The Wednesday Word: Nada, Niente, Zilch! (Nothing)

I have often been told by professing Christian that we are not declared in right standing with God until our life is characterised by obedience. Accordingly, Christ’s death on the cross was essential for right standing before God, but so also is our life of obedience. To which I say, “What a hodge-podge of confusion twice confounded!”

Although we strongly believe that the believer’s life is characterised by obedience, our obedience is in no way part of the ground of our justification (acquittal before God). To teach that our obedience constitutes any part of our acquittal is to indirectly teach that Christ’s doing and dying are insufficient to take us to heaven.

Are our works and obedience as Christians the condition for receiving God’s ‘not guilty’ verdict?

No!

Do we yet need to add our obedience to Christ’s in order to guarantee our admittance to heaven?

No!

Does our Justification depend on our moral transformation?

No!

If these things were so, then Christ’s doing and dying would be rendered inadequate. But, if His doing and dying are inadequate, it means something is missing. If something is missing, it is incomplete. If it is incomplete, it is not finished! If it is not finished, it is not perfect. If it is not perfect, then Christ lied and we are not saved (John 19:30; 11:25).

Let me ask you, do you trust in Christ alone + nothing? Has he satisfied the demands of God’s holy requirements on your behalf? Is He alone your righteousness? Is He alone your acceptance in heaven? “Yes,” you say, “but I need good works in addition to that.” Hey, no one is arguing that good works are not a part of the Christian life (Ephesians 2:10), but can your good works compete with Christ’s good works on your behalf?

Good works are a fruit of our Justification, not the basis of it! Indeed, to add good works to the finished work of Christ is an anti-gospel error of the highest order (Ephesians 2:8-9; Galatians 2:16; 2:21; 3:11).

But you say, surely Christ’s doing and dying are not enough, we also need faith. Yes indeed, we need faith, but faith does not create our acquittal before God. Faith receives our acquittal, it embraces that which has already been accomplished, but faith is never reckoned as the basis of our justification. (John 3:36).

“Ah but we need repentance,” says another. Yes indeed, ongoing repentance is part of our growth in grace, but repentance is nowhere counted as any part of our justification. Our justification is based on the doing, dying and rising again of Christ + nothing, nada, zilch

Let me ask, have you any other scheme for getting to Heaven other than resting entirely on the doing and dying of Jesus? Is your hope built on “nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness”? But let me warn you, if you are trying to impress God with anything other than the shed blood of Jesus, give it up. You are in danger of adding a “damnable plus” to Christ alone! He doesn’t need our contributions to bring us to Heaven! He alone is our qualification for glory.

Ebenezer Wooten, an earnest English evangelist of another generation, was holding a series of tent meetings. The last service had been conducted, the crowd was leaving, and the evangelist was busy taking down the tent. A young man approached the preacher and casually asked, “Mr. Wooten, what must I do to be saved?”

“Too late!” said the evangelist, in a matter-of-fact way, as he glanced up at the inquirer. “You’re too late, my friend, way too late!”

“Oh, don’t say that Mr. Wooten!” said the young man, “Surely it isn’t too late just because the meetings are over?”

“Yes, my friend,” answered the evangelist, “it’s too late! You want to know what you must DO to be saved, and I tell you that you’re hundreds of years too late! The work of salvation is done, completed, finished! It was finished on the cross; Jesus said so with the last breath that He drew! What more do you want?”

The truth is, the Lord Jesus has perfected and finished the work of Salvation at the cross and nothing, nada, niente, zilch (nothing) needs to be added.

And that‘s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com  

The Wednesday Word: More on the Blood Part 3

We continue this short series about the blood of Christ by noticing that,

7. The Blood gives us Boldness before God. (Hebrews 10:19).

When sin is troubling the conscience, we are afraid to draw near to God. Sin presents itself as an impassable and impenetrable barrier. Nothing but the blood can remove it. And such is the authority of the blood that it gives believers boldness to enter the very presence of God Himself.

Because of the blood, we are delivered from trying to worship or work our way into the presence of God. Understanding and grasping this brings freedom from all manner of legalism. We can now with holy, guilt-free boldness come into the Lord’s presence and find a welcome there. What immense provision God has made for us by the blood.

The blood of Jesus is the new and living way into His presence of God (Hebrews 10:19-20). Everyone who is cleansed by the blood is welcome there.

