The State Of Your Position Before God

“When thinking of my state before God the question is not, Am I perfect in myself before the law? but, Am I perfect in Christ Jesus?

That is a very different matter.

We need not enquire, Am I without sin naturally? but, Have I been washed in the fountain opened for sin and for uncleanness? It is not Am I in myself well pleasing to God? but it is Am I accepted in the Beloved?”

- Charles Spurgeon, Morning & Evening, September 6

(HT: Of First Importance)

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

Shielded By Jesus Christ

“God’s wrath is his righteousness reacting against unrighteousness; it shows itself in retributive justice. But Jesus Christ has shielded us from the nightmare of retributive justice by becoming our representative substitute, in obedience to His Father’s will, and receiving the wages of our sin in our place.”

- J.I. Packer, In My Place Condemned He Stood

HT: Of First Importance