2 Coríntios 5
Ray Stedman · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman explains therefore - Well, all through the account, of course, he has been talking about the power and activity and availability of God. That is the basis for Christian hope. That is the answer to flooding despair, the fact that God is going to do something, is doing something, and can be counted on to act. That is where the renewing of hope in an individual must arise. God is going to act both in the future beyond death, and he is going to act and is acting in the present, right amidst the threatenings and the dangers of life as we know it. This cry of good courage is like a "victory chant" echoing through this section of the letter - "We do not lose heart," (2Co 4:1), "we do not lose heart" (2Co 4:16) and now "being always of good courage." (twice - 2Co 5:6,8) Not losing heart is clearly synonymous with being of good courage. Being always (pantote) of good courage (tharrheo) - The first word in the Greek for emphasis is being of good courage and is in the present tense indicating this is Paul's continual attitude, his constant state of mind. The idea of good courage is to have confidence and firmness of purpose in the face of danger or testing, in this context in the face of the prospect of death. Paul could have this Spirit enabled confidence because he understood the basic principle of the Christ life - first the cross, then the crown. Remember that believers can face death with boldness and confidence because our face is set toward heaven and the consummation of our union with our Savior and our reunion with the saints who have passed on before us. We can believe this "always" because God says it in His Word and He is the "non-lying" God (Titus 1:2+, 1Sa 15:29, Heb 6:18+) Paul's confidence (good courage) is independent of his circumstances and is constant (always), an attitude only possible in one energized by the Holy Spirit Who in concert with the promises of God (Holy Word) transforms Paul from glory to glory (2Co 3:18+), even as he anticipates glory! Hodge agrees noting that "This confidence is not a mere temporary feeling due to some transient excitement; but a permanent state of mind…The ground of the boldness and confidence expressed by the word tharrheo is not any thing in the believer; it is not his natural courage, not the strength of his convictions; but it is a state of mind produced by the indwelling of the Spirit, and the natural consequence of his presence." Alan Carr makes an interesting observation related to Paul's being of good courage -- "Look at the language Paul uses, “we know,” 2Co 5:1+; “we have,” 2Co 5:1+; “we are always confident,” 2Co 5:6+; “we are confident,” 2Co 5:8+. Paul is not talking about a hope that is a “maybe so thing,” (ED: "hope so") but he is talking about a hope that is a “know so thing.” (ED: "hope sure!") (I Feel Like Traveling On) And knowing (eido) that while we are at home (endemeo) in the body (soma) we are absent (ekdemeo) from the Lord (kurios) - Knowing is the same verb Paul used in 2Cor 5:1 (we know) indicating that the following statement is true "beyond a shadow of a doubt" and is based on the truths in the previous passages. Those truths are spiritual truths and Paul could not have come to know them unless the Holy Spirit had opened the eyes of his heart. At home in the body is a metaphor referring to our present bodies, that is, being alive physically. In this physical life we are away from the Lord. Stated another way, in this present life we are at home in our physical body, but it is a home which is not our true, final home, but a frail lodging to accommodate us until we reach our heavenly home (2Co 5:8). It is a home much like a soldier is at "home" at his base camp, but like soldiers, saints (we are "soldiers" for the Lord in a spiritual war in this present life) should be "homesick" to be with the Lord. As Kent says "The proper and ultimate home for the believer is with Christ, and this fact should govern Christian attitudes on these issues. Of course, Paul is not denying the fact of the Lord’s presence with believers in this life, but he is speaking of the more direct personal presence when we see Him face to face (cf. 1 John 3:2+)." What a day that will be, When my Jesus I will see When I look upon His face, The One who saved me by His grace. When He takes me by the hand, And leads me through the Promised Land, What a day, glorious day, that will be. --Jim Hill Heaven was not simply a destination for Paul: it was a motivation. -- Warren Wiersbe Warren