So how is it with you? Have you claimed the privileges of the blood? You may be the greatest churchgoer, and the most highly respected citizen in your area, but without the blood of Christ, your state is hopeless before God. When we trust in that precious blood, however, we discover perfect peace with God.” (Philippians 4:7; Colossians 1:20). If sin is burdening you, the blood is what you need. No good work can make you acceptable to God. To have acceptance in heaven, we must be cleansed by the blood. It is only then we can have boldness to enter the presence of God.

Conclusion

There’s a non-factual, ancient legend about the Holy Grail which tells how Joseph of Arimathea, got permission from Pilate to take the body of Jesus down from the cross and bury it. That part of the story is true. But then the legend goes on to tell how Joseph also had in his procession the golden cup which Christ had held at the Last Supper and which contained the blood which, at the cross, had flowed from the Lord’s wounded side.

According to this legend, Joseph carried the cup to Glastonbury, on an island in Somerset in England. There he formed an order of knights whose work it was to protect the precious blood. The chief of these knights was made their king. At certain times the king unveiled the golden cup that held the precious blood, at which times a glorious and radiant light fell on the faces of all who stood about, filling them with rapture and filling them with strength from on high. Only the pure in heart could look upon the cup and behold the wondrous light which streamed from the precious blood.

Of course, this is a silly story, which contrasts sharply with the truth of the blood presented to us in the New Testament.

Here are two reasons why this is a silly story.

1.) The Blood needs no protection from the hands of sinful men.

2.) According to this legend, only the pure in heart could look upon the blood. But this is nonsense. There is no one pure in heart. We have all sinned. And it is the sinner, not the pure in heart, who is welcome to look upon the blood. As the hymn-writer said,

“I hear the words of love

I gaze upon the blood

I see the mighty sacrifice

And I have peace with God.”

To summarize what we have considered, the blood is

1. Precious blood.

2. It is shed for many.

3. It makes atonement.

4. It is the means of remission.

5. It is the ground of justification.

6. It cleanses from all sin.

7. It gives boldness before God.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com     

The Wednesday Word: More on THE BLOOD Part 1

The Scriptures abound with allusions to the blood of Christ and show conclusively that no one but those who are cleansed with that blood can enter glory.

The human heart is so deeply stained with sin, that, in order to get rid of sin, it clings to a thousand fake remedies. It shouts with deafening silence, “Anything, anything but the blood of Christ.” However, to trust in anything or anyone other than Christ and His precious blood is utterly redundant.

Cleansing by the blood is the theme tune of God’s people. The entire redeemed community in glory will sing with one voice “Thou art worthy, . . . for thou . . . hast redeemed to God by thy blood,” (Revelation 5:9).

Let’s then briefly consider seven things that the Word of God says about the blood. May we all be spiritually enriched as we consider more about the blood of the Lord Jesus. In this short series, we will notice that,

1. It is precious blood.

2. It is shed for many.

3. It makes atonement.

4. It is the means of remission.

5. It is the ground of justification.

6. It cleanses from all sin.

7. It gives boldness before God.

It is precious blood. “Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a Lamb without blemish and without spot” (1 Peter 1: 18-19).

We have just read God’s own estimate of the blood. He says, “It is precious.” It was the blood of the man Christ Jesus, the God/man. It was the blood from the all-glorious One (Hebrews 1:3). It was blood that was shed and designated to remove the filth of sin. It is precious to every believer.

Christ has made peace through this blood (Colossians 1:20). Only those who have realized their deep need and the uselessness of all human effort to get right with God know its preciousness.

“Precious, precious blood of Jesus! Shed on Calvary; Shed for rebels, shed for sinners, Shed for me.”

Is the blood precious to you?

2. The Blood Was Shed for Many.

When Jesus instituted the supper on the night of His betrayal, He took the cup of wine, and, speaking figuratively, said, “This is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matthew 29:28).”

Need we say it? Our sins are not remitted through the Lord’s Supper, but through the blood of which the wine is a picture.

Jesus said that His blood is shed for many.” What excellent words of comfort for the believer! Back then, the Jewish people were privileged to have had the Old Covenant. No other race on earth had this kind of favour, but now the blood of the Lamb avails for many. Gentiles, as well as Jew, are included as beneficiaries of the New Covenant. No race is excluded.

Out of every kindred, and tongue, people and nation we will yet see a multitude of people who have been redeemed by the blood (Revelation 5:9).

