Hello All,
(Just a general disclaimer that I must insert here at the beginning. I am but a lay person, like most of you. And these weekly “thoughts” are but my own. Not the definitive word on this or any topic. Just my own conclusions derived from my own study and faith in God. The greatest hope I have for these weekly “thoughts” is to have them be a springboard for further study on your part. Not to be a weekly treatise to be blindly accepted. So, please read them with this intent, this motive in mind).
This week’s lesson from the “Adult Sabbath School Bible Study Guide”, is titled “The Promise”. In Monday’s lesson, once again, our quarterly posits the doctrine of Christ’s death (as typified by the ram in the story of Abraham and Isaac) as “paying in Himself the penalty for our sins!” As some of you know me, it will likely not surprise you that I must comment on this “payment of penalty” … this assumption. For assumption it is. It all goes back to the “Garden” when God said, “in the day you eat of (tree of the knowledge of good and evil), you shall surely die” (Genesis 2:17).
Almost universally, all Christians assume that the statement in the “Garden” is God threatening you. Assuming God’s statement in the Garden to mean, “In the day you eat of it, I (God) will be forced by the holiness of my character and government to put you to death”. But that is not what God said. He said simply, “you shall surely die”. And in Romans 6:23, Paul clears this all up. He says, “Sin pays its wage servants: the wage is death” (Phillips). Oh. This is different. The death is not a penalty after all. It is a natural consequence. Not an imposed penalty from an offended deity. And God is not threatening you (God forbid!). He is informing you, warning you, of what naturally happens to you.
This is not a matter of splitting theological “hairs”. In past “thoughts” I have elaborated on how this “payment of penalty” concept keeps us afraid of the Father and therefore keeps us from that intimate connection with Him. An intimate connection that is the only remedy for our sin problem. We are, therefore, left to our own strength to conquer sin (which is impossible). No wonder our journey of “faith” seems so difficult. Without an intimate relationship with Him who is life, we are helpless and hopeless. But for this week’s “thought” I’d like to present another line of Biblical support regarding the impotence of the “payment of penalty” reasoning.
Acts 3:26 tells us, Christ came “to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities”. This is the purpose of Christ’s incarnation. Most poignantly revealed at the cross. The purpose of the cross is to turn us from our sin. As Peter tells us in 1 Peter 21-25 (quoting Isaiah 53:5), “by His stripes we are healed”. A mere “payment of penalty” does not “heal” us. We must be turned away from our iniquities.
In 1 John 3:7-15 we see what this “turning away” regards. It regards us “turning away” from self-centeredness and “turning to” love. Turning us from sinners to lovers. This is the purpose of the cross. A mere “payment of penalty” does not do this. Does not create love in our hearts. It may inspire thankfulness. But not a life-changing alteration from sinner to lover.
What Abraham saw about God as he was about to sacrifice Isaac, is the same thing the children of Israel saw as the brass snake was raised on Moses’ staff… which is the same thing we are to see as we look at our Savior on the cross. We are not to see mere “payment of penalty”. For this is insufficient to heal us. We are to see our own sinfulness. Sinfulness in all its death producing potency. And we are to see our God carrying that sinfulness… and carrying it where it is… inside of our heart and mind. Carrying it and us because He loves us. We are to see our God who loves us and carries each of us and our sinful hatred, sinful lustfulness, sinful selfishness and all our sinful malevolence. And it is this that moves us to repent and to come into the loving embrace of our Father who so loves. Mere payment of penalty cannot do this.
Christ came to heal us. In order to do this, we must allow Him to see every vile thing… and then let Him have it. Let Him take each vile thing that comes into our lives… and then for us to take Him and His ways as our life. We must let go of sin and take hold of Him. Mere payment of penalty will not suffice. And this is why I keep writing about this. If we are ever to be saved (healed), seeing our Father as needing any such penalty paid will not suffice… will not lead us to love and trust such a “god”. Seeing our Father-God carrying us, loving us, knowing all about us and bearing all of this with us, will bring us to Him who so loves. And if we come, and if we trust Him, He can and will heal all the damage sin has done. But we must come… and we must trust. And only a God who loves us as demonstrated on the cross will lead us to so love… and trust.
May we see our Father as He is. Loving. Truthful. Strong. Compassionate. Giving all to save His children from the sinfulness we are. This is my prayer for us all.
With brotherly love,
Jim