Let's All Give Up in 2015 (Part II)
- by Jonathan Whitaker
Have you ever felt truly worthy of something? Most of us married guys would look at our wives and say, "I'm lucky to have her." But few of us, if we are being honest, believe we are worthy of such a wonderful creature. It's true: you and I are slobs, and she is an angel sent from heaven (most likely to endure us as some sort of punishment). If you work hard for 40 hours a week and fulfill your obligations to your employer, certainly you are worthy of a paycheck. What about your salvation: are you worthy of that?
When Christ is our Lord, the scripture tells us we are worthy, but not by our own merit. (Col 1:11-14). Christ is worthy to be called Lord, and because He is worthy, we can be made worthy through Him.
How does one go about becoming a lord? It's like the peasant woman from Monty Python said, "How did you become king? I didn't vote for ya!" There are a few ways. First, you can inherit your title by hereditary succession. Second, you can be declared lord by the authority of the one who is in power. A lord can also claim the title by winning a great victory. Christ, interestingly enough, is qualified as Lord on the merit of all three avenues I just described. And no, Aaron, the Lady of the Lake and Excalibur had nothing to do with it.
As Son of the living God, Christ is worthy to be called Lord. He is heir to the majesty on high (Heb 1:2). If God and Jesus were like earthly father and son, Jesus would qualify outright as the first born of many brethren to assume the title of Lord (Matt 3:17, Rom 8:29). Our earthly affairs in no way compare to the already established Lordship of Christ as God the Son. However, Matthew chapter 1 covers all the bases and establishes that by His birthright Jesus should be the political king of Judah. Take a minute to read it. Had the Babylonian Captivity never taken place, Joseph would have been King on the throne of Judah when his adopted Son Jesus was born. Whether by His heavenly or earthly lineage, Jesus is worthy because of his heredity.
Jesus is also qualified to be called Lord because God, the creator of Heaven and Earth and the ultimate authority, bestowed that title upon Him. Philippians 2:6-11 says, " Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Because of Christ's obedience to God the Father, God saw fit to impart His Son's lordship by divine decree. Jesus is worthy because God said He is worthy.
If you did your homework from last time, you already know the third reason Jesus is qualified to be called our Lord. As the winner of the great victory over sin and death, Jesus has become our Lord and Savior.
Hebrews chapters eight and nine are a tale of two covenants. The first covenant was made between God and Israel, when God brought them out of slavery in Egypt (Heb 8:9). The history of Israel has been rebellion against this covenant. Before we start feeling high and mighty, we must realize that we have also run roughshod over God's law. The second, more excellent covenant is enacted by Christ and supersedes the old covenant.
Anyone who has ever attempted a study of Leviticus can tell you that the law is vast and complex. In Hebrews eight and nine, Paul reveals that the law (old covenant) was merely a copy or shadow of heavenly things. When God instructed Moses to construct a tent from a pattern, each intricate piece was a brush stroke in a portrait of God's plan of salvation. That portrait was never intended to save men from their sins, but to point to the One who would. In Galatians, we learn that those who rely on the works law are condemned by it (Gal 3:10-11). The work of a man has never saved anyone; on the contrary, Christ's New Covenant is accomplished by Him and has the power to save men (Heb 8:10-12).
Work is clearly not the currency of salvation. Ancient Israel understood this. Under the old covenant, the Priests would make offerings for the sins of the people using the one thing that does satisfy sin debt: blood (Heb 9:22). Temple sacrifice was a bloody affair, necessarily so, because it was merely a picture of a salvation to come, not salvation itself. If the blood of goats and bulls could satisfy sin, then temple sacrifice would be a footnote in the Bible. As it stands, the only blood that would satisfy the eternal condemnation of sin was the blood of God Himself (Heb 9:14).
Because Jesus quenched sin with His own blood once and for all we can be glad. His death ended the bloodshed forever and secured a great victory. With His victory in a battle we could not have won, over a foe against whom our weapons were insufficient, Jesus is worthy and rightfully our Lord…and because He is worthy, all who believe that God raised Him from the dead and call Him Lord are worthy.
When Christ is our Lord, the scripture tells us we are worthy, but not by our own merit. (Col 1:11-14). Christ is worthy to be called Lord, and because He is worthy, we can be made worthy through Him.
How does one go about becoming a lord? It's like the peasant woman from Monty Python said, "How did you become king? I didn't vote for ya!" There are a few ways. First, you can inherit your title by hereditary succession. Second, you can be declared lord by the authority of the one who is in power. A lord can also claim the title by winning a great victory. Christ, interestingly enough, is qualified as Lord on the merit of all three avenues I just described. And no, Aaron, the Lady of the Lake and Excalibur had nothing to do with it.
As Son of the living God, Christ is worthy to be called Lord. He is heir to the majesty on high (Heb 1:2). If God and Jesus were like earthly father and son, Jesus would qualify outright as the first born of many brethren to assume the title of Lord (Matt 3:17, Rom 8:29). Our earthly affairs in no way compare to the already established Lordship of Christ as God the Son. However, Matthew chapter 1 covers all the bases and establishes that by His birthright Jesus should be the political king of Judah. Take a minute to read it. Had the Babylonian Captivity never taken place, Joseph would have been King on the throne of Judah when his adopted Son Jesus was born. Whether by His heavenly or earthly lineage, Jesus is worthy because of his heredity.
Jesus is also qualified to be called Lord because God, the creator of Heaven and Earth and the ultimate authority, bestowed that title upon Him. Philippians 2:6-11 says, " Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Because of Christ's obedience to God the Father, God saw fit to impart His Son's lordship by divine decree. Jesus is worthy because God said He is worthy.
If you did your homework from last time, you already know the third reason Jesus is qualified to be called our Lord. As the winner of the great victory over sin and death, Jesus has become our Lord and Savior.
Hebrews chapters eight and nine are a tale of two covenants. The first covenant was made between God and Israel, when God brought them out of slavery in Egypt (Heb 8:9). The history of Israel has been rebellion against this covenant. Before we start feeling high and mighty, we must realize that we have also run roughshod over God's law. The second, more excellent covenant is enacted by Christ and supersedes the old covenant.
Anyone who has ever attempted a study of Leviticus can tell you that the law is vast and complex. In Hebrews eight and nine, Paul reveals that the law (old covenant) was merely a copy or shadow of heavenly things. When God instructed Moses to construct a tent from a pattern, each intricate piece was a brush stroke in a portrait of God's plan of salvation. That portrait was never intended to save men from their sins, but to point to the One who would. In Galatians, we learn that those who rely on the works law are condemned by it (Gal 3:10-11). The work of a man has never saved anyone; on the contrary, Christ's New Covenant is accomplished by Him and has the power to save men (Heb 8:10-12).
Work is clearly not the currency of salvation. Ancient Israel understood this. Under the old covenant, the Priests would make offerings for the sins of the people using the one thing that does satisfy sin debt: blood (Heb 9:22). Temple sacrifice was a bloody affair, necessarily so, because it was merely a picture of a salvation to come, not salvation itself. If the blood of goats and bulls could satisfy sin, then temple sacrifice would be a footnote in the Bible. As it stands, the only blood that would satisfy the eternal condemnation of sin was the blood of God Himself (Heb 9:14).
Because Jesus quenched sin with His own blood once and for all we can be glad. His death ended the bloodshed forever and secured a great victory. With His victory in a battle we could not have won, over a foe against whom our weapons were insufficient, Jesus is worthy and rightfully our Lord…and because He is worthy, all who believe that God raised Him from the dead and call Him Lord are worthy.