Great sinners, little sinners, sinners of every nationality are welcome to trust in the blood that was shed for many. No matter how great your sin and guilt, apply for mercy. His blood was shed for many.

Was the blood shed for you?

3. The Blood Makes Atonement. “It is the blood that makes an atonement for the soul” (Leviticus 17:11).

If it is the blood of Christ that makes the atonement. We can’t atone for our sins. Since repetition is the price of learning let’s say again, the believer’s sins are already atoned for. Once again, let’s observe how foolish and useless is every man-made effort to atone for sin. It is finished! Atonement has been made.

Yet, in spite of the fact that the blood was shed, there are multitudes daily striving to meet the claims of God’s holiness through their own religious efforts. But their endeavours are futile. The scriptures plainly tell us, “They that are in the flesh cannot please God” (Romans 8:8). Our puny little efforts to please God are, therefore, useless. In ourselves, we are mudballs steeped in sin. We are so destroyed by sin that nothing but the blood of the Saviour can atone.

Has He atoned for you?

Hebrews 9:12 tells us, “Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by His own blood He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.” Redemption has already been accomplished. Christ’s life was given at the cross, His blood was shed, and payment for sin was made. It is finished!

The moral and religious need the blood as well as the ungodly and depraved. The Jew had to bring his half-shekel of silver as an atonement (Exodus 30:11-16). But now there are no contributions we are required to bring, not even a penny.

And do you want more good news? There is no need to bring any kind of offering. Why? Because Christ has already offered Himself for us. What a sufficient offering. His precious blood has been shed; atonement has been made. He is the propitiation (wrath offering) for the believer’s sins.

…to be continued

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com     

The Wednesday Word: The Multi-Purpose Blood

In Western culture we often say that if a matter is one thing, then it is not another. In Eastern culture they don’t have that same concept. Instead, they tend to look at things from a ‘Both/And’ ‘concept.

Take for example the blood of Christ, it has many functions not just one. Consider this,

1. Romans 5:9: “Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.”

We are Justified by His blood. “Justified” means we stand before God as if we had never sinned.” Justification means we are acquitted! But this is not the only function and benefit of the blood.

2. Ephesians 1:7: “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace.”

We have redemption through His blood. The blood of Jesus Christ not only justifies us, it redeems us. It buys us back.

3. We also have the forgiveness of our sins through the Blood of Jesus (Ephesians 1:7). It’s not a matter of whether we are either redeemed or forgiven. We are both.

Then we discover Ephesians 2:13.

4. Ephesians 2:13: “But now in Christ Jesus you who were once far off are made near by the blood of Christ.”

So, here’s another thing the blood does … it ‘brings us near.’ It has removed the alienation and separation between us and God. That doesn’t mean the blood doesn’t justify. Of course, it justifies … but it’s not an ‘either/or’ situation, it’s ‘both/and’. Then there’s,

5. Colossians 1:20: “And having made peace through the blood of His cross.”

The Blood of Jesus Christ is the peacemaker. The war between the believer and God is over. Peace has been made by the blood. “Oh” says someone, “I thought Jesus accomplished peace.” Yes, He did! But we are not dealing with an ‘either/or ‘scenario, it is a ‘both/and.’

Now here’s another function for the blood.

6. Hebrews 9:14. “How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?”

The blood of Jesus Christ purges our guilty consciences. So, we see the blood is multi-purpose. Not only does it justify, but it also brings peace, it redeems, it brings forgiveness etc. It’s not an ‘either/or’ situation, it’s ‘both/and’.

7. Hebrews 13:12. Wherefore Jesus also, that He might sanctify the people with His own blood, suffered outside of the gate.

The blood of Jesus Christ sanctifies us. That means the blood sets us apart from sin and unto God. As we have seen, it does many other things. The blood is multi-purpose. It doesn’t have an ‘either/or’ task, it has a ‘both/and.’

8. 1 John 1:7. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin.

The Blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. In 1 John 1:9 it says He will cleanse from all sin. So, which is it? Is it the Lord or the blood which cleanses? But this is not an “either/or situation but a “both/and.”

9. Revelation 1:5…. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His blood—

Now we see that the blood of Jesus Christ washes us from our sins. How amazing!

His blood is wonderful. It does many things for us. The blood,

Brings us near to God: Ephesians 2:13.

Cleanses our guilty consciences: Hebrews 9:14.

Cleanses from all sin 1 John 1:7

We are forgiven through the blood: Ephesians 1:7 and Hebrews 9:22.

The blood justifies us: Romans 5:9.

The blood makes peace between us and God.

The blood redeems us: Ephesians 1:7 and 1 Peter 1:18-19

And sanctifies us: Hebrews 13:12

It even washes us (Revelation 1:5).

The blood really is amazing!

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com  

The Wednesday Word: It is Finished (Part 3)

If you want to be effective as you serve the Lord Christ, never tire of hearing and applying the gospel. In the light of the cross, we can learn to agree with the old Puritan preacher, John Flavell, who, when speaking of Jesus, declared,

“The condemnation was Thine, that the justification might be mine.

The agony was Thine, that the victory might be mine.

The pain was Thine, that the ease might be mine.

The stripes Thine, that the healing balm issuing from them might be mine.

The vinegar and gall Thine, that the honey and the sweet might be mine.

The curse was thine, that the blessing might be mine.

The crown of thorns was Thine, that the crown of glory might be mine.

The death was Thine, that the life purchased by it might be mine. You paid the price, that I might enjoy the inheritance.”

It is Finished! We were lost and condemned by sin. We could not perfectly and fully satisfy the demands of an all-holy God. But in grace, Christ’s doing and dying were imputed to us and declared us without fault before God. Why? Because ‘It is Finished!’

What a complete and perfect thing is the righteousness of God in Christ! Every believer is credited with this righteousness. Listen to me, it is neither a righteousness that looks like Christ’s righteousness nor a righteousness that is similar to Christ’s righteousness, but it is the actual righteousness of Christ that is reckoned to us.

Let the searching eye of the all-holy and jealous God turn it every way, view it from every side, and there will not be found the least flaw or defect in it. Let God the Judge thoroughly weigh it and examine it, and it will always appear pure and perfect, containing in it all that is necessary for our salvation. It is Finished!

But how do we get this righteousness? How does it become ours? What must we do to obtain it? The answer is it is ours by FAITH ALONE!

Faith alone is how we approach God. Faith alone receives our new verdict from heaven. But faith in what? It is not faith in the fact that we have faith. No indeed! We are saved by faith alone in Christ … the One who finished the work of our redemption.

When Jesus lived and died for us, He paid every debt sin had created. And God now reckons that salvation has been accomplished.

It is Finished.

All is paid in full.

What is done is done.

Our debt of sin is cancelled.

We are complete in Him.

However, because many of us are accustomed in this world to time payments (buying a thing and paying it off bit by bit), we bring that system over into our spiritual life. We think that, yes Jesus died on the cross for me, but I need to contribute something. If God sees that I am serious about keeping His Law or sees that I have some holy affections or that I am carrying out some form of service and working at improving myself then, if He takes note of these things, He will be doubly sure to open up heaven’s door for me!

Away with this blasphemous thinking! It is an abomination to God!

Let’s listen again to Jesus, “IT IS FINISHED!”

The way to God is now open in Jesus Christ because IT IS FINISHED!

Our sins are gone because IT IS FINISHED!

We have full assurance of faith because IT IS FINISHED!

Dear Believer, “Be of good cheer, your sins are forgiven you!! Your debts have all been paid through the blood of Calvary. Your conscience is now cleansed, you have eternal life and all because IT IS FINISHED!

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com   

The Wednesday Word: It Is Finished: Part 2

Here’s some good news about Christ’s Finished Work … all that Christ did in that work, He did as our substitute. If we believe this, we will be transformed.

He was born for us.

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

The eternal God entered into time and history in the person of the Lord Jesus. Unto us a child is born. Wonder of wonders, the Creator became a creature. What immense humility!

He humbled Himself, yet the world scorned Him.

He humbled Himself, but they called Him Beelzebub,

He humbled Himself, but they called Him a bastard—-an illegitimate child.

He humbled Himself, but they said He was just “the carpenter’s son.”

At His trial one man could only refer to Him as “this fellow.” (Matthew 26:61). What an insult!

He was born for us, but more than that,

He Lived For Us!

Paul says—-“For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that ye through His poverty might be rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9.

He came into this world as an infant, and there was no place in the inn for Him to lay.

He walked the earth, and at times here was no place for Him to sleep.

He died, and they had to borrow a place to lay His body.

When He took our place, He had nothing.

