The Cross Changes Everything
One of my favourite passages in the Bible is Isaiah 54 because it depicts the most blessed and beautiful position we now have as the redeemer in Christ Jesus where God has sworn that He would not be wroth with us, nor rebuke us ever again. God promises that even though the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed but His kindness shall not depart from us, neither shall the covenant of his peace be removed from us.
Such a great promise, but how you may ask?
It is only made possible because of the cross, which is prophesied in Isaiah 53, one chapter before. The cross of Jesus Christ reconciles God with sinful men. God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, who is most holy and righteous cannot accept and bless sinful men, for sins must be paid and the Bible says that the wage of sin is death.
To redeem a sinful man from death, a righteous man must stand in his place and receive the death that the sinful man deserves. But there is not one righteous for all men have sinned and fallen short of the grace of God. Through Adam, sin entered into the world and death by sin, and we who are of Adam inherited sin in our blood. No good works no matter how much we do can wipe off this sin in our blood. Only sinless blood can do so.
So God, in His infinite mercy and wisdom sent His only begotten Son Jesus into this world, born as a man yet without sin to be our sin offering, the Lamb of God that carried the sins of the world. As God in human flesh, His blood is in a different class of its own. That is why by His death, Jesus can offer salvation to all mankind. There is room in His cross, for everyone who believes.
If you ask me what is the most powerful passage in the entire Old Testament, without hesitation, it will be Isaiah 53 that foretold the sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of God:
He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.
Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with is stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he opens not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: and who shall declare his generation? for he was cut off out of the land of the living: for the transgression of my people was he stricken.
The Blessed Life
Because Jesus has taken all our sins and punishment, God’s righteous judgment was fully satisfied, and we who believe in Jesus and His faith that He died in our place, partake of His work, which means we were already punished by the cross of Jesus and we died with Christ. Then just as Christ died as us, when God resurrected Him, Christ was resurrected as us. And Christ could only be resurrected because all the sins He carried were removed, otherwise, He could not be resurrected for only the righteous has the right to live.
This is the miracle of the cross and it works through the operation of faith.
Thus we who believe this truth have passed the judgment and we now live as a new creation in Christ, loved, blessed, and favoured.
The truth for a believer is that she had died (the death of the cross) and was made alive again, married to Christ (Romans 7). As the wife, she carries her husband’s name, that is whatever the name carries: inheritance, power, and all, she will be treated just as how her husband is treated. Needless to mention, whatsoever the husband owns, it’s hers, too.
Think about that for a moment. We have been married to Christ, and whatsoever He has, we have. As Jesus is, so are we in this world (1 John 4:4). Because of Jesus, God now treats us like how He would treat Jesus.
Sunny Ride
I like to picture our ride on earth like a child who studies overseas for his university degree, he is there at the expense of his father. All the costs of his study, his living, his food, his housing, his clothes, and his leisure are covered by his father. His focus is to study and get his degree, without being worried about any of his needs being met. He is even allowed to have fun and enjoy his life to the fullest responsibly and when the time permits.
We are not dependent on the resources of this world for our resources come from Heaven. God, who is now our Father, is our sponsor, our provider. The good Father, who always answers our prayer over exceedingly beyond what we can ask or think, shall provide all our needs according to His riches and glory (Philippians 4:19).
Because of Jesus, we now have the Father’s face towards us, something that was not possible in the Old Covenant time for no (sinful) man can see God and live. Having God’s face towards us speaks of being continually under His grace: in the countenance of a king, there is blessing and favour – when you are granted an audience with the king, it means you get to see the king’s face and your petition will be granted. This is now our posture as believers, we live with God’s face shining towards us, just like the sun, full of grace and glory.
For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly. Psalm 84:11
Jesus has come and finished the redemption work for us, there is nothing for us to add but to live this life for the glory of His name, making the best of the gifts, talents, and blessings He has given us during our ride on this earth.
