12-02-2008, 12:19 AM
Hi all! :hibye:
I had some thoughts on three words or concepts, that when we think about the cross we need to remember. Those words are justice, mercy, and grace.
Justice is God giving us what we deserve, which is judgment.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
(Acts 17:30-31 TNIV)
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
(Romans 3:25-26 TNIV)
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:3-5 TNIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
(Titus 3:4-5 TNIV)
Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
(Romans 5:17 TNIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9 TNIV)
These three words, justice, mercy and grace, can all be see at Calvary. When my sins were laid upon one man, the Lord Jesus Christ, then God's justice is satisfied. That sin has been paid for. Now because I don't endure the wrath of God, God's mercy is shown. But then, when God declares me righteous, God's grace is given. That's all at Calvary. Christians often say, "Christ died for me", and that's true. Perhaps we should tweak it just a little bit, and change it just a smidgen, and say "Christ died instead of me".
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(2 Corinthians 5:21 TNIV)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
(1 Peter 3:18 TNIV)
Blessings,
Matt
I had some thoughts on three words or concepts, that when we think about the cross we need to remember. Those words are justice, mercy, and grace.
Justice is God giving us what we deserve, which is judgment.
In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."
(Acts 17:30-31 TNIV)
God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood--to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished-- he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
(Romans 3:25-26 TNIV)
Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve.
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.
(1 Peter 1:3-5 TNIV)
But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit,
(Titus 3:4-5 TNIV)
Grace is God giving us what we don't deserve.
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!
(Romans 5:17 TNIV)
For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- not by works, so that no one can boast.
(Ephesians 2:8-9 TNIV)
These three words, justice, mercy and grace, can all be see at Calvary. When my sins were laid upon one man, the Lord Jesus Christ, then God's justice is satisfied. That sin has been paid for. Now because I don't endure the wrath of God, God's mercy is shown. But then, when God declares me righteous, God's grace is given. That's all at Calvary. Christians often say, "Christ died for me", and that's true. Perhaps we should tweak it just a little bit, and change it just a smidgen, and say "Christ died instead of me".
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
(2 Corinthians 5:21 TNIV)
For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.
(1 Peter 3:18 TNIV)
Blessings,
Matt