But, while He lived here on earth, He was wholly set apart for us (John 17:19).

He was made a curse for us,

“Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree” (Galatians 3:13).

Not only was He cursed for us, but He was also bruised for us.

He died for us and was buried and rose again for us.

“But He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5. It is Finished!

Some of us have become immune to hearing about Him, and how He came here and went to the cross. We tire of hearing that He was wounded for us. WARNING! If you become immune to the gospel you will be a useless in the service of our Lord and King.

Well did the Hymnwriter say,

“Lest I forget Gethsemane,

Lest I forget thine agony,

Lest I forget thy love for me,

Lead me to Calvary.”

He was born for us, He lived for us, He died for us and He arose and ascended to heaven for us (Romans 4:25; John 14:2). And right this moment He is living for us and making intercession for us (Hebrews 7:25). And when He finally comes again, He’ll come back for us (John 14:3).

His redemptive work is all finished! His ongoing intercession for us at this very moment is based on His finished accomplished work. His returning is to consummate and crown with glory all that He accomplished in His doing and dying and rising again! It is Finished!

Everything Jesus intended to do He accomplished! It is Finished!

If we want to build strong Christian lives, we must lay the foundations broad and deep. The deepest and strongest foundation for us is the Person and Finished Work of the Lord Christ (1 Corinthians 15:11)! If we want to be effective in the gospel, then we should learn the gospel! Learn that it is finished. Learn that all that is necessary for our salvation has been completed and accomplished! Learn that His work was a complete and total success.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com   

The Wednesday Word: It Is Finished!

John 19:30

Here is the greatest declaration ever heard in human history … “It is Finished.”

These are our Saviours dying words and what powerfully important words they are.

It is reported that when Queen Elizabeth 1 of England lay dying she said, “My God, my God it is over. I have come to the end!

In her wardrobe, she had 2,000 costly dresses and gowns yet she called out, “All my possessions for just one more day.”

Pathetic words of a dying Queen! How wonderful then, by contrast, are the words of the dying Savior who declares from the cross—”IT IS FINISHED!” Salvation has been completed, accomplished and perfected. Notice, there is not a hint of worry, anxiety or despair from the Master. How unlike the words of the dying English Queen who says, “My God My God it is over, I have come to the end.”

See how Christ’s words “It is Finished”, are filled with glorious victory. They mean, ‘It is done, It is completed’

What is completed?

Redemption is completed.

He is saying that salvation has been obtained and accomplished! You see, this little sentence, ‘it is finished,’ is not in the original Greek. It is just one word: ‘FINISHED!’

But how was Redemption finished? By the doing and dying of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. He finished and fully completed the work He had been sent to do!

When we look at the tense of the Greek word ‘Finished’ we discover that it is in the perfect tense which means that although the action has been completed in the past, the results continue into the present. So, when Jesus cried out “It is finished,” he meant, “It was finished in the past, it is still finished in the present and it will remain finished in the future.”

Listen to Paul as he tells the Hebrews of the Christ who finished His work, “Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;” Hebrews 1:3.

It is finished!

It is finished! That means, Justice was satisfied and still is.

It is finished! That means, the Father was satisfied and still is.

It is finished! That means, the righteous demands of the law were satisfied and still are.

It is finished! That means, the Old Testament sacrifices were finished and remain so.

‘It is Finished ‘— what a wonderfully grand and glorious statement by the God/Man, the young Prince of Glory!

When a work is Finished, it is Finished … there is no need to add anything to it! Neither man nor angel needs to augment it. It is finished.

And a good thing too. Wouldn’t it be just dreadful if our salvation were based on any of our efforts?

We can’t rely on our efforts … they at best are incomplete.

We can’t rely on our service … we haven’t served God perfectly. We have left things undone. There’s so much we should have done but haven’t and the clock is racing against us.

However, the Lord Jesus left nothing of our salvation incomplete! It Is Finished!

He did not partially save or partially ransom … It is Finished.

Everything He did for us, He did perfectly … It is Finished.

There is no one like Christ Jesus in any of the world’s great religions. This one expression … IT IS FINISHED explodes and shreds every other religion on earth! They are all fakes. They are all useless. With respect, Mohammed did not complete redemption for his people. Buddha did not atone for His people … only Christ Jesus ransomed, redeemed and reconciled us back to God.

It is Finished.

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com  

The Wednesday Word: Sin Put Away

“Now once in the end of the world has He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” (Hebrews 9:26).

