When you think of God not sparing His own Son, delivering Him up for us all, you are overwhelmed with the amazing love of God for sinners like us. Think back to Peter's message in Acts 2, "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know, delivered up by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. And God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power".(Acts 2:22-24)Paul says the same thing in Romans 4:2,"He who was delivered up because of our transgressions, and was raised because of our justification". Those are some amazing words, delivered up, predetermined plan, foreknowledge of God. Think about how much they mean to you. The same actions of God that Peter and Paul speak about are worthy of our consideration constantly. Before there was a world, before there were any of us, God's love for us is demonstrated in His foreknowledge and predetermined plan to deliver up His Son as the substitutionary sacrifice for sin.
Verse 32 continues,"how will He not also with Him freely give us all things". Before you make a list of your all things, probably many of them temporal, consider this. Is there anything greater than God giving His Son as a sacrifice for sinners? Then anything else that he gives will be lesser. For us to be redeemed, certain things were needed. S.Lewis Johnson has a list of them, "we need for God to be propitiated, we need for justice to be satisfied, we have a need for righteousness and it's requirements to be met, and Christ has accomplished that by His death on the cross. We need the work of the Holy Spirit in applying the redemption, we need the work of the Holy Spirit in efficacious grace, we need the gift of new life and repentance and faith". All these things are lesser than the gift of His Son. Since He has given the greatest gift, the gift of His Son, shall He not give the rest of these things.The answer of course is certainly He will, for us all, and remember the "us all" are those defined in verse 33 as God's elect. This insight from John Gill,"such was his grace, that he has given his own Son unto them; and not him alone, but "all things" with him: all temporal good things, needful and convenient; all spiritual blessings, a justifying righteousness, pardon of sin, sanctifying grace, adoption, and eternal life: and all "freely", in a sovereign way, according to his own good will and pleasure, without any obligation or compulsion; not grudgingly nor niggardly, but cheerfully and bountifully, absolutely, and without any conditions; for he is not moved thereunto by anything in them, or performed by them.
The result is no condemnation to anyone who has put his faith in Christ. When you go back to verse 1, those two words, no condemnation, reveal the results of that loving sacrifice in the life of the penitent believer. Just think, no condemnation regardless of years of carelessness and sin. No condemnation even though there were years of rejecting the gospel. Whatever the circumstances of life were, the Holy Spirit is the one who set us free from sin resulting in no condemnation and granting a whole new life of obedience. This great statement from John MacArthur," The Law can condemn the sinner, the cross condemns sin". I trust you are rejoicing in the God who gave His Son, the greatest gift, and all the rest of the things that accomplished your redemption.
Yours for a new day,
SWORDMAN.
No comments:
Post a Comment