The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"Jesus Paid It All"
In His earthly lifetime, the Lord Jesus Christ accomplished so much.
"And there are also many other things which Jesus did, the which, if they should be written every one, I suppose that even the world itself could not contain the books that should be written. Amen" (John 21:25).
In His earthly death, the Lord Jesus perhaps accomplished even more. Consider. Had the Son of God not been in the eternal purpose of God the Father "a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world," creation could not have continued after rebellion and sin entered the dark picture (I Peter 1:20). We see this in the Apostle Paul's greetings to the churches, which introduce his New Testament epistles:
"Grace to you and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ" (Romans 1:7).
Had the Lord Jesus not died on the cross, no such salutations of lovingkindness could have been penned. In fact, creation would have been become the subject of wrath and judgment in Eden. The One by whom "all things were created" existed in the divine intention as the Lamb of God before He made all things (Colossians 1:16). A means of mercy had to exist before creation. The cross made this possible, that is, the tree of suffering, forsakenness, and death that stood in the foreknowledge of God long before it bore the Lord Jesus on Mt. Calvary. We bow before our Father in awed wonder when pondering such grace of heart that would lead to our Savior's sacrifice. His death made possible every grace administered by the hand of God in this life and forevermore. Indeed, our next breath comes to us by the price of blood, as the Apostle Paul declared of every gift given by our Father:
"He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:32).
The cross stands as our hope of salvation's forgiveness, relationship with God, and assurance of eternal life to all who believe. However, it no less stands as the hope of everything our Father provides to a creation that could not continue were it not for the redeeming work of the Lord Jesus on the cross. The old hymn sings it well - "Jesus paid it all." He did. He paid for every "good gift and every perfect gift" given by God to His creation and His creatures (James 1:17). A glorious life led to a glorious death, and a glorious resurrection whereby the person and work of the Lord Jesus serves as the price paid for all so freely and graciously given through…
"The Lamb slain from the foundation of the world."
(Revelation 13:8)
Weekly Memory Verse
Walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savor."
(Ephesians 5:2)
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