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman - This is not a judgment to settle destiny. This is a personal evaluation given to each individual by the Lord himself of what his life has really been like. It is as though you and the Lord walked together back through all the scenes of your life and he pointed out to you the real nature of what you did and what you said and what was behind it all. The primary characteristic of the "judgment seat" is that it is a time of disclosure to us of what has been hidden in the silent, inner reaches of our own hearts. And not only a disclosure to us, but also to others. In fact, the word that is used here is a very interesting one. It says, "we shall all appear." Literally it is, "we shall all be manifested," "we shall all be unveiled," in a sense, at the judgment seat of Christ, in the eyes of everyone. That is the point. This is the moment Jesus spoke of when he said, "Whatever is spoken in the secret places shall be shouted from the housetops." And it is described for us in the First Corinthian letter, Chapter 4, where Paul says, "Therefore, do not pronounce judgment before the time before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart," (1 Corinthians 4:5 RSV). That is what he is talking about. God's concern is not, as we often think, with what we do so much as why we do it. There are, of course, some things that we are not to do that would bother him if we did them. There are certain clear-cut areas of sin that are always sin. They are mentioned everywhere in the Scripture -- murder, adultery, lying, stealing, etc. These are always and invariably wrong, and to do them means to displease the Lord. But also there are a great many things that are apparently right that you can do and still be displeasing to the Lord. If the reason you do them is to gain glory or fame for yourself or to get even with somebody else or to establish some wrong, inordinate relationship of which God does not approve, they are wrong. Your motive is important. And more than that, as we have been learning from this passage, what you count on, your resource, is important to God. On what do you count for success -- your ability, your education, your training, your background, something coming from you? Or do you count on the God who indwells you to do the work and to carry it through to success, in his eyes if not in the eyes of men? That is what pleases God. Howard Hendricks gives great advice regarding rewards - Only two things this world are eternal—the Word of God and people. It only makes sense to build your life around those things that will last forever. THOUGHT: Are you spending serious, focused time in God's Word like Job (Job 23:12+)? Are you looking for opportunities to share the Gospel with those who are spiritually dead in their trespasses and sins (Gal 6:7+, Gal 6:8+, Gal 6:9, 10+)? Are you encouraging your brethren in Christ day by day as long as it is still called today, so that none are hardened by the the deceitfulness of sin (Heb 3:13+)? If not, why not? What is more important in time and eternity than redeeming the time now and storing up for yourself treasure in heaven (Eph 5:15, 16+, Mt 6:20, 21+) TWO JUDGMENTS COMPARED 2Cor 5:9,10 Rev 20:11,12, 13, 14, 15 Judgment Seat of Christ Great White Throne Judgment Only believers Only unbelievers After the Rapture Before the Millennium After the 1000 year reign of Messiah Before the New Heaven and Earth Determines rewards for service Determines amount/degree of eternal judgment FOUR MAJOR JUDGMENTS IN SCRIPTURE Name Sheep and Goats Judgment of Jews Bema Seat Great White Throne Scripture 2Co 5:10, 1Co 3:10-15 Place Earth Earth - Wilderness Heaven ? See Rev 20:11 Audience Gentile Tribulation Survivors Jewish Tribulation Survivors Church Age Believers All the Unsaved of all time When After Tribulation After Tribulation After Rapture After Millennium Purpose Saved Gentiles enter Millennial kingdom Saved Jews enter Millennial kingdom Rewards Degree of punishment in Hesll Evaluation Treatment of Christ's brethren Passing Under Shepherd's rod Works Taken Through Fire Name not written in book Judged by books Related Resources: International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Gabbatha Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Gabbatha McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Gabbatha The Jewish Encyclopedia Gabbatha American Tract Society Gabbatha Easton's Bible Dictionary Gabbatha Fausset Bible Dictionary Gabbatha Holman Bible Dictionary Gabbatha Hitchcock Bible Names Gabbatha Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Gabbatha Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Gabbatha Morrish Bible Dictionary Gabbatha Watson's Theological Dictionary Gabbatha Adoniram Judson -- "A life once spent is irrevocable. It will remain to be contemplated through eternity. The same may be said of each day. When it is once past, it is gone forever. All the marks which we put upon it, it will exhibit forever. Each day will not only be a witness of our conduct, but will IMPACT our ETERNITY. How shall we then wish to see each day marked with usefulness! It is too late to mend the days that are past. The future is in our power. Let us, then, each morning, (enabled by God's Spirit) resolve