Aaron37, Our identity with Christ is as far as the east is from the west in relationship to the spurious “substitutionary view of atonement” held in general by the apostate church. This view separates us from Christ, when we are instead called to be joined in intimate fellowship with our Saviour and Lord. The “substitution view” is born in the realm of the unrepentant soul that ever seeks it’s own way, and that soulical way always circumvents the intimacy of Christ and Cross. I can say this, because for ten years I was mired in the organized church and filled with the traditions of men like “substitutionary atonement.” For a long decade, I lived a counterfeit Christ life, of dead works and self righteousness. That kind of life comes with a “substitutionary atonement view” which instead of embracing the cross, paints a comfortable delusional escape of the cross. Then one day Christ bid me, “pilgrim pick up thy cross and follow Me.” With that, began my journey, where I would realize His love and sacrifice for all men. Instead of looking at a Christ as a long ago substitute, His saints by His holy calling actively participate in His sacrifice. It is then we come to realize. His all encompassing resurrecting love envelopes all of His creation.
My friend did you know the sacrificial system continues even today and is presently working within the lives of God’s sons. You see, we are God’s continual sacrifices and offerings for the church and a dieing world. Please, if you would contemplate these five simple points.
We present our bodies, a sacrifice.
*Romans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. *
One gives sacrifice by dieing. We die daily
1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
The only way to have Christ’ Spirit living within us is to be crucified with Christ. We are crucified with Christ.
Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me
We suffer for the church. We fill up the afflictions of Christ.
Colossians 1:24 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body’s sake, which is the church:
We are God’s continuing offering and even the sin offering. We are as He is.
1 John 4:17 Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, the works that I do, he will do also” (John 14:12). We assume He meant that we would work His miracles, but Jesus did not limit His definition of “works” to the miraculous. The works He did–the redemptive life, the mercy cry, the identification with sinners, rendering Himself a guilt offering–all the works He did, “we will do also.”
So in closing, I leave you with a favorite poem of intimacy and I bid you as part of the Christ body, “lay down your substitutional view and pick up His cross, Pilgrim.” Far from substitutionary, His cross is your cross!
Hast thou no scar?
No hidden scar on foot or side or hand?
I hear thee sung as mighty in the land.
I hear them hail thy bright ascendant star.
Hast thou no scar? Hast thou not wound?
Yet I was wounded by the archers spent.
Leaned me against the tree to die and rent
By ravening beasts that compassed me I swooned.
Hast thou no wound? No wound, no scar.
Yes, as the Master shall the servant be,
And pierced are the feet that follow Me.
But thine are whole. Can he have followed far
Who has no wound or no scar?
(Preston Eby)
John
