Sinless, No Guile. . .But Was Made to be Sin for Us
2Co 5:21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
What! Disgusted, depraved, predisposed to sin and debauchery - man and woman "made to be righteous?" YES!
What! Disgusted, depraved, predisposed to sin and debauchery - man and woman "made to be righteous?" YES!
Since the creation of Adam and Eve men and women down through the years have been vile and have done some of the most vile things that can be imagined. Names such as Jeffrey Dahmer, Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson, Jim Jones of People's Temple, Dean Corll, Ted Bundy, David Berkowitz, Gary Leon Ridgway (Green River Killer, murdered 48 people serving 48 life sentences) and others bring thoughts of disgust to our minds. Yet, we understand that, though crime has its temporal consequences, Christ died for all men - even these that we deem most vile. Could these men be forgiven and be made righteous?
Theodore Cowell (Alias Ted Bundy) had an interview with Dr. James Dobson shortly before his execution. Bundy talked about the effects that soft core pornography and hard core pornography had on his subsequent outbreaks of rape, murder and brutality. He also talked about how God's love helped him come to remorse over what he had done and, remorse over how it continues to affect the family members who are left. He agreed with his punishment of being executed. Whether he accepted Christ or not, only he and God knows for sure but there have been those who turned to Christ - even from a life of scandal, murder, brutality and debauchery. The thief on the cross next to Jesus was granted repentance and was given eternal life just a short time before he died. There hanging next to the the sinless, perfect lamb of God - God's only son - he was forgiven.
God made his only Son sin though there was never "guile found in his mouth. . ." (1Peter 2:22) He never committed sin and never even spoke deceitfully. After God made his only Son to be sin, while he was on the cross Jesus cried "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) Christ felt that His Father had forsaken Him. There he hung on the cross completely degraded, mocked, ridiculed, scorned, rejected, despised and sentenced to die by his own race and beaten, cruelly crowned and nailed to a cross by the Romans - on a day when no crucifixions were allowed by Jewish law. There on that cross the sin of all mankind was nailed.
Where would we be today without the blessed, holy, righteous Son of God coming to this earth, giving his life a ransom for men and women of all ages? It has been said rightly, the nails did not hold him on the cross our sins did. He would not come down. He would not give in to the feelings of horror, extreme pain and the shamefulness of being made sin for you and I. He did it because of the "joy that was set before him." (Hebrews 12:2) He cried the final declaration, "It is finished." He did not say, "I am finished." He cried, "It is finished." (John 19:30)
James 1:15 tells us that "when [sin] is finished, [sin] bringeth forth death." The finality of sin is death - physical and spiritual. The finality of sin separates from God and all that is good and life eternal. Jesus cried "It is finished." He fulfilled his mission. He accomplished the plan of salvation. "It (the will of His Father for man's salvation) is finished (lacking nothing) ." He completed His Father's will. Now, what will you do with Christ? Yes, your sins were nailed to that cross some 2000 years ago but you and I must accept His sacrifice. We must accept his final work!
Will you choose salvation? What will you choose Christ or sin? What will you choose - the will of the Father or the will of sinful self? Will you choose Christ? It is that simple. Come to Him, repent, accept Him, trust Him, follow Him, love Him, serve Him, obey Him - He is the way, the truth and the life. God will impute to you and imbue in you "His righteousness" because, "It is finished!"
Theodore Cowell (Alias Ted Bundy) had an interview with Dr. James Dobson shortly before his execution. Bundy talked about the effects that soft core pornography and hard core pornography had on his subsequent outbreaks of rape, murder and brutality. He also talked about how God's love helped him come to remorse over what he had done and, remorse over how it continues to affect the family members who are left. He agreed with his punishment of being executed. Whether he accepted Christ or not, only he and God knows for sure but there have been those who turned to Christ - even from a life of scandal, murder, brutality and debauchery. The thief on the cross next to Jesus was granted repentance and was given eternal life just a short time before he died. There hanging next to the the sinless, perfect lamb of God - God's only son - he was forgiven.
God made his only Son sin though there was never "guile found in his mouth. . ." (1Peter 2:22) He never committed sin and never even spoke deceitfully. After God made his only Son to be sin, while he was on the cross Jesus cried "My God, My God, why hast thou forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) Christ felt that His Father had forsaken Him. There he hung on the cross completely degraded, mocked, ridiculed, scorned, rejected, despised and sentenced to die by his own race and beaten, cruelly crowned and nailed to a cross by the Romans - on a day when no crucifixions were allowed by Jewish law. There on that cross the sin of all mankind was nailed.
Where would we be today without the blessed, holy, righteous Son of God coming to this earth, giving his life a ransom for men and women of all ages? It has been said rightly, the nails did not hold him on the cross our sins did. He would not come down. He would not give in to the feelings of horror, extreme pain and the shamefulness of being made sin for you and I. He did it because of the "joy that was set before him." (Hebrews 12:2) He cried the final declaration, "It is finished." He did not say, "I am finished." He cried, "It is finished." (John 19:30)
James 1:15 tells us that "when [sin] is finished, [sin] bringeth forth death." The finality of sin is death - physical and spiritual. The finality of sin separates from God and all that is good and life eternal. Jesus cried "It is finished." He fulfilled his mission. He accomplished the plan of salvation. "It (the will of His Father for man's salvation) is finished (lacking nothing) ." He completed His Father's will. Now, what will you do with Christ? Yes, your sins were nailed to that cross some 2000 years ago but you and I must accept His sacrifice. We must accept his final work!
Will you choose salvation? What will you choose Christ or sin? What will you choose - the will of the Father or the will of sinful self? Will you choose Christ? It is that simple. Come to Him, repent, accept Him, trust Him, follow Him, love Him, serve Him, obey Him - He is the way, the truth and the life. God will impute to you and imbue in you "His righteousness" because, "It is finished!"
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