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Positive Words Newsletter#74/ 24th February 2004
----- http://www.peterwade.com/ -----
He Is Our Sin Offering
"Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were
pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be
reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for
us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" (II
Corinthians 5:20-21 NKJV).
The second of these two powerful verses have caused some problems in understanding for some believers, so it is good to look at these verses more closely.
"We are ambassadors...", not "we should be..." Present tense Christianity is the need of this world! We are authorized representatives of Christ's kingdom and we plead to citizens of earthly kingdoms to be reconciled to God. The word "reconciled" is better translated "conciliated", for the unsaved person has never been in a relationship with God, so cannot be re-conciled.
Now in verse 21 notice the order (I have quoted from NKJV)... God has "made Him who knew no sin..." In the 1611 KJV it is "He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin" which could imply that we, the "us", are the ones who knew no sin, and one thing we do know is the impossibility of that being true!
God "made Him [Jesus] sin for us" (the words "to be" are not in the text), and it is the word "sin" here that causes so much confusion. The statement is based on the Old Testament rituals, and the Hebrew word used can mean either "sin" or "sin-offering" and is always determined by the context. That is a study in itself. I accept what the scholars say about it (see Barnes Notes on the NT, for example), and recognize that our sins were placed ON Him, but they were not IN Him. So to remove all confusion, I always read it "He has made Him to be a sin-offering for us." God "treated as sin" the One "who knew no sin". Others point out that when the high priest laid his hands on the scapegoat and sent the goat off into the wilderness to die, the goat did not become sin but "carried" the sin of the people away. Other animals had hands laid on them and were then sacrificed as a sin-offering. Whether Jesus is the Sin-bearer or the Sin-offering we'll leave to the theologians while we enjoy the fruits of our Savior's work for us on the cross.
And the purpose of all this was that "we might become the righteousness of God in Him [Christ]". He was made sin; we are made righteous -- what a contrast! We are accepted as righteous and treated as righteous by God, but note it is "in Him", in Christ. Our righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), but because God only sees the Christ in us (Galatians 2:20), He sees the righteousness He gave His Son as victor over death, hell and sin. No wonder Paul got excited when it was revealed to him that "of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption" (I Corinthians 1:30).
Just pause for a moment and rejoice in who you are in God's eyes, and then take your stand on it as you live out the rest of this day, this week, month, and year. -- Peter Wade.
Insights From Every Chapter Of The Bible
G. Campbell Morgan was a well-known preacher and writer of over 60 books from the first half of the 20th century. In each issue of this newsletter he gives a comment from one verse in every chapter of the Bible. We continue with Paul's Roman letter.
"Let love be without hypocrisy" (Romans 12:9).
This twelfth chapter begins the apostolic application of the
doctrines of salvation to the actualities of life. After the
statement of the great principles of true Christian life, Paul
passed to some general illustrations in a series of injunctions.
Of these, this is the first. It is very simple, but very
searching. Everything in Christianity proceeds out of the love of
God, and its ultimate and glorious fruitage is that of love
mastering men. Hence there is always a danger lest love should be
professed when it is not possessed; or, on the other hand, that
love should be untrue to its central element of holiness. Hence
the warning of these words.
Love must be without acting, for that is what hypocrisy really
is. The language of love, where love is not, is of no avail. Even
the activities which are properly those of love, practised in
order to make it seem as though we loved, are of no value. That
is what Paul meant when he wrote in another Epistle: "If I bestow
all my goods to feed the poor... but have not love, it profiteth
me nothing." So also, to violate love by failing to abhor evil,
even when the violation is that of actions of tenderness, is in
itself evil. Love is hypocritical, it is acting, it is untrue to
itself, when it condones evil in any form. Love must cleave to
good, or be untrue to its very deepest nature.
On our web site right now!
"Tithing, Giving, and Generosity" by Wayne Jacobson. How to
acknowledge God in your financial affairs.
Another episode of "The Wealth of the Christian: The Wealth
Unfolded", this time on Ephesians 2:11-3:13. Powerful teaching
from one of the most treasured books in my library.
The radio broadcast is on the second to last teaching of "The
Hallelujah Principle" series -- "This Time I Will Praise", to be
followed next week by "Praise and Sanity".
What you are saying...
I have taken the challenge in "Hidden Treasure" to read Ephesians
at least 21 times in the next 21 days. My faith in the positive
word is growing. I have also read "I Am Not A Victim" and every
morning that is my declaration: "I am not a victim of the world I
see, I determine what happens to me". I believe that with God's
help through the holy spirit power working in me I will fulfill
his purpose for my life. I am giving myself to hear truth and
immerse myself in it until it becomes my natural lifestyle. I am
partly through "Outdo, Outwit and Outperform". -- England.
Thank you so much for Positive Words through the internet. It
makes my day to learn and hear scripture to build me up. I have
been hesitant to accept just biblical teachings at face value;
but simple teachings from your website greatly inspire and
reaffirm spiritual beliefs for me. Again thank you so much.
-- USA.
Just wanted to write you back per your request on the email
newsletters. Yes I do enjoy them. They add insight to my bible
studies. This most recent has given me a good reason to go back
into Romans and take another look at those things Peter shared
on. God bless you for your labors! -- USA
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2004 Peter Wade
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"IN CHRIST" QUOTE FOR TODAY
