"He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. "By His stripes you are healed."1 Peter 2:24
Peter quotes Isaiah's prophecy of Jesus, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our
iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and
with his wounds we are healed."1 Do we truly understand the blessings we have received in Christ Jesus? "to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed 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 upon us, in all wisdom and insight..."3 It helps to understand these things, it is abiding in the truth that sets one free.
"He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification."Romans 4:25
Justification is from dikaióō, "to approve, justify" – justification (divine approval) emphasizing Christ's full payment of the debt for sin which liberates the believer from condemnation. "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God."15 We see forgiveness of sin is the atonement for sin by His blood, thus justification comes through the forgiveness of sin. Now, some say forgiveness forgoes justice, is this the case? Jesus forgave our sin, but "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."16 The blood of the Lamb atones, but He took our place before the Judge, justice was served, "He was delivered over to death for our trespasses" and "By His stripes you are healed."
Peter quotes Isaiah's prophecy of Jesus, "But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our
iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and
with his wounds we are healed."1 Do we truly understand the blessings we have received in Christ Jesus? "to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed 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 upon us, in all wisdom and insight..."3 It helps to understand these things, it is abiding in the truth that sets one free."He was delivered over to death for our trespasses and was raised to life for our justification."Romans 4:25
Justification is from dikaióō, "to approve, justify" – justification (divine approval) emphasizing Christ's full payment of the debt for sin which liberates the believer from condemnation. "Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God."15 We see forgiveness of sin is the atonement for sin by His blood, thus justification comes through the forgiveness of sin. Now, some say forgiveness forgoes justice, is this the case? Jesus forgave our sin, but "He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world."16 The blood of the Lamb atones, but He took our place before the Judge, justice was served, "He was delivered over to death for our trespasses" and "By His stripes you are healed."
"Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all men."12
There is certainly no condemnation to those who have been given the Spirit of Life, to those who have been cleansed by the blood of the Lamb, who have been justified. Justification in the legal sense is that we have been approved by the Judge. How am I approved? I must meet His righteous requirements, but all men missed the mark and have fallen short. "For God has consigned all men to disobedience, so that He may have mercy on them all."13 And "through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous."14 Righteousness properly means "approved by God" and righteousness comes through Jesus, received through faith by grace, not by works of the Law, "those who receive an abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ!"14
"There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. who walk not according to the flesh, but to the Spirit."4
If in Jesus I have been justified, made righteous, approved before the Just Judge, and I have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb, and I have received the Spirit of Life, dominion over death, and I have testimony of these then truly there is no condemnation in Christ Jesus. Such gives us more understanding unto this "who walk not according to the flesh, but to the Spirit." This word according is katá properly, "down from." Such speaks of our default nature in Christ, being born from above, of Spirit, Jesus came down to complete or finish, to raise us up. There is no condemnation because Christ has given us dominion over death, we being born of Spirit, we receive eternal Life.
"and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"11
Walking according to the Spirit is the true nature of the believer, though the child doesn't see himself as he is fully known. The child is learning how to walk, so does the Father condemn the child when he falls down? look at you stupid child, you will never learn how to walk, your just like those sinners, your no good... Does the Father judge the child by the Law, does He condemn the child who has been justified by the blood of His Son? No, the Father knows the child's true nature, this is not who you are, you are my child, you walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh. The child has received the gift of righteousness, and the fruit of righteousness leads him into sanctification, and its end is Life. He is becoming who he truly is in Christ.
"and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,"11
Walking according to the Spirit is the true nature of the believer, though the child doesn't see himself as he is fully known. The child is learning how to walk, so does the Father condemn the child when he falls down? look at you stupid child, you will never learn how to walk, your just like those sinners, your no good... Does the Father judge the child by the Law, does He condemn the child who has been justified by the blood of His Son? No, the Father knows the child's true nature, this is not who you are, you are my child, you walk according to the Spirit, not the flesh. The child has received the gift of righteousness, and the fruit of righteousness leads him into sanctification, and its end is Life. He is becoming who he truly is in Christ.
"Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."21
The old Temple service was an integral part of the Mosaic Law, specifically the temporary atonement of sin. In Christ, our High Priest, there is no more needed a sacrifice for sin, it is an eternal atonement of sin. The Mosaic Law did not perfect men because of the weakness of the flesh. Such is a picture of our legal system today, using the fear of punishment, judgment, condemnation. But our lesson from the Law is that it doesn't perfect men or to say it another way it doesn't deter men from sin, in fact sin increases. The old tried to perfect through fear, "stripes that wound scour away evil, And strokes reach the innermost parts."Proverbs 20:30 The Law was spiritual but carnal man can not submit to God's laws. In the new "He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. "By His stripes you are healed."1 Peter 2:24 He took our place so that we might live to righteousness, "as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
"For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures..."1 Corinthians 15:3
Often I hear things like God has blessed me with a new house, a new car... but rarely do I hear I am blessed because my sins have been forgiven, or I have been given this blessing in Christ Jesus, I am redeemed, I have been set free. Oh, but I loved that someone would sing a song, I am Clean, a true blessing. I have been blessed with this revelation of truth, my eyes have been opened. I have chosen to be blessed in the spiritual things. And here is a blessing, how do we die to sin and live to righteousness? "By His stripes you are healed." Are you blessed? from the riches of His grace we receive many blessings in Christ Jesus.
Redeemed
Redeemed