Why 33 Years?

I just finished reading R.C. Sproul's book The Truth Of The Cross and there's no doubt that there is a plethora of topics/statements that I could quote or discuss, but I would like to highlight just one that really reminded me of the gloriousness of the incarnation of Christ.

Have you ever thought, 'why did Jesus have to live 33 years on earth? Could He have not just come at age 33 and at once be taken to be crucified? What is so significant about Jesus living 33 years in this world, instead of making His atoning work and instant act upon His 'arrival' to this world? Sproul gives an excellent answer to those that would ever have such a thought...

"We must see that the righteousness of Christ that is transferred to us is the righteousness He achieved by living under the Law for thirty-three years without
once sinning. Jesus had to live a life of obedience before His death could mean anything. He had to acquire, if you will, merit at the bar of justice. Without His life of sinless obedience, Jesus' atonement would have had no value at all. We need to see the crucial significance of this truth; we need to see that not only did Jesus die for us, He lived for us."

Aren't you absolutely humbled at what Jesus Christ has achieved and accomplished for Christians? How can we ever, even for a moment, think that we can grow and sort of get passed the gospel? Listen, He didn't just die for your sins, so that you could escape eternity in Hell. He lived a life of perfect righteousness for you, so that you could enter eternity in Heaven. And this is possible because you are now justified for His righteousness has been transferred to you. Wow!

So the next time you are asked, 'what did Jesus do for you?' Make sure you give the full accomplishment....He died for me and He lived for me. He both pardoned my sin and gave me His righteousness, therefore I'm justified!

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life." ~ Romans 5.8-10

The Saving Substitute

Sproul says, in Chapter five of The Truth of the Cross, that Jesus lived vicariously through us as a substitute, dieing in our place, for our sin.

"Jesus acts as the Substitute, taking our place at the bar of God's justice....which means that when He offered an atonement, it was not to satisfy God's justice for His own sins, but for the sins of others. He stepped into the role of the Substitute, representing His people. He didn't lay down His life for Himself; He laid it down for His sheep. He is our ultimate Substitute."

"A substitute has appeared in space and time, appointed by God Himself, to bear the weight and the burden of our transgressions, to make expiation for our guilt, and to propitiate the wrath of God on our behalf. This is the gospel. Therefore, if you take away the substitutionary atonement, you empty the cross of its meaning and drain all the significance out of the passion of our Lord Himself. If you do that, you take away Christianity itself."

All I can say is that the more I preach, the more I become enamored with the gospel. It simply cannot escape the sermon, no matter what I'm preaching. It all comes full circle to the atoning work of Christ for my life. The gospel is not getting old, it's becoming more and more alive to me than ever before!

I think that I'm more grateful and excited about the Gospel today, than the day I was saved (19 years ago). For those who have long since embraced the gospel as well, this is my hope in reminding you, to look to Christ evermore!

"Therefore, I will always be ready to remind you of these things, even though you already know them, and have been established in the truth which is present with you. I consider it right, as long as I am in this earthly dwelling, to stir you up by way of reminder"
~2 Peter 1.12-13

The Truth Of The Cross--R.C. Sproul

Last year I received a copy of R.C. Sproul's book The Truth of The Cross, along with another 15 or so books, at the Together for the Gospel Conference in Louisville, Kentucky. I started reading it a couple of days ago. I've always loved listening to Sproul as he teaches during his famous, chalk in hand, lectures.

This work is really rich with meaning and depth on the atoning work of Christ. One thing that really gripped me was his illustration on how far the ramifications of our sin reaches. Sproul says, "Sin is cosmic treason."

"We rarely take time to think through the ramifications of our sin. We fail to realize that in even the slightest sins we commit, such as little white lies and other peccadilloes, we are violating the law of the Creator of the universe. In the smallest sin we defy God's right to rule and to reign over His creation. Instead, we seek to usurp for ourselves the authority and the power that belong properly to God. Even the slightest sin does violence to His holiness, to His glory, and to His righteousness. Every sin, no matter how seemingly insignificant, is truly an act of treason against the cosmic King."

I'm grieved to admit this, but I often find myself rather quickly responding to such a statement saying, "amen". I've recently come to do some soul searching, examining or just a plain spiritual heart check on my life when I hear such a statement, rather than just shout a quick 'amen'. I believe it to be a better practice by meditating on the significant reach for my sin and to quickly go to the cross where it has been paid in full, because it no longer condemns me, but has already been condemned in the cross of Christ.

This kind of practice is something that I have to coach myself to do. It doesn't come natural for me. What seems to come more natural to me is a quick 'amen' response, because I wholeheartedly embrace such a theological claim. But meditation on this doctrinal truth, I believe, is a much better practice that produces a response that ushers a much more resolved 'hallelujah amen' for the atoning work of Christ on my life!

From The Truth Of The Cross -- R.C. Sproul

"The prevailing doctrine of justification today is not justification by faith alone. It's not even justification by good works or by a combination of faith and works. The prevailing notion of justification in Western culture today is 'justification by death'. It's assumed that all one has to do to be received into the everlasting arms of God--is to die."

This is our fight with the gospel.

I was talking with a good buddy of mine in Dallas this afternoon and he told me that he had lunch the other day with a gentleman (late 40's) who was not a Christian. He said that he tried to start a conversation with him centered around the gospel and he realized that this man had absolutely no idea about Christianity (that's not the surprise). My friend realized that this man was not even remotely concerned with asking questions regarding eternity or his soul for that matter. He said that the thought never really crossed his mind (ok, whatever....Ecclesiastes 3.11), and wasn't really interested in talking about it any further.

So this is really our fight with the gospel. This is our context that we find ourselves in each and every day that we walk into this world. I'm no 'culture expert' and I know the cool thing to do today is to study culture, but I think understanding the pervading culture is not so much understood based upon what area of the world you live in, as much as it is in your mind. The culture is mental.

"And although you were formerly alienated and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds," ~ Colossians 1.21

And everyone at one time or another has been hostile to the gospel and even blinded to the gospel for that matter, whether you live on the East Coast, West Coast or the Mid-South.

"in whose case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God." ~ 2 Corinthians 4.4

So of course Sproul is right to conclude, in his observation, that people have come to resolve that eternity is rightfully theirs simply by dying. Because they have died, that gives them the right to enjoy Christ and all of heaven for eternity.

This is why we must engage people with the true gospel of Justification by faith alone. We are obviously aware that people do not have the answer, the truth. But they're not even asking any questions either.

"There is none who understands, There is none who seeks for God" ~ Romans 3.11

So let's engage people with the gospel questions. Let's engage them by asking them penetrating questions about God. About Scripture. About Sin. About Jesus! Let's at least make people think about these things concerning God, sin, justification and faith by asking them the questions that they themselves need to be asking.

"I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth." ~ 1 Corinthians 3.6