December
1, 2003
WE
HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD
"In
Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness
of sins, according to the riches of His grace which He made
to abound toward us in all wisdom and prudence" (Ephesians
1:7, 8, NKJV).
"Christ
on the cross not only draws men to repentance toward God for
the transgression of His law - for whom God pardons He first
makes penitent - but Christ has satisfied justice; He has
proffered Himself as an atonement. His gushing blood, His
broken body, satisfy the claims of the broken law, and thus
He bridges the gulf which sin has made. He suffered in the
flesh, that with His bruised and broken body He might cover
the defenseless sinner. The victory gained at His death on
Calvary broke forever the accusing power of Satan over the
universe and silenced his charges that self-denial was impossible
with God and therefore not essential in the human family.
"Christ
was without sin, else His life in human flesh and His death
on the cross would have been of no more value in procuring
grace for the sinner than the death of any other man. While
He took upon Him humanity, it was a life taken into union
with Deity. He could lay down His life as priest and also
victim. He offered Himself without spot to God.
"The
atonement of Christ sealed forever the everlasting covenant
of grace. It was the fulfilling of every condition upon which
God suspended the free communication of grace to the human
family. Every barrier was then broken down which intercepted
the freest exercise of grace, mercy, peace, and love to the
most guilty of Adam's race.
"In
the courts above, Christ is pleading for His church - pleading
for those for whom He has paid the redemption price of His
blood. Centuries, ages, can never lessen the efficacy of His
atoning sacrifice. Neither life nor death, height nor depth,
can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus;
not because we hold Him so firmly, but because He holds us
so fast. If our salvation depended on our own efforts, we
could not be saved; but it depends on the One who is behind
all the promises. Our grasp on Him may seem feeble, but His
love is that of an elder brother; so long as we maintain our
union with Him, no one can pluck us out of His hand."--God's
Amazing Grace, p. 153.
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