Apr 11
24
For me a worm!
“The Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins” Galatians 1:3-4
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins” 1 John 2:2
O what an astonishing truth is this! The Son of God offering Himself up a sacrifice for sin! He who knew no sin — who was holy, harmless, and undefiled — not one thought of evil in His heart — yet made sin, or a sin offering! O the magnitude of the thought! If God Himself had not declared it, we could not have believed it, though an angel’s trumpet had announced it.
O blessed and adorable Immanuel! Was this the end and design of Your intense and mysterious sufferings? Was it that You should obey, bear the sin, endure the curse, and bow Your head in death — that I might go free? Was it in my stead, and in my behalf?
O unexampled love! O infinite and free grace! That God should become incarnate — that the Holy One should so take upon Him sin, as to be dealt with by stern justice as though He were Himself the sinner — that He should drain the cup of wrath, give His back to the smiters, endure the shame and the spitting, and at last be suspended upon the cross, and pour out His last drop of most precious blood — and all this for me! For me a rebel! For me a worm! For me the chief of sinners! “The Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me!” Galatians 2:20. Be astonished, O heavens! and be amazed, O earth! Was ever love like this? Octavius Winslow.
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The Robe!
From Spurgeon’s, “The Treasure of Grace”
God’s children are wrapped around with a robe, a seamless robe, which earth and heaven could not buy the like of it, were it once lost.
For texture it excels the fine linen of the merchants; for whiteness it is purer than the driven snow; no looms on earth could make it, but Jesus spent his life to make my robe of righteousness. There was a drop of blood in every throw of the shuttle, and every thread was made of his own heart’s agonies. It is a robe that is divine, complete; a better one than Adam wore in the perfection of Eden. Adam had but a human
righteousness though a perfect one, but we have a divinely perfect righteousness. Strangely, my soul, are you arrayed, for your Savior’s
garment is on you- the royal robe of David is wrapped about his Jonathan. Look at God’s people as they are clothed also in the garments of ‘sanctification’. Was there ever such a robe as that?
It is literally stiff with jewels.
Every day he arrays the lowliest of his people as though it were a wedding day. He arrays them as a bride adorns herself with jewels. He will have them dressed in gold of Ophir. What riches of grace then must there be in God who thus clothes his children! – Charles Spurgeon.
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Christ Made Sin For Us — 2 Corinthians 5:21
In order to save me, the Lord Jesus Christ was made to be sin for me. The Son of God voluntarily took upon himself that horrible, ugly, vile, ignominious thing which he most hates — sin. O my soul, be forever astonished! The God-man became sin for me, that I might be made the righteousness of God in him!
A Door Opened for Sinners When he was made to be sin for me, my sins were imputed to him; he was treated as the obnoxious thing itself and suffered all the wrath of God due to me for my sin. The Father forsook him. Justice was executed upon him. And when the infinite justice of God had spent itself upon the sinners’ Substitute, a door was opened in heaven for sinners, whereby we may draw near to God (Hebrews 10:19-23).
“For Us” Christ was made to be sin “for us.” That little word, “us,” is very important. Every time the Bible sets forth the glorious, gospel doctrine of substitutionary redemption, every time the Word of God explains the meaning of Christ’s death and the atonement he made for sinners at Calvary, it speaks of his work as something done for a specific people, by which he accomplished the eternal redemption and secured the everlasting salvation of a specific people called “us.” The Son of God was made to be sin for and redeemed “us.” – “Us” whom he came to save (Matthew 1:21. – “Us” his church and espoused bride (Ephesians 5:25-27). – “Us” for whom he prays (John 17:9, 20). – “Us” who are the elect of God (Ephesians 1:3-6). – “Us” who come to God by him
(Hebrews 7:25). – “Us” who, walking in the light of the gospel, believe on him (1 John 1:7, 9).
Like all the other blessings of grace, redemption is for God’s elect alone. If Christ were Surety and Substitute for all men, then all men must be saved. Had he paid the debt of all men, then none could ever suffer the wrath of God for sin. Justice would not allow it. But that he did not do. Jesus Christ died for us. He died for me, and paid my debt in full. How I rejoice to know that I shall, therefore, never be called to account for myself.
“Payment God cannot twice demand,
First at my bleeding Surety’s hand,
And then again at mine!”
Security In Christ
I know that Christ died for me because I trust him. My faith (the gift of his Spirit) in him is the result of his death for me (Gal. 3:13-14). Oh, how the Son of God must love me (1 John 4:9-10). Oh, how I ought to love him! Now in him I am absolutely safe and secure. Christ has magnified the law and made it honorable for me. He has put away my sin. This sinner, for whom the Son of God was made to be sin, can never be charged with sin again (Rom 4:8; 8:34).
“He bore that I might never bear
The Father’s righteous ire!” (Spurgeon)
In him, God is both just and the Justifier of this sinner, who believes on his Son (Rom. 3:24-26).
Don Fortner
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Substitution
Leviticus 16: 15
The goat which was slain died in the place of the guilty children of Israel. The people sinned. They deserved to die (Romans 6:23.) Instead of the people dying, the slain goat died as a sin-offering in the place of the people. That is substitution (Galatians 3:13-14.) There is no “sense” in which this offering was offered for Cain, or Amalek, or all the heathen people outside of the camp of Israel. This offering was provided by God to make ceremonial atonement for that one nation chosen of God. So it is that there is no “sense” in which Christ died for all men without exception. Christ Jesus is the sin-atoning offering provided by God the Father, who has made full atonement for those chosen of God, his spiritual Israel by his one offering (John 10: 15-18; Hebrews 10: 14).-Clay Curtis.—
“Do not be afraid—for I Myself will help you—declares the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” Isaiah 41:14
This morning, let us hear the Lord Jesus speak to each one of us:
“I Myself will help you. It is but a small thing for Me, your God, to help you. Consider what I have done already. What! not help you? Why, I bought you with My blood. What! not help you? Why, I have died for you! And if I have done the greater—will I not do the lesser? Help you? Before the world began—I chose you. I laid aside My glory and became a man for you. I gave up My life for you! And if I did all this—I will surely help you now. If you had need of a thousand times as much help—I would give it to you. You require little, compared with what I am ready to give. It is much for you to need—but it is nothing for Me to bestow. What! not help you? Fear not! If there were an ant at the door of your granary, asking for help—it would not ruin you to give him a handful of your wheat! Just so, you are nothing but a tiny insect at the door of My all-sufficiency!”
“I Myself will help you!” O my soul, is not this enough? Bring your empty pitcher here! Surely this well will fill it. Hasten! gather up your needs, and bring them here—your emptiness, your woes, your troubles. Behold, this river of God is full for your supply. What more can you desire? The Eternal God is your helper!- Charles Spurgeon.