What Were We Saved From ? Understanding Our Salvation Part 2
 |
| What Were We Saved From ? Understanding Our Salvation Part 2 |
Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes. Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. This he said, signifying what death he should die. [Joh 12:30-33]
Jesus words above reveal a great truth which the church at large has not taken time to consider and to ponder on. Talking about what was ahead of Him which is His work on the cross, the Master describes the spiritual significance of His suffering. We all talk about the cross but Jesus says that the time on the cross was the time of the judgment of the world.
This tells us that even though we wait for a time of judgment to come, there is a judgment that has already occurred. After the fall God looking at fallen man had two options. One was to kill the whole human race and the other was to device a way of saving the race. His plan incorporated the two. God, because of His nature could not just destroy the people without judging them.
Good looking at the whole Adamic race had to judge it. In line with this plan Jesus said His passion on the cross was the judgment of the world. To explain the mystery, Jesus said when he would be lifted up from the earth he would draw ALL MEN to him. Many have robbed this scripture of its all power interpreting it to mean lifting Jesus in praise and worship. He was not talking of worship for the writer says in the above text, this he said, signifying what death he should die. [Joh 12:33]
What he said is the mystery of salvation. When he was on the cross he was standing on behalf of the whole human race. Adam and all his descendants were drawn in Christ as he stood as their representative. On the cross since everyone (from Adam to the last child that will be born before the end of the world) was in Christ on the cross it means that all sin was in Christ. [2 Cor 5: 21]
What he said is the mystery of salvation. When he was on the cross he was standing on behalf of the whole human race. Adam and all his descendants were drawn in Christ as he stood as their representative. On the cross since everyone (from Adam to the last child that will be born before the end of the world) was in Christ on the cross it means that all sin was in Christ. [2 Cor 5: 21]
In the process God judged the whole race in Christ and the judgment for fallen man was to be eternally forsaken by God. Eternal judgment for the sinners is to be forsaken by God such that God cannot reverse his decision. No one had been forsaken by God before. There are still some good things that God bestows on the sinners and believers and Jesus said that, “he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.” [ Matthew 5: 45]
On the cross, Jesus experienced the full implications of being forsaken by God which no one has as yet experienced. No one had experienced being forsaken of God. For the first time because of the position he had taken on behalf of the human race Jesus was out of relationship with God. If all that Jesus experienced on the cross was what the other thieves that were crucified with Him experienced then there was nothing special.
On the cross, Jesus experienced the full implications of being forsaken by God which no one has as yet experienced. No one had experienced being forsaken of God. For the first time because of the position he had taken on behalf of the human race Jesus was out of relationship with God. If all that Jesus experienced on the cross was what the other thieves that were crucified with Him experienced then there was nothing special.
He tasted the pain of having God turn away from you and have nothing good to have of feel. The word says every good and perfect gift comes from God. Being forsaken of God is to have an experience when there is no good at all to enjoy and all evil released over your life. This is why at that instant there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was rent in the midst. [Luk 23:44-45]
All evil was set loose on Him.
There is no where that Jesus did not call God His Father in all His earthly relations with God. Everywhere Jesus related To God as His Father but in this portion he calls him God. He was out of fellowship and relationship because he had taken the place of all mankind. On the cross Adam and his children faced judgment and the whole Human race was judged and with the judgment the whole race could not face it and cried,
All evil was set loose on Him.
There is no where that Jesus did not call God His Father in all His earthly relations with God. Everywhere Jesus related To God as His Father but in this portion he calls him God. He was out of fellowship and relationship because he had taken the place of all mankind. On the cross Adam and his children faced judgment and the whole Human race was judged and with the judgment the whole race could not face it and cried,
“My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? [Matthew 27: 46] God forsook all and turned away from mankind at this instant. This is the Judgement that he was talking about when He said, now is the judgement of the world. He drew all man to himself.
In addition to the judgement of the world Jesus said, “Now the prince of this world be cast out.” His suffering on the cross was also the time when the devil was cast out from heaven losing all the privileges and access that he had before.
