Topic: In Christ (Part 10) By Chukwuemeka C. Asiegbu
Text Of Interest:
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
“But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
Heb 12:22 – 24 (KJV)
This is what happened with the elders in Hebrews chapter 11, it is obvious that many of them were having issues that have to do with sins but the reality is that their acts of faith towards God’s words or message gave them an edge over the situation. So their sins were not accounted but their faith and such made them righteous. I know you might be asking or saying that “but there was no law in the beginning?” Well, the presence of sin was there but there was no law to expose it, and even at that, most of the people who lived in the old order also appeared on the list in Hebrews chapter 11. This shows that sin is not the issue but the ability to come to God by faith (Heb 11:6), faith therefore, becomes the yardstick to weigh or measure someone’s attitude towards God, because anything done outside faith becomes sin (Rom 13:23) and whatever that is of sin can never be of God no matter how savvy and decent it appears.
So it is apt to say that faith came by Jesus or faith is of Jesus, because He is the author and finisher of faith. In other words without Jesus there is no faith anywhere, so Jesus is faith and faith therefore is Jesus. On this note, anything done outside Christ is not of faith no matter how wonderful it may appear, such is called dead work(s). And such dead work(s) cannot bring somebody to God, because it is conducted outside faith in Christ. In order to be in Christ, the only bold step to take is to have faith in Christ and having faith in Christ implies having faith in what Christ has done. So what is that Christ has done? It is accepting the fact that He is the Son of God who came to die and reconcile man to God. Man as a result of sin was alienated from God and the only way God could reconcile Himself to man is to put off God and put on man and came into this world to take the place of man and became the ransom for the sins of man. This act of God was the demonstration of God’s love to man, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1Jn 4:10). This is the righteousness of God displayed towards man because He didn’t go the way of man but maintained His nature as the loving father and go all out to save man in spite of man atrocious act against Him.
One remarkable thing to note is that God didn't wait for man to meet up with His standard. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8). It is interesting to know that no man cajoled and prayed to God before He took this step of reconciliation between Him and man. God did that, “according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will.” (Eph 1:11). This means that man’s salvation or redemption or reconciliation is not of man’s making but of God’s intentional will. Therefore, salvation or redemption of man is God’s idea and He initiated it and went ahead and finished it without man’s contribution. Since it is a purpose and plan of God, He has the sole right to design and make it happen the way He desires after the counsel of His own will, because it is His determination. However, it is important to note that the fall of man or the atrocious act of man didn't happen to God by surprise, what I mean here to say is that, the righteous gesture of God to save man from sin, is not a reaction from God. What makes Him God is that He cannot react, because He is all-knowing or omniscient in nature, so before man could derail His purpose He already knew and had a plan towards that even before the foundation of the earth was laid.
Therefore, the plan of God before the foundation of the earth to counteract man’s action is that in Christ Jesus man’s restoration or redemption will be established, and since this is the eternal purpose of God there is no two ways about. “Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself. That in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”(Eph 1:9-10). Remember as I said earlier, Christ is God who became man, for sure there is no way God would have died because it is impossible for God to die. In this case, for God to die He has to put on man or the nature of man because it is man that dies. No sacrifice is good enough to take away the wage of sin except death sacrifice and the death of animals were not good enough to wipe away man’s sins except the death of the righteous God in man (Rom 6:23). Therefore, Christ is the man God who died for the sins of the world (Jn 1:29) by substitution.
To be continued…..Till I come your way again, keep on basking in the Arena of Indubitable Truth!
Chukwuemeka C. Asiegbu
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