George McNulty
When we read the majestic Word of God, filled with the accounts of creation, along with great battles and wars fought across physical and spiritual planes, when we consider the deep things of reality and the greatness of God, is it any wonder that we may ask, “Where do we fit into all of this?” Indeed, do we fit in the narrative at all? Well, since what the Holy Bible says is what matters, it is the only authority on which we base our beliefs. The Word of God reveals that we are, indeed, a part of the story of the ages.
In the Gospel, we are told that the Son of man came to save that which was lost (Matthew 18:11). These words alone show God’s practical concern for His creation. It matters to Him that “all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). God, in His wisdom, compassion and love, through the apostle Paul, warned of the consequences of sin. “For the wages of sin is death.” Yet, He does not leave us without hope, for “the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:23).
God’s Word says, “Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world; but when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons, And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father” (Galatians 4:3-6). We were in slavery to the darkness of this world, and sin divided us from our loving Creator. Here, the apostle Paul told us of this new exodus, not from Egypt of old, but from the crushing oppression of sin. Like the original act of God’s providence, which tells us that upon the liberation from slavery in Egypt, “a mixed multitude went up also with them” (Exodus 12:28), we of every nation can participate in this wonderful victory.
John clearly showed this in Scripture. “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands” (Revelation 7:9). Here we see a mixed multitude before God’s mighty throne, their white robes declaring their cleanliness and purity before Him.
So, where do we fit in the story? At the very heart of it! Christ left His throne because He loved us. The original exodus fulfilled God's promises made to our spiritual father Abraham (Genesis 15:16), but the exodus of which we are a part is far greater, because it liberates us from the bondage to sin and promises us a home in Heaven with our deliverer, the Lord Jesus Christ. In His loving promise found in the Gospel account of John, we find, “Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, ye may be also” (John 14:1-3).
Isn’t it a wonderfully comforting thought to know that we matter to our loving God? He wants us to be with Him. He wants to provide for us and give us an everlasting home with Him. We are part of the greatest story ever told, and one of the most wonderful things about it is that it is a true story. Most encouraging of all is the fact that His love for you and me is the very motivation for the blessed provision of salvation offered to all.
The Sacrifice for Sins
Aaron Cozort
God’s incredible love for man surpasses all our understanding. We can substitute our feelings for what we think God might have felt. We can imagine what we would do for our child to save him, and we can imagine what we might do for other people’s children to redeem them. However, we cannot reach the level of understanding necessary to comprehend what God did and has done for us. Jesus told Nicodemus, “…even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved” (John 3:14b-17).
The atoning sacrifice could neither be an angel nor any other member of the heavenly host. All were insufficient. It could not be a man—all humanity is flawed by sin. It could not be an animal, for the blood of bulls and goats could never take away sin. The only propitiatory sacrifice had to be God Himself, but it wasn’t enough for it to be God. Not only was there a need for a sacrifice, but there was also need for a Mediator—someone who could bridge the separation between humanity and the Father. The sacrifice had to be the Son (Matthew 20:28; Mark 9:12; John 1:14; Romans 1:3-4; 8:3; Hebrews 10:1-2).
When Jesus came, He lived to be a sacrifice for humanity. He lived flawlessly in terms of righteousness, living without sin (Hebrews 4:14-15) and without guile (1 Peter 2:22). Jesus overcame the temptations of Satan, and the temptations of humanity were answered (Matthew 4:1-11; John 8:1-11). He lived as no one else has ever, nor will ever, live. Moreover, He did so for you and me so that He could defeat our greatest enemies—Satan and Death (Hebrews 2:14).
Did Jesus have to do this? Was it beyond His choice, or was He forced to obey? No. Instead, “he humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8b). Let us live in view of the cross and the “…Lamb as though it had been slain…” (Revelation 5:6) because He died for our transgressions and was bruised for our iniquity.