1271. The Death of Christ Changes Everything

Welcome to The Daily Platform sponsored by Bob Jones University. Today, Dr. Steve Hankins of the BJU Seminary faculty continues our doctrinal series entitled, Our Great Salvation. You know, the natural world is full of examples of life rising out of death. The vegetation that dies in the ground to nourish the soil for seeds that are buried and rise to life and provide food or animals dying to provide nourishment for human beings. Sometimes, in fact, whenever mothers are in childbirth, they enter into really the valley of the shadow of death and sometimes even death itself to bring a new child into the world for there to be life. These are all metaphors really for the central truth of the faith, the central truth and singular miracle of Christianity, the death of Christ affirmed by the resurrection. Paul said in Galatians chapter 4 verse 4 and 5 that in the fullness of time God sent forth his son made of a woman made under the law to redeem them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption of some sons. He summed up this greatest of good news in 1 Corinthians 15 verses 3 and 4 when he wrote, for I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures and that he was buried and that he rose again according to the scriptures. And the resurrection was the completion and affirmation of all the death accomplished, that it was the death of God the son establishing his deity and the infinite effects, as Romans 1 4 says, he was declared to be the son of God by the resurrection from the dead. And that resurrection was an affirmation and acceptance of Christ's death work, as Romans 4 25 teaches, who was delivered for our offenses and was raised for our justification. The death of Christ was made powerful, eternally powerful by the resurrection. Without the resurrection the death is powerless, but not surprisingly this all-powerful death of Christ is an amazingly dominant emphasis in the New Testament. There are nine different terms that describe it in the language of the New Testament. It's mentioned directly in 255 verses, that's significant since there's 260 chapters in the New Testament. The gospels aren't normal biographies, they are dominated by the events surrounding, leading up to, culminating in and immediately after the death of Christ. 25% of Matthew's gospel, 31% of Mark, 21% of Luke, 38% of John.

The Lord Jesus predicted his own death 18 times in the gospel records. No wonder D. Martin Lloyd-Jones, a well-known preacher author of the mid-20th century, said this, the preaching of the cross, the preaching of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ on that cross is the very heart and center of the Christian gospel and the Christian message. Dying once for the sins of the world, he changed everything for us forever.

How does that change everything for us forever? I want you to take your New Testament and turn to Romans chapter 5 verses 6 through 11, it's a paragraph. We're going to look through the window of this paragraph into the incredible vista of what was achieved by the Lord Jesus Christ in his death for us, his atonement, his propitiation.

Romans 5 verse 6 through 11. For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly, for scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commended his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 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. And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ by whom we have now received the atonement. How is it that his death, dying once, changes everything for us forever?

Well I think there are two major ways. There's this change that are demonstrated in this passage that are developed powerfully. The first is that the nature of our life and ministry is changed forever by the nature of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ. This comes through in verses 6 through 8 in the passage that we just read. His death was exactly the opposite of self-interest.

Ours should be the same. Ours is to be as his death was, a life for the spiritually desperate and undeserving. It is to be a life that obeys, as Luke 9 23 says, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. Because, as the Scriptures teach in verse 6 in this paragraph, they are yet without strength. The world, the sinners, they're without power, without ability. They are dead in trespasses and sins, as Ephesians 2 1 teaches. As we were, so they are. They are ungodly, we're taught in verse 6.

That's the description given to them. As we are, they are irreparably marred, though in the image of God. Their disposition, their emotions, their thinking, their actions, all marred. And men and women, every face you see, every life you meet, should be a reminder to you of the reality, the tragedy, that there is a creation of God that is tragically marred by the reality of sin.

And why do we have this life that is to be pursuing desperately, spiritually desperate people that are undeserving? Because they are law breakers. Look at verse 8, it says that they are sinners, just as we were. They are missing the mark.

They can't hit the mark. They're breaking the boundaries of the laws of God, as 1 John chapter 3 verse 4 defines exactly what sin is. It is a transgression of the law, a stepping out of bounds. They are out of bounds. Every person you see who doesn't know Jesus, they are out of bounds. They are in danger. They are at the point of facing eternal judgment. And it's all of them, not just some of them. The Scriptures repeatedly emphasize this in Psalm 14, 3, alluded to in Romans 3, 10, they are all gone aside. They are all together become filthy.

There is none that doeth good. No, not one. You know the statement of Romans 3, 23, all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. That has to be the understatement of the universe almost in some ways. Short of the glory of God?

Yes, completely utterly. Isaiah 53, 6 says, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He died for the sins of the whole world, past, present, future.

So your life, my life, is to be a life advancing this message to the whole world. The nature of his death settles that. The extent of his death settles the extent of what our ministry is to be. He died, the Scriptures say in this passage, more than one time for us, for the ungodly. See that in verse 6? He died, it says, for us in verse 8. He died in our place, in their place, for our benefit.

