The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Power and the Price"
Part 3 - A Sacred Proportion
"Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end, amen" (Ephesians 3:20-21).
The immeasurable "exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think" blessedness that graces born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ comes to us by another vast measure.
"Surely He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem Him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all" (Isaiah 53:4-6).
The degree to which God blesses us beyond measure is commensurate with the wrath He executed against His beloved Son, "made… to be sin for us" on the cross of Calvary (II Corinthians 5:21). The freest gift ever given, salvation in Christ, comes by way of the highest cost ever remitted, our Lord's suffering, forsakenness, and death. A righteous God could only judge sin and the sinner were it not for the same gracious God making a way to forgive, while maintaining His integrity - "just and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus" (Romans 3:26). Indeed, God could create by fiat. He could redeem, however, only by fury, the execution of judgment against sin that took place in the fires of Calvary. How blessed with "exceeding abundantly above" grace are we? The answer, never to be fully known, lies in the degree of "exceeding, abundantly above" wrath the Lord Jesus experienced on the cross.
The matter involves a sacred proportion. Our joy - His sorrow. Our peace - His turmoil. Our forgiveness - His judgment. Our gain - His loss. Our acceptance with God - His forsakenness by God. Our life - His death. On and on, the proportion can and will continue forever. We will better know in Heaven that every breath we will ever breathe of salvation's sweet atmosphere comes to us because the Prince of life gave His last breath in death to save us from our sins. God's grace is indeed free to those who receive it by faith. But it was so costly to the One who received no grace on the cross of Calvary. "Exceeding, abundantly above all that we ask or think" - we rejoice in grateful wonder when pondering the immeasurable blessedness we know in Christ. But we also sorrow when pondering the immeasurable sacrifice our Lord made to provide it.
"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)
Weekly Memory Verse
Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end."
(Ephesians 3:20-21)
7590
No comments:
Post a Comment