He gave His only begotten Son



Before the foundation of the world, God chose a people in Christ and purposed to be gracious to them (II Thessalonians 2:13). Those ordained to salvation were "predestinated to be conformed to the image of Christ" (Romans 8:29). Here is the question I want you to consider: What will God sacrifice in order to save the objects of His love from their sins? What was He willing to surrender so that a multitude of rebels would be justified in His sight?

I will first tell you what He did not sacrifice. He did not part with His holy character by compromising His justice because "the wages of sin is death" (Romans 6:23). He did not give up His honor by lessening the standard for acceptance: "it shall be perfect to be accepted" (Leviticus 22:21). And, He did not abandon His Law which says, "the soul that sinneth shall die" (Ezekiel 18:20). I will tell you the sacrifice God gave to save His people from their sins - His own Son.

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son..." (John 3:16). "God spared not His own Son..." (Romans 8:32). Why did God "not spare His own Son"? There was no other way He could be just and justify the ungodly. The sins of His people were imputed to Christ and as their Substitute He died and thereby satisfied the claims of justice against us. It is written, "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" (Galatians 4:4-5).

In order to make us righteous, God would not and could not surrender His holiness, His honor or His Law, but He did give His Son over to the sword of vengeance (Zechariah 13:7). The blessed Redeemer, God’s Offering for sin and our Substitute, suffered the agonizing death of the cross in order to "save His people from their sins" (Matthew 1:21). "The LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:6). When Christ died, the sins of God’s children were condemned, and therefore, those for whom He laid down His life shall never be condemned (Romans 8:1-3).


-Gospel report by preacher Jim Byrd

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

JESUS - Rock of Ages

Jesus remains the same in all ages. He is the One who is constant when everything and everyone else fails. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He is our R ock [I SAMUEL 2:2 ] . In the Old Testament, in Exodus 33, Jesus is pictured as the Cleft Rock. In that chapter, verse 18 and following, Moses desired to see the glory of the Lord, but was told, "You cannot see My face; for there shall no man see My face and live.” And the Lord said, “There is a place by Me, and you shalt stand upon a rock: and it shall come to pass, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by." Notice that as Moses stood upon the rock, the Lord hid him in the cleft. This wonderfully applies to us today! Believers are both standing on and hidden in Christ [COLOSSIANS 3:3 ] . We are both in and on the Rock. As life with its many bitter events presses upon us, ...
Read more

CHRIST OUR ONLY AND PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

" The flesh lusteth against the Spirit." —Galatians 5:17 [KJV] Christian experience fully proves this apostolic truth. Hence the children of God cannot do the things that they would: nor have we any authority from God's word to conclude this lusting ever ceased in any of the saints till they got to glory; none are delivered from it while in the flesh. For, as the renewed soul or spirit loves to enjoy spiritual and heavenly objects, so the flesh, or unrenewed part, lusts after those objects it is naturally conversant with, and from which it derives its happiness.  Here is thy conflict, O Christian. Hence the necessity of thy Lord's command, "Watch always." This is the use of the doctrine. What woeful effects have fulfilling the lusts or desires of the flesh produced in eminent saints! Thou standest by faith, be not high-minded, but fear. The conceptions of lust are the productions of sin.— see James 1:15 . The commission of sin contracts fresh s...
Read more

GLORY ALONE IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST

" Lest Israel vaunt themselves against Me, saying, Mine own hand hath saved me." -Judges 7:2 [KJV] Thus the Lord reasoned with Gideon. He knows what is in man. He sees the pride of the human heart: how prone we all are to boast in an arm of flesh. The Lord is jealous of His own glory. Gideon’s army of two and thirty thousand, is brought down to three hundred. By this handful of men, and no more, did Gideon gain the victory of the Midianites. The Lord’s wisdom in this was, “Lest Israel should vaunt themselves, and say, Mine own hand hath saved me.”   But I have not transcribed the text right. There are two little words of great import, which I have omitted. Mind then, O Christian— against Me. Now remember, whenever thou dost boast of thy power, thy free-will, thy human goodness, thy works, ditties, conditions, and performances in order to be saved, thou art then, as it were, two and thirty thousand strong. Thou vauntest thyself against the Lord . Thou art gloryi...
Read more