I think both are implied there. It's as Paul said in 1 Timothy chapter 2, verses 3 through 6, for this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior who will have all men to be saved. Christ gave himself a ransom for all to be testified in due time. And John later wrote in complete agreement with this in 1 John chapter 4 verse 14, we have seen and testified that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. And hear these words from Paul in 1 Timothy 4, 10. For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God who is the Savior of all men, especially for believers, setting the terms by which the saving death of Christ is applicable to a person. Saving faith. That means in every culture, every person, of every station in life, every gender, in every circumstance, in every condition of degeneracy, Christ died for them. And that sets the extent, this universal reality of what our ministry should be, and it should be a ministry according to this passage that is a life driven by an unseen force for these desperate worldwide people.

A life based on a counterintuitive force from God. You may know the name Richard Phillips. He was the captain of the Maersk Alabama, a large cargo ship sailing on the east coast of Africa that was commandeered by pirates from Somali. And these pirates were threatening their lives. They wanted to take the whole ship for ransom for 30 million dollars and Phillips was very concerned about his crew. He gave himself over as a hostage to protect his crewmen, putting his life at great risk. He was rescued by three Navy SEALs who were brought in, who simultaneously fired one shot, three men, each a shot, and killed the pirates and freed Phillips.

He didn't die. He was willing for his crew, not so with many men on Iwo Jima. You know the iconic photograph of the Marines raising that flag. I recently read a book, Killing the Rising Sun, about the last months of the Second World War and defeating Japan and the conquering of the islands and Iwo Jima was one of them and the fighting was horrific and the heroism was startling. One sergeant in particular who repeatedly risked his life to protect his men and at one point finally the Japanese threw a grenade and there it was in the middle of his men and this really did happen. This was not a movie. He jumped on the grenade, fell on the grenade, it blew up, it blew up, and he died.

Now read seven and eight with me. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die, yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die, but God commandeth his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. You know someone might die for a person that they think is really a good, a righteous person who does the right things and is fair and just.

Others are even more compelled to perhaps die and sacrifice themselves, their family, their loved ones because they view them as good, as compassionate, as kind and an object of their love and so they'll... but think for a minute would Phillips or that Marine had been willing to die for the Somali pirates or the Japanese throwing the grenades? But God commandeth his love toward us and that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. And so as 1 John 4 19 tells us, we love him because he first loved us.

We love him because as Romans 5 5 says, the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit which is given unto us. And what is the result of that men and women is verse five right in this passage says as the spirit is shed abroad in our hearts. The result of that is that we are ambassadors that carry the message to those worldwide who are desperate to hear the gospel because they are sinners, they are ungodly, they are helpless.

As 2 Corinthians 5 14 and 15 says, for the love of Christ controls us. Having concluded this that one died for all, therefore all died and he died for all so that they who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. The nature of our life purpose and ministry is changed forever by the nature of the death of Christ because it is for spiritually desperate people because they are worldwide because the love of God through the Spirit of God is in us and compels us to this totally counterintuitive sacrifice of ourselves for the reaching of other people. But look at verse nine, much more than, much more than being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from the wrath through him. The nature and here's the second great truth in this passage other than the change in our ministry and life purpose is the nature of our position in life is changed forever by the nature of Christ's death. We were saved by his blood.

Look at that phrase, justified by his blood. The implications of that are powerful. In fact, they should be overwhelmingly compelling. They should stimulate in each of us gratitude, worship, and obedience. Why?

Why? Well as First Peter 1 18 and 19 says, knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things like silver and gold from your feudal way of life which you inherited from your forefathers but with the precious blood of Christ. Should this value placed on you overwhelm you, motivate you? Well let's go to the throne room of heaven found in Revelation chapter 5 and listen to what the multitudes are singing as Christ stepped forward and takes the seven sealed scroll ready to begin the just judgment of those who reject his redemptive work.

Listen to what they're singing. Worthy are you to take the book and to break the seals for you were slain and purchased for God with your blood from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. That's what they're compelled to do in heaven by this incredible achievement or accomplishment. Our position, our position is changed forever. We are valued and delivered and were delivered from slavery in sin to freedom as a child of God by his blood.

That's right there in that phrase. We are purchased by his blood. This is the language of the first century slave market combined with the language of sacrifice. Christ Paul said in 1 Corinthians 5 7 was our Passover and has been sacrificed.

Hebrews 9 says that Jesus is our high priest who took his own blood into the heavenly tabernacle and offered it once for all for eternal redemption. There's a payment here. There's a deliverance, a ransom here that's happening from slavery. We have been rescued from slavery to sin to freedom as a child of God. Our position has not only changed from that, but it's changed from guilt to the peace of righteousness. Being now justified by his blood the passage says.

We've gone from the slave market now. We've gone into the courtroom. You know being guilty is a bad place to be. Feeling guilty is a really bad way to feel. Imagine you're on death row. You're guilty.

