Friday, March 16, 2018

Who Establishes The Terms Of Redemption?

Christ's Legal Accomplishments

If you've read my book, What If The Cross Changed Everything?, you know that my take on John's Revelation of Jesus is quite a departure from the eschatological explanations currently in vogue.


The interpretation I offer focuses on Jesus and his accomplishments made on our behalf. He was, in fact, a stickler for the law.  We read in Matthew 5:17 where he declared his intent and purpose at his first recorded public meeting, "I came, not to destroy the law but to fulfill it". And the last words he spoke before surrendering his spirit was to proclaim, "It is finished".  

What law was he talking about? What 'it' was he referring to?

Romans 10:4 tells us that He was the end of the law for righteousness. Sounds like this is the law we need to focus on.

The law for righteousness doesn't mean we are now guilt and sin free, squeaky clean and chaste as the driven snow.  I suspect this misunderstanding of 'being made righteous' has led to many disqualifying themselves from walking with God.

Reason enough to drill down on this concept.

To be made righteous means that things have been put to rights; back the way they were.  To be righteous means the way it was originally intended.  For human beings to be made righteous means we have been reunited with our Creator.  Making that a reality is what the cross was all about.


Prison at Castillo San Cristobal Fort in San Juan Puerto Rico
Yes, it really is as small as it looks.
Who established the terms of redemption?  For decades I credited God with that, but- just like everything else I thought I believed - decided to scrutinize this belief as well. Thankfully doing so didn't require too many brain cells to upend.

In any hostage, extortion, or incarceration situation who sets the terms of redemption?  Not the one against whom the demands are being made! Not the imprisoned. It's always the extortioner who makes the demands.  In the case of humanity's entrapment and captivity to the warden of the law of sin and death, the terms of our release were set by the captor.  The Bible records for us the 4,000 years it took (working in the earth and through human beings) to secure the demands made for our ransom.

Having this perspective completely revolutionizes the way one reads the Bible.  It means that God is not, as some mistakenly believe, a blood-thirsty, iron-fisted, narcissistic egomaniac undeserving of worship and service.  Nope.  Instead we see Him as any earthly father of an abducted, tortured child.

Stay tuned - my goal, between now and April 1, is to explore the magnificent ways Christ fulfilled the demands of our ransom.  It just might make the upcoming celebration of His resurrection more palpable than it is already.

 What If The Cross Changed Everything? I would like to offer the readers of this blog series a PDF version of What If The Cross Changed Everything?  Click  to access your free gift. 

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