Don’t Go Back

Romans 8:14-23 ~ For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God.
For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!”
The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.
For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself also will be set free from its slavery to corruption into the freedom of the glory of the children of God.  For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now.  And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.

When we give into the temptation to sin, we decide in that moment that it is more important to obey our flesh, than to obey God. We are in essence saying, that even in light of the amazing gift of freedom that Jesus purchased for us on the cross, we would rather go back to the bondage we knew before redemption.

As Christians, it is vitally important for us to remind ourselves of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf.  The love that He felt and the pain and heartache He endured to give us access to the Father, can be felt if we examine the 7 statements Jesus made on the cross

  1. “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” — Luke 23:34

When the Savior spoke these words, He was speaking not only to those who falsely accused Him and those who were carrying out the crucifixion, but He was also speaking to you and me. It was our sins that put Him on that cross, and it was on our behalf that He suffered and pled with the Father for mercy.

  1. “Today shalt thou be with Me in paradise.” — Luke 23:43
In response to the thief on the cross, who asked to be remembered as one who was seeking redemption through faith alone, Jesus gives this assurance.  Providing the clear message that no works are required for eternal forgiveness, only faith in the Savior.
  1. “Woman, behold thy Son.” And to the disciple, “Here is your mother.”— John 19:26-27

When Jesus speaks to Mary and John here, He arranges for someone to care for His mother after His death.  But more than this, He repeats an instruction He made in John 13:34-35 ~ Love one another, as I have loved you. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples.

  1. “My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken Me?” — Mark 15:34

When Jesus cries out to His God here, He was expressing a statement from His humanness. God had placed upon Jesus all of our sins, and once He had, He could no longer look upon Jesus because God cannot look upon sin.

  1. “I thirst.” — John 19:28

Here we see another expression of the human nature of Jesus. He had human needs, like thirst, that He desired to satisfy.  We must never lose sight of the fact that Jesus needed to be human in order to make a sacrifice in our place.

  1. “It is finished.” — John 19:30

With this second to last statement from the cross, our Lord declares that all of the payment for the sins of the world has been made.  Nothing left for any of us to do but have faith in the sufficiency of Christ.

  1. “Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit.” — Luke 23:46

In His final human act, Jesus gives His soul up into the hands of His loving Father.

The time on the cross and the statements He made, are a painful reminder of how much He suffered and the cost He paid to provide a way for us to be forgiven and have eternal life.  Perhaps by dwelling on these words, we will be convicted to reject the temptations of this world. We must never take for granted the enormity of our Savior’s love on that day, and how that love is just as present today.

 

~ a BeFreeinChrist writing ~