Christ's Pefect Obedience for My Account
Toying w/ this idea... so hang in there with me...
If the work of Christ was limited to the cross in the forgiveness of sins and the wrath of God being transferred to Christ on my account... this does me ZERO amount of good. Ok, I'm forgiven of my sin by God, and God isn't justly furious with me because of my sin... so what? This would do me NO good because ... if I only had my sins forgiven and wrath for me staved off... that doesn't mean I get anything GOOD out of it. Nothing inherently positive. Sure, God not being mad is ok. But is it good?
Think about it. Just because someone isn't pissed at you doesn't mean you have a good relationship with that person, does it? You can not hate someone, but then again not have that individual be your favorite person. Just because you don't want to burn their face with a hot iron doesn't mean you want to give them a hug and let them use your favorite robe when they come over for a late night of pizza & Star Wars (the real trilogy, not that prequel nonsense).
Christ's death on the cross was marvelous. Christ was our substitute!! He died the death we should have died. God's wrath abides on us, but Christ took the punishment for us. Amazing love.
And yet, there is more to justification than that.
The cross doesn't just put me "not on God's bad list" anymore. It actually puts me on the "good" list, if I can call it that (though it is not MY goodness). How? Because Christ didn't just die the death I should have died... He lived the life I could not live.
Romans 5:19 speaks greatly of this truth. "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."
Through Christ's perfect obedience - his sinless life - he wasn't ONLY able to fulfill the requirement of the sacrificial lamb without blemish as a symbol... His blemish-less life BECOMES mine. His life of perfect law keeping - something NO mere man has a hope of accomplishing - is what is granted to me and all who repent and trust in Christ for their salvation from sin and the wrath that is to come.
Again, I know this is orthodoxy... but I'm trying to put it all together in my head. Hope I'm on the right track in understanding this glorious doctrine of justification.
I love this glorious gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone, as detailed in Scripture ALONE.
If the work of Christ was limited to the cross in the forgiveness of sins and the wrath of God being transferred to Christ on my account... this does me ZERO amount of good. Ok, I'm forgiven of my sin by God, and God isn't justly furious with me because of my sin... so what? This would do me NO good because ... if I only had my sins forgiven and wrath for me staved off... that doesn't mean I get anything GOOD out of it. Nothing inherently positive. Sure, God not being mad is ok. But is it good?
Think about it. Just because someone isn't pissed at you doesn't mean you have a good relationship with that person, does it? You can not hate someone, but then again not have that individual be your favorite person. Just because you don't want to burn their face with a hot iron doesn't mean you want to give them a hug and let them use your favorite robe when they come over for a late night of pizza & Star Wars (the real trilogy, not that prequel nonsense).
Christ's death on the cross was marvelous. Christ was our substitute!! He died the death we should have died. God's wrath abides on us, but Christ took the punishment for us. Amazing love.
And yet, there is more to justification than that.
The cross doesn't just put me "not on God's bad list" anymore. It actually puts me on the "good" list, if I can call it that (though it is not MY goodness). How? Because Christ didn't just die the death I should have died... He lived the life I could not live.
Romans 5:19 speaks greatly of this truth. "For as by the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, so by the one man's obedience the many will be made righteous."
Through Christ's perfect obedience - his sinless life - he wasn't ONLY able to fulfill the requirement of the sacrificial lamb without blemish as a symbol... His blemish-less life BECOMES mine. His life of perfect law keeping - something NO mere man has a hope of accomplishing - is what is granted to me and all who repent and trust in Christ for their salvation from sin and the wrath that is to come.
Again, I know this is orthodoxy... but I'm trying to put it all together in my head. Hope I'm on the right track in understanding this glorious doctrine of justification.
I love this glorious gospel of grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone for the glory of God alone, as detailed in Scripture ALONE.
Ryan, great post! Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI get what you were trying to do here, explain that not only was God's wrath appeased, but He now loves us as well. I would urge you to be careful about phrasing. When I was reading the first paragraph I wasn't sure whether or not you were even a Christian.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure if I knew you, I would have been immediately engrossed because I would be waiting for how you were going to bring your comments around to the truth, but just bear in mind that you will eventually have readers who don't know you, and may be taken back by your phrasing.
With that said, I love the fact there are other young guys out there like me (I'm 31) who believe in the doctrines of grace, and who aren't afraid to stand up for what they believe in.
I would love to know your thoughts on my blog if you have time. www.hardtruth.squarespace.com
God bless you and keep it up!
Tom Estes
You're absolutely spot on. Forgiveness of sins is only "half" the gospel. We also need a right standing before God which is achieved by Christ's Active Obedience and imputed to the believer (contra His Passive Obedience upon the cross).
ReplyDeleteMuch evangelism today (even "Reformed" evangelism) misses out half of the gospel.