Saturday, February 6, 2016

Apostle's Creed: Crucified, Dead, and Buried

"Under Pontius Pilate, he was crucified, dead, and was buried."

Ever since my surgery this past December, I've been watching the Romans Women's Bible study series by Michael Kruger.

He made a wonderful analogy comparing Christ's substitutionary atonement to a modern situation.  Suppose a there was a man on death row.  A terrible murderer faces a just capital punishment.  Suppose Kruger took this man and invited him to live in his home all the rest of his days.  This would be outrageous.  Imagine at the same time that Kruger offered his son to die in the man's place.

This is exactly what God did when he sent Jesus to die for my sins.  My sins make me deserving of eternal death at the hands of a just God.  But God in his mercy sent Jesus to die instead and invited me to live in his home forever.  This is what he did for all his saved elect.  Jesus paid the price.  It cannot be unpaid.  In fact, it was paid before I was even born and could make any decision, good or bad.

This can help a Recoverer because he knows that Jesus died to take away his sins.  He is no longer a slave to his addictions.  She is no longer a slave to her need to please or help people.  This is true love.

Romans 8:31-32 "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?"