to send the day into eternity in such a garb as we shall wish it to wear forever. And at night let us reflect that one more day is irrevocably gone, indelibly marked." ILLUSTRATION - Canadian Missionary J. Goforth gives a beautiful illustration of what every believer wants to hear someday: When he was fifteen years of age his father put him in charge of their second farm, which was twenty miles from the home farm. "Work hard," said his father. "At harvest I'll return and inspect." In later years Goforth stirred many an audience as he told of his arduous labors that summer, of his father's return in the fall and of how his heart thrilled when his father, after inspecting the fields of beautiful waving grain, turned to him and smiled. "That smile," he would say, "was all the reward I wanted. I knew my father was pleased. So will it be, dear Christians, if we are faithful to the trust our Heavenly Father has given us. His smile of approval will be our blessed reward." Who does God's work will get God's pay, However long may seem the day, However weary be the way; Though powers and princes thunder "Nay," Who does God's work will get God's pay. He does not pay as others pay, In gold or land or raiment gay; In goods that vanish and decay; But God in wisdom knows a way, And that is sure, let come what may, Who does God's work will get God's pay. — Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations ILLUSTRATION - Several years ago the Mercedes Benz automobile company ran some ads describing a brand-new brake technology they had developed and patented. Although they owned the rights to the technology, they freely shared it with other car companies in the interest of promoting safety. The tag line of the ad contained these sobering words: Some things in life are too important not to share. As Christians, we have been given the best news (The Gospel) in all the world. It’s too important not to share with others. May God help us to invest our lives in the things that will last forever. (Amen) (Ray Pritchard - Heavenly Rewards) ILLUSTRATION - C H Spurgeon was once addressed by a young preacher once complained to Spurgeon that he did not have as big a church as he deserved. Spurgeon's replied with a question "How many do you preach to?" to which the young preacher replied "Oh, about a hundred". And what did
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman - We do not see Him (JESUS), He does not come and sit down beside us and talk to us and put His arm around our shoulders and encourage us, but, nevertheless, we have His presence with us. That is the first great reason always for renewed vigor and courage. No circumstance we go through ever means that we are abandoned and left to ourselves. Wiersbe approaches the walk of faith from another direction asking "How do you walk by faith? By claiming the promises of God (ED: NOT JUST "CLAIMING" THEM BUT ACTUALLY LIVING IN LIGHT AND POWER OF THE PROMISES) and obeying the Word of God, in spite of what you see, how you feel, or what may happen. It means committing yourself to the Lord and relying wholly on Him to meet the need. When we live by faith, it glorifies God, witnesses to a lost world, and builds Christian character into our lives. God has ordained that “the righteous will live by his faith” (Hab 2:4; Ro 1:17-+; Gal. 3:11; Heb 10:38-+; 2Cor. 5:7); and when we refuse to trust Him, we are calling God a liar and dishonoring Him. (Be Committed. An Old Testament Study. Ruth and Esther. Wheaton, Ill.: Victor Books) BRIDGE “We live by faith,” says the apostle, “and not by sight, or by sense.” They are as two buckets—the life of faith, and the life of sense; when one goes up, the other goes down; the higher faith rises, the lower sense and reason; and the higher sense and reason, the lower faith. That is true of the schools. Reason going before faith weakens and diminishes it; but reason following upon faith, increases and strengthens it. Luther says well, “If you would believe, you must crucify that question, Why?” God would not have us so full of wherefores. And if you would believe, you must go blindfold into God’s command. Abraham subscribes to a blank when the Lord calls him out of his own country.
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman has an interesting note on at home - Notice what that says: Whether "at home" (that means with the Lord, because that is the last reference he has given to it), or "away" (from the Lord here in the body), either place, the purpose and aim of our lives to please God. That is an eternal principle. That is not something that is going to change when we leave this earth. The one real reason we have to be here on earth is to please God, to be a delight to him, to give his heart rejoicing as he watches us and works with us. As our children please us oftentimes so we are to please the Lord. That is the sole purpose for living, and that is what Paul is saying here.
