Christ Died in Place of His People (Matthew 27:21-26)<\/p>\n
Put your place in that cell with Barabbas. He hears his name shouted by
\nthe crowd. Then he hears, \u201cCrucify him, crucify him!\u201d He is convinced he
\nis a dead man walking. The jailor opens the door to his cell. But
\ninstead of dragging him to the cross, the jailor unlocks Barabbas’
\nshackles announcing that Christ Jesus has taken his place on the cross;
\ntherefore, Barabbas is a free man. That is the good news of
\nsubstitution! Every chosen child for whom the Son of God shed his blood
\nat Calvary shall be set free by the Spirit of regeneration through the
\nkey of the gospel of the free grace of God. It is not possible for the
\nlaw to punish the Substitute and punish those for whom he died.<\/p>\n
The truth of the successful particular redemption of chosen sinners is
\nthe gospel which manifests the righteousness of God\u2014all others are not
\nanother. He has seen the travail of his soul and is satisfied. Is this
\nnews good to you or do you scream unfair? Do you think Barabbas screamed
\nunfair? Do you think he argued that there was something yet that he must
\ndo? Do you think he had to be persuaded out of that jail cell? Many
\nconvicts have had to be hog-tied to get them in a prison cell, not one
\npardoned prisoner has had to be coerced to go free. Has the Spirit of
\nGod entered into your heart with this gospel, unlocked your bars of
\nspiritual death with life, un-shackled your chains of unbelief with the
\ngift of faith?<\/p>\n
When death-row sinners behold the glory of God in the face of Christ
\nJesus it is the Light of the open door on the eternal day of blessed
\npardon. Picture Barabbas dancing and singing, \u201cRedeemed! Redeemed! Free!
\nFree!\u201d Oh, may God have mercy today and make us sing that joyful song! –
\nClay
\nCurtis<\/p>\n
The living dead
\nAs sin and death reigns in the unregenerate, grace reigns in those who
\nlive in Christ. Not to minimize the importance of the believer\u2019s
\nconversation in this world which would honor Christ and His gospel, the
\ntext and context of the verses before us speak of the efficacious work
\nof God the Spirit in His gracious persevering, preserving presence in
\nHis people. It is not we that reign over our sin, it is the grace of God
\nby the righteousness of Christ in us that reigns over sin. Although we
\nare very much aware of our sin, we are dead to sin because we are alive
\nin Christ. We do not live in sin, we live in Christ – \u201cFor ye are dead,
\nand your life is hid with Christ in God\u201d Col 3:3. The Holy Spirit is
\nconfirming to us the impossibility of living in Christ and living in sin
\nat the same time – \u201cHow shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer
\ntherein?\u201d. He is also answering the sarcastic argument many try to make
\nagainst the grace of God – \u201cShall we sin more that the grace of God will
\nabound more?\u201d He says, \u201cGod forbid!\u201d. The life of a child of God is a
\nmystery to the world (and somewhat a mystery to us because we still live
\nin this body of death). The difference is, we simply believe what God
\nsays and we \u201creckon ourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto
\nGod through Jesus Christ our Lord\u201d Romans 6:11. We reckon that\u2019s the way
\nit is because that\u2019s the way God reckons it is. The child of God is
\nalive and dead at the same time. Some day soon we shall lose the dead
\nand there will only remain the life, that eternal life which is in
\nChrist Jesus our Lord. I speak to the dead because it is only the dead
\nthat can hear – \u201cVerily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and
\nnow is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they
\nthat hear shall live.\u201d John 5:25 -Tommy Robbins.<\/p>\n
Are we really dead to sin.
\nThe word reckon is the same word that is translated impute or account.
\nThe sins of the elect were imputed to Christ. They became His. He became
\nguilty before God. He was actually made sin. And He really died for the
\nsins that had become His. He paid the debt of our sins. And just as
\ntruly as the sins of the elect were imputed to Him, His perfect
\nrighteousness is imputed to them. Just as literally as our sin became
\nHis, His righteousness became ours. We are literally \u201cthe righteousness
\nof God in Him.\u201d Since our sin was reckoned to Him, and His righteousness
\nreckoned to us, we reckon ourselves to be dead to sin, because we really
\nare! If He really died, then we really are dead to sin. If He really did
\nrise from the dead then we really are alive to God through our Lord
\nJesus Christ. We are not required to feel this, but we are required to
\nbelieve it! Todd Nibert.<\/p>\n
Sovereign Grace.
\nSovereign grace is not a religious denomination or theological movement.
\nIt is a concise expression of the clear teaching of scripture that
\ndescribes who God is and how He saves a sinner.
