The Word - April 1, 2012 - THE DEATH OF CHRIST- AN ACT OF DIVINE MANIFESTATION

"We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God's glorious standard. Yet, God with undeserved kindness, declares us to be righteous. He did so through Christ Jesus...So people are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed His life, shedding His blood" (Romans 3:24-25).

What an awesome declaration of all that God accomplished for us through His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ! Through His death on the cross, Christ satisfied the righteous and holy demands of God regarding our sins.

It is true that a holy God cannot overlook our sin and the Scripture correctly declared that "all have sinned and come short of God's holiness." But again the Scripture declares that the only way for God's holiness to be satisfied was through the sacrifice of His lamb, His own Son the Lord Jesus Christ.

In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God sent His only Son into the world, that we might live through Him (1 John 4:9). Because of sin, "the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of mankind" (Romans 1:18).

In giving His Son, God was giving the dearest and most precious possession that He had. Jesus was His only Son, the Son of His love. God was willing to give His very best that we might be saved from our sin.

He who knew no sin, was made sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God through Him." "Son now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. And because you belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death" (Romans 8:1-2). Today we can rejoice because we have been saved from eternal death.

Once we were dead because of our disobedience and sinful ways, but God, who is rich in mercy and He loved us so much, that even though we were dead because of our sins, He gave us life when He raised Christ from the dead. "It is only by God's grace that you have been saved." (Ephesians 2:4,5).