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman - Knowing this about God, Paul says, "It motivates me to be honest and faithful in the work he has given me to do, that of persuading men.. Lightfoot explains phobos as that fear which should be in every believer as "a nervous and trembling anxiety to do right." (cp 2Co 5:9) Because of Christ's victory on the Cross, Christians are not to fear people (Pr 29:25) or persecution or even Satan. However, they are called to show proper reverence and awe toward God. Indeed, one of the most common commands of Jesus to His little flock was "fear not" (see Mt 10:28KJV+, Lk 12:4,5). John Calvin in describing the fear of the Lord related to contemplation of the Bema Seat of Christ as a motivating influence writes that "the man who seriously considers this (Standing one day before Jesus) must of necessity be touched with fear, and shake off all negligence (All contempt and all carelessness) (Paul) declares, therefore, that he discharges his apostleship faithfully and with a pure conscience, (2Ti 1:3) as one that walks in the fear of the Lord, (Acts 9:31) thinking of the account to be rendered by him (at the Bema seat). Paul Apple - Fear of God Makes Us Urgent Transparent Persuaders...Nothing worse than persuasion that is crafty manipulation and exploitation (2 Corinthians) We (present tense - continually) persuade (peitho) men - Amplified = "we seek to win people over [to persuade them]." Murray Harris' paraphrase - "So we endeavor to persuade everyone of the truth of the gospel and of our integrity as messengers of the gospel." And so empowered by the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8+) and the intrinsic power of the Gospel (Ro 1:16+), Paul sought to see all men come to a saving knowledge of His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. But he is not coercing, manipulating, twisting their arms or trying to force them to believe in Jesus. He is simply persuading. Our English word persuade is defined in one dictionary as "Persuade means to win someone over, as by reasoning or force of personality." While Paul was trying to win souls to the Gospel and even by reasoning with them from the Scriptures, he was not trying to overwhelm them with slick rhetoric or a powerful personality. Paul knew full well that only the "wind" of the Spirit (John 3:8+) could sweep in and save a sinners hard, rebellious heart.
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman - He is saying, "Knowing that God will deal honestly and squarely and faithfully and yet lovingly with me, I want every moment of my life to count. I do not want to waste my life. I do not want to spend it pretending to be something I am not. I want to be honest and open and genuine about all that I say and do." That is why he says, "Whatever I am is known to God, and I hope you see it to Denney - The meaning of the words “we persuade men” is not at once clear. Interpreters generally find in them a combination of two ideas — we try to win men for the Gospel, and we try to convince them of our own purity of motive in our evangelistic work. The word is suitable enough to express either idea; and though it is straining it to make it carry both, the first is suggested by the general tenor of the passage, and the second seems to be demanded by what follows. “We try to convince men of our disinterestedness, but we do not need to try to convince God; we have been manifested to Him already; and we trust also that we have been manifested in your consciences.” (Expositor's Bible: The Measure of Christ's Love) Related Resources: How is the fear of the Lord the beginning of wisdom? | GotQuestions.org What does the Bible say about fear? | GotQuestions.org 2 Corinthians 5:12 We are not again commending ourselves to you but are giving you an occasion to be proud of us, so that you will have an answer for those who take pride in appearance and not in heart. we: 2Co 3:1 6:4 10:8,12,18 12:11 Pr 27:2 give: 2Co 1:14 11:12-16 12:1-9 appearance: Gr. the face, Ga 6:12-14 2 Corinthians 5 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries FOR IN DEPTH COMMENT ON THIS VERSE CLICK 2 Corinthians 5:12 NO PATTING OURSELVES ON THE BACK Kenneth Chafin writes that "it continues to amaze me that so magnificent a passage of the Bible was written by the apostle Paul in answer to his critics and in defense of his ministry....it is difficult for us to imagine that there was a time when he was accused of being a crazy, self-appointed peddler of the gospel. Enough people took the criticism seriously that Paul felt it necessary to defend himself. (Vol. 30: The Preacher's Commentary Series, 1, 2 Corinthians) We are not again commending (sunistemi/sunistao) ourselves to you - Paul was not "patting himself on the back," not bragging, not trying to glorify himself, not trying to make himself look good to the Corinthians.
