Chapter 2 - The Sacrifice
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"I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted within me. My mouth is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death. Dogs surround me, a pack of villains encircles me; they pierce my hands and my feet.
All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment."
Psalm 22:14-18
Christ's death on the cross accomplished 7 things.
1. Love. To show His own love for us. Ephesians 5:25 says, “Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.” Matthew 20:28 says, “The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
2. Expiation. The removal of our sin and guilt. Christ’s death removes our sin and guilt. The guilt of our sin was taken away from us and placed on Christ, who discharged it by his death. Remember what John the Baptist said in John 1:29? Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.
3. Propitiation. The removal of God's wrath. By dying in our place for our sins, Christ removed the wrath of God that we justly deserved. A propitiation is not simply a sacrifice that removes wrath, but a sacrifice that removes wrath and turns it into favor.
4. Reconciliation. The removal of our alienation from God. Because of our sins, we were separated from God. Christ’s death removed this alienation and thus reconciled us to God.
5. Redemption. Our sins had put us in captivity from which we need to be delivered. The price that is paid to deliver someone from captivity is called a “ransom.” To say that Christ’s death accomplished redemption for us means that it accomplished deliverance from our captivity through the payment of a price.
6. Defeat of Satan. Unforgiven sin is the only weapon he has. Christ took this weapon away from him for all who would believe, defeating him in his death. “having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:13-14).
7. Acted as our substitute. Guys,...it's very simple,...Christ died in our place. Taking our sin penalty and paying it Himself. "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." - Romans 5:8 and again here........"But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his stripes we are healed." - Isaiah 53:5
Bridge the Gap
a visual depiction of 1 Timothy 2:5
Jesus
John 14:6
the narrow path
hell
The Father
(heaven)
Romans 5:21
man
(sin)
Romans 6:23
You guys might have seen this illustration before, but the picture is usually just some Bible verses with some really bad artwork (like this is any different), but it is also rarely explained,....I guess you're just suppose to have ESP and know what someone else is thinking and look up 20 Bible verses and somehow piece them together like Legos. In the simplest terms, I'll try to explain it here with only 3 verses. See that little guy on the edge of the cliff with the backpack on? That's you. Your goal is to get to heaven. You need to bridge the gap. There is no magic helicopter coming, no floating escalators, and no hot air balloons. Do you see any other way around? Neither do I. There is another road however, down and to the left that I couldn't fit on this picture. It's called Broad Rd. You will also see in front of you a second way to travel. It's called, the narrow path. So,....you have 2 ways to travel. You can head down Broad Rd or take the narrow path. Here's a hint......you don't want Broad Rd. Taking Broad Rd. is like singing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" when you're already there,....it makes no sense! So it looks like Broad Rd is not an option. So how are you going to get to heaven? By taking the narrow path, BUT, you still need the key to unlock heaven. See John 14:6 at the very top of the cross? It says this,..."Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
So by looking at the picture, you need the key (Jesus) to get to the Father (heaven). The price of that key? Well,....with excise tax, surcharges, state and local sales tax, regulatory fees, administrative fees, environmental impact fees, the universal service fee, & state metallurgy fees to make the key,.....your total comes to $0. It is free! The price of the key was paid long ago at Calvary with a man's life. So,...all you have to do is walk across the narrow path, believe on Jesus, take the key, and unlock heaven. Romans 5:21 (your destination).....bringing eternal life through Jesus Christ. That's it. Folks, there are many many people who will take Broad Rd & will never get to heaven. The Bible refers to these people as "fools". They think there is another way and there simply isn't. Jesus (the key) is the only way to unlock heaven. Folks, Ecclesiastes says "life is fleeting, like a passing mist.....". Not to be morbid, but you could die tomorrow,.....a heart attack, you could get hit by an ice cream truck, fall down some stairs & into a coma and never regain consciousness, and if you die without Christ in your heart, you will be on Broad Rd. I'll be straightforward,....it's not a two-way street, it is a one-way street to hell. This is not meant to scare anyone, but honestly it probably should. The urgency with this topic is paramount. Look at today's headlines......I think we can all agree we're running out of time, and running out of time quickly. Plain & simple,....don't get caught on Broad Rd. God bless.
continue.......
