Doctors administer chemotherapy to cancer patients to kill the cells that kill their bodies. Our bodies are truly “dead because of sin” (Rom. 8:10). Chemo is poison. Men administer death in an attempt to kill the things that kill us.
But the Son of God, does not give us poison to heal us. Nor does He administer the death of our personal obedience to God's law to give us life (2 Cor. 3:6). As our great Physician, He made the cancer of our sins His own. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24). He took the poison of God’s judgment that was against us (2 Cor. 5:21). On the cross, with our sins laid upon Him, God’s wrath was poured out upon Him. God's wrath entered into His soul (Ps. 88:3, 7). The body of our sins was crucified with Him (Rom. 6:6-11). He put our sins to death. In His death, under the judgment of heaven’s court, He obtained the full remission of our sin cancer (Rom. 6:23; Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22; 10:14-18). The court of heaven pays the wage sin earns and governs release from the sin-plague. In Christ’s death, our sin has been removed before the LORD (Lev. 16:30; Heb. 1:3). Death has been put to death for all those for whom Christ died as their sin-bearing Substitute (John 10:15, 17-18). Our body is indeed dead because of sin. God’s law demanded our death. That same law now demands our release (Rom. 4:25). The Spirit of Christ has therefore been given to us now and now lives in us. Christ is our life because of His righteousness (Rom. 5:21; 8:10). His obedience has been imputed to all for whom He died. “As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:17-21). The Spirit of Christ in us gives us life and faith by which we now live upon Christ who was crucified for us, but who now lives forevermore. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20; Rev. 1:18). We do not live because of our own personal obedience (Gal. 3:1-2). Rather, we live because of Christ’s obedience. And we live upon His obedience (2 Pet. 1:1). His doing and dying is our only righteousness before God (Rom. 5:17-21; Gal. 3:21-22). His obedience and blood is our bread and wine (Gen. 14:18; John 6:51-57; Matt. 26:26-28). Jesus points all sin-plagued, ruined, helpless, dying sinners away from their sin to Himself, to live upon Him who was crucified and who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 3:14-15; 14:6). Our Mediator is the Heir of all things. No man comes to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). Our sins are removed. Christ is now in us. Death's reign has been replaced by Christ's life and rule. We live by Christ and we live upon Christ, because God has granted us this faith to believe Him (John 5:24; Acts 16:14; 18:27). Jesus said, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:56-57; Gen. 14:18). If you have been diagnosed with the cancer of the plague of sin that goes deeper than the skin, which none on earth can remove, then look to Christ the great Physician (1 Kings 8:38; Lev. 13:2-3, 12-13; Num. 21:4-9; John 3:14-15). Know that your only hope is in Him “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24). As we live in this body of death, in this world that is under the sentence of destruction, as our own souls feel the wretchedness of our sinful nature, we take all comfort in knowing that our Savior bore all that causes death in us, to deliver us from our sins and death, to give us eternal life in Himself, by His righteousness. While we are under this soul trouble, we join the Psalmist in his God-given cry, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast" (Ps. 57:1).
But the Son of God, does not give us poison to heal us. Nor does He administer the death of our personal obedience to God's law to give us life (2 Cor. 3:6). As our great Physician, He made the cancer of our sins His own. He bore our sins in His own body on the tree (1 Pet. 2:24). He took the poison of God’s judgment that was against us (2 Cor. 5:21). On the cross, with our sins laid upon Him, God’s wrath was poured out upon Him. God's wrath entered into His soul (Ps. 88:3, 7). The body of our sins was crucified with Him (Rom. 6:6-11). He put our sins to death. In His death, under the judgment of heaven’s court, He obtained the full remission of our sin cancer (Rom. 6:23; Matt. 26:28; Heb. 9:22; 10:14-18). The court of heaven pays the wage sin earns and governs release from the sin-plague. In Christ’s death, our sin has been removed before the LORD (Lev. 16:30; Heb. 1:3). Death has been put to death for all those for whom Christ died as their sin-bearing Substitute (John 10:15, 17-18). Our body is indeed dead because of sin. God’s law demanded our death. That same law now demands our release (Rom. 4:25). The Spirit of Christ has therefore been given to us now and now lives in us. Christ is our life because of His righteousness (Rom. 5:21; 8:10). His obedience has been imputed to all for whom He died. “As sin hath reigned unto death, even so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life by Jesus Christ our Lord” (Rom. 5:17-21). The Spirit of Christ in us gives us life and faith by which we now live upon Christ who was crucified for us, but who now lives forevermore. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Gal. 2:20; Rev. 1:18). We do not live because of our own personal obedience (Gal. 3:1-2). Rather, we live because of Christ’s obedience. And we live upon His obedience (2 Pet. 1:1). His doing and dying is our only righteousness before God (Rom. 5:17-21; Gal. 3:21-22). His obedience and blood is our bread and wine (Gen. 14:18; John 6:51-57; Matt. 26:26-28). Jesus points all sin-plagued, ruined, helpless, dying sinners away from their sin to Himself, to live upon Him who was crucified and who is the Way, the Truth and the Life (John 3:14-15; 14:6). Our Mediator is the Heir of all things. No man comes to the Father but by Him (John 14:6). Our sins are removed. Christ is now in us. Death's reign has been replaced by Christ's life and rule. We live by Christ and we live upon Christ, because God has granted us this faith to believe Him (John 5:24; Acts 16:14; 18:27). Jesus said, “He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me” (John 6:56-57; Gen. 14:18). If you have been diagnosed with the cancer of the plague of sin that goes deeper than the skin, which none on earth can remove, then look to Christ the great Physician (1 Kings 8:38; Lev. 13:2-3, 12-13; Num. 21:4-9; John 3:14-15). Know that your only hope is in Him “who His own self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed” (1 Pet. 2:24). As we live in this body of death, in this world that is under the sentence of destruction, as our own souls feel the wretchedness of our sinful nature, we take all comfort in knowing that our Savior bore all that causes death in us, to deliver us from our sins and death, to give us eternal life in Himself, by His righteousness. While we are under this soul trouble, we join the Psalmist in his God-given cry, "Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast" (Ps. 57:1).
Rick Warta
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