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| Jesus Goes to the Cross For You and me! The Greatest Exchange |
Time with Jesus - 07 July 2013
Hi
all,
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| Sidney Carton goes to the Guillotine for Charles Darnay |
Have
you ever thought what it would be like if you and God changed places? For a
moment or two, let’s not quibble about the fact that Jesus Christ has made you righteous;
that in terms of what He has done, you are as righteous now as you will ever
be.
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| Carton at the Guillotine |
That’s not what I mean by the question. Putting aside all gender
considerations, what do you think it would be like if you changed places with
God? For you, things would be considerably different. You would be perfect and
God would not. What would that mean to you?
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| Jesus on the Cross for you and me The Greatest Exchange! |
You
would be looking at a perfect creation which had gone wrong. Satan’s rebellion
and the fall of mankind would mean, almost everything you looked at would be
twisted and distorted by sin. Dwelling in timelessness, you would look at what
you had made with an overwhelming sense of disgust and horror. A few “moments”
ago; i.e. whatever it was that we can consider “moments” in eternity;
everything was good. “Very Good”.
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| Charles Dickens |
Eugene Petersen in the message expressed it
as follows. 31 God looked over everything he had made; it was so good,
so very good! It was evening, it was
morning-- Day Six. Gen 1:31 MSG That
was all gone; tainted and disfigured by sin; by something which you abhorred with
a passion and anger beyond human comprehension. What would you say and do?
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| Anthony Ashley-Cooper KG 7th Earl of Shaftsbury |
Because
I am me and not God, my reactions would be to wipe everything out and start again.
Lucifer and all the angels would be snuffed out along with man and all of creation.
They weren’t needed in the first place. So why bother with all that “stuff”. Get
rid of it. One command is all that was necessary. A quick shrug of the
shoulders (or their divine equivalent); a snap of the fingers and it would be
over. Finish; kaput; done and dusted.
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| He for We The Greatest Exchange! |
No one would know anything about it except
the members of the Trinity. We could continue the three of us, for the
remainder of eternity however “long” that was, in our delightful covenant
relationship. Who wants a bigger family anyway! Thank the Lord that’s me and
not Him.
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| The Sacrificial Lamb (A Mature Ram) |
We
forget that God knew it was going to happen. He had always known it would
happen. He had planned for this eventuality with all the precision only
possible to our righteous, holy and perfect God. So when everything seemed to
have crashed and fallen around His ears, He was able to look at the situation
with total foreknowledge.
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| Jesus and the Lamb |
Paul wrote about this in his Epistle to the
Ephesians: 4 Long before he laid down
earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had
settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. 5 Long, long ago he
decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) 6 He wanted us to enter
into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.
Eph 1:4-6 MSG
God
knew that if He created beings with free will, to love Him or not, they would
not remain sin free for ever. So He put in place a plan whereby He could take
the punishment for sin Himself.
Someone had to experience His anger, abhorrence
and punishment for sin. Only God Himself could survive such treatment. So it
was agreed that His Son would endure all this so that we can be with Him.
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| Jesus as envisioned in the Old Testament |
God’s
plan was and is fool-proof. Unfortunately, Lucifer and his buddies were and are,
the fools. Thank you Lord Jesus!
Shalom,
Jim & Phyllida Strickland
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| The Greatest Exchange |
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| Redeemed by Jesus |
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
Time with Jesus – 07 July 2013
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Matt 10:8
Freely you received, Freely give |
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©
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These devotionals are the intellectual property of
Jim Strickland and copyright protected. You are welcome to copy and distribute
them to anyone provided it is for non-commercial Christian purposes
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©
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INTRODUCTION
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DAILY
LIGHT EVENING SCRIPTURES
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SOMEONE
TO DIE FOR?
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Would anyone freely give
his life for someone else? Charles Dickens in his fictional “A Tale of Two
Cities” describes the circumstances in which this took place. The book was
more than a fictional story. In it, Dickens was commenting on the social life
and conditions in England and France at the time, ± of the French Revolution.
Many Dickens novels were
commentaries of this nature. It has been said that his books did more for the
“liberation” of the British people than any other individual in England. His
main “rival” for this title was perhaps the Prime Minister, Anthony
Ashley Cooper, 7th Earl of Shaftesbury
KG; a follower of and devoted to Jesus Christ
Toward the end of
Dickens’ book, we find the story of Sydney Carton changing places with
Charles Darnay. Carton goes to the guillotine and is executed in Darnay’s
place. It’s a typical Dickensian tale full of pathos and insight. This book
captured the imagination of the British public and has become a classic of
English literature.
