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Grace is not a helpless passion in God. Grace is an attribute of God’s Being which, like himself, is almighty and effectually, irresistibly, accomplishing the salvation of chosen sinners. — “By grace ye are saved!”
Daily Readings for the Week of December 8-15, 2019 Sunday Phil. 3–Colossians 1 Thursday 1 Timothy 2-6 Monday Colossians 2-4 Friday 2 Timothy 1-4 Tuesday 1 Thessalonians 1-5 Saturday Titus 1-Philemon Wednesday 2 Thess. 1-1 Timothy 1 Sunday Hebrews 1-5
· Shelby and I thank you for your generous gifts and many kindnesses to us. We thank our God for you and for the privilege of serving him with you.
Happy Birthday! Jesse Rice-9th Alexis Emerson-10th Rick Birchum-12th Nursery Duty Today — Brittany Torson
“Jesus” is Immanuel’s Name — Don Fortner (Tune: #93 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing — 77.77.77) 1. Let our hearts and voices rise, join the triumph of the skies! Earth and heaven now combine to extol the Christ divine! In our flesh the Godhead see! — Christ, incarnate Deity! God (O wondrous mystery!) took on our humanity!
2. Passing fallen angels by, God’s own Son came here to die! He took hold of Abram’s seed as our mighty Cov’nant Head! For His loved and chosen race, to bring mercy, peace and grace, God a mortal man became! — Mortals, bow, and praise His name!
3. “JESUS” is Immanuel’s name! Through a virgin’s womb He came, Fully God and fully man, without sin, God’s holy Lamb! Christ came here to save His own; and His work He’s fully done! — See Him yonder, on the throne, Christ, Immanuel, God the Son!
Everything Hangs on This 2 Corinthians 5:21 The entire message of the Bible is built and hangs upon this one profoundly glorious fact. — “He hath made him sin.” We cannot be made new creatures in Christ until “He hath made him sin.” God cannot reconcile us to himself until “He hath made him sin.” We cannot be reconciled to God until “He hath made him sin.” We cannot be made the righteousness of God in Christ until “He hath made him sin.” We cannot receive grace until “He hath made him sin.” “For he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21) What a profound revelation, what stupendous grace, what wondrous mystery those words contain! — “He,” God the Father, — “hath,” in holy justice and infinite mercy, — “made,” wondrously, mysteriously, inexplicably cause to become, created, — “him,” the Lord Jesus Christ, his infinite, well-beloved, only begotten, immaculate Son, — “sin,” an awful mass of iniquity, — “for us,” helpless, condemned, sinful rebels!
Not Stated
“For he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
Read this wonderful revelation of God and carefully observe what is not stated. The very things that are commonly said about 2nd Corinthians 5:21 are specifically not stated here by God the Holy Ghost.
Sin-offering It is not stated, as it is most commonly suggested, that God the Father made his Son “a sin-offering.” The Scriptures do declare, “thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin.” Our all-glorious Christ is our sin-offering. We have no offering for sin but him. But that is not what this text says. Here the Holy Spirit declares, “He hath made him sin for us.”
A Sacrifice for Sin The Apostle does here tell us that Christ was made “a sacrifice for sin.” He is that. We rejoice to declare that when our blessed Savior died as our Substitute, he offered himself “one sacrifice for sins” and “sat down on the right hand of God.” Because of his one sacrifice “there remaineth therefore no more sacrifice for sin!” But here the Spirit of God tells us, “He hath made him sin for us.”
Reckoned to be Sin Again, the Holy Spirit does not tell us here that Christ was “reckoned to be sin” by his Father. That is the way we would read the text, if we followed the implications of our translators in adding those words “to be.” Yes, he was reckoned to be sin and punished as such for us. But here we read, “He hath made him sin for us.” Had he not been made sin he could not have been reckoned sin.
Sin Imputed to Him In the same line of thought, it must be pointed out that our Lord Jesus is not here said to have sin imputed to him. Sin was, indeed, imputed to our Substitute; it was laid to his charge. That is because “He hath made him sin for us.” But as far as the words of Holy Scripture are concerned, it is nowhere stated in the Book of God that sin was imputed to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is not a single passage in the Bible that speaks of our sins being imputed to our Savior. In Romans 4 the word “imputation” or its equivalent (accounting or reckoning) is used seven times. It is mentioned again in chapter 5 (v. 13). But in those places God the Holy Spirit speaks of sin not being imputed to us and of righteousness being imputed to us. Yes, our sins were imputed to Christ when he was made sin for us, and because “He hath made him sin for us.” But the Word of God never uses the word impute, or any word like it, to speak of sin being imputed to Christ. The Scriptures never tell us how this was done, only that God did it. And every attempt of man to explain the mystery is only the shrouding of the mystery. Our all-glorious Christ was wondrously, mysteriously, inexplicably cause to become, created, “sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
Made Sin
“For he hath made him sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)
I am fully aware that natural reason opposes Paul’s doctrine. Many have endeavored to make the Word of God say something else. We are told that Christ had sin imputed to him, that he bore the guilt of sin, that he was charged with the debt of our sins, that he became accountable for our sins, that he bore all the effects of our sins, and that he was treated as if he were sin. But this plain, straightforward, blessed statement of Holy Scripture is almost universally denied by men. — “He hath made him sin.” But there it stands. — “He hath made him sin.” How can this be? What can it mean?
God’s Doing In human law and reason, among men guilt cannot be transferred, but only its effects. Among the sons of men, a third person may cancel my debts, but not my crimes. But I am not talking to you about things men can or may do. I am talking to you about what our God has done. And in this great affair of salvation our great God stands infinitely alone. In this, his most glorious work, there is such a display of justice, mercy, wisdom, and power as never entered into the heart of man to conceive. Consequently, it can have no parallel in the actions of mortals. — “Who hath declared this from ancient time? Who hath told it from that time? Have not I the Lord? And there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me” (Isaiah 45:21).
“Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth [beareth] iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger forever, because he delighteth in mercy.” (Micah 7:18)
God’s Words Were our sins transferred to Christ and made to be his, or was our Savior only treated as if that were the case? What do the Scriptures say? I am not even slightly concerned about what men say concerning this matter. I only want to know — What does God say in his Word? This is what God says. — “He hath made him sin.”
Bible Doctrine In this statement, “He hath made him sin,” the word “made” is very significant. It is not a legal term, but a word that carries the idea of “create.” God the Holy Ghost tells us in plain, unmistakable words that God the Father, by one great, mysterious act, gathered together all the sins of all his elect throughout all the ages of time, and caused his darling Son to be sin for us. And that is the doctrine taught throughout Holy Scripture (Isaiah 53:4-12; Galatians 3:13-14; 1 Peter 2:24). The Word of God everywhere teaches that Christ our blessed Surety was made sin for us, that he bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that the Lord God laid upon him our iniquities, that “He hath made him sin.”
The Grace Bulletin
December 8, 2019
Grace Baptist Church of Danville 2734 Old Stanford Road-Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438 Telephone (859) 576-3400 — E-Mail don@donfortner.com
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor
Schedule of Regular Services
Sunday 10:00 A.M. Bible Classes 10:30 A.M. Morning Worship Service 6:30 P.M. Evening Worship Service
Tuesday 7:30 P.M. Mid-Week Worship Service
Web Pages http://www.DonFortner.com http://www.FreegraceRadio.com http://www.Grace-eBooks.com
Don Fortner
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Pastor Fortner’s
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