2 Coríntios 5
Stedman writes perceptively, “But,” he (Paul) says, “no more. We’ve learned to look at people differently. We now see Christ for who he was, the Lord of Glory, the King of the Ages, the Prince of Life, God himself become a man.” Paul’s great Christological passages come to mind at this point. He says, “We don’t regard him that way anymore, and we don’t regard other people that way either. We see them for who they are, men and women made in the image of God but fallen from it. We see them as victims of the devil’s lies, bound by the power of Satan. But they are important, significant people because God’s image is in them. . . .” The message Paul has learned is this: The ground is level at the foot of the Cross. Everyone has to come to God the same way–humbly acknowledging his sin and trusting in the sacrifice of the Savior. . When you’re standing here in the auditorium and you happen to be near Brad Snapp or Dave Bernstorf or Merle Shofner, those guys look like giants! But if we were all out in the parking lot and you were in a hot air balloon, you wouldn’t be able to distinguish those guys from anyone else. From that perspective size is indistinguishable, as is IQ or good looks, or almost any other standard. You see, in comparison to God we are all dots on the landscape, or to use a more biblical analogy, grasshoppers. We’re all sinners, all of us have fallen short of God’s standards, and therefore we all need a miracle from God Himself in order to have our sins forgiven and to become what God intended for us to be. And God has done just that!
2 Coríntios 5:17
Stedman commenting on Paul's repeated use of this phrase in Christ in the letter to the Ephesians writes that every spiritual blessing in the believer's life (Eph 1:3)…"is in Christ. All this comes to us in Christ, in the Person and the work of the Lord Jesus Himself. This fact is going to be stressed again and again in this letter (Ephesians). No two words appear in it more frequently than "in Christ," or "in him." Over and over it is emphasized that everything comes to us through Him. We must learn not to listen to those who claim to have God's blessing in their lives, and yet to whose thinking Christ is not central. They are deceived, and they are deceiving us if we accept what they say. The only spiritual blessing that can ever come to you from God must always come in Christ. There is no other way that it can come. So if you are involved with some group which sets aside the Lord Jesus Christ and tries to go "directly to God," and thus claim some of the great spiritual promises of the New Testament, you are involved in a group which is leading you into fakery and fraud. It is completely spurious! For God accomplishes spiritual blessing only in Christ. Physical blessings are available "to the just and the unjust alike," but the inner spirit of man can be healed and cured only in Christ, and there is no other way. (Read full message Ephesians 1:1-14: God At Work) (Bolding added)
2 Coríntios 5:20-21
Stedman asks...Why do we send ambassadors? Well, because countries do not always relate to each other very well. Things need to be explained, need to be approached with diplomacy and caution and carefulness. That is what an ambassador is to do. He is to be a representative of a government, handling himself with such care and confidence that the message that his government seeks to convey is given in the most painless and least offensive way possible. Now that is dangerous. You can get yourself killed or taken captive as an ambassador in this world today. (2 Corinthians 5:18-6:2 The Word for This Hour) God’s ambassador has the ministry of reconciliation (2Co 5:18) and a message of reconciliation (2Co 5:19). We are models of reconciliation (2Co 5:21). Christ (5547) (Christos from chrio = to anoint, rub with oil, consecrate to an office) is the Anointed One, the Messiah, Christos being the Greek equivalent of the transliterated Hebrew word Messiah. In the OT the word "anointed" was closely linked with two offices -- king and high priest. It was prophesied that Jesus, from David's kingly line, would one day hold ultimate authority in our world. As high priest, Jesus offered himself up for us and lives today to make intercession for us. In Jesus' day, then, the Christ was thought of as Israel's deliverer.