In addition to the judgement of the world Jesus said, “Now the prince of this world be cast out.” His suffering on the cross was also the time when the devil was cast out from heaven losing all the privileges and access that he had before.
All before the Devil could go in the presence of God in heaven and would approach God with his suggestions and requests. [Job 1: 6, Zech 3:1] On the cross the devil was judged and lost his privileges and access. He no longer has access to accuse the brethren before God. He was defeated and lost his hold and power over the people because they had died and had been judged and condemned in Christ. [Luke 10: 17-21, Rev 12: 9-11, John 16: 8-11].
To complete the task for mankind, He died on behalf of all mankind on the cross. This means that on the cross the whole of the human race was destroyed and judged. The New Testament teaching and the gospel bears witness to this and the Apostle Paul says,
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [2Co 5:14]
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: [Romans 6: 6-8]
When Jesus died on the cross, as far as God was concerned there was no more man on earth. Everyone had died in Christ. In this sense Adam and his entire race had died and been judged. Jesus went to hell on behalf of all men, so the whole race went to hell. [Eph 4: 8-9, Ps 68: 18, 1 Peter 3: 19-20] There was no man on earth, so all mankind was destroyed and judged and forsaken as far as God was concerned.
When Jesus rose again on the third day the word says he became the firstborn among many brethren. [Rom 8: 29] Jesus was then the first one to be born again. He was born again of the dead. [Col 1: 18] The bible says we rose together with Him and this was not Adam and his descendants but a new creation. Adam and his entire race died and were buried in Christ. When Christ rose from the dead it was the beginning of a new race. Everyone who believes in this good news and is BORN AGAIN is a new creation.
For one to be in this reality they have to receive what Christ did on our behalf and be born again. In this case one becomes the new creation. Jesus had said this before in John 3 that He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [Joh 3:18]
Scripture says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [Rom 10:9] Everyone who has done this is a new creation. They are no longer the descendants of Adam but are new beings belonging to a race that started with the resurrected Christ. They have been saved from Adam and are now in Christ. This race will not be judged. Being saved from Adam means one has been saved from sickness,
To complete the task for mankind, He died on behalf of all mankind on the cross. This means that on the cross the whole of the human race was destroyed and judged. The New Testament teaching and the gospel bears witness to this and the Apostle Paul says,
For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: [2Co 5:14]
Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: [Romans 6: 6-8]
When Jesus died on the cross, as far as God was concerned there was no more man on earth. Everyone had died in Christ. In this sense Adam and his entire race had died and been judged. Jesus went to hell on behalf of all men, so the whole race went to hell. [Eph 4: 8-9, Ps 68: 18, 1 Peter 3: 19-20] There was no man on earth, so all mankind was destroyed and judged and forsaken as far as God was concerned.
When Jesus rose again on the third day the word says he became the firstborn among many brethren. [Rom 8: 29] Jesus was then the first one to be born again. He was born again of the dead. [Col 1: 18] The bible says we rose together with Him and this was not Adam and his descendants but a new creation. Adam and his entire race died and were buried in Christ. When Christ rose from the dead it was the beginning of a new race. Everyone who believes in this good news and is BORN AGAIN is a new creation.
For one to be in this reality they have to receive what Christ did on our behalf and be born again. In this case one becomes the new creation. Jesus had said this before in John 3 that He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. [Joh 3:18]
Scripture says that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [Rom 10:9] Everyone who has done this is a new creation. They are no longer the descendants of Adam but are new beings belonging to a race that started with the resurrected Christ. They have been saved from Adam and are now in Christ. This race will not be judged. Being saved from Adam means one has been saved from sickness,
death, poverty and the dominion of the devil. This race is not under the rule of the devil and cannot die, be sick or be poor. This means that you now belong to a new race which began with Christ and hence there are no more curses or generational spirits following you.
There is now no one to blame for your life for God has given you an opportunity to restart your life as you would want it without any negative. You are no longer disadvantaged in any way. This is the meaning of salvation. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.[2Co 5:17]
No comments: