Sharing Christ

God created a masterpiece. He made the first man and the first woman in all their perfection and beauty. But mankind chose to rebel against their Creator, and God’s masterpiece was ruined. Since that day, every person born into the world is born incapable of truly pleasing God. Like a master’s painting all covered with graffiti or a sculptor’s work shattered to bits, we have been ruined by sin. Yet God in infinite grace stepped in. He didn’t gather up all His creation and throw it away. Instead, He sent the Master, the Almighty Sculptor to this world to save the marred masterpiece from eternal ruin. Here, the Creator was marred more than any man. He was nailed to a tree, and suffered beneath the wrath of Almighty God, taking our punishment in order for our sin stains to be erased. It is when we acknowledge our lost and ruined state that the grace of God reaches down and says, “Fear not, I have redeemed you, you are Mine.” Placing our faith in the One who took our place, and dying to our own self-righteousness and self-worth, we fall at the foot of the cross and rest in the worth of our Lord and Savior– and there find acceptance before God. Our acceptance is in God’s Beloved One. Our right to be in God’s display room of grace called heaven is the One who came to earth to take away all our stains and transform the shattered figure into a totally new creation.

Could we say that Jesus Christ came from heaven’s glory to die for us because we were so special, so precious, so valuable that He had to die and pay such a tremendous price for our salvation? Did our worth demand His coming? Is the price that He paid equal to the value of the thing purchased? No, it cannot be! To say such a thing actually exults us and minimizes the worth of that precious blood. It also would ignore our wretched condition before God–we did not deserve such love. To say that our worth was the reason for His sacrifice would be to minimize the wondrous grace of our God. The greatness of the price does not show our worth, but rather demonstrates the depth of how ruined we had become. It also reveals the righteous requirement of a holy God that had to be met before He could accept us. The Lord Jesus was separated from a holy God while paying for our sin. He suffered as we deserved to suffer. The price He paid demonstrated the awesome holiness of our God and at the same time God’s infinite, selfless love.

God’s way is not to choose to love worthy objects, but rather, unworthy objects. He does not help us to save ourselves, but rather chooses to save the helpless. In so doing, He engenders thankful worshipers rather than boastful braggers. God’s love does not exult its object, but rather demonstrates the glory of His character; the character of God’s love is that it is not dependent upon the recipient but rather upon who He is.

Think of it. When God saves, He places the Spirit of His Son within us. He shares His life with us, and enables us to live in Him, by His power, enjoying His love. He makes us heirs of eternal riches in His Son. He binds us inseparably with the greatest Lover in the universe. He gives us worth. He makes us into a radiant painting that is far more beautiful than the first, that radiates His glory. We become a vessel that He can fill and use, something of value to Him, that brings Him delight. We find our true purpose in life as we walk with Him and get to know Him more intimately. A vessel is valuable because of the substance it holds. Without the contents, it has nothing to boast in. Even so, Christ in us makes all the difference.

How precious to know that God’s love does not depend upon our performance or self-worth. If that were the case, we would have to continually be trying to measure up to His (unreachable) standard, hoping that He would still love us. God’s love is an eternal love. To be eternal, it must depend upon God Himself rather than upon the recipient. When we respond to that love in worship and appreciation, that brings immense pleasure to our heavenly Father.

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? …I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35, 38-39 NKJV).

Do we have worth in Christ? Resoundingly, yes! What is Christ’s worth to God? God has united us with His Son, and our worth is in Him. “He who did not spare 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 NKJV). 

“But you are a chosen generation… His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9 NKJV).

I think our focus really needs to turn from considering self-worth to considering that Christ is everything, and I am in Christ. I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.  (Galatians 2:20 NKJV)

Scriptural references: (hover over reference to read the verse)
Romans 5:18; 8:8; John 3:16; Isaiah 52:14; 53:6; 43:1; Luke 18:13; Ephesians 1:6; 2:8-9; Romans 5:6-8; Isaiah 43:25; Galatians 4:6; Philippians 1:20-21;  Romans 8:17; Ephesians 1:11-14; 2 Timothy 2:21; Also consider: John 1:27; Luke 15:21

To Clarify: This article is not meant to minimize the fact that God has created mankind in His own image and that God values life. Genesis 9:6 shows us that it is a serious thing to take the life of another human being: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man” (NKJV).  Life is from God and belongs to God, and to kill one who is made in the image of God is a very serious offense. Matthew 10:29 reminds us that God even cares about the death of a sparrow (though not created in Him image) and lovingly provides for His creation. There is a difference, I believe, between (1) the fact that mankind has been ruined and rendered useless by sin to the point of enmity against God and is therefore unworthy of God’s blessing and (2) the fact that we were made by God, belong to God (in the aspect of creation), and still have something of his image upon us, though it is severely marred by sin. We are a soul that will exist eternally, a soul with feelings and emotions which the heart of God longs to win to Himself (Luke 13:34). The human spirit, when made alive, has the capability of interacting with and appreciating his Creator, and in that aspect, there is a potential value to God found in each individual born into this world.

After they had mocked Him, they took the scarlet robe off Him and put His own garments back on Him, and led Him away to crucify Him.  (Matthew 27:31)

I marvel at those words… “led Him away.” And who were they leading away to crucifixion? God’s King (Psalm 2:6)! God’s Shepherd (Zech. 13:7)! Consider the humility of the Savior. They mocked Him by clothing Him in royal apparel and bowing down to Him. They led God’s shepherd as a lamb to the slaughter (Isaiah 53:7), and He did not open His mouth in protest. They did not want the righteous rule of God’s King, nor did they desire the tender care and guidance of God’s Shepherd. They led away to execution the very One who desired to lead them to God, and they executed the only one who was able to bring righteousness to this groaning world. Yet in the all-wise purposes of God, Christ was not really following men to the cross. No, men could not force Him to give His life, and God had a plan to bring deliverance to this world and defeat the devil with his own weapon of death. God’s perfect Servant (Isaiah 42:1) was following His Father’s will to that hill called Golgotha. The sword of judgment awoke upon God’s Shepherd, and the Lamb of God paid the price of our salvation with His blood. Now that One whom they led away in rejection draws all to Himself through that same death (John 12:32).

Men once said “we have no king but Caesar.” But a day is coming when all will glorify God’s Son when He sits upon the throne of David, and God’s king will reign over all the earth. God’s Shepherd “shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11). What a day that will be!

The day of the Passover came. It was the day when the Passover Lamb “must be killed.” Many viewed the suffering of the lambs that died that day as they remembered how God had graciously and mightily delivered His people out of Egyptian bondage to be a people for Himself, which was symbolized by the redemption of every firstborn by blood (Ex 4:22-23). Many saw a suffering lamb, but few appreciated the suffering Lamb of God who was taking away the sin of the world.

And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha. (John 19:17)

The weight of the cross that day must have been enormous, but far greater than this was the weight of our sin that He bore (1 Pet. 2:24).

And again another scripture saith, They shall look on him whom they pierced. (John 19:37)

As the hard hammer came down on those rough nails, the pain from the piercing of the nails had to be excruciating; but far greater than this were mankind’s hard-hearted words against the loving heart of the Son of God (Luke 23:35).

And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?” which is, being interpreted, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:33-34)

When all His disciples forsook Him and fled, it must have brought sorrow to the Lord’s heart; but this was nothing to compare with the hours of darkness where He was separated from His God on account of our sin. None could go through that valley of death with Him. None could know the depth of that suffering and separation which He endured.

Lord, kindle within me a renewed appreciation for Your incarnation, humiliation, consecration, sufferings and crucifixion, and yes, Your exaltation in resurrection, and redemption.