2 Coríntios 5:20-21
Stedman - We learn that God does not take sin lightly, that something has to be done to settle the problem of our evil. But it has been done. That is the point. God has settled the problem of all our sins, every one of them, by placing them upon his Son. He has paid the full penalty that justice demands so that when we come to God He is not compromised by being good to us; His justice has been satisfied. His love, therefore, is free and released to be manifest to us. He accepts us in love and gives us, according to this verse, the righteousness of Christ Himself. I do not understand that either, but I believe it. What a marvelous sense of acceptance and forgiveness and being loved that gives to me. Now do not read that wrongly. It says, "So that in him we might become the righteousness of God." I know a lot of Christians who read that as though it means, "That gives me a chance to start trying to behave. If I work hard all my Christian life to be a good person, then I finally become 'the righteousness of God'". No, he does not say that at all. It is not something that you are going to become, according to the way you behave. It is something you are right now. You start your Christian life on that basis. You already have, instantly, when you believe in Jesus, the righteousness of Christ! You are righteous, you are forgiven, you are restored. That is the way God deals with us. Because we have that righteousness already, we do not have to earn it. It is our delight then to begin to behave like it, and to start being righteous -- because we are righteous. I hope you understand that, because that is the "good news." It is no "good news" to come to somebody and say, "Christ forgave all your sins up to now, but from now on you'd better watch it. You are going to have to pay for all those." No, no, that is not the gospel. The "good news" is they are all forgiven, all your life long, including those you have not even done yet. (The Word for this Hour 2Cor 5:18-62) Steve Zeisler writes that... This word righteousness is a magnificent term. Every desire you have for beauty, wholeness, value, purity; every time your heart calls to you to be something worth being, you are longing for the righteousness of God. "Jesus said, Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Our bodies were made for physical sustenance and call out for it when deprived even for a short time. Our souls were made to know righteousness and a sensitive conscience implores us to be made right with God. "Be all that you can be," says the Army recruiting slogan, referring, of course, to this life. In some ways (on a much more profound level) this is the message of the Bible: "Be all that you can be." Be the righteousness of God himself in Christ. Jesus became sin so that we might become in Him the righteousness of God. What a wonderful truth! Jesus Thy Blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress; ’Midst flaming worlds in these arrayed, With joy shall I lift up my head. (Play) Righteousness (1343) (dikaiosune from dikaios = being proper or right in the sense of being fully justified being or in accordance with what God requires) is the quality of being upright. In its simplest sense dikaiosune conveys the idea of conformity to a standard or norm and in Biblical terms the "standard" is God and His perfect, holy character. In this sense righteousness is the opposite of hamartia (sin), which is defined as missing of the mark set by God. Righteousness before men to be noticed by them is self righteousness. Righteousness that God accepts is His character reproduced in and through us for His good pleasure. In its OT original use righteousness meant a right relationship (attained to by faith as in Ge 15:6) with the covenant God that led to loving others as oneself and doing good in order to lead others into the same right relationship with God. Over time, the Jewish interpretation of righteousness narrowed into acts of doing good without the vital root of a right relationship with God. Cremer writes that... Righteousness in the biblical sense is a condition of rightness the standard of which is God, which is estimated according to the divine standard, which shows itself in behavior conformable to God, and has to do above all things with its relation to God, and with the walk before Him. It is, and it is called dikaiosune theou (righteousness of God) (Ro 3:21, Ro 1:17), righteousness as it belongs to God, and is of value before Him, Godlike righteousness, see Ep 4:24; with this righteousness thus defined, the gospel (Ro 1:17) comes into the world of nations which had been wont to measure by a different standard. Related Resources: Righteousness - Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology Righteousness - International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Torrey Topical Textbook Righteousness Easton's Bible Dictionary Righteousness Holman Bible Dictionary Righteousness Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Righteousness Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Righteousness Righteous, Righteousness Fountain of never ceasing grace, Thy saints's exhaustless theme, Great object of immortal praise, Essentially supreme; We bless Thee for the glorious fruits Thine incarnation gives; The righteousness which grace imputes, And faith alone