What does it mean to put away sin? We can learn much about this from the Feast of Unleavened Bread when the Israelites were commanded to put away all leaven out of their houses (Exodus 12:15;19). Leaven is usually a picture of sin and this ‘putting away’ was a thorough job. The cupboards and drawers were emptied and their floors were very carefully swept in case a crumb of leaven bread should remain (see also Exodus 13:3-16; Leviticus 23:6-8; Deuteronomy 16:8; John 6:51).

In the New Testament, sin, not leaven, was put away by Jesus. He, as it were, cleaned house. If it had been left to us to clean our houses, we would have missed some of our hidden sins. We don’t realise how great a mountain of sin and lurking darkness we accumulated during our lifetime.

Question: How did Jesus put away sin?

Answer: “He appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself” Hebrews 9:26.

Spurgeon says, “All your sins—every size, shape, form, hue, degree, or fashion, are altogether gone! Crimson sins, black sins, crying sins, every sort of iniquity from your childhood until now, and right on till you enter into the rest of the Beloved; they were all taken and laid upon Christ. He made an end of them all when He offered up His great sacrifice; He has put away sin as a whole for His chosen; this is a glorious truth! “

C.H. Spurgeon: Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit: Volume 16 The Putting Away Of Sin: Sermon No. 911

If our sins have been put away, why do we think we can be saved and then lost? Can Jesus lose us? If He can, then Jesus didn’t put all our sins away. If we think we can be saved and lost, far be it from us to sing “Unto Him who loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto God and His Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever” (Revelation 1:5-6).

Notice the words, “forever and ever!” If Christ can lose us, we need to take that passage out of the Bible.

To ‘put away’ means literally a disannulling, a total abolition and an annihilation of sins. Christ has done away with the sins of His people! “The iniquities of Israel,” He says, “shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found” (Jerimiah 50:20). To fear that we as believers could eventually perish is to look at Jesus with a heart of doubt. May we learn to endorse the words of Augustus Toplady who wrote,

“Complete atonement Thou hast made

And to the utmost farthing paid

Whate’er Thy people owed.

How then can wrath on me take place,

If sheltered in Thy righteousness

And sprinkled with Thy blood?”

May each of us know that Jesus Christ has put away our sin – all of it. We are now accepted as though we are fully righteous.

Do you mean we are innocent?

No! Much more than innocent. He has clothed us in His righteousness. And, listen to this, “The gifts and calling of God are without repentance” (Romans 11:29). The eternal God never says then unsays, never does then undoes, never gives then un-gives. If we have been declared not guilty, then we are indeed not guilty, and no one can ever condemn us (see Psalm 103:12).

This is wonderful! Dear believer, we can never go down into the pit of hell; God can never be so angry with us as to utterly forsake us! We are both saved and safe!

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com 

The Wednesday Word: A Simple Word For Us All

Have you been called to minister? Whether you know it or not, you have, all believers have. We´re here to extend the claims and fame of Jesus. We’re here to help non-believers and believers alike to see how wonderful Jesus is.

As God´s servants, may we continually show each another that Christ is precious. May we be helped to know that our sins have been cast behind God’s back (Isaiah 38:17). May we continually remind one another that the Lord´s sacrifice at Calvary was so powerful that, although He is all-seeing, the Father will never again catch sight of our sins.

Consider this, God said that He beheld no iniquity in Jacob (Numbers 23:21). But there was iniquity in Jacob, lots of it! Was God lying? No, that would be impossible!(Numbers 23:19). But, here´s the thing, because Jacob´s sin was put away at Calvary, the Father could say I find no iniquity in Him. And He says the same about us.

Calvary! What a powerful sacrifice! Eternal glory is due to the lovely Lord Jesus Christ because of it! He is the fountain opened for sin and uncleanness! (Zechariah 13:1).

It is written, “Blessed are the people that know the joyful sound” (Psalm 89:15). In the Glorious Gospel of the Blessed God, we hear the ‘joyful sound’…here’s part of it.

Christ was made a curse for His people.

Under our sins, we can write in large, bold letters, “Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree.”

The English/Canadian theologian, Arthur Custance, astutely observed, “Any one of a number of deaths were possible for a condemned man under Roman law. That they should choose crucifixion was no accident since it was one form of capital punishment wherein a man was not merely put to death but was also accursed in the sight of God (Galatians 3:13). In other words, they forced upon Jesus, who was innocent, not merely the condemnation of the court, but the condemnation of God also.” (Arthur Custance, Doorway Papers).

