14/07/2023 - FOR YOUR SAKE

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He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you  1 Peter 1.20

The writers of the Bible spoke of the Son of God who would come to Earth to rescue mankind from the condemnation that hung over mankind because of Adam’s sin. In His foreknowledge, the Lord saw that no man could take upon himself sin, iniquity, sickness, pain, and the punishment that brings peace. No one was righteous, and the struggle would be too hard and too serious. Who would come?

The choice fell on the Son, who was the Executor of the Father’s determinations in all His works. He did not fail even in the smallest details. Peter presented Him as the spotless and unblemished Lamb (1 Peter 1:19), and each one who was given the task of bringing the Good News to us spoke of the Messiah. Jesus is the pure and holy Lamb who redeemed us from Adam’s fall. To God be the glory!

Jesus has always existed with the Father. John introduced Him as the Word who brought grace and Truth into the world, saying: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God; and of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace (John 1.1,16). Paul said: but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men (Philippians 2.7). He could not come as God, so He stripped Himself of His majesty and came as man.

The divine Word had to pass through the door of the sheepfold, the maternal birth, becoming like one of us. The apostle Paul continues to speak of Christ in this way: And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross (Philippians 2.8). As a man, Jesus was separated from God when He received our sins and, dying, descended into hell to conquer our salvation by Himself. And He did!

If the Savior were not pure and just, He would never have been able to free us from the clutches of the devil, who, seeing Him descend into Hell, rejoiced and, together with the demons, celebrated the “success”, having the divine Word in their midst. But they didn’t understand a thing that happened. The Savior’s fight against Satan and the evil spirits took place, and when they realized, it was already too late, the power stolen from Adam was taken away from them by the Lord. Jesus won!

Meditate on this: Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2.15). Hell didn’t expect that, because it didn’t understand anything of the Heavenly Father’s plan. Without any mistake, Christ paid our bill and nailed it to the cross: Having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2.14).

What happened on Calvary and then in Hell was the work of my salvation and your salvation. Now, there is nothing more to be done, only to believe in order to come out from under the divine wrath and become God’s children, blameless. Everything in the Bible is powerful and real. If you believe in the Savior right now, pray and surrender your life to Him. Jesus died because He loves you!

In Christ, with love,

R. R. Soares