receives. (Fountain of Never Ceasing Grace) Someone else has well said that righteousness is that which the Father required, the Son became, the Holy Spirit convinces of, and faith secures. No righteousness of mine Can stand before the Throne, But Christ’s own perfect works are now my very own! In Christ I’m free! The Cross of Christ made peace with God for even me! (No Righteousness of Mine) In Him - In Christ (cp 2Co 5:17-+). In union with Christ. In (the new) covenant with Christ. In oneness with Christ. "As a result of being united with Christ" (Harris). "In union with Him, and by virtue of our standing in Him" (Henry Alford). Paul explains to those who had believed the message of reconciliation and were "in Christ" that it was by His doing you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification, and redemption, (1 Co 1:30). “E’er since by faith I saw the stream His flowing wounds supply, Redeeming love has been my theme And shall be till I die.” Phil Newton explains that...We can approach God's throne because the same righteousness that belongs to God the Son now, in our union with Christ, belongs to us. The righteousness that God demands and which no man has ever been able to satisfy through adherence to the Law is now found in all that Christ has reconciled to God. (New Creatures) Harris comments that...Not only does the believer receive from God a right standing before him on the basis of faith in Jesus (Php 3:9), but here Paul says that 'in Christ' the believer in some sense actually shares the righteousness that characterizes God himself. A Brakel on Christ's righteousness...Christ’s righteousness is imputed to His elect and He clothes them with it; thus in Him they are perfect and are the righteousness of God. Observe this in the following texts: “But now the righteousness of God without the law (that is, the righteousness of Christ) is manifested, being witnessed (that is, being approved of) by the law and the prophets” (Rom. 3:21); “. . . not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith” (Phil 3:9); “And ye are complete in Him” (Col. 2:10); “. . . that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him” (2 Cor. 5:21); “He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10). Suffering is not righteousness. Christ’s suffering was not His righteousness (that is, when considering the definition of suffering), but His righteousness is His perfect fulfillment and performance of the law. If therefore Christ’s righteousness is imputed to us and we are the righteousness of God in Him, then His being subject to and His performance of the law is imputed to us. The Christian's Reasonable Service, vol. 1 (indexed) The Christian's Reasonable Service, vol. 2 (indexed) The Christian's Reasonable Service, vol. 3 (indexed) The Christian's Reasonable Service, vol. 4 (indexed) Harry Ironside... And upon the cross Christ took the sinner's place, He was treated as though guilty of all the sin and iniquity and unrighteousness of the ages.... On Him almighty vengeance fell, That would have sunk a world to hell; He bore it for a chosen race, And thus becomes our Hiding-Place. And because He, the sinless One, has died in the place of sinners, we, the sinful, may enter into life, may become the righteousness of God in Him. This last verse of our chapter epitomizes the deepest meaning of the cross. It shows the One who was sinless inwardly and outwardly, enduring the wrath of God which we deserved. Our sins put Him on the cross. But, having settled the sin-question to the divine satisfaction, He has been raised from the dead and seated as the glorified Man at God's right hand. There on the throne He is our righteousness. The Father sees every believer in Him, free from all condemnation, made the display of the righteousness of God in Him. He Himself is our righteousness. We are complete in Him. God is satisfied and our consciences are at peace. What a salvation is this! Devotional by J C Philpot - Our blessed Lord offered himself for sin; that is, that he might put away sin by the sacrifice of himself--"Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree" (1 Pet. 2:24). It was absolutely necessary either that the sinner should suffer in his own person, or in that of a substitute. Jesus became this substitute; he stood virtually in the sinner's place, and endured in his holy body and soul the punishment due to him; for he "was numbered with the transgressors." He thus, by the shedding of his most precious blood, opened in his sacred body a fountain for all sin and all uncleanness (Zech. 13:1). The cross was the place on which this sacrifice was offered; for as the blood of the slain lamb was poured out at the foot of the altar, sprinkled upon its horns, and burned in its ever-enduring fire, so our blessed Lord shed his blood upon the cross. He there endured the wrath of God to the uttermost; he there put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; he there offered his holy soul and body, the whole of his pure and sacred humanity, in union with his eternal Deity, as an expiation for the sins of his people. Thus all their sin was atoned for, expiated, put away, blotted out, and will never more be imputed to them. This is the grand mystery of redeeming love and atoning blood. Here the cross shines forth in all its splendor; here God and man meet at the