Obedience 2

April 16 The Rest of the story from 4-15-19 (Obedience)

Romans 5:9-15

9 “Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. 12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned: 13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come. 15 But not as the offence, so also is the free gift. For if through the offence of one many be dead, much more the grace of God, and the gift by grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ, hath abounded unto many.”

Certainly the focal point of all history and the climax of Christ’s earthly ministry was His sacrificial death on the cross. Christ knew from ages past what would be required to reconcile sinful people to Himself. When the appointed space of time arrived, He did not flinch. Rather, he made a covenant that could never, never be forgotten or overlooked; the cross. He had set the cup of sorrow and he drank of it unto death. He was “obedient unto death, even the death of the cross” (Philippians 2:8).

So by this then we realize Christ’s obedience was more than His passion and horrible death. By his own self discipline, He was perfectly obedient throughout His entire life. His entire thirty-three years of life he passed in perfection; no easy accomplishment. Indeed, it is a good thing, for any act of disobedience would have invalidated the purity of His sacrificial death. Animal sacrifices in the Old Testament (which prefigured the final sacrifice of Christ) had to be “without blemish” (Leviticus 22:19). But even a perfect animal was not enough (Hebrews 10:4) to satisfy God’s justice and take away our sins. “Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things. . . . But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1:18-19).

Christ’s obedience, therefore, consisted not only of His obedience in death, His resistance to Satan’s temptation but in His entire earthly life. “I come . . . to do thy will, O God” (Hebrews 10:7)—to His childhood, “[Know] ye not that I must be about my Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49)—to His healing and teaching ministry among the people, “I must work the works of him that sent me” (John 9:4)—to His preparation for death, “nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42).

As Christ walked the land in his time as half man, all God, we too are to follow his example as closly as possible. Christ calls us to a life of similar obedience. “Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). Know God, know peace Amen 0416-2019 BLL