THE IMPACT OF GOD’S LOVE
Jesus Modeled Perfect Love on the Cross
By Glenda Ward
McDowell County
No other can match the supremacy of Christ’s holiness. Jesus is uniquely distinct from all creation. He is set apart! He is not one of us. Our world today has a lot to say about love. It is preached to us to love more. But let me interject here; heaven forbid we are not to love in the wrong aspects of LOVE! Since Adam and Eve ate from the forbidden tree, we were all born separated from God our Creator because of sin. But God didn’t abandon us. Look at John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that who so ever believed on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.” Jesus modeled for us what real love is. He is the only One who has ever perfectly displayed what real love looks like. To understand the LOVE of God and who we are – compared to Him; Reference Romans 3:23-26. We are justified freely. Declared not guilty. When God forgives our sins, all charges are removed from His record. Our record is wiped clean as though our sins never happened. Christ is our sacrifice of atonement. God declares Christ’s death as an appropriate, designated sacrifice for our sins. He stands in our place, paid the penalty of death, and completely satisfies God’s demands for forgiving our sins. His sacrifice on the cross brings to those who accept Him; pardon, deliverance and freedom. Paul shows that God forgave all human sin at the cross of Jesus.
God didn’t abandon the world by turning away from our perfectly made creation. God loved the world in this way: He gave His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him and follows His teachings will not perish but have eternal life. God loved us so much that He made a way for us to be with Him in His eternal glory. This is done through the death of His own Son on the cross. To fully understand the impact of God’s love and what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross let’s look at Isaiah chapter six verse one where we see a glimpse of God’s absolute holiness. Isaiah’s lofty view of our Lord gives us a sense of God’s greatness, mystery, and power. Isaiah sees our Lord sitting upon a throne and the whole earth is filled with God’s glory.
Scripture in the Bible specifically records Isaiah’s calling. People in that day and time needed hope, they needed assurance that God was with them and had not abandoned them. It is during this time of national insecurity that the Lord asks, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us” and Isaiah responds, “Here am I, send me” (Isaiah 6:8).
In contrast, to king Uzziah’s pride in the presence of God almighty, Isaiah humbles himself before the throne, and the seraphim (angels) attend in repentance and acknowledge his sinfulness. Isaiah’s sins are then purged taking away his iniquity. (Read this full account in Isaiah 6:1-11). This is a clear picture of the atoning sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ. We are purged and made clean with the precious blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross at Calvary.
The throne and the One seated upon it were magnificent and the robe He wore was special because of its train. Kings wore scarlet robes with a train attached because it symbolized strength and security. When the king of one country conquered the king of another country, the conquering king would have some part of that king’s robe sewn onto his own robe. Picture Isaiah’s vision of our Lord’s massive train in Isaiah 1:1.
At a time when believers had given up on God, God makes a promise that His Son is coming to earth in the flesh – Jesus Christ. What Isaiah anticipated to come in God’s timing: we look back on – the Birth of Jesus Christ the Baby in the manger. Isaiah prophesied the Messiah would provide a way to have our sins forgiven and that has now been fulfilled. Reference Isaiah chapter 9.
Does God ask who will go for me and make a way for sinful men to be saved? And Jesus the Son of God says, I will go send me. The Father continues: Son you will have to take on human flesh and die a sacrificial death; you will experience pain and suffering of the flesh in agonizing torment, and I will forsake you in your darkest hour. You will pay a sin debt and satisfy my wrath against all sin. Jesus removes His royal robe in exchange for grave clothes. God spoke His Word and sent Jesus into the world. God’s Word always brings about life; just as in Genesis chapter 1.
Jesus modeled perfect love when He went to the cross for us. We can get the work of Christ applied to our own lives. We are saved by grace through faith, not from our works. It is God’s gift. We are saved through faith in Christ Jesus alone. We need only to ask His forgiveness. As we move into the New Year, we can feel secure even though our world appears in turmoil. We must focus on the fact that our powerful God is in control of all. Jesus our Savior is the One True King who can free us from our sins. When we commit our lives to Christ Jesus, we can experience His forgiveness and have security that even if our circumstances don’t turn out the way WE want them, they will turn out the way God has planned for our good and His glory!
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Glenda Ward is a member of Grand View Baptist Church in McDowell County. She is the mother of five grown children. Glenda is a Christian writer/author of “Something to Think About” – weekly Christian Articles. She writes Church Programs & Bulletins, VBS Material, Christmas and Easter Programs; all material based on the KJV of the Bible. Also testing the field in tributes, individual memorial writings, etc. You can read more good Christian news from Glenda HERE.
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