Posts Tagged ‘wrath’

Easter 2011.  What will it be known as for us?  Will it be a time of celebrating candy and the bunny and great pictures and new outfits and fun family time?  Hopefully all of us will have lodged in our memories some of these things, if not all of them.  Hopefully we have those family memories to carry on with us in print forever.  Hopefully we received some of the best candy ever invented – the Reece’s Peanut Butter Cup!  Hopefully we got to experience Easter again through the eyes of our children as they get sugared up and crash later on in the day.

But.  Hopefully.  We have a bigger, fonder, greater treasured memory than all of those combined.

Hopefully we saw Christ as the embodiment of the Passover Lamb:  a Lamb sent by God, provided by God, slain by God, crushed by God all for the wrath of God to be satisfied.

Hopefully we saw Christ, the Lamb of God, raised by God, exalted by God, at the right hand of God, atoning for us to God for righteousness rather than wrath.

This is what Jesus means when he says, “This is my body, which is given for you.  Do this in remembrance of me.  And likewise the cup after they had eaten, This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.” (Luke 22:14-23)

Oh, that we would have memories of the crushed Christ and memories of the risen Christ, and the present tense of forgiveness, new life, eternal life, and hope that never spoils, perishes or fades.

Amid the great remembrances of family, candy and Easter 2011 – let’s highlight and treasure the remembrance that we are free and righteous through Jesus taking the full measure of the wrath of God upon himself, defeating it on the cross and through the resurrection.

Dig Deeper.

As we continue studying our theme for this week, we must dive into what Romans says about the subject of Justification – being made right with God.  Our dilemma is to answer the question, am I attempting to be made right with God through the work of self or the work of my Savior?  We see Scripture being super clear that Jesus Christ is who makes us right with God, not my own religious works, background, family, relationships, networks, connectivity, morality or religion.

Look with me in Romans 5:1

• What does 5:1 say about how we’re justified before God?  By what?
• How do we gain access into this grace? (5:2)

What is interesting is 5:3 – “More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope…” Don’t miss what Paul is getting at here.  It’s as if he’s saying our opportunities to suffer gives us the opportunity to display genuinely that justification has taken place in our lives!  This is how we rejoice in our sufferings!  We get to display God’s gift of salvation during these times of suffering – we can suffer with joy because of Christ’s work in our lives, removing God’s wrath and replacing it with righteousness – not a righteousness of our own doing, but a righteousness that comes through faith in Jesus Christ.

• What does 5:9 say about how we’re justified?
• What is the result of the justification?  (Hint:  we are saved from the ____________ of God through this justification).
• What emotion is stirred within you as you think through this truth?  How will you express this to God today?

For deeper study, listen to this link:  http://www.desiringgod.org/resource-library/sermons/adam-christ-and-justification-part-1#/listen/full

Peace, RiverStone!

CD.