It is Blessed to be God Sent

The way of peace comes as we get Dead in Christ. Here are some supporting verses:

“For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)

” …Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord” (Romans 6:11)

Paul the Apostle repeats the essential death often in his letters. Another instance comes in Galatians 2.

“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live” (Galatians 2:20a).

Assuming the fact of my crucifixion, an explanation as to why I still live begs attention. The answer is found in the remainder of the Galatian 2:20 verse: It is Christ living in me and I live by His faith. Yes, Him in me,

“I live”

Supporting this is John 5, “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.” Jesus speaks in John 5:24

So, a short summary goes — I died, passed from death unto life. I now ledger this death and resurrection to my account of personal standing. Risen with Christ, I set my mind’s interests on and seek things which exist above. The “above” consists of where Christ sits at the Father’s right hand. My placement with Christ assumes judicial acceptance in righteousness  as has been imputed by God. Consider these verses:

” … A man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ” (Galatians 2:16).

“I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain” (Galatians 2:21).

Friends, this is grace un-frustrated! Yes, grace not made ineffective, founds our judicial standing, our new identity, and current position in Christ.

A.T. Robertson expounds, “If one man apart from grace can win his own righteousness, any man can and should. Hence, Christ died gratuitously, unnecessarily.” The above verses are a complete answer to those who say that the heathen (or any mere moralist) are saved by doing the best that they know and can. No one, apart from Jesus, ever did the best that he knew or could.

So, Colossians 3:1-2 tells us, “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your mind’s interest on things above, not on things on the earth.”

Beloved, from Heaven’s abode, our place of current citizenship, we glory in the Cross. Christ and Him crucified is our focus.

In Genesis, God killed an innocent beast. The beast was innocent in the sense that he had not committed the disobedience of Adam and Eve, It was a substitute, and that beast donated its coat a covering for the sinners. I’m sure that beast was an unwilling victim. However:

Christ died willingly. The just for the unjust, see 2 Peter 3:18. “Innocent” in that He was sinless in himself, what was the motivation of Christ? Obedience to the Father, He who so loved the world that He gave … His only begotten, innocent. The spotless lamb. Grace un-frustrated is the evidence of Love. Grace is not to be watered down, manipulated, substituted, or discarded. Except for innocent blood shed, there is no remission of sins. Thank you, thank you, Lord, Jesus, our Savior forever more.

Now, with a message we are sent:

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved — John 3:16-17