We Have Gone Astray
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (1 Peter 1:3)
Mercy and Grace are essentially the same characteristic of our God. Mercy is withholding from us what we deserve – to die and stay dead. Grace is getting what we do not deserve – eternal life after we die. God gives us "a living hope" (assurance) that because Jesus died and was resurrected, so shall we be resurrected also.
In commenting on this verse a pastor once said…
“He sent His Son to pay for our debt of sin…The Lord’s Mercy has provided a plan whereby He can righteously hold back the awful judgment that we rightly deserve.” Bob Hoekstra – Day by Day Grace.
Did Jesus, the Son of God, PAY God for our sins? Does God hold back His judgment because he was paid? The answer is NO to both questions.
The biblical language would have used the word PAID if that was what happened. But it doesn’t. It uses the phrase “died for our sins” or “bore our sins”. Jesus had no sin so obviously he did not die “for” his own sin, nor did he “bear” his own sin. But he was a Son of Man and referred to himself as such over and over. As a MAN he must die like the rest of us, because of Adam’s sin…
“As in Adam all die…it is appointed unto men once to die” (1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 9:27)
Jesus was sent to die “for” and he “bore” our sin in the sense that he died just like all people die. And in doing so HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF COMPLETELY WITH MANKIND in his death and showed us that just as he became sin on our behalf and died as a descendant of Adam, THEN was raised, even so ALL in Adam will be given eternal life after they have died and been resurrected. He said that he had come that we may have “abundant “ life. Not materially speaking, but in terms of immortality…
"I am the door; if anyone enters through me (die as he died and raised to immortal life as he was would be raised), he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief (death) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it ABUNDANTLY. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:9-11)
"All we like sheep have gone astray...As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him… while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life… just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people… many died by the trespass of the one man…just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act (of Jesus) resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one (Adam) man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous…where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Corinthians 15:22-28; Romans 5:1-20)
Mercy and Grace are essentially the same characteristic of our God. Mercy is withholding from us what we deserve – to die and stay dead. Grace is getting what we do not deserve – eternal life after we die. God gives us "a living hope" (assurance) that because Jesus died and was resurrected, so shall we be resurrected also.
In commenting on this verse a pastor once said…
“He sent His Son to pay for our debt of sin…The Lord’s Mercy has provided a plan whereby He can righteously hold back the awful judgment that we rightly deserve.” Bob Hoekstra – Day by Day Grace.
Did Jesus, the Son of God, PAY God for our sins? Does God hold back His judgment because he was paid? The answer is NO to both questions.
The biblical language would have used the word PAID if that was what happened. But it doesn’t. It uses the phrase “died for our sins” or “bore our sins”. Jesus had no sin so obviously he did not die “for” his own sin, nor did he “bear” his own sin. But he was a Son of Man and referred to himself as such over and over. As a MAN he must die like the rest of us, because of Adam’s sin…
“As in Adam all die…it is appointed unto men once to die” (1 Corinthians 15:22; Hebrews 9:27)
Jesus was sent to die “for” and he “bore” our sin in the sense that he died just like all people die. And in doing so HE IDENTIFIED HIMSELF COMPLETELY WITH MANKIND in his death and showed us that just as he became sin on our behalf and died as a descendant of Adam, THEN was raised, even so ALL in Adam will be given eternal life after they have died and been resurrected. He said that he had come that we may have “abundant “ life. Not materially speaking, but in terms of immortality…
"I am the door; if anyone enters through me (die as he died and raised to immortal life as he was would be raised), he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief (death) comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it ABUNDANTLY. I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.” (John 10:9-11)
"All we like sheep have gone astray...As in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive…we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand…God demonstrated his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us… we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him… while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life… just as sin entered the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people… many died by the trespass of the one man…just as one trespass resulted in condemnation for all people, so also one righteous act (of Jesus) resulted in justification and life for all people. For just as through the disobedience of the one (Adam) man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man (Jesus) the many will be made righteous…where sin increased, grace increased all the more, so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also grace might reign through righteousness to bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Isaiah 53:6; 1 Corinthians 15:22-28; Romans 5:1-20)