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Simplicity of Christ
Salvation comes through “faith in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This is the gospel message in its entirety, and it is what the Apostle Paul was referring to when he admonished us to hold on to the “simplicity of Christ.” Subsequent to salvation, many glories from heaven await us, but the door through which we step into salvation is Jesus, God’s Son.
Jesus was, and is, the spotless Lamb of God. When He suffered and died on the Cross, it was not for sins He committed, because He was totally untainted and untouched by sin. He walked the earth, a fallen world, as God’s Son, and as a man, without ever yielding to the temptation to sin, and, by so doing, He was qualified to bear the sins of all mankind in His death, burial, and resurrection. “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:15
Therefore, when Jesus hung on the Cross, whose sins was He bearing? He had no sin of His own. He was bearing your sins and mine, to save us from eternal death, and to give us eternal life. “He was wounded for our transgressions (sins), He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5 Every sin of every person born into this world for all times, places, and peoples, was laid upon God’s spotless Son, so that our sins could be judged in Jesus, the only One who could bear the sins of the whole world. Individually, we can’t bear our own sins and live. How could sinful man bear the sins of all people everywhere?
In His crucifixion, Jesus carried our sinful natures, which passed down to all through Adam, to the Cross and put our sinful natures to death, in His suffering on the Cross. His nature was and is, completely holy, therefore, it was our sins and sinful natures that were laid upon Him, which He bore so that we might live in Him in newness of life, free from the power of our old sinful nature or carnality, or “the old man.” Paul said, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless, I live, yet, not I, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” Galatians 2:20
Jesus, in His deity and in His sinlessness, bore the righteous judgment of God for all sin, then He took our sins and their power to the grave and buried them. Once our sins and their power over us were buried, He rose from the grave, and raised us up with Him to walk in newness of life, victorious over sin. “For sin shall not have dominion over you.” Romans 6:14 Our sins, carnal natures, and the “old man“--all were buried with Jesus in His death. They no longer have power over us as we have faith in His Word which says we are free from them. Glory to God! We do not have to sin, for we are dead to sin, and alive unto God. Believe the Word of God.
We were also raised with Jesus in His resurrection on the third day, to walk in newness of life and holiness. Our sins were nailed to the Cross, they were buried in the heart of the earth as Jesus laid in His tomb, they were removed from us as far as the east is from the west, and they were left behind when Jesus rose from the dead, never to bring death to us again. Through His sinless death, Jesus bought everlasting life for all who believe in Him and receive His sacrifice for themselves. This is the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord. What a Savior we have!
Our sins and carnal natures were washed away by the cleansing of His spotless blood on the Cross. They were buried with Him, completely deserted, once for all, and, when we repent of our sins and receive Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have new life in Him. The power of sin is broken over every believer, and as long as we don’t allow the power of the “old dead man or woman” that we once were, to “rise up” and tempt us to sin, we can walk in holiness with the Lord. We can do as Paul did. He buffeted his body, or put his flesh under the authority of the Word and will of God daily, and walked in victory over sin. He said, “I die daily, “ meaning that he died to the temptation to sin, or to disobey our Father. What a great salvation He has given us.
Glory to Our Risen Savior!
Submitted by Betty Seiley
www.bettyseiley.multiply.com
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