II Corinthians 5:21a
"For he (God) hath made him (Christ) to be sin for us,..." All
sins, even the worst, and they were all laid on Him. He took the place
of that rebel, sinful, son of Israel. He took the place so that God
could put the curse of the Law on Christ. Not only for Israel but for
the Gentiles who had not come under its influence yet at that time. Now
listen that's strong language we know it is. That's not the kind of
language most people like to hear. But listen this is what the Word
declares. Christ became the curse under God. He fulfilled all the curse
of the Law with its ordinances and statutes and commandments so that God
in turn could now say, "I have forgiven every human being
that's ever lived. I have reconciled them, I have pardoned them. It's
there for anyone and every one who will simply believe it." And
oh, they refuse to believe it. Now let's look at Romans chapter 3.
Where this whole plan of salvation from the pen of the Apostle Paul
really has it's beginning. Again it's that same concept that by the
keeping of the Law there is no justification. We always like to use
these two verses together as we'll never forget one time we were using
them and a young pastor happened to be close by at the time. We hadn't
commented on them, only read them and his mouth just dropped wide
opened. You know the first thing that came to mind? He's never seen this
before. He had never seen this before but the Spirit just blew his mind
and look what it says.
Romans 3:19-20
Now we
know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are
under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may
become guilty before God.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there
shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the
knowledge of sin."
Romans 3:19-20
"Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law:
(who was under the Law? The Hebrews, and all of Israel. But it didn't
stop at the borders of Israel because the ramifications of the Law went
to the whole human race.) that every mouth may be stopped and all the world (may have a way to heaven. That's not what your Bible says is it? Your Bible says that all the world ) may become guilty before God. (and all the Law could do was pronounce guilt upon every human being) 20. Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified
(and oh! why can't works religionist people see this? They must
evidently just closing their eyes to it and say, `No, my Church, my
religion will be good enough." However our Bible says, "No it won't!" We
don't care what Religion identifier or Church it is. If the Church we
belong to holds us to something that we have to do to earn salvation
when our Bible says, `Then there is no justification in that, but rather
condemnation.') in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin." Remember
our use of the term corral or Paul's use of the word tutor for the Law,
well that's just what those terms were to do keep Israel in line. And
now bring them and those whom God places in this first estate after
their conversion and receipt of the deposit of the Holy Spirit and His
teachings and train of us to the knowledge of the utter sinfulness of
sin by the works of the Law. God through His Holy Spirit brings us all
to our knees as He reveals through the Law the knowledge of sin and its
far reaching figures and hold of us and causes us to reach out to Him
for His Salvation. The next great blessing as its tied to the Old
Testament promises of an Endless, Eternal Life and the New Covenant all
terms for but this one Great Salvation.
The
Ten Commandments, as beautiful as they are, perfect as they are, yet by
those commandments is nothing more than the understanding on sin. Sin
is the breaking of the Ten Commandments. Don't remove the first
commandment found in Genesis chapter 2, don't eat of the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, but man practices this at almost every turn.
Oh but now look at verse 21 for the flip side.
Romans 3:21
"But now (something totally different has taken over) the righteousness of God without the law (leave out the Law, it has no part in our salvation) is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;"
What does that mean? It isn't like the people of Corinth when they
accused the Apostle Paul that he was coming in like an impostor with
some kind of false religion and something that he had concocted on his
own. But what did Paul say? "I'm not coming with something that's a
watered downed product. I am coming with the Truth of the Gospel." And
the world has hated it from day one. Even today the world's main goal is
to work for their salvation. We want to do something so we can take
pride in what we've accomplished. God hates pride like nothing else. So
here we have without the Law even though it was witnessed by all the Old
Testament before it. Remember what we said, everything builds on that
which was before. So we had the Law, and the prophets, and the life of
Christ, and it all brings us to His death, burial and resurrection, as
the seed planted. Then we have the Apostle Paul who comes out and
declares it to the Gentile world, not just to Israel.
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