Tuesday, 29 March 2022
IT WAS FOR YOUR SAKE
And he is the head of the body, the church: who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead; that in all things he might have the preeminence (Colossians 1:18).
The expression, “the firstborn from the dead” doesn’t mean the first to rise from the dead. Prior to Jesus’ vicarious death, there were those who had been raised from the dead, but what the Apostle Paul communicates by the Spirit here is different. When Jesus died, He died in the spirit; therefore, He was the first to come out of spiritual death.
Spiritual death is separation from God. As Jesus hung on the Cross, He suffered the agony of being separated from the Father. The Bible says He cried out with a loud voice, “…Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” (Mark 15:34). This was a result of His being made sin for us. His separation from the Father was for our sake. The Bible says, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).
It should have been illegal for Jesus to be in hell, because He was without sin, but He went to Hell inour place. Colossians 2:15 captures how He engaged Satan in that awful combat in hell and defeated him and all the cohorts of darkness: “And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.”
No one ever came out of spiritual death or out of Satan’s bondage, but Jesus did. He paid the full penalty for every man. Accordingly, because a righteous man was given for sinners, it became legal, and possible, for sinners to be given His righteousness. He took our place of sin, that we might obtain His righteousness. Now we’re as righteous as Jesus is!
He has made you the very expression of His righteousness because He died spiritually for you, and when He came out of death, you were in Him. Now you reign and rule with Him in the heavenly realms — in the realm of life. Blessed be God!
CONFESSION: Blessed Father, I thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus in my behalf by which I’ve been made righteous. I walk in, and manifest your righteousness, reigning and ruling with Christ from the heavenly realms, in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 1:30; 2 Corinthians 5:21 AMPC
1-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Luke 8:1-21 & Joshua 3-4
2-YEAR BIBLE READING PLAN: Romans 4:1-10 & Psalm 101