Christ took the death of His people, and now, death has no sting with which to wound God´s elect. May we hear this frequently when we fellowship with one another.

But, it doesn´t end there. Christ Jesus is now made the Righteousness of God to His people. And how is this done? It is done by imputation. The believer is now reckoned as having the actual, entire righteousness of Christ (see Romans 4:6-8; 3:21-22; 2 Corinthians 3:21).

Believers in their new identity in Christ have no sin, curse or death. That message will never grow old. We are declared not guilty for all eternity. As it is written, ‘Who shall lay anything to the charge of God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condems? It is Christ that died; yea, rather, is risen again, and is rather at the right hand of God (the place of power and acceptance) who also makes intercession for us” (Romans 8:33-34).

If our dear ministers in the pulpit made the gospel more prominent, it would be a blessing to their ministries. It would also encourage believers to build one another up in the most holy faith and to strive earnestly for the name and fame of the Lord Jesus.

And that´s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com 

The Wednesday Word: The Satisfactory Sacrifice

When Jesus called out, “It is finished” (John 19:30) it was a declaration that His redeeming work had been accomplished. Because redemption happened in the past, in history, redemption cannot be undone or added to. Nothing more is needed. It is finished.

At the cross, there was a once-and-for-all completed sacrifice for sin. We were purchased, bought and paid for by the shedding of Christ’s precious blood.

Since the sacrifice of Jesus Christ was completed at Calvary it is incorrect to say that redemption was finalised when Christ sprinkled His blood upon the heavenly mercy seat. There are those who incorrectly teach that the blood of Jesus had to be applied to the heavenly mercy seat to redeem us. They say that if Jesus’ blood had soaked into the ground at Calvary, then sins could not have been taken away.

Wrong!

Christ ascended into heaven because His work of atonement was finished, not in order to complete it. Of course, He sprinkled His blood on the mercy seat but that was not to achieve redemption. He had already accomplished redemption at the cross. This is made clear when we read, “But by His own blood he entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12).

Notice how eternal redemption had already been obtained before Christ came to the mercy seat.

So, let’s say it again. To complete redemption, Jesus did not need to present His blood in heaven.

Why not?

Because our redemption was, by that stage, already un fait accompli (an accomplished fact: a done deal). See Hebrews 9:7-12, 24-25; 10:19; 13:12, 20; 1 John 2:2.

Before we continue with this thought, here’s another gospel truth about Jesus! He, unlike the Old Testament high priest, did not have to make a sin-offering for Himself

Why Not?

Because He was already perfect, sinless and flawless. He was without sin (Hebrews 7:26). There was no need, therefore, for Christ to shed blood for His own redemption. He was the only man who has ever lived who didn’t need a saviour.

But, back to what we were saying. Christ entered heaven having secured our eternal redemption at the cross—He is now enthroned in heaven as the High Priest who completed the work of redemption (Hebrews 1:3; 8:1).

Nothing else needed to be added to the work of atonement.

Nothing!

Redemption was not a partially completed work.

He did not leave things half-done.

Our salvation does not depend upon something we need to do to complete it.

Christ did not have to do some atoning act in heaven. Redemption was finished, done, complete! The mission was accomplished! (John 19:30).

The sacrifice of Christ was made once for all on the cross. Any theory of atonement, therefore, which teaches that Jesus Christ needed to take His blood with Him into heaven (or hell) to complete our salvation, denies the finished work of the cross.

We do not need another sacrifice. We do not need the mythical bloodless sacrifice of the Roman Catholic Mass in order to be made right with God.

We Do not need another sacrifice. The one we have will do just fine.

We do not need another sacrifice. Jesus Christ willingly offered Himself in our place by shedding His blood as the price of our redemption (Matthew 20:28).

We do not need another sacrifice. Every person who trusts on Jesus Christ for salvation is eternally secure in Him (John 10:28-29). We have been redeemed out of slavery forever (Galatians 3:13; 4:4-5). He purchased us with His blood and took us out of the marketplace. We are no longer available; we are off limits. We are now owned by God….and He refuses to re-sell His precious possessions which He bought with His blood (Acts 20:28).

And that’s the Gospel Truth!

Miles Mckee

www.milesmckee.com