“A Tale of Two Cities”
was made into a memorable movie in 1935. It was in black and white which
somehow adds to the tension of the plot. The closing scene; Carton and a
pretty young woman going to the guillotine, is something I’ll never forget.
Carton changing places
with Darnay has always fascinated me. He died for someone else. Of course, he
knew Darnay, which made the story somewhat more plausible. But the fact is,
he died for someone else. I must confess that I don’t think I have it in me
to do that. I suppose that under the right circumstances I may be willing to
do it for my wife or a close family member. To die for an enemy makes no sense
to me at all. Would I give my life for Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, or Ivan
the Terrible? The very idea is preposterous. My twisted sense of justice and
self-preservation suggests that it would be more fitting if they died for me!
That’s not what Jesus
did. Imagine a world populated with wicked and evil men and women who would
make Attila the Hun look like Father Christmas. You don’t know anyone like
that? But you do! You see him or her every time you look into a mirror. You
and I are “monsters of Iniquity” compared with a righteous and Holy God. As
Paris Reidhead said on one occasion, “We deserve Hell. It would be just and
right for us to be sentenced to be in Hell for a dozen eternities and then a
bit more.” And that is how we looked to a Holy, righteous God. But in spite
of all the filth and cursing we could spew upon Him, He came and died for us.
The very thought makes me feel ashamed and weak. “I don’t deserve that” I
said. “You’re right, but I love you”, He replied!
Jim & Phyllida
Strickland
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28
"Be like the Son of Man. He did not come to be served. Instead, he came
to serve others. He came to give his life as the
price for setting many people free."
Mat 20:28 NIrV
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To think that He decided to come to earth and die!
Is almost unbelievable; I dare not ask Him “Why!”
He’ll say He came to save me and all the human race.
And then I’ll have to look away; not look Him in the face!
He came here as a servant. He came to look for me!
Which seems to make no sense at all; I’m sure it cannot be!
If I had been a righteous man, then I could comprehend.
But I was undeserving; a gross and sinful blend,
Of everything conceivable in wicked fallen man;
And He knew all about it; He said it was His plan!
He came to save His enemies. It makes my legs go weak.
That such a thing was possible! The thought still makes me freak.
I still don’t understand it. It is as clear as mud.
That Jesus Christ would come to Earth and shed His precious blood,
For those who were His enemies! It makes me feel ashamed.
I wouldn’t think of doing it for those whom I have blamed,
For everything that’s happened. I wouldn’t care a fig.
If they were not my family I’d treat them as a pig.
O Master please forgive me. I know I’m in a jam.
I’m just a human being and You are the “I AM”.
I do not have the blood of Christ, coursing through my veins.
My birth was in iniquity, awash with Adam’s stains.
I need a blood transfusion; I never can be clean.
Not when I consider the things I’ve done and been.
It’s utterly impossible for me to pass Your test.
I’ll never join the happy band, of those whom You have blessed.
The only way to do it is for me first to die.
To take away the tainted blood on which I so rely.
Pass it through the cleansing fount which You alone control.
And then restore it back to me. That’s sure to make me whole!
Your life blood in my body can do what I can’t do.
Live a life that’s totally dependent upon you.
I’m sure when this has happened, I will not feel ashamed.
Instead, a sense of thankfulness that sin has been contained!
That is my reaction to that which You have done,
In having me adopted to be a precious son.
O Lord you are exalted, above the stars on high!
You gave Your life so sinners could live and never die.
Jim Strickland
Written 7th July 2012
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13 Under the old system, the
blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow could cleanse people's
bodies from ceremonial impurity. 14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences
from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of
the eternal Spirit, Christ offered Himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for
our sins.
Hebrews 9:13-14 NLT
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7 He
was abused and punished, but he didn't open his mouth. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. He was like
a sheep that is silent when its wool is cut off. He didn't open his mouth.
Isa 53:7 GW
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15 just
as My Father knows Me and I know the Father. So I
sacrifice My life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep,
too, that are not in this sheepfold. I must bring them also. They will listen
to My voice, and there will be one flock with one shepherd. 17 "The
Father loves Me because I sacrifice My life so I may take it back again. 18
No one can take My life from Me. I sacrifice it
voluntarily. For I have the authority to lay it down when I want to and also
to take it up again. For this is what My Father has commanded."
John 10:15-18 NLT
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11 For the life of a creature is in the blood, and I have
given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the
blood that makes atonement for one's life.
Lev 17:11 TNIV
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22 In
fact, according to the law of Moses, nearly everything was purified with
blood. For without the shedding of blood, there is no
forgiveness.
Hebrews 9:22 NLT
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8 But
God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While
we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much
more shall we be saved from God's wrath through him!
Rom 5:8-9 TNIV
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