\nGod is sovereign. He is the most high God (Gen 14:22), supreme and
\nelevated in authority, character, dignity and worth above all His
\ncreatures. He is not accountable to anyone (Job 33:13). He does as He
\npleases, when He pleases, with whom He pleases (Is 46:10). He is not
\ndictated to nor influenced in any degree by anyone or anything and
\ncannot be questioned or hindered in anything that He does (Dan 4:35, Rom
\n11:34).<\/p>\n
Grace is God\u2019s eternal favor and blessing upon a sinner who neither
\ndeserves it nor seeks it. Grace is salvation. Grace is Christ and all of
\nthe benefits of His meritorious life and sin-atoning death bestowed upon
\nthe wretch who is worthy of only condemnation and punishment.<\/p>\n
Sovereign grace is the sovereign God purposing and promising to be
\ngracious to whom He would be gracious, and then bringing to pass that
\npurpose and making good on that promise by putting those objects of
\ngrace in Christ and Christ in them (1Cor 1:30, Col 1:27). – Chris Cunningham<\/p>\n
The Righteousness of God<\/p>\n
One of the more important phrases in our English Bibles is the phrase,
\n\u201cThe righteousness of God.\u201d Martin Luther claimed that a proper
\nunderstanding of this phrase led to his salvation. But a word or phrase
\nhas no power unless we understand what it means. There are at least
\nthree ways the Scriptures use this phrase:
\n1) God\u2019s essential righteousness that directs all His works. In all God
\ndoes, He is righteous, for righteousness is among His essential
\nattributes. When He condemns, He is righteous. When He saves, He is
\nrighteous. His wrath is a righteous wrath and His love is a righteous love.<\/p>\n
2) The gift of righteousness that comes from God to all who believe.
\nThis is the righteousness of the Gospel and is set forth as distinct
\nfrom the righteousness of the Law. In the Law, we must render
\nrighteousness to God; in the gospel, we receive righteousness from God.
\nIn the book of Romans, this righteousness is seen primarily as the
\nrighteousness of justification. That is, it describes the righteousness
\nimputed to every one of God\u2019s elect which makes them accepted by God and
\nlegally secures to them all the blessings of God.<\/p>\n
3) A righteous nature given to every one of God\u2019s elect. The \u201clegal\u201d
\nrighteousness of God makes every elect accepted by God. But salvation
\ngoes beyond making us accepted; it also includes fellowship with God.
\n\u201cFellowship\u201d means \u201cto have in common.\u201d For a man to know, love, believe
\nand communicate with God, he must have a nature in common with God\u2019s. 2
\nCorinthians 5.21 says that all for whom Christ died are made to be the
\nrighteousness of God in Him. The word translated \u201cmade\u201d is the word the
\nScriptures use for the creation of the universe, and is also the word
\nSatan used when he tempted Christ with, \u201cMake these stones into bread.\u201d
\nThis word goes beyond what a thing is merely declared to be and touches
\nthe very being or essence of a thing. Because of Christ\u2019s work on the
\ncross, every believer\u2019s essential nature is changed: At regeneration,
\nevery one of God\u2019s elect is created in Christ with a new and sinless
\nspiritual nature which is created to be like God in true righteousness
\nand holiness. It is from this new nature that we know, love, believe and
\ncommunicate with God. In the flesh, we can do none of these things, but
\nfrom a regenerated spirit, every one of God\u2019s people does all of these
\nthings. In time to come, this work begun in us in our spirits will be
\nbrought to perfection as even our bodies will be made like Christ\u2019s
\nglorious body, and will no longer be a hindrance to our regenerated
\nspirits. In that day, we will no longer feel compelled to cry out, \u201cO
\nwretched man that I am,\u201d for in that day, we will be, body and spirit,
\nlike Christ. \u2013Joe Terrell<\/p>\n
The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals the righteousness of God in
\nthe justifying work of Christ which He wrought for the elect and is
\ncredited to their account before God, and is imputed to them and
\nimparted in them by the regenerating work of His omnipotent Spirit.<\/p>\n
The gospel exalts the righteousness of Christ and condemns man\u2019s
\nself-righteousness. Paul says, \u201cI am not ashamed of the gospel of
\nChrist, for therein is the righteousness of God revealed\u201d. God Almighty
\nis just and righteous in accepting sinners clothed with the
\nrighteousness of their appointed Substitute. The righteousness of God is
\nnot revealed by the light of nature or by the works of man. Only the
\n\u201cgood news\u201d of the gospel of Christ reveals and declares this wondrous
\nwork and transaction.<\/p>\n
Man has naught to accomplish or perform, therefore we glory in Christ
\nand Him alone, and we are not ashamed – \u201cTo declare, I say, at this time
\nHis righteousness: that He might be just, and the Justifier of him which
\nbelieveth in Jesus. Romans 3:26. In the gospel of Christ is the answer
\nto the unanswerable question in Job 9:2 \u201cI know it is so of a truth: but
\nhow should man be just with God?\u201d<\/p>\n
The glory of His righteousness is revealed to us and in us here by His
\nSpirit by the preaching of the gospel, and will one day be revealed
\nopenly and universally for all to behold and wonder – \u201cIn those days
\nshall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the
\nname wherewith she shall be called, The LORD our righteousness.\u201d Jer 33:16.<\/p>\n
This is what the gospel is all about – He shall see of the travail of
\nHis soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous
\nservant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Isa 53:11. We
\nmay rightfully be ashamed of any other so-called gospel. Any messenger
\nwith any other message is accursed of God – \u201cAs we said before, so say I
\nnow again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have
\nreceived, let him be accursed\u201d. Galatians 1:9 Tommy Robbins.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Christ Died in Place of His People (Matthew 27:21-26) Put your place in that cell with Barabbas. He hears his name shouted by the crowd. Then he hears, \u201cCrucify him, crucify him!\u201d He is convinced he is a dead man walking. The jailor opens the door to his cell. But instead of dragging him to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3428","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bulletin-editions"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3428","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3428"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3428\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3430,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3428\/revisions\/3430"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3428"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3428"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.shoalhavengospelchurch.org.au\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3428"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}