“...the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.” John 1:14
Was there ever a time that God’s bare word of command, by itself, was insufficient to fulfill His will? Surprisingly, yes. It was when it seemed good to God the Father to redeem His people from all iniquity and to bring them, His many sons, to glory (Hebrews 2:10; Galatians 2:21; Mark 14:36).
God’s bare word of command was enough to create all things: all angels, all realms, the heavens and the earth, all men, all land creatures and sea creatures and all creatures that fly above the earth. His word created all things visible and invisible. All things that ever existed or now exist were created by His bare word of command. Nothing exists, which He did not create by His mere word.
Moreover, God’s bare word of command is enough to uphold all things in all places and at all times according to the will of God. Many would allow that God created the world. Fewer still allow all things in all places to be as they are solely for His good purpose and pleasure. If God can do all this by merely speaking His will to come to be, is there anything that He cannot do by merely commanding it to be so? Yes.
To save His people from their sins, to put away sin, to establish everlasting righteousness, to justify the ungodly, to redeem His lawfully imprisoned debtors from all iniquity, to procure the everlasting inheritance of those who lost life and all things in Adam’s sin and by their own sin, to forever sanctify His people for His holy use, to perfect His people before His throne, and to bring His many sons to glory with exceeding joy, something much more was required! God the Father required it, because it seemed good in His sight. This is what He required: The Word of God Himself must be made flesh. In that flesh He must perfectly obey His Father in all things. In His death He must ever love and trust His Father. In His obedience He must be made sin, know sin’s guilt in His own soul, feel sin’s filth and shame before God. Because of the sins of His people, He must offer Himself to God. In His offering, He must suffer at the murderous hands of lying hypocrites and haters of His God and Father. In His own body and soul, He must suffer the indignation of the wrath of God at the hand of God Himself.
Think of God’s holy purpose! Think of God’s eternal love! Think of Christ’s eternal love! Think of His humility, that One so high would stoop so low to take the cause and nature of His people as His own forever! Think of the achievement that He who is God accomplished by His own death! Think of the justice that required His death! Think of the surpassing glory His salvation brought to God in comparison to the glory of creation and all else besides! Think how nothing can possibly thwart this love and work that required He who is the Word personified to do all this! Think of how none can oppose God or separate Christ from those He loved! Think of the authority and power of God to create the world and administer its every step in time to bring about His perfect will and save His people by His almighty power and infinite wisdom! And think of this: that what the Lord Jesus Christ did in His death reveals the very heart of God and shines forth the very brightness of His glory! As one preacher put it, “Calvary, and the broken body of Jesus, is the most God-like thing that God ever did!”
Think of the willful evil of those God determined to so save by the death of His own Son! Think of their total impotence in doing anything that would make themselves more savable or contribute to their salvation.
Think of the evil arrogance and willful ignorance of sinful man, that he would imagine that he could, or pretend that he would, contribute anything of his own, when only the death of the eternal Son of God could prevail to satisfy God, to save His people and to secure God’s glory! (Galatians 2:21; 3:21)
Finally, think of one more thing. Think on the love and goodness and greatness of Jesus Christ the Lord and only Savior, and think of the love and worship that we owe this Savior who so "loved me and gave Himself for me!"
Was there ever a time that God’s bare word of command, by itself, was insufficient to fulfill His will? Surprisingly, yes. It was when it seemed good to God the Father to redeem His people from all iniquity and to bring them, His many sons, to glory (Hebrews 2:10; Galatians 2:21; Mark 14:36).
God’s bare word of command was enough to create all things: all angels, all realms, the heavens and the earth, all men, all land creatures and sea creatures and all creatures that fly above the earth. His word created all things visible and invisible. All things that ever existed or now exist were created by His bare word of command. Nothing exists, which He did not create by His mere word.
Moreover, God’s bare word of command is enough to uphold all things in all places and at all times according to the will of God. Many would allow that God created the world. Fewer still allow all things in all places to be as they are solely for His good purpose and pleasure. If God can do all this by merely speaking His will to come to be, is there anything that He cannot do by merely commanding it to be so? Yes.
To save His people from their sins, to put away sin, to establish everlasting righteousness, to justify the ungodly, to redeem His lawfully imprisoned debtors from all iniquity, to procure the everlasting inheritance of those who lost life and all things in Adam’s sin and by their own sin, to forever sanctify His people for His holy use, to perfect His people before His throne, and to bring His many sons to glory with exceeding joy, something much more was required! God the Father required it, because it seemed good in His sight. This is what He required: The Word of God Himself must be made flesh. In that flesh He must perfectly obey His Father in all things. In His death He must ever love and trust His Father. In His obedience He must be made sin, know sin’s guilt in His own soul, feel sin’s filth and shame before God. Because of the sins of His people, He must offer Himself to God. In His offering, He must suffer at the murderous hands of lying hypocrites and haters of His God and Father. In His own body and soul, He must suffer the indignation of the wrath of God at the hand of God Himself.
Think of God’s holy purpose! Think of God’s eternal love! Think of Christ’s eternal love! Think of His humility, that One so high would stoop so low to take the cause and nature of His people as His own forever! Think of the achievement that He who is God accomplished by His own death! Think of the justice that required His death! Think of the surpassing glory His salvation brought to God in comparison to the glory of creation and all else besides! Think how nothing can possibly thwart this love and work that required He who is the Word personified to do all this! Think of how none can oppose God or separate Christ from those He loved! Think of the authority and power of God to create the world and administer its every step in time to bring about His perfect will and save His people by His almighty power and infinite wisdom! And think of this: that what the Lord Jesus Christ did in His death reveals the very heart of God and shines forth the very brightness of His glory! As one preacher put it, “Calvary, and the broken body of Jesus, is the most God-like thing that God ever did!”
Think of the willful evil of those God determined to so save by the death of His own Son! Think of their total impotence in doing anything that would make themselves more savable or contribute to their salvation.
Think of the evil arrogance and willful ignorance of sinful man, that he would imagine that he could, or pretend that he would, contribute anything of his own, when only the death of the eternal Son of God could prevail to satisfy God, to save His people and to secure God’s glory! (Galatians 2:21; 3:21)
Finally, think of one more thing. Think on the love and goodness and greatness of Jesus Christ the Lord and only Savior, and think of the love and worship that we owe this Savior who so "loved me and gave Himself for me!"
-- Rick Warta
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