Soli Deo Gloria

“For the cross saves completely, or not at all. Our faith does not divide the work of salvation between itself and the cross. It is the acknowledgement that the cross alone saves, and it saves alone. Faith adds nothing to the cross nor to its healing virtue. It owns the fullness and the sufficiency and the suitableness of the work done there and bids the toiling spirit cease from its labours and enter into rest. Faith does not come to Calvary to do anything. It comes to see the glorious spectacle of all things done and to accept this completion without misgiving as to its efficacy. It listens to the “It is finished” of the sin-bearer and says “Amen!” Where faith begins, there labour ends–labour, I mean, for life and for pardon. Faith is rest, not toil. It is the giving up of all the former weary efforts.”

- Horatius Bonar from The Everlasting Righteousness

“Christ endured our hell so that we might be set free to enter His heaven.” – Philip E. Hughes

I was reading a book a while back called “Jesus Keep Me Near the Cross” and one of the contributors really made a connection to our Lord that I had never seen. If you remember, Jesus told a parable concerning a rich man and a beggar named Lazarus in Luke chapter 16. The rich man in torment, still unrepentant and concerned for himself begs Lazarus to give him just a single drop of cool water. The rich man being in hell is in torment and longs for just a single drop of cool water – something unavailable to him. In essence, “he thirsts”.

Now flash forward to our Lord Jesus on the cross of Calvary. Not once do we ever hear our Lord complain of physical pain. It is only in the statement, “I thirst” in John 19 that we get a glimpse of what appears to be a physical need – simple thirst. But is there more to our Lord’s request for water?

My Jesus experienced the hell I will never endure as He became my sin on my behalf so that I may obtain forgiveness and His perfect righteousness.  (2 Corinthians 5:21) He experienced a level of hell I will never see and like the rich man in the parable, He thirsted and longed for the water. While Lazarus could not cross over because of the impassable gulf, our Lord Jesus Christ did what we could not do and incredibly changed places becoming the rich man for us. Oh how this should cause us to pause and reflect humbly on our Lord’s sacrifice for His elect. I deserve absolutely nothing but wrath and hell for my rebellion, sin and outright hatred for God and His children and yet while we were yet sinners our Lord humbled Himself to become a man and endured a hell that is beyond description or imagination. For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)  My God suffered, thirsted and died in my place. And even more, our forgiveness and perfect righteousness in Christ is coupled with a new life, a new heart that longs to live and be like Him through the power of the Spirit of Christ by His grace. This my friends is amazing grace. As Michael Horton so eloquently wrote, “let us put amazing back into grace!”

Soli Deo Gloria!

Before the throne of God above I have a strong and perfect plea. A great high Priest whose Name is Love Who ever lives and pleads for me. My name is graven on His hands, My name is written on His heart. I know that while in Heaven He stands No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair And tells me of my guilt within, Upward I look and see Him there Who made an end of all my sin. Because the sinless Savior died My sinful soul is counted free. For God the just is satisfied To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb, My perfect spotless righteousness, The great unchangeable I AM, The King of glory and of grace, One in Himself I cannot die. My soul is purchased by His blood, My life is hid with Christ on high, With Christ my Savior and my God!

“Before the Throne of God Above” by Charitie L. Bancroft, 1863.

ALL-SEARCHING GOD,
Thou readest the heart, viewest principles and motives of actions, seest more defilement in my duties than I ever saw in any of my sins. The heavens are not clean in Thy sight, and Thou chargest the angels with folly; I am ready to flee from myself because of my abominations; yet Thou dost not abhor me but hast devised means for my return to Thee, and that, by Thy Son who died to give me life.

Thine honour is secured and displayed even in my escape from my threats, and that, by means of Jesus in whom mercy and truth meet together, and righteousness and peace kiss each other.

In Him the enslaved fine redemption, the guilty pardon, the unholy renovation; in Him are everlasting strength for the weak, unsearchable riches for the needy, treasures of wisdom and knowledge for the ignorant, fullness for the empty.

At Thy gracious call I hear, take, come, apply, receive His grace, not only submit to His mercy but acquiesce in it, not only in the cross but in Him crucified and slain, not only joy in forgiveness but in the One through whom atonement comes.

Thy blessings are as secure as they are glorious; Thou hast provided for my safety and my prosperity, and hast promised that I shall stand firm and grow stronger. O Lord God, without Thy pardon of my sin I cannot rest satisfied without the renovation of my nature by grace I can never rest easy, without the hopes of heaven I can never be at peace.

All this I have in Thy Son Jesus Christ; blessed be His Name!

- From Valley of Vision, a Collection of Puritan Prayers

“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. 

In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth.

In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory. 

In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 1:3-14 (NAS)  Emphasis mine

There has been a trend in American Christianity lately to focus on the confession of sin.  If this was a focus that was Biblical I would be rejoicing but what we are seeing is a trend that focuses on confession of sin outside of the only basis for that confession – the cross of Christ.   Do a cursory search on the internet for online confessionals and you’ll find that most if not all are encourage people to confess their sins, often anonymously, in an effort to help the sinner feel better – all without ever mentioning the only way forgiveness of sins is offered…  through the substitionary atonement of Christ on the cross.

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“To Him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by His blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve His God and Father – to Him be the glory and power for ever and ever!  Amen.” – Revelation 1:5-6