sacrifice of the God-man; and here, amid the sufferings and sorrows, the groans and tears, the blood and obedience of God's dear Son in our nature, grace reigns through righteousness unto eternal life. Devotional by Octavius Winslow - My reader, it is your highest honor, as it was His deepest shame; your richest glory, as it was His deepest humiliation; that He literally did bear all the sins of all His Church. As truly as we are "made the righteousness of God in Him," He was "made sin," or a sin-offering, for us. Behold how beautifully has the Holy Spirit brought out the doctrines of substitution and union. Of substitution thus, "He has made Him (who knew no sin) to be sin for us." And of union thus, "that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him." Oh amazing truth! Sinking to our deepest dishonor, He raises us to His highest glory. Sinking Himself with our fallen humanity, He raises us to a union with God. Substituting Himself for us, He makes us one with Himself. An affecting thought! Were all our iniquities, and all our "transgressions in all our sins," laid on Jesus? Yes, all! Before His infinite mind, to whom the past and the future are one eternal now, the sins of all His chosen ones, to the remotest period of time, passed in review, and were made to meet on the head of the atoning Lamb. Here is opened the high source of all real blessed ness to a believing soul. Sweet is the spring, and sweet are the streams that flow from it. Reconciliation with God- His free forgiveness- union with His nature- adoption into His family- acceptance in the Beloved- oneness with a risen Head- access within the veil- filial and perpetual communion- and the "peace of God, which, passes all understanding," are among the costly results of Christ bearing sin. And see how completely He has borne the mighty load. The moment our iniquities touched Him, it would seem as though He flung them to an infinite distance, or sunk them to an infinite depth. Never, in point of law and justice, can they appear against the pardoned soul. Laid upon our Surety, condemned, and punished, and pardoned in Him, "there is now no condemnation" of, or for sin, to "those who are in Christ Jesus." How strong is the language which declares this truth: "I have blotted out as a thick cloud your transgressions, and as a cloud your sins;" "You have cast all my sins behind Your back;" "Thus says the Lord, The iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found." And why? "Behold the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world!" And may we not account as among the most precious and costly blessings resulting from this truth, its sanctifying tendency? My beloved, the deepest view you can ever have of God's hatred of sin is in the cross of Calvary; and the deepest sense of the "exceeding sinfulness of sin" you can ever feel is its entire pardon, imprinted on your heart with the atoning blood of Jesus, and witnessed by the power and grace of the Holy Spirit. You hate it because it is forgiven; you abhor it because it is pardoned. Oh, powerful and precious motive to holiness! My soul, yield yourself to its sweet influence, draw your constraints to a life of deeper sanctification from the cross; thirst and pant with more intense desire after Divine conformity, as one all whose iniquities, transgressions, and sins are forever cancelled by the heart's blood of God's dear Son. Oh hateful and hated sin, atoned for so richly, pardoned so freely, blotted out so entirely, how can I admire you? how can I love you? how can I cherish you? and how can I yield to you now? You did burden and bow down to the earth the soul of my blessed Lord. You did mar the beauty, and veil the glory, and humble the spirit of my Beloved. You did crimson His body with the bloody sweat- you did wreath His brow with thorns- you did trouble his soul even unto death; and yet you, my transgressions, are forgiven- you, my sins, are covered- you, my iniquities, are not imputed, and that because Jesus, my surety, was wounded, and bruised, and stricken for me! (APRIL) Made Sin for Us - Words cannot fully express the worth of Christ's work for us on the cross. To think that He endured separation from the Father because of our sins staggers our finite minds. Elizabeth Barrett Browning tried to capture the deep theological significance of this in these poetic words: "Deserted! God could separate from His own essence rather; And Adam's sins have swept between the righteous Son and Father Yes, once Immanuel's orphaned cry His universe hath shaken It went up single, echoless, 'My God, I am forsaken!" A girl in Gary, Indiana, terribly burned in a flash fire, lingered between life and death. A delicate and extensive skin graft offered the only hope for her restoration. When the hospital issued a call for volunteer skin donors, a young boy responded. During the surgery, complications set in and the boy died. But through his sacrifice he made it possible for that young girl to be completely restored. Nothing in our Lord's life called for His death. He was free from sin's fatal infection. Yet He willingly offered Himself to die in our place. A poet wrote: "He suffered in our stead, He saved His people thus; The curse that fell upon His head Was due by right to us." Christ was delivered for sins that we might be delivered from sin. -- cp Ro 4:25 C H