All the appeals of men made. The governor will not commute your sentence. The date is set. And then there's a presidential pardon. Not only that, but going beyond what could happen like that, you're given a new identity. You're given a new place to live. You're given a new job. You're given opportunity for the future. You are declared righteous, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ is put to your account and imputed to you.

That's what justified means. But your position's changed another way, not only from slavery to freedom and not only from guilt to the peace of righteousness, but from the wrath of God to a permanent hope of friendship. Like Abraham, we are made friends of God by faith. Look at verse 9 again where it says, we shall be saved from wrath through Him. We shall be saved.

What does that mean? We will not experience the wrath of God in this life, as some are experiencing Romans 1.18, which says that God is pouring out His wrath on those now currently who are suppressing the truth. We will not face wrath at the judgment standing before God in the future. We have been delivered from that.

Why? Because He is our propitiation. He is our wrath bearer. He appeases the just wrath of God. The cross, men and women, is where love and justice meet.

The cross is where the infinite eternal Father pours out His infinite eternal justice on the infinite eternal Son of God, expressing His infinite eternal love for us. And that really helps us understand just how bad sin is, doesn't it? Jesus Christ the righteous, 1 John 2 says, is the propitiation for our sins and not ours only, but also for those of the whole world. And two chapters later in chapter 4, verse 10, the scriptures say, and this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. We have hope for the condemned, that they can have a friendship with God. Look at verse 10. For if when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son. That happened to us.

It can happen to others. Here's the way it is. God is facing this way, turned away from mankind. Mankind is turned away from God. And then there's the cross. And the cross reconciles God, and He faces toward man. And the message of the gospel of the cross is preached, and man responds by repentance and faith, and there is friendship with God established as opposed to being an enemy of God. Why is that? Why does Colossians 1 20 say, in the words of Paul, that through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross, through Him I say, whether things on earth or things in the heavens, reconcile all things to Himself by the death and the shedding of His blood on the cross? How did that happen? Are all people reconciled to God?

No, they're not. What does that mean? It means that the cross delays death. It delays judgment. It expresses the incredible long-suffering and loving-kindness of God who is slow to anger and waits. He waits.

Does that matter? Well, does it matter for your mom who's lost, or your dad who's lost, your brother or your sister who's lost, that because of the cross, God waits and God draws, and God works by His Spirit? God is reconciled. He waits for man because of the cross. And we have hope, men and women, for our future, and we have hope for our future, reconciled. He waits for man because of the cross, and we have hope, men and women, for our future. Do you see that here in the passage, verse 10? The Bible says, much more being reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

We are reconciled. We are friends of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is ascended to the right hand of God the Father. He is our High Priest.

He intercedes for us. How's your day going today? Is it bad?

Is it tough? Did you really lose it last night, get mad at your roommate, sin? You feel miserable? Let me tell you, Christ is still at the right hand. He is your advocate as your intercessor and High Priest. He never stops. He never turns.

He never fails. We can live because of His life because we are friends of God. And it even gets better. Look at verse 11, and not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. We joy in God.

We boast rejoicing in the fact that we have a friendship with God. This is the great substitutionary payment that gives us the great focus, men and women, the great center, the great stability, the great abiding joy in life. Life is variable. Health changes. Finances change. Circumstances change.

Good, bad. This never changes. We joy in God through the Lord Jesus Christ because of what He did on the cross. I want you to think about the comprehensiveness of this passage, about this greatest truth. Jesus died and rose again. He is our atonement, our propitiation. His dying once changed the nature of our life and life purpose forever. We have the message for the whole world, for the biggest problem of the world. His dying once changed our position in life forever, from slavery to freedom for sin not to sin, from guilt to peace in righteousness, from wrath to permanent friendship with God.

It's all changed. And when I think of Him and His cross, it's all I can do to control my emotions. I heard this message for so long before I responded, but because of the cross He waited. I rebelled, but by the cross He loved me. I sinned over and over again, but because of the cross He was turned toward me still, and one night I believed. And the light of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ transformed me because of the cross. Dying once, He changed everything forever for me.

He changed everything forever for us. Let's pray, bowing our heads together, please. The words of a hymn writer, we pray, O Lord, on that hill far away where your old rugged cross stood, the emblem of suffering and shame, we love that old cross, Lord, where You, the dearest and best, for a world of lost sinners was slain. So, Lord Jesus, keep us near the cross. Keep us in the cross, glorying forever. We pray in Thy name. Amen. I'm Steve Pettit, president of Bob Jones University in Greenville, South Carolina. Thank you for listening to The Daily Platform. If you're looking for a regionally accredited Christian liberal arts university, I invite you to visit our campus and see how God is working in the lives of our students. For more information about Bob Jones University, visit www.bju.edu or call 800-252-6363.